Precious does “EllE” cover shoot

Elle Magazine celebrates 25 years in publication by celebrating a new generation of smart and talented actresses, activist, filmmakers and other 20-something ‘diva’s’ that are changing the game, one-by-one. One of the four models that ELLE chose to spotlight on its anniversary cover is the academy award nominated actress, Gabourey Sidibe.

Gabourey Sidibe cover Now, while a fan of Gabourey’s and Elle, I am not a fan of this photo shoot. The same care in fashion styling and hair design and even make up was seriously lacking. Joe Zee, the Creative Director for Elle magazine, along with photographer, Carter Smith, were responsible for this expose… therefore, I lay blame squarely on their shoulders. I am sure they could have enlisted the help of a more than capable, Elin Lavar or Tippi Shorter for hair styling services and any number of talented make up artist such as Sam Fine or Mylah Morales….just sayin’.

The controversy surrounding whether or not Elle’s graphic team lightened her skin for this shoot is about the silliest things ever, considering most models are either spray-tanned or bronzed within an inch of their life. Its seems to be cooked up foolishness to sell issues by directing your attention to the fact that Elle put a super-sized black actress on the cover of their anniversary issue. Marketing genius but a bit sketchy if you ask me considering a lot has been made of Gabourey’s image in this era of superficial beauty.