Beyoncé is making the dreams of a young Black photographer come true.
According to the Huffington Post, Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour gave Beyoncé unprecedented control over the cover + editorial for her upcoming September issue.
As part of her power, Bey reportedly hired the first black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover in the publication’s 126-year history.
His name is Tyler Mitchell and he’s just 23 years old.
via HuffPo:
The publication is contractually obligated to give Beyoncé full control over the cover, the photos of her inside the magazine and the captions, which she has written herself and are in long-form, according to two sources who are familiar with the agreement between Vogue and Beyoncé but aren’t authorized to speak to the press.
Wintour has always exerted complete control over the fashion bible, including selecting the outfits worn by cover models. Cover subjects are usually given little to no say in their photos and are sent the cover in the week ahead of publication, a source familiar with the editorial process at the publication told HuffPost.
Beyoncé chose Tyler Mitchell, 23, to be her photographer.
“I depict black people and people of color in a really real and pure way,” Mitchell, who has already made a splash by shooting campaigns for Marc Jacobs and Givenchy, told The New York Times in December. “There is an honest gaze to my photos.”
Wintour typically prefers to hire fashion photographers with more traditional experience and likely would not have selected Mitchell for a cover shoot, according to a source familiar with Vogue’s editorial process.
“The reason a 23-year-old black photographer is photographing Beyoncé for the cover of Vogue is because Beyoncé used her power and influence to get him that assignment,” the source said.
The cover is also likely to be Wintour’s last September issue, according to four sources familiar with her plans. Vogue parent company Condé Nast repeatedly has said the editor is not leaving the magazine.
WOW.
