WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – Elected Vice President Kamala Harris has landed on the cover of Vogue magazine’s February issue, but her team says there’s a problem: The photo of the country’s upcoming No. 2 leader isn’t what both sides agreed, her team says.
In place of the powder blue suit Harris wore for her cover shoot, the first African American woman to be elected vice president is instead seen in more casual attire and wearing Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers, which she sometimes wore during the campaign trail.
Harris’ team were unaware that the cover photo had been mixed up until the footage leaked late on Saturday, according to a person involved in negotiations about how Harris would appear on the cover. Harris’ office declined to comment, and the person spoke on Sunday on condition of anonymity.
In a statement, Vogue said it matched Harris’s more casual image for the cover, as the photo captured her “ authentic, approachable nature, which we believe is one of the hallmarks of the Biden-Harris government. ”
But the magazine said it had released both images and digital magazine covers to “capitalize on the gravity of this moment in history and the role it must play in moving our country forward.”
Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian descent, posed in the light blue suit in front of a gold background for the magazine’s cover. She also posed, dressed more casually in slacks, a blazer and sneakers in front of a pink and green background, for photos slated for the magazine, the person said. Pink and green are the colors of Harris’ sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha.
Vogue has released both images online, but the photo of a sneaker-clad Harris is the one that will adorn the cover of the print edition of the fashion bible.
The person with knowledge of the negotiations said Harris’s team expressed disappointment to Vogue at the magazine’s decision.
The cover also sparked outrage on social media as posters expressed disappointment with the way the magazine decided to feature the country’s first female vice president on the cover.
Harris will be sworn in as vice president on January 20.