Change is in the air

And so, we usher in a new era of popular fashion thought? One can only hope.

As some of you may or may not have noticed, Natalia Vodianova graces the cover of August 2007's US Vogue. She looks incredible, by the way, in the accompanying editorial, as well.

Though this may mean very little to you, it is an amazing step in the American fashion world. Vogue is synonymous with high fashion; there are 17 countries in total that publish their own versions of this magazine. Needless to say, it is probably the most highly respected fashion magazine available. It has incredible influence in the fashion world.

Each month, the 16 foreign editions feature a different model on the cover. As it should be, no? Models exist for the only purpose of fashion. But can you remember the last time US Vogue [or any other "fashion" magazine for that matter in America] has had anyone other than an actress, socialite, or celebrity model [Heidi Klum, Rebecca Romain, etc] on the cover? I can't. Granted my readership only stretches back to about 2002 or so, but that has been a good five years.

It is about time a working model is on the cover of the most highly respected fashion magazine in the world, without and accomanying article/interview. Isn't fashion meant to be about the clothes and the poses and the styling and the photography, as opposed to the celebrity's same ingenuine smile and stance in every picture? With the exception of the rare celebrity [Keira Knightley, for example], I feel they lack the talent or experience to actually carry the cover without it looking cheesy and typical. Leave that to the tabloids or entertainment magazines!

I don't mean to sound elitest, by the way. I just believe in fashion for fashion's sake and this cover is a step in that direction. Hopefully it won't be the last.
Who's next - Vlada, Sasha, Lily D, Rachel?
Opinions?