It’s finally happened! Just last month, headlines were made when it was announced that Beyoncé would be the cover girl of this Vogue’s 2018 September issue. The announcement, which was additionally followed by the rumor that this would be Anna Wintour’s last issue. But, once that claim was disproved, it became apparent that either way, this was going to be a historical shoot.
It turns out that Beyoncé would be given complete creative control over the issue; which includes picking the photographer. And just who was her pick? That would be 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell, who would be the first black photographer to do a cover shoot in Vogue’s 125-year history.
I cried 3 times already this morning. Here’s Beyonce by me for the September 2018 cover of American Vogue.https://t.co/S7JiYGDAG5 pic.twitter.com/l1ZsfvaK6G
— Tyler Mitchell (@Tyler_Mitchell_) August 6, 2018
This is a fitting accomplishment for Mitchell, who often considers the theme of his racial identity in his work stating “I was always mentally placing myself in relation to others and very conscious of my Blackness.” He says that he likes to “depict Black people and people of color in a really real and pure way.”
Photos from the shoot, which was done in a rustic English country house, have finally been released. Mitchell tweeted the covers stating “I cried 3 times already this morning. Here’s Beyoncé by me for the September 2018 cover of American Vogue.” Beyoncé herself posted the portraits on Instagram.
Mitchell was even interviewed by Vogue and expressed his appreciation for the place he has achieved in the magazine’s history, stating “For so long black people have been considered things. We’ve been thingified physically, sexually, emotionally. With my work, I’m looking to revitalize and elevate the black body.”
Featured Image via Wikipedia
1 Comment
Very cool and inspiring!