Italian Vogue & the Slave Earrings

We’ve always been rather fond of Italian Vogue – they are one of the few high end fashion magazines that feature brown skinned models. To date, they are the only edition of Vogue that has done a ‘Black Issue’ (criticised by some as nothing more than a publicity stunt) and recently had an editorial called ‘The Black Allure’ featuring Arlenis Sosa, Chanel Iman, Joan Smalls and others.

Vogue Italia's original article

But then they go and spoil things by having a ridiculous piece on accessories, earrings in particular, and call the style ‘slave earrings’.

Their online article said: ‘Jewellery has always flirted with circular shapes, especially for use in making earrings. The most classic models are the slave and Creole styles in gold hoops.’

It continued: ‘If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern Unites States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom. Colored stones, symbolic pendants and multiple spheres. And the evolution goes on.’

The amended article

After receiving worldwide criticism Franca Sozzani, editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia, blamed bad translation: ‘We apologise for the inconvenience. It is a matter of really bad translation from Italian into English. The Italian word, which defines those kinds of earrings, should instead be translated into 'ethnical style earrings'. Again, we are sorry about this mistake which we have just amended in the website."

Is this fashionable now?

Vogue aren’t out of hot water yet, as commentators say the Italian word for slave - ‘schiavo’ sounds nothing like the word for ethnic – ‘etnico’.

Do you think this is a case of Italian Vogue being racist? Are they trying to link slavery and fashion? Do you find this offensive?