People are panning British Vogue’s ‘race’ issue that features two white actresses

Right in time for Black History Month, British Vogue is opening up the race conversation with its February issue. The magazine’s cover, featuring actresses Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie, is perhaps sparking a different conversation than intended, because critics are panning the cover as “disappointing” and lacking diversity.

The sneak peek of the February edition touts the coverline “Why we need to talk about race,” yet the cover features two chic white starlets. The diachotomy has many folks criticizing Vogue’s new editor Edward Enninful, the first black gay editor of the mag, for not keeping a promise he made that diversity would reign in the #NewVogue era.

The February cover comes on the heels of Vogue’s December issue, which featured Taylor Swift. Many dissed her cover as predictable and another lackluster choice if diversity is the aim for Vogue editors.

Though the February cover lacks diversity, the inside cover reveals a wider spectrum of “women continuing the fight for equality,” including journalist Paris Lees, author Reni Eddo-Lodge and Muslim blogger Dina Tokio.

The past two British Vogue covers were particularly disappointing to some fashion readers due to Enninful’s debut edition in November, which highlighted British model and activist Adwoa Aboah, according to the Independent.

Enninful has previously said Vogue would be all “about  being inclusive.”

Enninful has not yet responded to the criticism. 

The February issue of British Vogue goes on sale Friday.