---------- FashionFirstLunchLater: The average citizen in Indian lives off of $1.25 a day, but can still afford a Birkin

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

The average citizen in Indian lives off of $1.25 a day, but can still afford a Birkin


Vogue India is almost celebrating its one year anniversary however, much isnt being celebrated about the latest spread in the current issue of the magazine. The spread features "real" Indian people carrying $10,000 Birkin bags or $200 Burberry umbrellas, is being called "downright distasteful" and an "example of vulgarity" because nearly half of India's population lives on less than $1.25 a day. We wonder if they had to give the Birkins and the Burberrys back?
Vogue India editor-in-chief Priya Tanna's responded by standing her ground:
Lighten up . . . Fashion is no longer a rich man’s privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful. You have to remember with fashion, you can’t take it that seriously. We weren’t trying to make a political statement or save the world.
source/Photo:Fashionologie



1 comments:

Unknown said...

India does have a huge amount of poor but also some of the richest people in the world. The disparity is intriguing, but also it's becoming a burden on the system itself, education is the only solution for poverty and nothing else, at least in the last decade or so a middle class has been created that can reap the benefits of flowing cash. The presence of designer brands and the sales just go to show the spending power that India has. Change we see now in India, seen in China a while back. What I feel designer or not, this photo shoot and contervacy was something that went very wrong, it's not that the "real people" have not been used in advertising in India, but this kinda was taken in the wrong stride, better luck next time Vogue ;)