Vogue UK editor: 'Nobody wants to see a real person on the cover'

With the recent success of plus-sized models, the rise of mannequins with back fat and Lena Dunham's on-point defense of her Vogue cover, it seemed like the fashion world might have been turning on its unhealthy standards. But Lily Allen's conversation on BBC Radio 2 with Alexandra Shulman, editor-in-chief of Vogue UK, showed that the industry still has a ways to go in promoting realistic standards.

In the interview, Shulman admitted that "nobody wants to see a real person on the cover." She added that even though she enjoys releasing creative covers with non-traditional models, they don't sell as well as the ones that feature traditionally beautiful stars.

"Vogue is a magazine about fantasy to some extent, and dreams, and it's an escape from real life," Shulman said. "People don't want to buy a magazine like Vogue to see what they see when look at in the mirror. They can do that for free."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Shulman's candor is refreshing, but it's still disappointing to see how little progress the fashion industry has made toward being more inclusive. Listen to the full interview, where Allen and Shulman also discuss Benedict Cumberbatch (whom Shulman refers to as "Benny"), here. --Meghan DeMaria