Jourdan Dunn revealed on her Instagram account Friday that she's the cover star of British Vogue's February issue. The fashion mag had only white cover stars in 2014, and Dunn is the first woman of color to appear solo on British Vogue since Naomi Campbell in 2002.
It's Dunn's first time covering the magazine. And, as Fashionista notes, it's about damn time. The likes of Cara Delevingne, Georgia May Jagger, Kate Upton, Freja Beha, and Kate Moss have all covered the British glossy. Previously, Chanel Iman was part of a group cover.
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British Vogue's all-white approach to its covers came into focus when it shared an Instagram of all its 2014 covers. Commenters quickly responded, noting the need for diversity.
Dunn's achievement is an especially satisfying one because she's been quite open about the racism she's faced in the fashion industry. In 2013, the model was cut from the Dior show, apparently because she was too curvy. She responded on Twitter, calling out the reason she's normally cut from shows is the color of her skin.
I'm normally told I'm cancelled because I'm 'coloured' so being cancelled because off my boobs is a minor : )
— Jourdan Dunn (@missjourdandunn) June 30, 2013Though the February 2015 cover is a huge step for its British iteration, U.S. Vogue actually featured four people of color this year: Rihanna, Lupita Nyong'o, Kanye West, and Joan Smalls. Though, it's worth noting that Smalls was featured alongside other models.
Here's hoping that Dunn's gorgeous cover is a sign of a larger trend in fashion coverage.