posted by astralgirl01
May 22, 2007 10:56AM
Yeah-- strapping some LV on a baby elephant in a developing nation isn't going to help the situation. Vogue is a hot mess. Way to teach vapidity on a global level.
posted by R
May 22, 2007 11:10AM
Yeah, I was kind of disgusted by this as well. It seems ridiculous that they would go to Africa to shoot high-end fashion.
posted by ashleydc
May 22, 2007 11:13AM
I saw this yesterday and it reminded me of the whole fracas over the elephant shoot from W. Haven't we learned that elephants and fashion don't mix?
posted by Allison
May 22, 2007 11:40AM
If you read the article, Keira kept a journal during the trip/photo shoot and she even commented on the absurdity of strapping an LV blanket to an elephant.
It's ridiculous, but would they be Vogue if they weren't?
posted by Helen
May 22, 2007 11:42AM
I did love how in the article when they transcribed Keira's "diary" from the shoot, they quote her saying how ridiculous the whole thing was--didn't stop her from participating though. Take away the LV blanket and it is a sweet picture. . .
posted by guest
May 22, 2007 11:55AM
@allison- dont you think its a little bit more than ridiculous. how about disrespectful to a thrid world nation,unethical,spitting in the face of poverty...c'mon be a humna being. no excuse for this.
--- and keira whats- her -face should have declined, but since she has no integrity i'll stop there.
posted by tesstricks
May 22, 2007 11:59AM
That photo killed my faith in humanity..
..and these comments restored it! Yay! :P Fastest that's ever happened, too. :P
posted by Natalie
May 22, 2007 12:39PM
This particular photo is a bit too "over-the-top" bordering on tacky for my taste, but I do have to say that Keira's editorial is the best "actress spread" I've seen in VOGUE in a while.
posted by guest
May 22, 2007 12:54PM
I don't know, it doesn't really bother me--wasn't the whole shoot sort of a british colonial africa thing? Which in and of itself is ridic., and involves and kind of requires the juxtaposition of luxury and the third world (like palatial manor homes on huge tracts of land that brits still live on today in Africa, for example). Also, its Vogue...don't expect them to care about world issues unless it's Lauren Bush or whoever's "feed bag"
posted by lost whales
May 22, 2007 1:35PM
Whomever came up with this idea is an asshole. Animals, particularly baby animals, are not props, you cretin photo editors.
This is the kind of misguided luxury goods messaging that has twits like Paris Hilton supporting the black market trade in exotic animals.
Even Geoffrey Rush walking down the red carpet at the Pirates 3 premiere with a little monkey in a costume on his back is a crass and thoughtless way to shill for a movie that will make over $1B this summer. Leave the animals out of this. Donate proceeds to restoring the over-fished marine life in you undoubtedly damaged while producing two movies back to back with hundreds of crew members working in the ocean for months.
posted by Allison
May 22, 2007 1:40PM
@Anonymous (1) - Is incredibly ridiculous good enough for you? This is the same magazine that publishes a shape issue where the majority of the shapes are rail thin/slender despite being "athletic" "petite" "thin" "tall" "curvy". I guess Vogue just doesn't surprise me anymore with their ability to ignore the rest of the world and focus only on the insanely rich, famous and beautiful. As the second Anon. said, the whole photo spread and concept of the camp Keira stayed plays off Colonialism, which in and of it's self is absurd... but yet again, it's Vogue...
posted by Amy
May 22, 2007 4:11PM
This baby elephant lives at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Africa. The Trust was formed to save orphaned elephants and rhinos from certain death in the wild. Baby elephants are especially fragile animals and require a milk diet until they are two. Without their mothers, the babies are doomed. The Trust rescues the babies and cares for them until they are ready to re-enter the wild.
I have been a foster mother to Baby Kora for two years now and frankly, although I agree with the comments above about ethical treatment, there are other factors to consider. The national exposure from this issue could increase donations so Sheldrick can continue their desnaring program. If seeing this photo inspires one fashionista to take their Marc Jacobs dress money and donate it to Sheldrick, they could hold another conservation class for local children or they could pay for the air lift of another baby stranded in the wild.
Frankly, I might be labeled a sell-out for thinking this way, but I’d put a baby in an LV blanket any day if it meant more funding for an organization that selflessly strives to better the continent and to save a species. Let’s face it, in the long run, should elephants become extinct, will we complain more about the deforestation, wars, and poaching that killed them or about a photo of an orphan in a designer blanket?
posted by lw
May 22, 2007 4:22PM
Does the editorial contain any information about the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust anywhere? Did Vogue or Louis Vuitton make any kind of meaningful donation to the Trust for the pleasure of dressing up its endangered keep as a luxury good item?
posted by Amy
May 22, 2007 4:40PM
LW,
I haven't a clue if they donated, but the Trust is mentioned online in the caption for the photo which is my only confirmation that the baby was indeed a rescued orphan. I'm not a Vogue subscriber and haven't access to a hard copy.
From Style.com: "Knightley feeds an orphaned elephant at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. 'There were three of them, and they were all so cheeky, rolling around in the dust and trying to knock us all over.'"
But, regardless of their donation status, why not donate on their behalf if you're concerned! You could adopt an orphan in Arthur Elgort's name! That way you can stick it to Wintour AND help save baby elephants! Everyone wins!
A
posted by Bonnie Lass
May 22, 2007 10:00PM
Wow. It's fascinating to see so many people give a shit about animals. That's wonderful!
So, how many of you don't wear leather or fur? Eat strictly vegetarian? Maybe we even have a couple of vegans around? Do you raise money for the WWF?
If that were some hairless tree rat from Madagascar, y'all wouldn't give a damn.
But seriously ... You don't think Madame Wintour and company don't see the redonk nature of the photo? Guess what? I'd bet my next paycheck they knew exactly what they were doing. Controversy sells.
(And KUDOS for the photo caption -- see? I knew you had it in you. Even if it's on that goddamned notebook paper ...)
posted by Bonnie Lass
May 23, 2007 12:20AM
Think of it like this -- where you talking about the plight of orphaned baby elephants last week?
Didn't think so.
posted by tesstricks
May 23, 2007 12:23AM
lol, Anonymous.
And thanks for the info, Amy. :] Though I disagree with you a bit. I don't think the photos or the article gave any exposure at all to the refuge. It just showed some (very) pretty clothes and tame elephants wearing Vuitton in an idealized African setting--which is fine, I guess, because part of fashion's allure is fantasy. But it would've been nice (and I know this ain't National Geographic or whatever) if there was a little note at the end telling interested readers where they could donate. Or if Keira Knightley (who had to have learned something from the employees about the elephants being endangered or the recent rash of unnaturally violent, anti-social elephants that is allegedly influenced by humanity) wrote about it in her journal and asked the writer to mention it in the article. But oh well. It's Vogue..
posted by lw
May 23, 2007 2:40AM
Amy - I'm not a Vogue subscriber either. Nor will I ever be. ALT's pimping of Jennifer Hudson at the Oscars alone was enough to convince me to never become a subscriber.
But more than that, the idea that elephants will become extinct due to deforestation and poaching anyway -- so it doesn't matter that Vogue is promoting the idea that endangered animals make great accessories -- is a really screwed up rationale.
Each of us adopting endangered animals from every single species on the brink is a hell of alot less effective and expeditious than ensuring magazine editors discontinue endorsing the notion that wild animals are part of a complete outfit. Vogue is assisting illegal animal traffickers with editorials like this.
Bonnie Ass - Who says we haven't been talking about endangered animals and donating money to wildlife preservation funds for years? Just because you're an ironic scum bag who doesn't give a shit doesn't mean everyone else around you is.
posted by s. colbert
May 23, 2007 2:49AM
What happens when the elephants turn 21 and get access to all that trust fund cash?!
posted by Hoya
May 23, 2007 1:41PM
Yes, the reserve is mentioned in the caption of the hard copy issue of Vogue, and Keira's comment on the elephant I found rather amusing (in the text of the article, not the caption):
"Today everyone tried to catch the baby elephants so we could put Louis Vuitton blankets on their backs. I've never seen anything more brilliantly stupid. I hope Louis Vuitton likes it; they should definitely give the elephant a modeling contract."
posted by guest
May 27, 2007 10:13AM
chill. out. please. it's a frickin' Vogue photo spread, and nothing more.
posted by guest
May 27, 2007 10:15AM
Chill. Out. Please, people. It's a frickin' Vogue photo spread, and nothing more. She's in Africa and she's feeding an elephant! Oh my God! Noo!! (though I will admit putting the LV blanket on the elephant is kinda dumb...)
posted by ugh
May 22, 2007 10:51AM
fuck this photo. this is the type of shit that makes people hate fashion- who goes to a place like africa and straps a lv bag on an elephant? they have truly lost it over there.