OPINION PIECE: 'Water& Oil' - Vogue Italia

'WATER & OIL' - Vogue Italia

Photographed by

Steven Miesel

We're all about the controversy in this blog, taking a look at the collaboration between renowed fashion magazine Vogue 'Italia' and famed controversial American photographer Steven Meisiel. Together they brought us a 24-paged fashion shoot unlike any other that was considered genius by some, and tasteless by others. Having just seen the images of an all black-clad Kristen McMenamy on a dark oil-slicked beach caught in nets, spitting up oil, and flopping like a dying seal on rocks - replicating the scenes from the Gulf of Mexico where BP’s oil spill has caused months of damage to surrounding wildlife. The shoot which was shot in Los Angeles (who would have guessed), caused quit a fuss. Many readers at the time were left wondering whether Vogue Italia's aim was a call to action for people to become aware of what is taking place in the world or merely hoping to get attention by being provocative?

“The message is to be careful about nature,’ said Franca Sozzani, Vogue Italia’s Editor-in-Chief, explains to the Metro of the shoot, called Water and Oil. “Just to take care more about nature. I understand that it could be shocking to see and to look in this way these images.”

Initially the images were shocking and grotesque, it was hard to even continue looking at them at certain points, but one can't deny the evident artistry that went into the construction of this overwhelminingly dark fashion spread. Water and Oil was powerful, because it became a hybrid - it was utterly fascinating, provocative, sinister and beautiful all at the sametime. The sheer irony of this spread is what we believe caused an uproar amongst many people, because one cannot easily place the shoots position (fashion? or Oil Spill?). Whether the imagery was tasteless and lacked tact doesn't remove the fact that it had a role it played in raising awareness on the Oil Spill. Had it not been for Vogue Italia playing it's social role, there would still be many baffled fashionistas unaware of what's taking place in thier own world. As some might say, 'any publicity is good publicity' - good or bad. At the end of the day designers sold clothes, Vogue Italia sold issues, and the issue of ecological disaster was brought to the fore-front.

Though still hanging on the edge it's hard to find a standing point on the matter that is the 'Water & Oil' shoot. There’s no denying that these images from Vogue Italia are striking and thought-provoking, however the pain is still being felt by those in the area, one needs to think of these people at all times.It's simply not about doing shoots you want to do without giving thought to those that 'lived' the experience, interpretation is very far from reality at times and sensitivity is alway the order of the day.