Vogue Korea Features Gay Couple on Cover Page

Vogue Korea recently featured a gay couple on the cover page of the January 2019 edition.

According to Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Korea Shin Kwang Ho, Coco Capitán and her girlfriend Frances Willik are the models on the cover page. Coco Capitán is a Spanish photographer who has received wide recognition through her collaboration works with the luxury brand Gucci. Her exhibition is currently hosted at the Daelim Museum of South Korea.

On the cover page, Coco Capitán and Frances Willik wear Gucci fashion items with Korean traditional accessories. The mix and match of Korean traditional items with high-end fashion items such as Gucci bags created a cultural yet modern atmosphere.

Vogue Korea editors and photographers were satisfied with their cover page until they received a wave of unexpected criticism from the readers. The editors received numerous phone calls and emails, criticizing and commenting on the fact that Vogue Korea had featured a lesbian couple in the cover page. According to Shin Kwang Ho, the Vogue office was plagued by hundreds of phone calls for an entire month. Most people asked questions such as, “Is this month’s cover model a lesbian?” and “How can a homosexual appear on the cover of Vogue?”, declaring a boycott and requesting to be put in direct contact with the editor-in-chief of Vogue Korea for the official position. Some even went as far to demand that Vogue Korea “Get the picture off the website!” Despite criticism from the public, Coco Capitán shared the meaningful shoot on her Instagram page.

Setting aside the furious public and large amount of criticism, Vogue Korea also received many positive comments. By featuring homosexual models on one of the most influential magazines in the country, Vogue Korea has restored the basic gay rights in South Korea.

In recent decades, despite a seemingly increasing acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community in Korea, conservative values against the community are still very much in place. Thus, Coco Capitán and her girlfriend being featured on a popular fashion magazine’s cover page was surprising and also shocking to the public. Shin Kwang Ho and his team’s decision to feature a gay couple has brought necessary visibility to the LGBTQ+ in Korea.

At our school, the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club has consistently been trying to raise awareness about issues faces by the LGBTQ+ community. To read some of the GSA’s articles on The Beacon, click here.