RARE IN MENSWEAR: THE LACK OF BLACK COVER STARS FEATURED IN ESQUIRE FROM 2010-2020
A thesis submitted to the College of the Arts of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fashion Industry Studies
By
Julian Randall
May 2021 ii
Thesis written by
Julian Randall
B.A., Texas Tech University, 2018
M.F.I.S., Kent State University, 2021
Approved by
Jihyun Kim-Vick, Ph.D., Chair, Master’s Thesis Supervisory Committee
Tameka Ellington, Ph.D., member, Master’s Thesis Supervisory Committee
Eugene Shelton, M.A., member, Master’s Thesis Supervisory Committee
Jihyun Kim-Vick, Ph.D., Graduate Program Coordinator
Louise Valentine, Ph.D., Director of School
John R. Crawford-Spinelli, Ed.D., Dean of the College of the Arts iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
LIST OF FIGURES...... xxxiv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... xxxix
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTION ...... 6 Research Questions ...... 7 Reasoning ...... 7 Definition of Terms ...... 8
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ...... 9 A History of Men’s Fashion Magazines ...... 9 Arise Magazine ...... 10 Discrimination and Exclusion in Fashion ...... 10 Black Fashion Editors ...... 11 Iconic Black Fashion Magazine Cover Stars ...... 13 Black Fashion Photographers ...... 14 Colorism in Editorial Covers ...... 16 Racial, Political and Sociocultural Climate ...... 18
III. METHOD ...... 20 Research Design...... 20 Theory ...... 30 Procedure ...... 21 The Complete Esquire Archive ...... 23
IV. FINDINGS ...... 34 Findings...... 34
V. DISCUSSION ...... 40 Race and Gender… ...... 40 Body Posture ...... 41 Skin Tone ...... 42 Dress ...... 43 Masthead… ...... 45 Age ...... 46 Occupation ...... 47 Context and Textual Relevance ...... 48 iv VI. CONCLUSION ...... 51 Answers to Research Questions ...... 52 Contributions and Implications ...... 53
REFERENCES ...... 55 5
ABSTRACT
Lack of diversity, inclusion and representation in the fashion industry is an ongoing issue in the 21st century. More specifically, certain fashion magazines have become known for failing to incorporate Black people in their editorial content. The purpose of this study is to highlight the lack of Black people featured on the cover of Esquire Magazine from 2010 to 2020. This study also serves to investigate the variable of having Black leadership at the magazine correlates with an increased number of Black cover stars featured. The methodology used to collect the data is content analysis. This research seeks to uncover any emerging themes or correlations with regard to the inclusion of Black people in Esquire’s editorial content. Stakeholder implications of this study include greater representation of Black people on the cover of the magazine and the incorporation of more diverse and inclusive content within mainstream fashion media.
Throughout the duration of this research study, there were a number of trends, common themes and gaps that were identified. It became evident that there is an underrepresentation of Black men featured on the cover of Esquire in recent years, as well as a lack of Black editorial leadership at the publication. 6
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Fashion media has long been one of the primary sources through which men and women follow fashion. Fashion media is responsible for distributing information regarding recent and upcoming trends, lifestyle content, various “dos” and “don’ts,” as well as disseminating information surrounding designer collections. More specifically, magazines play an integral role in this form of content distribution. Top magazines such as Vogue, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie
Claire and Esquire generate high readership and are well-regarded within the fashion media sector. Therefore, it is extremely important for fashion magazines to display diverse and inclusive content to ensure that the preferences, life experiences and needs of their readers are heard and affirmed. This is especially important for magazines at the top of the fashion media chain.
Magazines have neglected to include diverse and inclusive fashion content in numerous ways. Dr. Tameka Ellington discusses in, “Underrepresented: The Lack of Black Fashion
Designers in Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue,” that there is a lack of representation of Black fashion designers in both of these luxury magazines and outlines why it is hindering the fashion industry in its progression toward being more diverse (Ellington, 2017). Additionally, the mere existence of the book “Supreme Models: Iconic Black Women Who Revolutionized Fashion” (Reynolds,
2019), confirms that Black fashion professionals have been excluded from fashion’s most elite media channels. Considering Black people have greatly contributed to the viewership and revenue that these organizations benefit from, it is absolutely essential that they see people who look like their customers, in the pages of these magazines. In fact, according to communications instructor and former vice president of media relations for Warner Bros. Records, Professor
Eugene Shelton, the cover of a magazine is perhaps one of the most important components of its 7 makeup. He states that a magazine’s cover plays an integral role in the visual appeal and economic success of a publication. Thus, considering the diversity of the economic and sociocultural landscape of the U.S., diverse and inclusive representation in this regard is absolutely crucial (Eugene Shelton, personal communication, Nov. 10, 2020). This is especially important since there’s been a resurgence of talented Black models, editors, designers, and stylists in the fashion industry.
Research Questions
The purpose of this study is to highlight the lack of Black people featured on the cover of
Esquire from 2010 to 2020. More specifically, in efforts to comprehensively investigate the scope of this issue, the researcher included the following research questions:
1) How often and within what context have Black people been featured on the cover of
Esquire from 2010-2020?
2) Have there been any limitations surrounding the types of Black cover stars that Esquire
has featured from 2010-2020?
3) Has the presence of Black editorial leadership on the magazine’s masthead, correlated
with the amount of Black cover stars featured at Esquire from 2010-2020?
Reasoning
Since Esquire’s inception as the first men’s publication in the United States in 1933, there have been countless other independent fashion publications that have consistently featured
Black people and faces in their magazines. These include magazines such as Kolor, We The
Urban, Pause Magazine, Bleu Magazine and more. A significant number of these magazines were also founded by Black men of various backgrounds.
The increase in Black male editors creating these platforms is partially due to the underrepresentation of Black men in mainstream fashion media. However, considering these more prominent fashion magazines garner more readership than independent ones, representation 8 continues to remain an important factor for these publications. Magazine cover stars are an important part of a magazine and Black people should continue to be featured equally and accurately, specifically in the menswear sector (Iqbal, 2017). In order to fully comprehend the scope of this research, it’s integral to address specific definitions of terminology to be used throughout the study.
Definition of Terms
1. Fashion media: “Print magazines, digital and social media, e-magazines and apps that
focus on producing fashion content” (LIM College).
2. Editorial: “A magazine or similar publication that distributes information via news
and opinion-based articles” (Merriam-Webster).
3. Publication: “The issuing of materials such as magazines, journals, articles, books, music,
etc” (Oxford Languages).
4. Diverse: “Varied representation of a group in an organization or on a specific
platform” (Oxford Languages).
5. Black people: People with African ancestral origins (Agyemang, Bhopal &
Bruijnzeels, 2005).
6. Inclusive: “Equal representation and the influence of diverse groups on institutional
structures” (Oxford Languages).
7. Mainstream: “Normative or conventional distributions of opinion, media, etc.”
(Oxford Languages).
8. Collection: “A group of clothes made by a fashion designer to be showcased and
distributed for consumer purchase” (Renfrew & Renfrew, 2016). 9
CHAPTER II
LITERATURE REVIEW
A History of Men’s Fashion Magazines
In October 1933, Esquire was founded by Arnold Gingrich and published its first issue within the Hearst Corporation. Esquire then established itself as the first men’s publication in the
United States, situated in both Chicago and New York City. In order to accurately and effectively discuss Black diversity and inclusion within men’s fashion journalism, it is essential to note that Esquire was the first men’s magazine to publish an issue and the first Black man to be featured on the cover of Esquire Magazine was Sonny Liston in 1963. Esquire featured a
Black man as a cover star 30 years after the magazine was published its first issue.
In addition to Esquire Magazine, Gentleman’s Quarterly (GQ) has been another popular source of men’s fashion news. GQ is considered to be an authority on men’s fashion and style in
America. It was founded in 1931 and published its first issue in 1957 by Art Cooper. The first
Black man to be featured on the cover of GQ was Sammy Davis Jr. in September 1967.
Gentleman’s Quarterly decided to put a Black man on the cover only ten years after the first issue was published.
Highlighting the existence and position of both Esquire and Gentleman’s Quarterly are essential to this research because it showcases the inception of men’s magazines and provides the proper historical context. It is important to note that although Gentleman’s Quarterly published its first issue 24 years after Esquire did, they only took ten years to have a Black cover star as opposed to Esquire taking 30 years. Esquire has and continues to demonstrate a relatively slow adaptation to diversity and inclusion in their magazine. The intention of this research study is to highlight the lack of Black cover stars featured in Esquire over the past decade. A historical analysis serves to enhance the credibility of this study and provide the appropriate historical 10 considerations. In order to adequately and holistically discuss men’s fashion journalism in its entirety, it’s essential to fully address the creation of the first published men’s magazines in
America.
Arise Magazine
Arise Magazine, founded by Nduka Obaigbena on October 14, 2008, was an international style magazine that highlighted fashion and cultural achievements across the Black diaspora. It originated in South Africa and only existed for a few years. Since then, there has been no exclusively Black fashion and style magazine that has gained significant readership. More specifically, there are not high-caliber Black style magazines that focus on luxury, since Arise.
This is largely due to the fact that Black journalists and entrepreneurs often face great opposition when trying to tell stories that are reflective of the livelihood of Black people. The stories of Black people are often left to be told by people who are not in the community.
Moreover, they’re often told by those who do not understand the plight, experiences, culture, background and upbringing that are reflective across the Black diaspora. In addition to Nduka
Obaigbena, the magazine’s then editor-in-chief, there are a number of other Black people who have held that title at their respective publications.
Discrimination and Exclusion in Fashion
The fashion industry, like every other business, has long excluded Black people and continues to marginalize them in every sector. Several Black fashion professionals have been kept from entering high-level positions at their respective organizations. In fact, despite efforts to gain additional insight into this issue, Black people working in fashion have been hesitant for several reasons. According to Lindsay Peoples Wagner, she’s “surveyed more than 100 Black individuals, from assistants to executives, stylists, celebrities, models, and everyone in between” and many of them were quite afraid to respond for the sake of keeping their positions and securing their futures (Peoples-Wagner, 2018, p.1). This in and of itself is indicative of systemic 11
racism and exclusion that Black people’s experience in the fashion industry.
Additionally, Vogue’s contributing editor, curator and fashion commentator Andre Leon
Talley argues that the fashion industry continues to lack in ethnic diversity and variety
(Friedman, 2015). This “lack of ethnic variety” as discussed by Vanessa Friedman at The New
York Times, not only exists within the context of Black fashion professionals at the workplace,
but especially within Black fashion editorial (Friedman, 2015, p.1). The lack of Black fashion
editors directly correlates with the lack of Black representation in magazine editorials and each
component plays an important role in diversity and inclusion in fashion media.
It is increasingly important that in addition to having Black cover stars for fashion
editorial, there is a need for Black people making conscious decisions to further these initiatives
for diverse and inclusive content in the fashion industry. The lack of a Black fashion magazine in
today’s society has a lot to do with the constant exclusion and discrimination that Black people
face. Nonetheless, some Black fashion editors have managed to find great success at their
respective publications.
Black Fashion Editors
Black people have long had to rely on industry practitioners such as Edward Enninful, current Editor in Chief of British Vogue, former Editor at Large of Vogue America, Andre Leon
Talley, and editors at Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth and Lindsay Peoples-Wagner to cover
Black fashion content. Andre Leon Talley, former Editor at Large for Vogue Magazine, was responsible for directing and producing editorial content that fashionably and accurately portrays
Black people and resists stereotypes. However, he also experienced immense discrimination and racism during his tenure in the fashion industry. He was involuntarily labeled things such as
“Black queen kong,” referring to the ape in the film King Kong, among other distasteful names
(Novack, The Gospel According to Andre, 2017, p.1). Nevertheless, Talley persisted and is the only Black male editor to reach this level of occupational successful within Conde Nast, the most
12 coveted publishing house in fashion journalism. His reverence for opulence, formal dressing and luxury is something that greatly influences the creative process of this study. Although fashion editorial has made significant advancements within diversity and inclusion, there still has been a singular view and portrayal of Black people. A significant artistic viewpoint that furthers the agenda of increasing the presence of Black faces in fashion editorials while conveying the subjects in a way that incorporates elements of high-fashion, wealth, magnificence, and grandeur.
In fact, Talley’s first British Vogue cover, photographed by Steven Meisel, featured Adwoa
Aboah, a Black model who was immaculately dressed and rises to the standard of Black opulence that is reminiscent of 19th century Black America.
Another prominent fashion media executive is Mobolaji Dawodu who is currently the
Fashion Director at GQ and GQ Style. Dawodu is Nigerian-American and has been responsible
for placing Black faces in GQ issues since he stared in his position at the publication. His unique
aesthetic perspective and style acumen has greatly contributed to the increasingly diverse,
inclusive and cultured content for men’s editorial. Dawodu’s position as GQ’s Fashion Director
is important because he essential holds the highest creative authority for any major men’s fashion
publication. According to The Undefeated, he’s one of “the rare African-Americans who sits
atop an international fashion pyramid that is uber-exclusive and notoriously frosty to outsiders
who lack the right pedigree.” (Hudson, 2016, p.1). More specifically, considering Conde Nast, as
aforementioned, is considered the most coveted within fashion and lifestyle publishing, the
director’s influence expands in many directions that benefit the industry. Dawodu’s position also
serves to push a more diversified global agenda. He states that the most interesting part of
fashion media is that it’s started to acknowledge Black people and their cultural influence in the
fashion industry (Bobila, 2019).
Recently appointed as Deputy Fashion Director at GQ, Nikki Ogunnaike works directly under Dawodu as the second in command. More importantly, Ogunnaike, like GQ’s Fashion 13
Director, is also Nigerian-American and has made significant advancements within the fashion editorial space. As a former editor at both Elle.com and Glamour.com, she managed to use her influence in what was primarily women’s fashion content, over to men’s. Ogunnaike continues to be vocal about issues at the intersection of race and media, stating that representation is important especially for those who have not seen someone like them in the fashion industry
(Prant, 2019). Recent issues of GQ have included cover stars such as James Hardy, Russell
Westbrook, Pharrell and other Black public figures. Through her experience, she’s been able to have a seat at the table (Soar 2019). Having a seat at the table then allowed her to have an authoritative voice on the stories being told and the people being selected to tell them (Prant
2019). Having two Black fashion directors at GQ and GQ Style is an asset and helps to bolster diversity and inclusivity within Black fashion editorial.
The hiring of two Black fashion editors within publishing powerhouses contributes to furthering initiatives towards more ethnic variety in the industry. Considering recruiting within the fashion industry is primarily internal, it is essential that the Black professionals currently within fashion magazines such as GQ, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar are given the opportunities to yield major decisions in terms of the distribution of editorial content and hiring practices. The success of these Black fashion editors has influence, considering the various obstacles they have had to surmount in the fashion industry.
Iconic Black Fashion Magazine Cover Stars
Due to the current states of affairs and a hyper-racial climate, there’s been a recent influx
of Black faces on the covers of fashion magazines, these initiatives began as early as the 1960’s.
As discussed earlier, Sammy Davis Jr. become the first African American man to land the cover
of GQ (Desta, 2015). More importantly, they included Sammy Davis Jr. in their September
Issue, which is the most important issue for any fashion magazine. Although Black people still
faced great social, economic and political resistance during this time, Black Americans 14
intentionality dressed formally to shape their self-perception. GQ’s decision to capture this is
certainly noteworthy and greatly influenced this study.
Black Fashion Photographers
Photography is amongst the most recent of artistic mediums through which artists capture
the essence and life of a person or subject; and the way through which photographers have
chosen to depict varying subjects has developed overtime. However, Black people were among
the last to be selected as a subject to be photographed. Additionally, when photographers did
choose Black subjects for their artworks, it was often in a very scientific or stereotyped form.
Many Black subjects were captured without clothing and in their most primitive form. Although
there have been technological advancements made to capture Black subjects in a better light,
racial bias continues to be an issue in photography (Lewis, 2019). This is an issue that has also
continued to be an issue within fashion photography. It is well-documented that non-Black
photographers and visual media professionals have great difficulty projecting Black people in
their truest, most authentic and elevated form. One might suggest that hiring more Black fashion
photographers to photograph Black subjects would be an easy solution to this ongoing issue.
However, it took Vogue Magazine 125 years to hire a Black fashion photographer.
In Vogue’s September Issue in 2018, fashion photographer Tyler Mitchell, was
chosen to photograph Beyonce for the cover of the magazine. This was and still is groundbreaking for the fashion industry and a decision that was made by Beyonce Knowles herself. The 23-year old photographer consulted Andre Leon Talley, the first Black male creative director for Vogue Magazine regarding this effort. The former director did not push any diversity initiatives at the magazine during his tenure there, but Mitchell and Talley did share the titles of being the first Black male creatives working for Vogue in their respective roles. In the article,
“Why did it take Vogue 125 years to have a Black photographer shoot a cover” by The 15
Washington Post, Karen Attiah (2018) says we should, “hope diversity in powerful publications will one day become normal, and not a milestone.” This deeply resonates with Ogunnaike’s sentiment that diversity within fashion powerhouses encourages advocacy for more inclusive environments, adding seats to the table for those who would otherwise be excluded and building your own institutions.
New Black Vanguard: Photography Between Art and Fashion features Black subjects, runway and models in media, furthering greater representation of Black people in fashion editorial (Sargent, 2019). The book documents a number of Black fashion designers that are creating a more diverse and inclusive fashion ecosystem by collaborating with Black videographers, artistic directors, stylists, models, etc. In this book, Antwaun Sargent recognizes and celebrates Black fashion photographers such as Tyler Mitchell and others. However, the book also serves to critique the world of fashion photography for excluding Black artists. Black imagery has long been kept out of mainstream fashion and art, speaking to the overall exclusion and lack of representation for Black people in the fashion industry at large. Sargent’s sentiment with regard to the exclusion of Black imagery in the mainstream media parallels that of other
Black people in the fashion industry. Moreover, he, like Ogunnaike, agrees that there’s potential for Black people to create their own tables. In fact, Sargent articulates that New Black Vanguard:
Photography Between Art and Fashion, is a movement that signals to fashion and art powerhouses that they do not possess any ownership of the images in the book like they may have in previous ways (Blacksher, 2019). The fact that the book was curated with images, narratives and literature that was done for and by Black people, proves that there is a necessity for Black artists in Black spaces.
In addition to the lack of Black fashion photographers in the art and fashion worlds, there’s a more specific group that is largely excluded; Black women. According to Cole Mag, there are not very many Black women in fashion editorial and commercial photography
16
including both the photographers and the subjects that are being photographed (Taylor, 2019). In
efforts to highlight the presence and work of Black female fashion photographers, Cole Mag
compiled a list of the most “underrepresented group of people in the fashion editorial and
commercial photography professions” (Taylor, 2019, p.1). Adrienne Andersen is a Black female
fashion photographer who has managed to capture Black subjects in a way that flatteringly and
accurately captures their skin and whose artistic direction resembles that of a high-fashion
magazine such as Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar. Dana Cole, photographer and founder of Cole Mag,
is another artist whose portfolio is elevated, diverse and has managed to photograph Black
subjects in a way that is consistent with those working within high fashion editorial spaces.
Simply put, Black photographers are more prone to accurately depicting Black people and
narratives (Valentine 2020).
Colorism in Editorial Covers
Between the years 2000 and 2005, only three of the 81 models on the cover of Vogue
were Black and none of them were dark-skinned (Handa, 2019). The three models featured,
Marion Jones, Halle Berry and Liya Kebede are all light-skinned and this inconsistency
contributes to the issue of colorism in High Fashion. Colorism is defined as “prejudicial or
preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on their color.” (Walker, 1982).
Additionally, colorism is an act of discrimination that refers to a process wherein light-skinned
people of color are extended greater privilege over dark-skinned people of color (Hunter, 2007).
Considering Black people consist of a variety of skin tones, the continual preference and privilege extended to light-skinned models of color inhibits a fair and equal representation of theBlack body.
Overall, Vogue has included models on the cover who have lighter tones.
In fact, the darkest model that Vogue has ever featured on a cover is Lupita Nyongo.
Moreover, Lupita is often cast as a fashion magazine’s dark-skinned model, subjecting her to 17
Black tokenism. Tokenism refers to the practice of hiring, appointing or admitting minorities to a role or group due to their difference, in efforts to somehow prove that their organization does not demonstrate prejudicial or discriminatory practice (Kanter, 1977). Black tokenism refers to instances in which a Black person, who oftentimes exhibits a level of palatability, are continually selected for roles without consideration to other people within that demographic. In this instance, Lupita Nyongo has been tokenized in that media outlets often choose to feature her as their token dark-skin model of color due to both her skin tone and palatable traits (Kameir,
2017). The variance in skin tone greatly demonstrates prejudice against darker-skinned models but after the year 2005, the magazine began to show more variety in skin tones due to advancements within visual communication. Moreover, there is a white washing that happens with Black cover stars, such as the lightening of Beyonce’s skin in her Vogue cover.
Vogue has also exhibited limited exposure in different types of facial features amongst the dark-skinned models that were shown. Their lightest cover models all had distinct features and were easily distinguishable amongst each other. However, of all of Vogue’s dark-skinned cover models, three of those placements were Lupita Nyong’o as mentioned earlier, with
Michelle Obama and Serena Williams (Handa, 2019). Black aesthetics which is the use of artistic analysis to examine how expression through objects and practices aid the creation and maintenance of Black life, vary greatly (Taylor, 2010). Vogue has neglected to acknowledge that through their constant selection of models of lighter complexions and with physical features that fall within western standards of beauty, often consisting of smaller noses, lips, etc. There are a plethora of other Black actresses, entertainers, and models that, like many of the lighter-skinned models, demonstrate the great range and celebrity that would warrant being on the cover of
Vogue.
In “Colorism in High Fashion,” Malaika Handa (2019) notes the importance of not only having a diverse portfolio of Black models in fashion editorial but having Black
18 photographers who are capturing those images accurately. Perhaps, if Tyler Mitchell had not been the first Black photographer hired by Vogue in 125 years, there would be greater variance in skin tone and facial features on the cover of the magazine. The role of Black artists, specifically within fashion editorial, plays an integral role in the defining, refining and development of Black aesthetics (Dennis, R.M. & Dennis, K.N., 2015). The purpose of this study is to highlight the lack of Black male cover stars featured on the cover of
Esquire from 2010 to 2020. Considering Esquire’s more formal fashion communication, stylistic view and a large readership, there is an opportunity to further this concept alongside their inclusion of more Black people on the cover of their magazine.
Racial, Political and Sociocultural Climate
There are a number of cultural and political influences that have contributed to the sudden increase of Black people featured in fashion media outlets. One of the primary contributing factors to this conversation is the Black Lives Matter movement. Black Lives Matter was founded in 2013 by Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murder (Black Lives Matter, 2013). Furthermore, Black Lives
Matter is an organization whose aim is to affirm Black people’s humanity, their contributions to society, and their resilience amid constant life-threatening oppression. What originally started as, and still is, a largely political movement, it garnered much attention in the public, private and non-profit sectors. The social economy’s response to Black Lives Matter has been demonstrated through various internal and external micro-movements, often consisting of some variation of the
Black Lives Matter movement, such as “#Blackmodelsmatter,” “#Blackmenmatter,” etc.
The racial climate in the U.S. has intensified in 2020, due to consecutive instances of white police officers using excessive and deadly force on Black people, which is police brutality
(Mapping Police Violence, 2020). Black people within various organizations and systems have charged their employers to take actionable steps toward diversity and inclusion, with specific 19
regard to Black representation (Lee, 2020). Moreover, corporate organizations have been
criticized for the ways in which they have been oppressive towards Black people despite their
performative tactics (Meyer, 2020).
The fashion industry has attempted to address this issue through performative activism, which refers to “a form of activism used to increase one’s social capital or personal gain rather than genuine support towards a movement, issues, or causes (Ira, 2020). An example of a way in which the fashion industry has showcased performative activism, includes the sudden incorporation of Black cover stars from publications who typically would not have featured so many Black people on their covers within a close proximate timeframe. 20
CHAPTER III
METHOD
Research Design
In the current study, content analysis and comparative analysis was used for data collection. Content analysis was used to evaluate the number of Black cover stars featured in
Esquire’s cover from 2010 to 2020. 124 Esquire issues were selected due to their relevance within men’s fashion editorial and their role in the fashion industry. The intention is to identify how much fashion media coverage that Black people get in Esquire and if a lack of Black editorial leadership correlates with diverse editorial content. The materials analyzed were the mastheads of each publication in addition to the digital archives of the magazines from 2010-
2020.
Theory
Critical race theory is a theory which aims to investigate the ways in which race and racism appear within the dominant culture (Purdue University). More specifically, it helps scholars to understand how the underrepresented are impacted by various systems of oppression within a social and cultural context. The theory is not only limited to being applied to race studies, but marginalized communities within other categories, including class, sexual orientation, gender, and more. Considering one of the goals of this research seeks to bring greater awareness to the lack of Black cover stars featured in Vogue over the decade, in addition to providing context to the ways in which Black cover stars were featured, CRT also helps to provide validity to potential claims being made with respect to racism, discrimination prejudice at the researcher’s selected publication.
For the purposes of gaining an in-depth understanding of the contexts in which Black people have been featured on the cover of Esquire from 2010-2020, the researcher critically analyzed crucial variables which provided additional contexts to this study. The theoretical 21 framework through which the researcher completed these analyses is critical race theory lens
Procedures
One visual component that the researcher dissected is the body postures that these Black
cover stars have. Race greatly contributes to the ways in which the brain responds to images of
body expression (Watson & Gelder, 2017). As aforementioned, colorism is a commonly practiced
in mainstream fashion media (Handa, 2019), thereby necessitating an investigation into the ways
in which Esquire could have also practiced colorism. This occurred by looking at how many dark-
skinned cover stars there have been as opposed to how many light-skinned models were selected.
In doing so, the researcher will also determine if any of the cover stars have been tokenized, in
Esquire.
With regard to fashion, the researcher noted the type and quality of clothing that
Esquire’s Black cover stars have been dressed. Research shows that Black men are vastly underrepresented as users of luxury items in print media (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011).
Furthermore, the text surrounding the Black models on the cover of the magazine are important.
This is largely due to the implicit racial and cultural biases exhibited by producers of media
(Bailey, 2018).
Black media professionals have also been largely excluded from the tables that serve to
make decisions on how media is distributed (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011). The researcher
compared the amount of diverse, equitable and inclusive editorial leadership on the masthead of
each magazine issue from 2010-2020 in efforts to determine the extent to which Black editors
are represented. Another aspect that will help to bring a comprehensive understanding of the
potential preferences exhibited by Esquire’s editors is the occupations of the cover stars featured.
Studies show that media have a tendency to prefer showcasing Black males who are or are
portrayed as, entertainers, athletes, laborers (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011). The problem with
this is that it limits the demonstration of the vast range of qualities that Black men actually
possess (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011). 22 As discussed earlier, the sociocultural climate is reflective of the type of media distributed in the fashion industry (Wolbers, 2015). While examining the various magazine issues, the researcher analyzed how Esquire’s Black cover stars were featured as a result of the racial and political climate in the U.S. The emerging themes that will likely arise throughout the duration of the study are that Black people are disproportionately represented on the cover of
Esquire in recent years in comparison to other races and that a lack of Black editorial leadership at magazines directly correlates to a lack of editorial content that features Black people. A primary practical implication of my study is greater inclusion and varied representation of
Black people on the cover of Esquire and similar men’s fashion and lifestyle publications. 23
The Complete Esquire Archive
Esquire Year 2010 Issues
Esquire September 2010
Esquire Year 2011 Issues 24
Esquire Year 2012 Issues 25 26
Esquire Year 2013 Issues 27
Esquire Year 2014 Issues 28
Esquire Year 2015 Issues 29
Esquire Year 2016 Issues 30
Esquire Year 2017 Issues 31
Esquire Year 2018 Issues 32
Esquire Year 2019 Issues 33 34
CHAPTER IV
FINDINGS
The nine categories represented in Table 1 represent the individual findings in each Esquire issue from September 2010-September 2020. This table serves to document the content used for the overall analysis. Through examining the body posture, race, skin tone, dress, masthead, gender, age and occupation, the researcher used these categories as modes to develop any conclusions regarding preference or underrepresentation in Esquire from September 2010-September 2020.
Light/Lighter skin refers to those with a less melanized skin complexion, while Dark/Darker skin refers to those with more melanized skin. N/A was used to indicate that theinformation that was unavailable.
L = Light/Lighter Skinned
D = Dark/Darker Skinned
N/A = Not Applicable
Table 1. September 2010-September 2020 Esquire Category Findings
Issue Cover Star Body Race Skin Dress Masthead Gender/Age Occupation Posture Tone September 2010 James Franco Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/42 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor September 2010 Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A The Big Black Brown, Book Fashion Director 35
October 2010 Javier Bardem Sitting White/Spanish L Classic Wendell Male/52 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor November 2010 Minka Kelly Standing White American L Casual Wendell Female/40 Actress Brown, Senior Fashion Editor December 2010 Christian Bale Standing White/British L Casual Wendell Male/47 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor January 2011 Robert De Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/77 Actor Niro Brown, Senior Fashion Editor February 2011 Brooklyn Kneeling White American L Immodest Wendell Female/33 Model Decker Brown, Senior Fashion Editor March 2011 Liam Neeson Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/68 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Spring/Summer Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A 2011 The Big Brown, Black Book Fashion Director April 2011 Matthew Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/51 Actor McConaughey Brown, Senior Fashion Editor May 2011 Jeff Bridges Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/71 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor June/July 2011 Bradley Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/46 Actor Cooper Brown, Senior Fashion Editor August 2011 Daniel Craig Sitting White/British L Preppy Wendell Male/53 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor September 2011 Ryan Gosling Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/40 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Fall/Winter 2011 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A Brown, Senior Fashion Editor October 2011 Justin Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/40 Singer Timberlake Brown, Senior Fashion Editor November 2011 Rihanna Sitting Black/Barbadian L Immodest Wendell Female/33 Singer hunched Brown, Senior Fashion Editor December 2011 Mark Kelly Standing White American L Uniform Wendell Male/57 Politician Brown, Senior Fashion Editor January 2012 George Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/59 Actor Clooney Brown, Senior Fashion Editor February 2012 Bill Clinton Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/74 Former U.S. Brown, Senior President Fashion Editor March 2012 Jon Hammond Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/78 Singer Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Spring/Summer Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A 2012 The Big Brown, Black Book Fashion Director April 2012 Sofia Vergara Standing Colombian- L Immodest Wendell Female/48 Actress American Brown, Senior Fashion Editor May 2012 Robert Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/55 Actor Downey Jr. Brown, Senior Fashion Editor June/July 2012 Bill Murray Standing White American L Casual Wendell Male/70 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor August 2012 Jeremy Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/50 Actor Renner Brown, Senior Fashion Editor 36
September 2012 Taylor Kitsch Standing, European L & Classic Wendell Male, Male Actor & Idris Elba Standing Canadian, Black D Brown, Senior (Supportive) British Fashion Editor Fall/Winter 2012 Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A The Big Black Brown, Book Fashion Director October 2012 Clint Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/90 Actor Eastwood Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/Fashion Director November 2012 Mila Kunis Standing Middle Eastern L Immodest Wendell Female/37 Actress Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/Fashion Director December 2012 Bradley Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/46 Actor Cooper Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/Fashion Director January 2013 Sean Penn Standing White American L Casual Wendell Male/60 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/Fashion Director February 2013 Megan Fox Standing Black American L Immodest Wendell Female/34 Actress Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/Fashion Director March 2013 Ashton Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/43 Actor Kutcher Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Spring/Summer Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A 2013 The Big Brown, Black Book Fashion Director April 2013 Robert Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/84 Actor Redford Brown, Senior Fashion Editor May 2013 Leonardo Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/46 Actor DiCaprio Brown, Senior Fashion Editor June/July 2013 Brad Pitt Standing White American L Casual Wendell Male/57 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor August 2013 Matt Damon Sitting White American L Casual Wendell Male/50 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor September 2013 Chris Standing White/Australian L Classic Wendell Male/37 Actor Hemsworth Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Fall/Winter 2013 Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A The Big Black Brown, Book Fashion Director October 2013 Barack Face only Black American L Classic Wendell Male/59 Former U.S. Obama Brown, Senior President Fashion Editor November 2013 Scarlett Sitting White American L Immodest Wendell Female/36 Actress Johanson Brown, Senior Fashion Editor December 2013 George Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/59 Actor Clooney Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/ January 2014 Emily Standing White American L Immodest Wendell Female/34 Actor Rossum Brown, Senior Fashion Editor February 2014 Danny DeVito Face only White American L Casual Wendell Male/76 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor 37
March 2014 Peter Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/51 Actor Dinklage Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Spring/Summer Information N/A White American L Classic Wendell Male/Information N/A 2014 The Big Unavailable Brown, Unavailable Black Book Fashion Director April 2014 James Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/53 TV Kimmel Brown, Senior Host/Comedian Fashion Editor May 2014 Tom Hardy Standing White American L Immodest Wendell Male/43 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor June 2014 Mark Standing White American L Casual Wendell Male/49 Actor Wahlberg Brown, Senior Fashion Editor August 2014 Cameron Diaz Standing White American L Immodest Wendell Female/48 Actress Brown, Senior Fashion Editor September 2014 Chris Pratt Standing White American L Classic Wendell Male/41 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Fall/Winter 2014 Chris Folz Sitting White American L Classic Wendell Male/37 Model Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/ October 2014 Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A Brown, Senior Fashion Editor November 2014 Penelope Cruz Standing White/Spanish L Immodest Wendell Female/46 Actress Brown, Senior Fashion Editor December 2014 Channing Standing White American L Classic, Wendell Male/40 Actor Tatum Formal Brown, Senior Fashion Editor January/February Gabrielle Standing, Black American, D, L, Immodest, Wendell Female/48, Actress, 2015 Union, Amy Standing, White American, L Casual, Brown, Senior Female/39, Actress, Actor Schumer, Jai Standing White/Australian Classic Fashion Editor Male/34 Courtney March 2015 Will Smith Standing Black American L Casual Wendell Male/52 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Spring/Summer Jason Isaacs Standing White/British L Casual Wendell Male/57 Actor 2015 Brown, Senior Fashion Editor April 2015 Nick Standing & White American L Immodest, Wendell Male/50 & Actor, Offerman & Standing & White Immodest Brown, Senior Female/46 Comedian Chelsea American Fashion Editor Handler May 2015 Charlize Standing South African L Casual Wendell Female/45 Actress Theron American Brown, Senior Fashion Editor June/July 2015 Jason Statham Standing White/British L Classic Wendell Male/53 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor August 2015 Dwayne Standing Black American L Immodest Wendell Male/48 Actor Johnson Brown, Senior Fashion Editor/ September 2015 Miles Teller Leaning White American L Classic Wendell Male/34 Actor Brown, Senior Fashion Editor Fall/Winter 2015 Information Lying White American L Classic Wendell Male/Information N/A The Big Black Unavailable Down Brown, Unavailable Book Fashion Director October 2015 Text only N/A White American N/A N/A Wendell N/A N/A The 1000th Issue Brown, of Esquire Fashion Director November 2015 Emilia Clark Lying White/British L Immodest Wendell Female/34 Actress Brown, Senior Fashion Editor 38
December/January Jimmy Fallon Sitting White L Casual Wendell Male/46 Comedian 2015 Brown, Senior Fashion Editor February 2016 Donald Face only White American L Classic Wendell Male/74 Businessman, Trump Brown, Senior Former U.S. Fashion Editor President March 2016 Trevor Noah Standing South African L Classic Wendell Male/37 Comedian Brown, Senior Fashion Editor April 2016 Keegan Standing, Black American, L, L Classic, Wendell Male/49, Comedian, Michael Key, Standing Black American Classic Brown, Senior Male/42 Comedian Jordan Peele Fashion Editor
Spring/Summer Matthias Sitting White Belgian L Casual 0 Black Male/43 Actor 2016 The Big Schoenaerts fashion editors Black Book May 2016 George Standing White American L Classic 0 Black Male/59 Actor Clooney fashion editors June/July 2016 Virgo Standing White/Belgian L Classic 0 Black Male/62 Actor Mortessen fashion editors August 2016 Liev Standing White American L Casual 0 Black Male/53 Actor Schreiber fashion editors September 2016 Clint Sitting, White American, L, L Casual, 0 Black Male/90, Actor, Actor Eastwood, Standing White American Casual fashion editors Male/34 Scott Eastwood October 2016 Ewan Standing White/Scottish L Formal 0 Black Male/49 Actor McGregor fashion editors Fall/Winter 2016 Nick Sullivan, Sitting, White/Australian, L, L, Casual, 0 Black Male/N/A, Male, Journalist, The Big Black Simon Standing, White American, L, L Casual, fashion editors N/A, Male, N/A Collector/Dealer Book Arscott, Standing, White American, Casual, of automobiles, (skier), Standing White/British Classic skier, Morgan Businessman, Collett, Jason Actor Statham November 2016 Matthew Sitting, White American L Preppy 0 Black Male/51 Actor McConaughey leaning fashion editors December/January Michael Standing Irish-German L Classic 0 Black Male/43 Actor 2016 Fassbender fashion editors February 2017 Pharrell Sitting Black American L Punk 0 Black Male/47 Singer Williams fashion editors March 2017 James Corden Sitting White/British L Preppy 0 Black Male/42 Actor fashion editors April 2017 Chris Evans Standing White American L Casual 0 Black Male/39 Actor fashion editors Spring/Summer Text only N/A N/A N/A N/A Kevin Hunter, N/A N/A 2017 The Big Market Editor Black Book May 2017 Javier Bardem Standing White/Spanish L Casual 0 Black Male/52 Actor fashion editors June/July 2017 Kit Standing, White British L Classic 0 Black Male/34 Actor Harrington leaning fashion editors August 2017 Idris Elba Sitting Black British D Classic 0 Black Male/48 Actor fashion editors September 2017 Josh Brolin Sitting White American L Preppy 0 Black Male/53 Actor fashion editors Fall/Winter 2017 Michael Sitting White American L Classic 0 Black Male/46 Actor Shannon fashion editors October 2017 Robert Face only White American L Classic 0 Black Male/84 Actor Redford fashion editors November 2017 Bryan Kneeling White American L Classic 0 Black Male/64 Actor Cranston fashion editors December/January Adam Driver Kneeling White American L Grunge 0 Black Male/37 Actor 2017 fashion editors The Big Black John Hamm Sitting White American L Classic 0 Black Male/49 Actor Book 2018 fashion editors Winter 2018 Jon Bernthal Standing White American L Classic 0 Black Male/44 Actor fashion editors March 2018 Donald Standing, Black American D Classic 0 Black Male/37 Singer Glover leaning fashion editors April 2018 Shia LaBeouf Sitting White American L Classic 0 Black Male/34 Actor fashion editors 39
May 2018 David Sedaris Sitting, White American L Preppy 0 Black Male/64 Comedian leaning fashion editors Summer 2018 Chadwick Standing Black American D Grunge 0 Black Male/43 Actor Boseman fashion editors September 2018 Tom Hardy Standing White American L Classic, 0 Black Male/43 Actor Casual fashion editors October 2018 Anniversary N/A N/A N/A N/A 0 Black N/A N/A Anniversary Issue Issue fashion editors November 2018 Steve CaRell Standing White American L Classic 0 Black Male/57 Actor fashion editors Winter ‘19 Bruce Face only White American L Classic 0 Black Male/71 Singer Springsteen fashion editors March 2019 Ryan Morgan Sitting White American L Casual 0 Black Male/43 Actor fashion editors April 2019 Samuel L. Standing Black American D Classic 0 Black Male/72 Actor Jackson fashion editors May 2019 Kit Harington Sitting White/British L Preppy 0 Black Male/34 Actor fashion editors Summer 2019 Brad Pitt, Standing, White American, L, L, Classic 0 Black Male/57, Actor, Actor, Leonardo Standing, White American, L Casual, fashion editors Male/46, Actor DiCaprio, Standing White American Formal, Male/37 Quentin Classic Tarantino Casual September 2019 Woody Standing White American L Casual 0 Black Male/59 Actor Harrelson fashion editors October 2019 John Mulaney Standing White American L Classic 0 Black Male/38 Comedian fashion editors Fall + Winter Hamid Standing Black/South D Preppy 0 Black Male/27 Model 2019 The Big Onifande African fashion editors Black Book November 2019 Jason Momoa Standing Hawaiian- L Classic 0 Black Male/41 Actor American fashion editors Winter ‘20 Michael B. Standing Black American D Classic 0 Black Male/34 Actor Jordan fashion editors March 2020 Mack Culkin Standing White American L Leisure 0 Black Male/40 Actor fashion editors April/May 2020 Chris Evans Sitting, White American L Casual 0 Black Male/39 Actor leaning fashion editors Summer 2020 John David Sitting Black American D Street 0 Black Male/36 Actor Washington Style fashion editors September 2020 Abel Tesfaye Sitting Black Canadian L Classic 0 Black Male/31 Singer (The Weeknd) fashion editors
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I want to acknowledge everyone who’s contributed to my academic success throughout my graduate journey. Firstly, I would like to thank my family for instilling in me the value of formal learning. My mother and grandmother played an integral role in my pursuit of higher education. I would also like to thank my advisor and committee members, Dr. Jihyun Kim-Vick, Dr. Tameka
Ellington and Professor Eugene Shelton, for their unwavering support throughout this process.
Each of them has contributed a great deal to the formation and execution of this paper and I couldn’t be more fortunate to have them on my committee. Thank you all for your support. 40 CHAPTER V
DISCUSSION
In efforts to conduct a comprehensive analysis of Esquire’s magazine covers, the researcher accessed their digital archive and investigated their editorial content across nine categories. The nine categories analyzed include the cover star’s dress, gender, age, occupation, body posture, skin tone, masthead, race, and social/textual relevance. The researcher looked at the ways in which all cover stars were presented throughout the Esquire covers. More specifically, for the purposes of this research, the ways in which Black cover stars were featured throughout the issues was given special attention.
Race and Gender
The first and most important analysis consisted of calculating and documenting the racial representation exhibited on Esquire magazine covers from September 2010-September 2020. The results showed that the over half of the cover stars featured on the magazine during the ten-year period, were white. However, only about 10% of the cover stars featured in Esquire during the ten- year period, were Black. Thus, the publication’s Black talent has received disproportionate representation in comparison to white cover stars. This further substantiates the researcher’s assumption that Esquire neglects diversity and inclusion within their editorial content, especially regarding the number of Black people that can land the magazine’s cover.
The issue of Black representation within mainstream fashion media is a consistent theme throughout this study. In the case of Esquire’s magazine, this analysis confirms that racial diversity and inclusion is not only an issue that exists within fashion magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s bazaar, but in men’s fashion magazines too. Additionally, when the researcher observed the gender representation throughout Esquire’s cover from September 2010-September 2020, about 93% of the covers featured men, with 7% of the covers featuring women. The number of Black male cover stars featured during the ten-year period was 12%, and of the eight total women who landed the cover, only two were Black women. These findings serve as confirmation of Vanessa Friedman’s 41 mention of a “lack of ethnic variety,” in her New York Times article, which highlighted the lack of
Black fashion professionals in the fashion industry and fashion editorials. This race and gender intersection further validates the perpetual underrepresentation of Black female people in fashion media and highlights the way in which this also occurs in mainstream, traditional men’s fashion media.
Poses and Body Postures
The body posture and poses that Esquire’s cover stars had also plays a critical role in the overall content analysis of their editorials during the ten-year period, considering race plays a critical role in the ways the brain responds to images of body expression (Watson & Gelder, 2017).
The poses that the researcher observed were being utilized on the covers include the following: sitting, standing, kneeling, sitting while hunched, sitting while leaning, leaning, face only, lying down, and standing while leaning. In this analysis, the researcher was able to note which stances were dominant and less dominant among most featured cover stars. More specifically, there was particular attention given to examining which poses and postures were more and less dominant among the Black cover stars featured in the magazine.
The main pose that magazine cover stars used was standing. This pose made up well over half of those chosen for the magazine’s cover. The second most popular pose was the talent simply sitting, mostly in a chair, facing forward or sideways. In the case of the Black cover stars featured in Esquire during the ten-year period, the dominant pose was sitting. The Black male covers stars who were pictured sitting, tended to have more relaxed and less formal postures. Rihanna, music and cultural powerhouse, was pictured sitting hunched, a submissive pose that has proved more common in Black female models as opposed to white female models (Millard & Grant, 2006).
Rihanna’s magazine cover resembled that of an animal, which bears historical significance in that her pose was one that photographers have suggested to Black subjects in efforts to portray a lack of humanity in the model (Wallis, 1995). This is an issue that has persisted when Black women are depicted in mainstream fashion media (Wade, 2009). 42
Considering the other women featured on themagazine’s cover were not pictured in the same way, this observation confirms that this is an issue that persists in fashion media created for male consumption also.
Skin Tone
To holistically analyze the ways in which Black people have been represented in Esquire from September 2010-September 2020, colorism must be addressed. As previously mentioned, the issue of colorism is a persistent theme throughout the race conversation in fashion media spaces
(Handa, 2019). As aforementioned, colorism is defined as “prejudicial or preferential treatment of same-race people based solely on color” (Walker, 1982). Therefore, it was crucial that the researcher examine the ways in which it could play out in men’s fashion media by way of
Esquire’s editorial content.
Most of the talent featured on the cover of the magazine during the ten-year period were of a lighter complexion. More specifically, 91% of the cover stars were light-skinned, leaving only
9% of them being dark-skinned. One of the primary reasons for this has to do with the fact that the predominant race of those who graced the covers of Esquire were white. An exceedingly small portion of the magazine’s editorial content consists of those of a dark complexion. This is quite parallel to the skin tones among the Black cover stars that were featured on the magazine’s cover.
The majority of the Black cover stars featured were of a lighter complexion. Regarding the Black women who were shown on the cover of the magazine, all were light-skinned. This serves as an example of a process wherein light-skinned people of color are extended greater privilege over dark-skinned people of color (Hunter, 2007).
Furthermore, more editorial coverage was given to light-skinned Black men such as Pharrell than dark-skinned Black men such as Idris Elba. In the case of the actor Idris Elba, Esquirehas tokenized hin in a way that is quite parallel to dark-skinned model and actress, Lupita Nyongo
(Kameir, 2017). The researcher also found that Esquire featured Idris Elba on the magazine cover 43 twice. This represents a potential refusal to diversify the dark-skinned male Black talent to feature on the magazine’s cover. Being that Black aesthetics and Black life varies greatly, Esquire neglects to adequately display Black people within such a range (Taylor, 2010). These findings extend the research done at the intersection of fashion media and Black representation in that colorism plays significant role not only women’s fashion magazines, but also men’s fashion magazines.
Dress/Undressed
Dress serves a major purpose in the content that Esquire distributes as a leading men’s fashion and lifestyle publication, making the analysis of dress crucial to this study. The major categories that the researcher used to describe the fashion styles of the featured cover stars were casual, classic, punk, grunge, preppy, street style and leisure. The “immodest” category was used to describe talent who were shown with revealing skin or in a provocative nature. “Uniform” was used to indicate that the star was wearing clothing that directly indicated a specific occupation.
Half of the cover stars featured on the cover of Esquire from September 2010-September
2020 were dressed in classic apparel. This classic apparel predominantly consisted of blazers, suits, dress shoes, formal clothing, and neutral colors. The second most popular style category was casual. The casual apparel selected by Esquire editors for these issues included combinations of denim, t-shirts, sneakers, and comparable items. Eight percent of the magazine covers featured talent who were dressed immodestly, oftentimes showing much skin, shirtless, or entirely garmentless.
For Black cover stars, the predominant style was classic. Again, the classic apparel they were styled in, included blazers, suits, dress shoes, formal clothing, and muted colors. Casual and immodest dress maintained equal representation in their respective issues. Street style, preppy, grunge and punk also received equal representation among the Black cover stars. Stylistically, the
Black talent featured on the cover of the magazine had varied representation despite being underrepresented racially. However, in performing a content analysis with respect to the dress of
Black talent featured on Esquire’s cover during the ten-year period, the researcher found that the 44 Black body who was shown in the greatest immodesty was Rihanna. Rihanna was pictured the most immodestly of all cover stars, of Black cover stars, and of all women cover stars featured.
This issue here lies in the fact that Black women are often among the most oversexualized. Fashion media persistently displays Black women in nudity, submissively, explicitly, and stereotypically
(Millard & Grant, 2006). In the below image, Rihannais shown on the cover and throughout the spread without clothing, in a submissive pose, and with leaves on other natural elements on her.
White women featured on the magazine cover appear softer, more feminine, and more luxuriously.
Images: Esquire November 2011 Sexiest Woman Alive Issue
Photographer: Russell James
Subject: Robyn Fenty
p. 61-63
(James, 2011)
Images: Esquire November 2015 “Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke Is The Sexiest Woman
Alive” 45 Photographer: Vincent Peters
Subject: Emilia Clarke
p. 45-47
(Peters, 2015)
Masthead
As previously mentioned, fashion editors often serve as major decision makers in within the fashion media landscape, helping to arrange shoots, select images, write articles, etc. (Masterclass,
2020). Therefore, for the purposes of determining whether or not diverse editorial leadership correlates with more diverse and inclusive editorial content, especially on the cover. More specifically, by looking at the fashion editor positions posted on Esquire’s masthead from
September 2010-September 2020, the researcher was able to conclude whether or not having a
Black fashion editor would correlate with greater Black representation on the magazine’s cover.
Results showed that from Esquire’s September 2010 issue to their April 2016 issue, the senior fashion editor of the publication’s fashion department was Wendell Brown, a Black male
Parson’s School of Design graduate. Brown’s position at Esquire was critical in the industry 46 considering minorities are often a part of an “underrepresented group of people in the fashion editorial and commercial photography” profession (Taylor, 2019, p.1). The editor was given what
Nikki Ogunnaike describes as “a seat at the table” (Soar 2019). Brown being hired to lead the fashion department of a Hearst publication underscores a representation that Ogunnaike also says is important for
Black people in fashion editorial and the industry at large (Prant, 2019). During Brown’s tenure at the publication, he oversaw the fashion editorial content for 72 out of 116 issuesover the ten-year period.
However, only eight of those 72 issues featured Black cover stars.
Moreover, during his reign, the magazine’s cover stars were still majority white. Although the experience of a Black fashion editor can consist of being an authoritative voice on the stories being told and the people being selected to tell them, Brown’s tenure at Esquire suggests otherwise
(Prant, 2019).
After Brown’s departure in April 2016, the publication only placed one other Black male fashion editor on the masthead, which was for their Spring/Summer 2017 “The Big Black Book” issue. From Esquire’s Spring/Summer 2016 “The Big Black Book” issue to their September 2017 issue, there was no Black fashion editor on the masthead with the exception of Kevin Hunter in
Spring/Summer 2017, leaving a total of 44 issues over roughly a 4-year period without a Black editor involved in the decision-making processes. To the researcher’s knowledge, there has not been a Black fashion editor employed at the publication since Kevin Hunt’s departure in 2017.
Considering fashion media has started to acknowledge Black people and their cultural influence in the fashion industry, it’s essential that these acknowledgements are at play in men’s fashion media also (Bobila, 2019). Implications for future research might include why, even when Black editorial leadership is present, is there still a lack of Black representation on the cover of the magazines they’re employed at.
Age
Another one of the major categories investigated for the purposes of this study was the age of the cover stars featured in Esquire’s issues from September 2010 to September 2020. In this 47 section, the researcher aimed to indicate any emerging themes that occurred with respect to race.
The eight age ranges used to categorize the cover stars were: 20-29, 20-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-
89, and 90-99. Approximately 33% of Esquire’s cover stars were between age 40 and 49, with ages 30-39
and 50-59 both landing around 20% representation.
The age demographic represented is somewhat consistent with that of the magazine’s readers, which, according to Hearst.com, is ages 47-53 (Hearst, 2020). With respect to race, the agedemographic represented was mostly consistent with the aforementioned statistics. The two dominant age categories for Black cover stars were ages 30-39 and ages 40-49. Overall, Esquire selected younger Black talent to grace the magazine’s cover over the ten-year period. These younger Black cover stars were most often featured during between years 2018 and 2020, when police brutality against Black people and consequently, sociopolitical upheaval, was ever- increasing (Mapping Police Violence).
Occupation
An important area of inquiry integral to the cohesiveness of this study is
occupation. More specifically, considering Black men showcased in media are or are often
portrayed as various types of entertainers, the jobs held by those featured in the magazine during
the ten-year period was warranted (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011). The occupational areas the
researcher selected to categorize Esquire’s cover stars were actor/actress, athlete, politician,
journalist, politician, comedian, businessman and singer.
The dominant occupation for those featured on the cover of Esquire from September
2010 to September 2020, was actor or actress, with comedian and singer to follow. This is not
particularly uncommon for mainstream fashion publications, considering the shift from models
to A-list celebrities being featured on the cover (Krupnick, 2013). For the Black cover stars
featured in the magazine, actors and actresses were featured the most, with singers and
comedians to follow. These findings further support the assertion that Black men showcased in
media are or are often portrayed as an entertainer.
Additionally, the researcher found that Esquire’s staff writers elected to compare two 48
Black entertainers to one white actor, James Bond. In Esquire’s March 2016 issue, Journalist Joe
Keohane’s writes an article entitled “Trevor Noah…is not like you” article, in which he suggeststhat the
number three reason why the reader is not like comedian and TV Host Trevor Noah, is because Noah
“imagines a Black James Bond” (Keohane, 2016). This is an assertion that warrants further investigation,
considering Trevor Noah and James Bond maintain an array of differences and are both entertainment
powerhouses in their respective occupations.
It’s also worth mentioning the deference to whiteness in this statement, as it fails to
spotlight Trevor Noah in a way that authentically acknowledges his true racial identity, which is
Black. In Esquire’s August 2017 issue, where Idris Elba is featured as the magazine’s cover star,
one of the texts surrounding him on the cover poses the question, “Is Idris Elba The Next James
Bond?” (Esquire, 2017). In the essay that accompanies that title, the writer suggests that Idris
Elba is “someone who can’t shake the shadow of James Bond.” Though Idris Elba and James
Bond share an occupation as actor, they maintain their own respective differences and the posing
of this question demonstrates a deference to whiteness that neglects to shed positive focus Idris
Elba’s racial identity, which is Black.
Context and Textual Relevance
One of the foremost considerations made by the researcher when conducting the content analysis of Esquire over the ten-year period was social context and textual relevance. The social context element consists of observing the time and social climate in which Black cover stars were featured in the magazine. Textual relevance refers to documenting the ways in which the text supporting the images, whether on the cover or throughout the spread, contextualizes the ways in which Black cover stars as featured in the magazine.
Although the focus of this study is to highlight the lack of Black cover stars featured in
Esquire from September 2010 to September 2020, the researcher found that Black people were also vastly underrepresented throughout out the magazine spreads over those ten years. For instance, in
October 2010, November 2010, February 2011 and Spring/Summer 2011, there were only two 49 Black men represented in each of those issues. That was a theme that persisted throughout the rest of the spreads for the remaining years. Additionally, much like the Black talent featured on the cover of the magazine, the stories and essays centered around Black people within the magazine consisted of Black athletes, entertainers and similar occupations that are consistent with the Black male media stereotype (The Opportunity Agenda, 2011). The overrepresentation of Black men in these roles was a persistent theme throughout Esquire’s editorial coverage of Black people.
Moreover, the words surrounding the stories that featured these Black entertainers was another area of inquiry for the researcher. In Esquire’s November 2011 issue, journalist Scott Raab suggested entitled his article, which was about star athlete and Akron, Ohio native, Lebron James,
“The Whore of Akron.” This title is problematic in describing a Black male because Black men and Black masculinity is often stereotyped as being sexually promiscuous (Young, 2018).
Furthermore, Black male athletes receive more negative media coverage than white male athletes
(Kawalya-Tendo, 2018). In December 2010, writer Stephen Marche wrote an article about Kanye
West entitled “Why Can’t Kanye West Shut the Hell Up?” (Marche, 2010). Provocative article titles centered around Black men appeared to be a consistent theme throughout the various Esquire issues, thereby perpetuating negative imagery surrounding the Black male.
As the hyper-sexualization and oversexualization of the Black male body is a persistent societal issue, it’s worth acknowledging the ways in which Esquire continues to perpetuate this notion throughout its issues (Young, 2018). For instance, in a March 2018 Esquire spread, Donald
Glover is photographed by David Burton in a urinal, while Glover appears to be relieving himself while looking directly into the camera. In April 2019, Samuel L. Jackson is pictured in an Esquire cover with one of the texts surrounding him reading “Balls Out,” referring to male genitalia. All of these images and texts Esquire showcases perpetuate the oversexualization of the Black male body.
Another consistent theme throughout Esquire’s magazine spreads were the alcohol advertisements featuring Black men as users of the beverage being promoted. Being that media heavily influences norms surrounding alcohol, it’s important to note the ways in which the 50 publication furthers that narrative through advertorial storytelling. The most prominent spirits brand that Esquire used for product placement was Hennessey, which always featured one or moreBlack men. Although Esquire staffers did not photograph the images for product promotion themselves, the placement within the magazine’s editorial is still problematic because the alcohol industry targets Black people and other ethnic minorities in their advertisements by showing themas users of the product (Sudhinaraset, Wigglesworth & Takeuchi, 2016).
Police brutality continues to be an ongoing issue, as demonstrated by statistics shown on
Mapping Police Violence. However, Black people have been disproportionately killed by the police in recent years (Lambert, 2020). In the year 2020, where the U.S. experienced the loss of
Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Esquire featured more than three Black cover stars, the highest number of Black talent that they’ve featured on the cover from September 2010-
September 2020. The researcher asserts that Esquire is utilizing performative activism, whereby the publication attempts to advocate for the current, socially relevant issue that then dissipates when as the upheaval does (Ira, 2020). Ashley Chew suggests that fashion firms employ long-term changes to demonstrate their commitment to social causes such as diversifying staff, castings and content, a shift that directly relates to fashion media (Chew, 2020). Industry implications for
Esquire and the industry at-large would resemble employing multiple ethnically diverse fashion editors, increasing Black editorial coverage on a consistent basis and using research to create more socially conscious and sensitive images and texts when featuring Black talent on the cover or otherwise. 51 CHAPTER VI
CONCLUSION
It is extremely important for fashion magazines to display diverse and inclusive content to
ensure that the preferences, life experiences and needs of their readers are heard and affirmed. This
is especially important for magazines at the top of the fashion media chain. The purpose of this
study is to highlight the lack of Black people featured on the cover of Esquire from 2010 to 2020.
Esquire has and continues to demonstrate a relatively slow adaptation to diversity and inclusion in their magazine. The intention of this research study is to highlight the lack of Blackcover stars featured in Esquire over the past decade. A historical analysis serves to enhance the credibility of this study and provide the appropriate historical considerations. In order to adequately and holistically discuss men’s fashion journalism in its entirety, it’s essential to fullyaddress the creation of the first published men’s magazines in
America. Another important publication to recognize is Arise Magazine, a Black fashion and style book who focuses on featuring Black people in luxury.
Although it’s important to have Black fashion magazines within media, it’s also necessary
to acknowledge why those spaces must exist, which is racism and discrimination against Black
people in mainstream platforms. The fashion industry, like every other business, has long excluded
Black people and continues to marginalize them in every sector, especially with regard to fashion
editors. Nonetheless, a few Black fashion editors have found success at major publications. The
success of these Black fashion editors has significant influence in the media in that they have all
managed to surmount obstacles working in the fashion industry. Colorism is an issue that has long
persisted within high fashion (Handa, 2019). Thus, it was essential to address the ways in which
colorism could be at play in Esquire’s editorials. Additionally, race, politics, and culture play an
integral role in contextualizing Black cover features at the publication. Considering Black people,
as a minority, lie at so many of those intersections, looking at the societal events that may have
influenced a Black cover star feature is useful.
In the current study, content analysis and comparative analysis was used for data collection. 52 Content analysis was used to evaluate the number of Black cover stars featured in Esquire’s cover from 2010 to 2020. 124 Esquire issues were selected due to their relevance within men’s fashion editorial and their role in the fashion industry. Across the 124 Esquire issues that were examined, the researcher analyzed each issue across categories in order to gain a comprehensive overview of the features.
Answers to Research Questions
The purpose of this study is to highlight the lack of Black people featured on the cover of
Esquire from 2010 to 2020. The answers to the research questions posed for this study are:
1) How often and within what context have Black people been featured on the
coverof Esquire from 2010-2020?
From September 2010-September 2020, Black people were vastly underrepresented
on Esquire’s covers, averaging two of the thirteen issues published by the magazine
annually. Contextually, Black people were primarily featured during times of social
and political upheaval within the Black community.
2) Have there been any limitations surrounding the types of Black cover stars that
Esquire has featured from 2010-2020?
There were limitations surrounding the types of Black cover stars that Esquire has
featured from 2010-2020 with respect to their occupation and other media portrayals.
Esquire’s editorial coverage of Black people in their issues was reflective of most
Black stereotypes.
3) Has the presence of Black editorial leadership on the magazine’s masthead,
correlated with the amount of Black cover stars featured at Esquire from 2010-
2020?
The presence of Black editorial leadership on Esquire’s masthead did not correlate
with the amount of Black cover stars featured on the magazine from 2010-2020.
More specifically, from September 2010-April 2016, the presence of a Black fashion 53 editor on the publications masthead did not represent an increase of Black
representation on the cover.
The research conducted in this study highlights the ways in which Esquire consistently neglects to feature Black cover stars on the cover of their publication. It also serves to showcase the context in which their Black cover stars did receive editorial coverage.
Throughout this study, it was shown that the publication consistently distributes content that perpetuates stereotypical narratives of Black people in media, especially Black men. Esquire furthers the issue of colorism in fashion media, oversexualizes Black men through provocativeimagery and text, primarily features Black entertainers, and consistently fails to incorporate Black representation on their magazine covers. Results showed that Esquire features Black cover stars somewhat consistently when there’s a temporary resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Contributions and Implications
This content analysis of Esquire’s covers from September 2010-September 2020, from a diversity perspective, contributes to the academic literature surrounding Black people’s positioning within fashion media. There is much research done at the intersection of Black women and mainstream fashion media and the research findings from this study provide specific information with regard to how Black people are represented within men’s fashion media. Additionally, this study provides relevant information that can enable readers to contextualize magazine-specific features in recent years. It also validates the assertions of other studies with regard to racism, discrimination and other forms of exclusion that Black people experience in the fashion industry. Recommendations for future research might include employing qualitative research methodologies in efforts to discover why there isn’t an increase in Black editorial coverage even when Black editorial leadership is present.
In addition to academic contributions, this study has the potential to influence the fashion media sector, with special attention to men’s fashion magazines. One might consider what conditionsBlack editors are working under, if their opinions are valued, and how much 54 decision-making power they actually hold. Industry implications consist of employing more
Black editors at fashion magazines and diversifying their content and talent. Esquire may look
to critically examine the contexts in which they discuss and showcase Black people. Seeing
Black culture through a more culturally diverse lens could prevent further stereotyping and
increase more accurate, comprehensive, and varied representations of the Black cover stars.
The research conducted throughout this study mentions the importance of diverse and
inclusive representation for the bottom line of any business, regardless of industry. Another
future research direction would investigate the financial impact that Black representation has
on Esquire and the men’s fashion media and media sector overall. This might include
assessing the racial demographic of the publication’s subscribers and gaining insight into their
preferred content with respect to Black representation on the cover and within the spread.
Moreover, historically, featured Black people on the cover of magazines has resulted in a
decrease of sales revenue due to advertising (Shelton, 2021). An additional component that
could be examined for future research would be if the lack of Black representation in men’s
fashion publications results in more or less sales revenue and number of subscribers.
Fashion media might also look to have Greater inclusion and varied representation of Black people on the cover of Esquire and similar men’s fashion and lifestyle publications. Again, this is important since racial diversity and representation plays an integral role in the social and economic success of an organization. Identifying the ways in which Esquire fails to include Black people on the cover of their magazines has the potential to urge magazine staffers to diversify their editorial content would also be useful. Moreover, examining how Esquire fails to include Black people on their cover of their magazine has the potential to urge magazine executives to hire more Black content creators, editors, etc. Gentleman’s Quarterly (GQ), Esquire’s primary competitor, has 4
Black editorial leaders and that organizational diversity directly relates to their diverse editorial content. Therefore, Esquire has more reason to consider implementing more racially diverse and inclusive features, with respect to the Black body. 55
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