The Problem with Vogue's April Issue

Please, stop the beat!

Vogue Magazine recently unveiled their April issue — a dance number extravaganza based on the iconic musical Hairspray. There was one key problem though: Hairspray is a story about fighting racial segregation, fatphobia, and other systems of oppression, yet the star of the show was supermodel Gigi Hadid, accompanied by a sea of straight-sized models and performers.

This video sparked outrage, with commenters saying, “This is a wild take on Hairspray that may completely miss the message…” and, “Try again with at least ONE plus-size model.” It is almost laughable that Vogue had the opportunity to hire a lesser-known plus-size model and give them the opportunity of a lifetime. Yet, they hired Gigi Hadid, who has been featured in the magazine more than 150 times.

Still from Gigi Hadid Can’t Stop the Beat, courtesy of Vogue

Vogue explains their casting decision by saying “To understand just why Hadid wanted to embark on this Hairspray-themed adventure, you have to go back to her childhood, and also understand a bit of where her head is as a parent. ‘I grew up doing musical theater,’ she told me when I visited her in Pennsylvania to report the cover story. ‘I love all things musical theater.’’ That’s a sweet sentiment but surely her love for musical theater could have been better portrayed through a different musical — one that doesn’t center around fatphobia and anti-black racism.

The first iteration of the story was John Waters’ 1988 film entitled Hairspray, followed by the 2007 movie-musical of the same name, directed by Adam Shankman. The story follows Tracy Turnblad in 1960s Baltimore. Tracy is a young, plus-size woman who auditions for a spot on the hit T.V. show the “Corny Collins Show” and is rejected because of her weight and her support of racial integration. To put salt in the wound, Tracy is given detention for skipping class in order to audition. In detention, however, she spends time with various Black classmates who all love dance and music. She becomes friends with Seaweed J. Stubbs, whom she recognizes because of Corny Collins’ monthly “Negro Day,” the only time Black people are allowed to be on the show. Corny Collins then hosts an open-call for a council position and this time, Tracy is accepted. Next, Tracy joins a local civil rights protest after the shows monthly “Negro Day” was cancelled. The story ends with Tracy winning the “Miss Teenage Hairspray” competition and the “Corny Collins” show is racially integrated.

Hairspray, 1988, dir. John Waters

The Vogue portrayal of Hairspray bastardizes the musical and everything it stands for. What does it mean for the industry as a whole if we keep producing these watered-down, apolitical versions of art? Fashion, specifically fashion at the level of Vogue, should be an outlet for improving our world and challenging social norms. Instead, we are seeing the same faces and body types time and time again. This erasure of plus-size bodies feels even more sinister in the wake of Ozempic and conservatism. The whole production reads as “Let’s keep politics out of fashion,” which is disingenuous and anybody working in the fashion industry should recognize that politics are ingrained in fashion, and vice versa. With that statement, it is important to recognize that like any company, Vogue isn’t a monolith and not everyone working for the magazine shares the same values.

Hairspray, 2007, dir. Adam Shankman

Maliha Shoaib reported on Vogue’s size inclusivity report for Menswear Fall/Winter 2025, saying, “Out of 2,579 looks across Milan and Paris, 94.9 per cent were straight-size (under EU 48), down from 98.3 per cent last season; 4.8 per cent were mid-size (EU 48-54), up from 1.3 per cent last season; while plus-size (EU 56+ or over XL) made up 0.3 per cent of looks, up slightly from 0.2 per cent last season.” Any publication, despite the size, should acknowledge their shortcomings and the magazine’s recent Hairspray production is hypocritical regarding body inclusivity.

To strip the deeper meaning away from art — whether it be fashion, music, theater, or film — is stripping away its significance. We are living through a time where thinness and conservatism are infiltrating every facet of life, so for Vogue — a publication with power and social influence — to negate the musical’s political importance and stance is wrong. How hard would it have been to cast a plus-size cast and acknowledge the anti-black racism and fatphobia that exists within our world and specifically, America? Vogue, do better.