Did Ann Romney dare snub the devil who wears Prada?
According to a story in the New Republic, the potential first lady declined to be profiled in Vogue magazine:
The magazine notes that several high-profile Democratic women have been featured in the magazine, such as N.Y. Senator Kristen Gillibrand and Senate hopeful Elizabeth Warren. In the upcoming September issue Chelsea Clinton is profiled and her mother, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also pops in the story.
TNR writes, “…it’s worth noting that Republicans have recently been less eager to appear in the magazine. A hoped-for profile of Ann Romney fell through earlier this year, says one person with knowledge of the negotiations.”
The magazine did profile then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, long before she considered herself a “maverick.”
But if all of these big-name female politicos are sharing their favorite shoe splurges and exercise routines, why isn’t Ann?
One big reason could be that the glossy’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour has famously hosted several big-ticket fundraisers for President Barack Obama and has donated at least $70,000 to his re-election efforts.
Earlier this year, the Obama campaign teamed up with several high-fashion labels for Runway To Win, a group of designers who created expensive T-shirts, nail polishes, tote bags and a $75 sweatshirt to benefit the president’s campaign.
Wintour happily publicized the collection in the magazine and at campaign events.
In 2010, Wintour hosted a $35,000 per plate dinner for Obama, and in June of this year Wintour hosted a $40,000 per plate fundraiser with Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein at her Manhattan home.
If Wintour, who is considered to be the apex of the fashion industry, regularly shills for Obama in her magazine, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise for Ann not to appear in its pages.
Another reason Ann could have declined a spread in Vogue, is because the high-fashion magazine isn’t known for its accesibility — but rather an expensive, elite aesthetic.
Items in the magazine range from $900 blouses to $25,000 purses — featured jewelry can get up to the hundred-thousands — these aren’t exactly items that the average American can afford.
Vogue also infamously gushed over Syrian dicatator Bashar al-Ashad’s wife, Asma, in a flowery profile in 2011. The magazine has since walked back their love for Asma, and even fired the writer who published the story. Still, Ann might have dodged a bullet by steering away from the magazine’s questionable editorial judgment.
While the Romneys have put off interview requests for the big-name glossy, the Obamas have happily obliged Wintour.
In 2009, Michelle Obama appeared on the cover of the magazine just after her husband’s inaugruation. She was only the second first lady to ever appear on Vogue’s cover, after Hillary Clinton in 1998.
It doesn’t seem likely that Ann will appear in Vogue anytime soon. But if her husband wins the election, could Ann could change her tune and become the first Republican first lady on the cover?