Elaine George (c. 1976), later known as Elaine Tanaka, is an Aboriginal Australian fashion model. She was the first Aboriginal fashion modelmodel| to appear on the cover of Vogue magazine, in the Australian edition, September 1993.
Elaine George | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1975 (age 48–49) Queensland, Australia |
Early life
editElaine George was born around 1976 and brought up in a housing commission (a form of social housing) home in Inala, south-west of Brisbane, Queensland. Her mother is of Arakwal descent, and her father (white) Australian of German ancestry.[1]
She was a tomboy who liked sport, and her family, being poor, had never bought magazines. She was not allowed to wear make-up.[1]
Vogue cover
editGeorge was photographed by photographer Grant Good, who spotted her at a theme park, Dreamworld, when she was taking her sister Anita out as a treat. He was there with his partner, Diana Finke, and their children, just a few days after having had a conversation with then editor of Vogue Australia, Nancy Pilcher, about not having featured enough Australian models on the cover.[1]
Good sent test shots of her to Pilcher, who decided to put George on the cover of the September 1993 issue of the magazine. George was excited about being flown to Sydney for the shoot, having never been out of the state nor flown in a plane.[1]
George was the first Aboriginal model to appear on the cover of Vogue.[2][3][4]
According to former Vogue editor Kirstie Clements, the magazine received criticism for the fact that the already light-skinned George was blown out on the cover appearing to have even lighter skin then she had.[5]
See also
edit- Samantha Harris, the second Aboriginal model to appear on the cover of Vogue
References
edit- ^ a b c d Singer, Melissa (25 September 2020). "The 'risky' Vogue cover that made history but almost never happened". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
- ^ "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders: Independence, art and politics". Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ^ Indigenous beauty is back in Vogue. Brisbane Times, 23 April 2010.
- ^ Vogue cover featuring Elaine George, September 1993
- ^ Clements, Kirstie (16 April 2014). "The kind of magazine cover Australia barely ever sees". Retrieved 27 September 2015.
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