Blonde Salad Chiara Ferragni Covers the 'New' Vogue Italia October by Scandebergs

Italian blogger, businesswoman, collaborator, wife and mother Chiara Ferragni covers the new issue of Vogue Italia. The founder of ‘The Blonde Salad’ is styled by Poppy Kain in images by Scandebergs for the October 2021 issue./ Hair by Pierpaolo Lai; makeup by Georgina Graham

Chiara wears Gucci on the cover of Vogue Italia, accompanied by words of wisdom from Francesca Ragazzi, Head of Content of Vogue Italia, addressing the question of why Chiara Ferragni is covering Vogue Italia.

Ragazzi writes that Vogue Italia has always been at the center of international debate on controversial, international issues. This assertion may be largely true, although it’s legendary Vogue Italia editor Franca Sozzani who owns this accolade.

Vogue Italia has not possessed the same intellectual verve since the beloved and esteemed Sozzani died in December 2016.

Small, Timid Change for Women

Chiara is the ideal protagonist to interpret this new course of Ragazzi’s quest to bring Italian stories, ideas and names to Vogue’s global circuit of 27 editions, says Ragazzi. Referencing her expert balance between the public and private family life sphere, Chiara is an agent of what Google translator calls “the small, timid process of change that women are experiencing in this country.”

Therein lies the problem, because the fall of American women in terms of our rights and agency — confronted by both life under COVID and the rise of authoritarianism in Trumplandia — confirms a very serious problem for women in this country.

While American women are experiencing a particularly hard gut punch — and especially in the arena of agency over our bodies —world events suggests that women’s rights may also be peril globally.

Ask Anja Rubik about women’s and LGBTQIA rights in Poland. AOC believes the situation for women’s rights is grave generally, although our view is jaded, based on the full-on assault against women here in America.

Our point back to Ragazzi is that at least here in America, timidity has set women back 50 years. And of course, we have the reality that more white women embrace Trump’s white nationalism than do white men. So the idea that American women are unified around women’s rights is also bogus.

All women must ask about the price paid for timidity and patience on women’s agency. Trump women argue that patience — if not timidity — is getting them the authoritarian, godly nation they desire. And many US Catholic bishops agree with conservative white nationalism and paternalism, and advocate that men should lead their families.

Given that the Catholic Church rides roughshod over the rights of American women, having Vogue Italia speak with clarity on this topic is important. Franca Sozzani would speak with an unwavering voice — even if her message is that women can’t topple the patriarchal power of the Vatican.

Will the new Vogue Italia speak with this same agency as Sozzani? That is the big question before us. Absolutely Edward Enninful — charged with overseeing Vogue Italia in the new Conde Nast hierarchy — has the intellectual commitment and savvy guts to speak clearly.

But Anna Wintour or Conde Nast the publishing company? Only time will tell, and we will be watching.

I will say that if Wintour and Conde Nast corporate refuse to stand taller than they ever have in history on the side of women’s agency, it’s game over for American women and certainly women in Poland, too. Perhaps the next generation of young women can prevail in our quest for equality, because this champion of women sees a very dark road ahead. ~ Anne