Italian Vogue, which in our opinion is easily the best of the bunch in the photo editorial department, is going black for its July issue. Literally. According to an article in today's Times by Cathy Horyn (also a Times blogger) photographer Stephen Meisel shot the issue (100 pages are devoted to his photos),

In a reverse of the general pattern of fashion magazines, all the faces are black, and all the feature topics are related to black women in the arts and entertainment.

Editor Franca Sozzani says that the idea was inspired in part by the American Presidential election, as well as continuing controversy over the lack of black models used on runways and editorially. However, perhaps nothing speaks more clearly to how untrained the American eye is to seeing Black women portrayed as beautiful than Horyn voicing amazement at "how much beauty and life [Meisel] was able to extract from them, so that you almost feel you are seeing these women for the first time." Of course, it's possible that many people actually are seeing them for the first time. The July issue should hit U.S. newsstands before the end of the month.