The fashion magazine has been accused of promoting aggression against Ukraine
Elle USA stated on Tuesday that it has disavowed all links with its Russian sister company after supporters of the Ukrainian cause accused the Russian magazine of secretly supporting the ongoing military action against Ukraine. The issue centers on a headline about Gen Z.
The American magazine said it “terminated its publishing partnership in Russia” and urged readers to learn how they can “support the people of Ukraine right now,” in a statement on Instagram (a platform owned by Meta, which is deemed an extremist entity in Russia). The statement was released due to “recent social media activity.”
The magazine was apparently responding to negative reactions to the cover of the March issue of Elle Russia. It features a photo of Deva Cassel and several headlines, including one that reads: ‘Life rules for Gen Z: conscience, environmentalism, honesty, post-irony’. Another at the bottom says: ‘Generation Z, make the world great again’.
Elle russia, fascist cover number two. THE VIBE. THE Z’s. THE “MAKE THE WORLD GREAT AGAIN”. The audacity. @Hearst @ELLEmagazine we want your comments. pic.twitter.com/MZxgRikpO4
— mary furtas (@maryfurtas) March 21, 2022
Critics, led by Ukrainian fashion designer Mary Furtas, found the letter ‘Z’ problematic, and demanded comments from Hearst, the owner of the Elle brand. The American holding had a stake in the Russian publisher of Elle, Hearst Shkulev Group, but pulled out over the Ukraine conflict.