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Vogue Portugal under fire for mental health cover in 'very bad taste'

Vogue Portugal has been criticised for insensitive treatment of mental health on one of its latest magazine covers.

The image – one of four covers created for its July/August “Madness” issue – features model Simona Kirchnerova crouched in a bath flanked by two nurses, with one pouring water over her head. The cover has been criticised both for attempting to glamorise mental illness and for the use of the outdated term “madness”.

The Portuguese model Sara Sampaio commented on Vogue Portugal’s Instagram page: “These kinds of pictures should not be representing the conversation about mental health! I think it’s very bad taste!”

Clinical psychologist Dr Katerina Alexandraki said: “Promoting the aesthetics of mental health is very problematic. It’s never a fashion, that is so invalidating.

“Not to mention the history of women and mental illness. There are hundreds of stories of abuse where women are at their most vulnerable.”

As for why it had decided to do an issue devoted to mental health, on its official Twitter account the magazine stated: “It’s about love. It’s about life. It’s about us. It’s about you. It’s about now. It’s about health. It’s about mental health. #themadnessissue. It’s about time.” The Guardian has asked the magazine for comment.

Meanwhile, on Instagram Kirchnerova, the model featured in the bath photo, revealed that the nurses who posed with her were her close relations. “My career highlight,” she wrote, “made it to Vogue cover with my mum and my grandma!!! 3 generations on Vogue cover.” When the photographer Elliott Morgan wrote, “Disrespectful and missing the point,” Kirchnerova asked: “Explain.”

Discussions around mental health in fashion have been controversial. In September, Ayesha Tan-Jones, a model in a Gucci show (who goes by the pronouns they and them), protested against the use of straitjacket-like coats in the collection with the note “Mental health is not fashion” written on their hand. Later, writing on Instagram, they said: “Presenting these struggles as props for selling clothes in today’s capitalist climate is vulgar, unimaginative and offensive to the millions of people around the world affected by these issues.” Jones donated their catwalk fee to mental health charities.

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Hello ✨ I just want to say Thank You for all the support so many of you have given me since I lifted my hands in peaceful protest on the Gucci Runway show yesterday 💖 I feel very blessed to be surrounded by supportive comrades, and to know that there are so many people sharing support online for this action ✊🏽 I want to use this opportunity to remind people that this sort of bravery, is only a simple gesture compared to the bravery that people with mental health issues show everyday. To have the bravery to get out of bed, to greet the day, and to live their lives is an act of strength, and I want to thank you for being here and being YOU ! ☀️ The support people have shown to my act is more than I could imagine, so I only trust that we will share this same support to our friends, siblings, loved ones, acquaintances, internet friends or even strangers, who might be going through tough times with their Mental Health. Showing up for them may come in many forms, check in via text or DM, listen to them with patience and without judgement, offer a helping hand with household tasks like food shop, cooking or cleaning, regularly remind them how amazing and strong they are, but also that is okay feel the feels too, Lets show up for people with mental health and help end the stigma together !🌻 Many of the other Gucci models who were in the show felt just as strongly as I did about this depiction of straightjackets, and without their support I would not have had the courage to walk out and peacefully protest. Some have chosen to donate a portion their fee, and I 100% of mine, to mental health charities, who are doing amazing work for people today! Below are tags to some amazing charities that I encourage, if you have the resources and capacity to, please donate in any way you can, and in my linktree ( in bio ) is a google doc to websites for more charities ! <3 Also, please comment any other Mental Health organisations globally you would like to support and share, as my resources are UK/US based currently 💫 blessings, love & rage - Ayesha / YaYa 🌈 ✨ ✨ ✨ @projectlets @mindcharity @mermaidsgender @qtpocmentalhealth @stonewalluk @switchboardlgbt @lgbtswitchboard @papyrus_uk

A post shared by YaYa Bones (@ayeshatanjones) on Sep 23, 2019 at 3:17am PDT

“It’s encouraging to know that the public will no longer stand to see mental illness used as a gimmick,” said Jo Loughran, director of the mental health anti-stigma campaign Time to Change. “When people feel empowered to call out stigma, it can send a powerful message to the world – that stigmatising mental health problems is never acceptable.”

• In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. You can contact the mental health charity Mind by calling 0300 123 3393 or visiting mind.org.uk