What Is Beauty?

For its second global call, PhotoVogue wants to hear every possible answer to a loaded question.

Notions of beauty have never been as diversified as it is today. This truth is the jump off point for the second global call for PhotoVogue, a platform described as “connecting artists, community, and commerce through Condé Nast’s global creative networks.”

Alessia Glaviano, head of global for PhotoVogue, believes that never before has expressions for beauty been more diversified, and representation more far-reaching. “But there is still so much to do to dismantle the codes of a culture that celebrates unattainable and stereotyped beauty standards,” she says. “It is very important to move in the direction of a more inclusive representation that accounts for the uniqueness and complexity of every human being who builds his/her/they identity through an unrepeatable journey, which is made of and influenced by countless factors—undoubtedly not limited to physical appearance.”

With PhotoVogue, which is under Condé Nast Creative Labs, Glaviano says that they believe in “expanding the narrative and in the importance of empowering different perspectives, both from a cultural and aesthetic point of view. Being a global reality, with the support of all different editions of Vogue worldwide, we hope that the results of this Open Call will challenge the traditional notions of beauty and help break down stereotypes to contribute to shape a better and more inclusive world.”

The goal for PhotoVogue, according to vogue.com, is to create an international database of “interesting voices in contemporary photography.” Contributors will be available and could be commissioned by Condé Nast brands and partners across 32 markets. While it currently only showcases photographers, it will soon include creatives in other platforms, including video.

These open calls, Glaviano continues, lead to festival exhibitions, Vogue editorials, and branded content for major fashion brands, and has helped launch the careers of the likes of Luis Alberto Rodriguez, Camila Falquez, Nadine Ijewere, and Mous Lamrabat. “Furthermore, PhotoVogue is not just a platform, we are connected, we are a strong community: we mentor many of the PhotoVogue talents, the artists help each other, we all grow together,” she says.

This sense of community was felt during the last edition of the PhotoVogue festival. “More than 10,000 people visited the exhibitions in four days and came to listen to the talks and more than 50 of the artists we had in the exhibition came!” Glaviano shares. “It was a Joy to see our senior vice president People, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Yashica Olden and our Vogue European editorial director Edward Enninful happy to meet and speak with the young artists!”

What advice would Glaviano give to a creative looking to submit to this year’s Global Call? She answers simply: “Be authentic, you are unique and so is your vision!

“I really love what Krass Clement once said about photography which I think explains what having a vision means: ‘I was conscious that if photography was to be an interesting artistic expression, it had to elevate itself above its immediate narrative. It’s difficult to explain what it is that changes a photograph from just being a picture of something to being a picture about something’,” she says.