not in vogue

Selita Ebanks Explains Why She’s Never Appeared in Vogue [Updated]

Selita Ebanks shot her first cover for Teen Vogue with two other girls when she was 17. At that time, she tells MTV, she knew nothing about fashion, but understood that she was hot and got checks in the mail for letting people photograph her. After she shot the cover, her agency told her she had to go meet with the Vogue editor. So after school on Staten Island, she boarded the ferry to head into the city — the same day as a huge snowstorm. “What I’m wearing is the issue,” Ebanks explains. “I had on Timberland boots, I had on corduroy, high-water, flooded beige pants with a button down plaid shirt. I was a tomboy!”

She continues:

“I remember walking in — Trudy from Vogue at the time … looks at me and she’s like startled. And I didn’t understand why. I was like, ‘What up? Who am I here to meet?’ She says, ‘Take off your jacket, take off your jacket, it’ll be fine, it’ll be fine — be yourself.’ And I walk into the office, I got maybe two steps into the room, and I look and it’s amazing Ms. Anna Wintour. She goes [makes a dismissive wave] and dismisses me. And my cover did not come out to say the least and I have never shot Vogue magazine!”

Ebanks said this taught her a valuable lesson about doing her research before meetings. However, we can all learn a valuable lesson for that day each of us comes face to face with Anna Wintour. And that is, a blizzard won’t stop it, and that blizzard had better not have any effect on your personal chicness (she did this to Karlie Kloss, don’t forget). The easiest way around this may not be furry boots, which are surprisingly “in” this season, but just scheduling those appointments in the spring.

’Runaway’ Star Selita Ebanks Recalls Her Vogue Rejection [MTV]

Update: A Teen Vogue spokeswoman tells us that Ebanks “never shot a cover” with the magazine.

Selita Ebanks Explains Why She’s Never Appeared in Vogue [Updated]