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It's the 10th anniversairy of Vogue India. So why is Kendall Jenner on the cover?

Kendall Jenner has appeared on countless international magazine covers and is certainly a Vogue favourite.

But the choice to place the American supermodel front-and-centre on the 10th Anniversary edition of Vogue India has drawn serious ire from some readers.

Of course, the 21-year-old looks stunning in a black lace YSL dress — no surprises there — but for many, she’s also a bizarre, if not a downright offensive choice for the special release of the magazine, which could easily have placed a local model or actress in her stead.

Online, there has been a steady stream of commentary, with Twitter users ranging from disappointed to furious in their scathing appraisal of the casting choice.

On Instagram (where opinions aren’t confined to 140 characters) people have been far more expansive in their criticisms of the cover.

“Imagine having beautiful women of colour from each state honouring every state’s culture and fashion that represents India,” one woman wrote.

“But you people chose a skinny famous for nothing white girl.”

Another labelled it, “beyond insulting to every Indian person and everyone else in the world that sees how messed up it is that you’re trying to celebrate Indian culture and fashion with a white person.”

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The cover and accompanying editorials were shot by photographer Mario Testino at the Samode Palace, outside of Jaipur and have been praised for their beauty – if not their diversity.

The issue also features Bollywood stars Katrina Kaif and Sushant Singh Rajput, and highlights local fashion talent inside its pages. Which, while somewhat comforting to know, only underlines the staggering lack of representation on this cover.

Listen: Mamamia Out Loud discuss the new editor of British Vogue…

Over the weekend, Vogue India responded to the backlash in a statement on their Instagram account, which explained the Kylie Jenner cover is actually just the first in a series of collector’s editions to celebrate their birthday.

“The actual 10th anniversary is October 2017,” the statement said.

“In the last 10 years, Vogue India has had only 12 international covers, including Kendall Jenner, in 2017.

“Therefore, statistically, 90 percent of our covers are Indian! And we are proud of that. India has given the world so many beautiful faces to admire. After all, we are Vogue, an international brand, and we want to give the love back by featuring some of the best international celebrities on our covers. Occasionally!”