The cover shows Kendall, photographed by Mario Testino, looking imposing in a black dress. Gold lettering reads 'Indian Affair'. But how is it an Indian affair is she isn't remotely Indian?
The photo was apparently taken in front of the Sambodhe Palace in Jaipur and Kendall's lace dress is by Saint Laurent. Although this isn't the first time that Jenner has featured on an international cover, this is turning out to be her most controversial cover shoot. And rightly so.
The backlash on social media was swift, with many in India criticising the magazine for featuring Jenner, instead of a model or actress from their own country. Celebrated Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and actress and model Katrina Kaif also feature inside the May 2017 issue. However, the magazine's decision to choose a cover star who represents nothing of the identity, traditions or idiosyncrasies of India has disappointed many.
Twitter users have attacked Vogue India's decision to choose a white woman to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the magazine. Some of them have said Jenner's presence on the cover amounts to 'cultural hegemony'.
Other users said that they found it hard to believe that Vogue India couldn't find an Indian model who better embodied the essence of their country. 'Some of the most beautiful women in the world come from India and you decided to shoot a skinny white girl from California…' complained one woman.
Poor Kendall Jenner hasn't been having the greatest time of it lately. The decisions made by her communications team – who presumably help her decide which jobs to take – have been misguided, to say the least. The Vogue India cover has provoked more accusations of cultural appropriation, just weeks after her Kendall's Pepsi ad came under fire for cynically appropriating social protest to sell soda.
Unfortunately for Kendall, she was also one of the influencers who used her social media accounts to promote Fyre Festival – a 'luxury' music festival in the Bahamas which turned out to be a complete disaster.
Her credibility is looking more like a joke with every passing day.
But we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the ones who are really to blame are the publishers and publicists who believe that these sorts of magazine covers and adverts are appropriate. At the end of the day, Kendall Jenner just shows up, strikes a pose and takes her money.