Olympian Simone Biles has racked up 25 World Championship medals on top of having four seemingly impossible gymnastics moves named after her, so it seems only fitting that she is now being featured in a photo shoot as spectacular as she is.
In the cover shoot for Glamour’s June issue, the 24-year-old can be seen decked out in stunning gowns with glimmering jewels. The photos were shot by Kennedi Carter, a Black photographer who focuses primarily on Black subjects.
On Twitter, some fans of the athlete remarked on the stark contrast between the way Glamour shot Biles and how Vogue imagined her in its shoot for the magazine’s August 2020 issue. That shoot, by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, was widely criticized for how it was styled. As Vox put it, the images made Biles look “flat, washed out, and muted,” and critics lamented that the publication should have hired a Black photographer.
Ahead of Biles’ performance at this year’s Tokyo Olympics, many fans shared their affection for the Glamour photos:
Now THIS is how you photograph Simone Biles! pic.twitter.com/WHmPO4c97i
— Sasha 💄💋 (@SashaBeauloux) June 15, 2021
— TOGETHXR (@togethxr) June 15, 2021
Simone Biles looks absolutely gorgeous for her Glamour photoshoot pic.twitter.com/zQhYdiJxWW
— Tri ⁷ da Villain (@THEEEhottie) June 15, 2021
Simone Biles for @glamourmag THE BLACK GIRL MAGIC SHINING THROUGH & HER SMILE 😍😍😍 A QUEEN @Simone_Biles pic.twitter.com/um1Fx3cWdO
— ♛ Mar ♛ || BLM 🕊✊🏿 (@AriliyahMar) June 15, 2021
THE MATERIAL: Simone Biles for Glamour
(Photographed by Kennedi Carter) pic.twitter.com/yFnYJzt8lY— demicia (@DeMiciaValon) June 15, 2021
The Greatest! Simone Biles! pic.twitter.com/KxkuIG7EIp
— 👑 Black Professor 👑 (@WonderKing82) June 15, 2021
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