Vogue Sparks Outrage for Calling the Afro a ‘Cloud Bob’ in Controversial Beauty Feature

*Vogue is in the middle of a social media firestorm after publishing a beauty feature that referred to the afro as a “cloud bob.” The piece used an image of actress Tracee Ellis Ross and landed like a match to dry wood — TikTok, X, and Threads erupted with users calling the move a deliberate […] The post Vogue Sparks Outrage for Calling the Afro a ‘Cloud Bob’ in Controversial Beauty Feature appeared first on EURweb | Black News, Culture, Entertainment & More.

Apr 20, 2026 - 23:12

Vogue Sparks Outrage for Calling the Afro a ‘Cloud Bob’ in Controversial Beauty Feature

*Vogue is in the middle of a social media firestorm after publishing a beauty feature that referred to the afro as a “cloud bob.”

The piece used an image of actress Tracee Ellis Ross and landed like a match to dry wood — TikTok, X, and Threads erupted with users calling the move a deliberate attempt to rebrand a hairstyle that belongs to Black culture, Hello Beautiful reports.

The publication did not hold its ground for long. Following the wave of criticism, Vogue pulled the style from its summer haircuts list and republished the feature with 16 styles — the “cloud bob” nowhere to be found. Critics, however, were not satisfied with the quiet removal. Many pointed to a troubling pattern of Black hairstyles being rechristened under trendier labels that erase their origins and cultural weight.

African American female in a bikini and with an Afro hairstyle standing in water/Credit: iStock

Celebrity hairstylist Tom Smith found himself pulled into the storm after being credited in the piece as the authority behind the rebranded look. He wasted no time addressing it in an Instagram statement, writing: “I was not asked to contribute to this article, did not provide a quote for it and was not briefed on the topic. I did not provide or approve the image used. Once I became aware of this, my team contacted the publication and the section was removed.”

Content creator RaeShanda Lias made her feelings known in a video posted to Instagram: “This is not a ‘cloud bob,’ we are not referring to it as a ‘cloud bob.’ It’s 2026 and we are going to stop Christopher Columbus-ing Black people’s hairstyles. This is Tracee Ellis Ross and this is a afro.”

The original Vogue story, published in September 2025, featured images of afros while never once using the word.