Yes, Chickens Are In-Fashion, But Why?

The story behind roosters and hens appearing in fashion photoshoots.

The first time I saw chickens portrayed in a fashion shoot causing a lot of buzz was when Karen Vega, the first Oaxacan model to ever appear in the pages of Vogue Mexico and Latin America, was photographed by Dorian Ulises López Macías, wearing a textured dress in Mexican pink and holding a rooster.

This was during the pandemic, and if I recall correctly, several people complained on social media about why she was portrayed in that way.

At the time, Pompi Garcia, the Oaxacan stylist, designer, and co-founder of the agency that represents Karen Vega (Talento Espina), who was also the first to use Karen Vega in photoshoots, explained, in what I will try to paraphrase, "That was her backyard, and that was her chicken! How else would you want her portrayed? That’s her home."

This marked the beginning of a strong movement in Mexican fashion photography, where photographers like Enrique Leyva, now part of the BoF 500 and co-owner of Talento Espina, are using their work to portray their own sto…