![Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik on the cover of August 2017's Vogue.](http://web.archive.org./web/20170714044537im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/x/b/3/4/x/image.related.articleLeadNarrow.300x0.gxb2fq.png/1499993484730.png)
After successfully monetising their PDAs for the magazine's pages last year, Gigi Hadid and Zayn Malik have taken their relationship with Vogue one step further: appearing on its cover.
The power couple are on the cover of the magazine's August 2017 issue, photographed by Inez and Vinoodh (the Dutch photographers you might remember from such Vogue shoots as Hadid's appearance on the front of the first ever edition of Vogue Arabia, earlier this year).
Dressing the pair in power-pattern-clash suits, and proudly announcing that they share clothes, Vogue describes the model and musician as "part of a new generation embracing gender fluidity", a move that has certainly raised a few eyebrows on social media because, well, neither of these beautiful people actually identify as "gender fluid".
Gender fluid is a term used to describe someone who does not identify as having a fixed gender.
They just seem to steal each other's clothes a lot. And, unless you're conjugating definite and indefinite articles in certain European languages, clothes don't have a gender.
The exchange that has caused the controversy is extracted in italics.
"I shop in your closet all the time, don't I?" Hadid, 22, flicks a lock of dyed-green hair out of her boyfriend's eyes as she poses the question.
"Yeah, but same," replies Malik, 24. "What was that T-shirt I borrowed the other day?"
"The Anna Sui?" asks Hadid.
"Yeah," Malik says. "I like that shirt. And if it's tight on me, so what? It doesn't matter if it was made for a girl."
Hadid nods vigorously. "Totally. It's not about gender. It's about, like, shapes. And what feels good on you that day. And anyway, it's fun to experiment..."
Anwar [Hadid's brother], eavesdropping, pipes up. "We're chill!" he calls out from a picnic table not far away. "People our age, we're just chill. You can be whoever you want," he adds, ambling over, "as long as you're being yourself."
Vogue's Maya Singer goes on to write that "this is how you can tell a paradigm shift has taken place", noting that fluidity of gender offers "a terrific opportunity for play".
The magazine did attempt to go a little beyond the surface by interviewing agenderΒ poet and activistΒ Tyler Ford and looking at the influence of gender neutral fashion, but as social media users have pointed out,Β the piece reads as out of touch with current discourses on gender and queerness.
Vogue went from 100 to 0 real quick pic.twitter.com/q1xbMG9Bb0
β οΈ (@justinsamulet) July 13, 2017
Think Vogue is a bit confused on what gender fluidity is! Wearing your gf's T-shirt does not make you gender fluid https://t.co/5yvh8FmUky pic.twitter.com/yPADJDwvPV
β Colette Fahy (@colettefahy_) July 13, 2017
guys...I think vogue thinks that gender fluidity is a straight cis couple both wearing suits pic.twitter.com/UUgxjzbjMa
β roobs (@roobsleiser) July 13, 2017
Zayn and Gigi are profiled in this piece on gender fluidity because... they borrow each other's clothes sometimes? https://t.co/ItswHOaBUd
β Hannah Orenstein (@hannahorens) July 13, 2017
"gender fluidity"
β lucas (@rhymresh) July 13, 2017
gigi and zayn: we share clothes!!!!
vogue: rEVOLUTIONARY ππππ pic.twitter.com/gtLHsSBqz0
straight cis couple shares clothes, Vogue declares them gender fluid. Teen Vogue is gonna have to clean this one up for Mama Vogue. pic.twitter.com/0VdVKadBbq
β Molly Priddy (@mollypriddy) July 13, 2017