Ok so let's talk about that Vice editorial...

Jumping on the bandwagon is what I do best.

Dear Vice magazine,
I know controversy is perhaps what you do best, that whipping up a storm with a risqué shoot or topic could sell more magazines and that being edgy is of the utmost importance, but you appear to have forgotten a little thing called decency.
Whilst I am sure that your fiction issue was intended to pay homage to some of the greatest writers we have ever known in a thought-provoking way, perhaps getting models to present suicide as some form of glamorous fashion statement was pushing the boat out a little too far. In fact I think your boat has sunk in a very catastrophic way judging by the fact you've removed every trace of the spread, besides your meager apology, from your website. Maybe you've realised that someone should have stopped during the brainstorming session and gone "hang on a minute, portraying 7 female writers as they're about to commit suicide might be a little bit tasteless..." Were you trying to cause outrage?
Your intentions seem honourable:

The fashion spreads in VICE magazine are always unconventional and approached with an art editorial point-of-view rather than a typical fashion photo-editorial one. Our main goal is to create artful images, with the fashion message following, rather than leading.
“Last Words” was created in this tradition and focused on the demise of a set of writers whose lives we very much wish weren’t cut tragically short, especially at their own hands.

Showcasing great writers and their famed work next to the sadness of suicide, the impact it has and the desperation faced by those who take their own lives would have been beautiful, but in fact what you did was to ignore the authors - no mention whatsoever of their work was made throughout the editorial feature, as if to say their suicides were the most significant aspects to them.
Oh what great respect to these writers you claim to admire you demonstrated by displaying one of the models sprawled on the pavement in an image taken from above, and another having slit their wrists but yet looking flawless, not a hair or pearl out of place. I particularly loved the tribute paid to Sanmao, telling the readers where to buy the tights the model was pretending to strangle herself with was touching - who wouldn't want to buy those tights after seeing such an endorsement?! Including stockists and listings of the outfits worn in these charming shots is a fantastic way to prove that you aren't concerned with fashion in the slightest, and that you had your 'art' hats on rather than your money-making ones. God, get over it, using suicide to sell a look is so in right now.
In no way am I suggesting that we shouldn't talk about and draw attention to suicide, but to do so in a way that trivialises 7 brilliant women's deaths by relating it to style is sickening. This kind of content should have been shouted down in the first instance it was suggested. I'm slightly worried for the future of journalism if no better alternatives were proposed and no one involved with this project could highlight the blindingly obvious flaws with 'sexing up' suicide. Tact is key when handling such a sensitive issue. Iris Chang, author of The Rape of Nanking, has been dead less than 9 years and left behind a 2 year old son. What right do you have to dress a model up to imitate Chang seconds before her death and name that a twisted tribute when the grief is still being felt for her loss? Would a better piece not have been to have featured models styled as these authors (there's your money) alongside thoughts detailing their contribution to the world, the importance of their work, and the tragedy of their deaths?
Your 'apology' is simply empty words to me, your hundreds of thousands of print editions are still freely available, and with the internet being what it is those images will be immortalised. Dedicating an entire issue to female creative minds was  innovative and brave. Featuring models coldly re-enacting suicides and giving the pathetic excuse that such images are honouring the authors, delivering a standard, corporate, one line apology to anyone who was offended, was unforgivably senseless and an insult to the writers, their work and all those affected by suicide.