Why are we stuck in the studio?
We’re not taking headshots—we’re producing editorials!
This has been on my mind for a while. Just ask my fashionista friends. I’m sure they’re tired of me talking about it. But following the release of Sabrina Carpenter’s cover for Vogue in March 2025, this conversation seems more important than ever.
I had high hopes for Vogue March 2025, considering there has been some monotonous consistency within their last few issues; I was hoping for a change. While Sabrina Carpenter looks stunning in custom Dolce & Gabbana photographed by Steven Meisel, the background is…well…bland. I can’t help but ask myself, why are we stuck in the studio?
When Marc Jacobs guest edited Vogue December 2024, it felt like a shift in Vogue’s mission. While it’s the biggest fashion magazine, any fashion-lover who claims it to be their favorite is either lying or isn’t really into fashion. When Marc Jacobs guest-edited, though, there was a freshness that we hadn’t seen from the magazine in a while. Featuring Kaia Gerber in looks from the current Marc Jacobs collection and styled with wacky, 1960s-inspired glam, Vogue was taking a chance that we needed. The downside of this shoot, though, was that every shot featured a blank, studio background.
Leading up to Kaia Gerber’s Vogue Cover was Billie Eilish for November and Lady Gaga for October–with of them both shot in front of a blank studio screen. In all, the only covers that weren’t taken in a studio in 2024 were in the first half of the year: Sienna Miller for Winter, Miuccia Prada for March, and Zendaya for May.
International Vogue’s are taking risks that the U.S. lacks. Arabia June 2024 featured a glistening night sky, a leopard behind the model, and couldn’t be further from a blank studio wall. Anupama Parmeswaran covered Vogue India in December 2024. She was in an intricate Amit Aggarwal dress pictured in front of a phenomenal landscape of trees with pink flowers at her feet. Even British Vogue May 2024, featuring Zendaya was taken in front of a blank wall, but used filters, editing, and unique poses to make something that still feels high fashion; if you’re going to be in the studio that’s how you do it.
Besides Vogue, other publications seem to be caught with this studio bug. W-Magazine featured Charli XCX on their February cover in a studio, and Rolling Stone followed suit with Addison Rae. Perfect Magazine is featuring a variety of covers for their 8th issue, each subject featured in front of a blank wall. Vogue Hong Kong featured Emma Chamberlain on their cover against a textured pink wall—disappointing, but still better than the others.
Creative Directors need to take notes from magazines like LadyGunn, InStyle, and Interview—they know how to create covers that feel alive. We don’t want another soulless studio shot. We want storytelling, world-building, and fashion that feels like fashion.
Vogue, step it up. We’re not taking headshots—we’re producing editorials!