Harper’s Bazaar Australia & New Zealand January 2025 : Naomi Osaka by John Russo

[vogue28]

 

[Phuel]

LMFAO She looks like a chunky, shapeless and neckless 9yo in that cover select. I’d be seething if I were her when other shots showcase her athletic musculature. Pathetic.

 

[svpernova]

There is a reason why models are supposed to be on the cover of magazines.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ It’s not so much that athletes shouldn’t be on the cover of fashion rags, it’s more that the lessers producing these shoots nowadays don’t know how to dress/style/shoot athletes at all. One can’t shoot them as one would models, and a reason why as much as they attempt to hustle Venus Williams as some fashion icon, she always ends up looking like a reject from RuPaul’s casting call these days (compare that to 20 years ago when she was shot by Gilles Bensimon). Women don’t wish to look like run-of-the-mill drag queens, and when styled and shot by lessers with a clueless eye, women athletes look like hulking drag queens. And in this case, women don’t wish to look like a bratty tween posing for her smitten dad. She is hard to photograph because she has a natural b!tchdace (and that’s not a drag at her). She needs a skilled eye and a talented team to bring out the best in her. And sadly, these “creatives”are failing their coverstars, and that includes the models, these days.

 

[Lucien112]

Naomi is just not an expressive person in general. She's giving nothing in every photo but that should be expected if you've seen her in interviews. She's a dynamic tennis player but not a dynamic personality.

 

[GoldenPetals]

^^^ It’s not so much that athletes shouldn’t be on the cover of fashion rags, it’s more that the lessers producing these shoots nowadays don’t know how to dress/style/shoot athletes at all. One can’t shoot them as one would models, and a reason why as much as they attempt to hustle Venus Williams as some fashion icon, she always ends up looking like a reject from RuPaul’s casting call these days (compare that to 20 years ago when she was shot by Gilles Bensimon). Women don’t wish to look like run-of-the-mill drag queens, and when styled and shot by lessers with a clueless eye, women athletes look like hulking drag queens. And in this case, women don’t wish to look like a bratty tween posing for her smitten dad. She is hard to photograph because she has a natural b!tchdace (and that’s not a drag at her). She needs a skilled eye and a talented team to bring out the best in her. And sadly, these “creatives”are failing their coverstars, and that includes the models, these days.

But but dIvErSiTy!!1!

 

[blueorchid]

There is a reason why models are supposed to be on the cover of magazines.

Sports Illustrated is shook.

 

[vogue28]

No denying Naomi Osaka has been rather horribly profiled here. The expression, the pose, the Louis Vuitton look - all horrific. That being said, I like the colouring and the warmth that this cover radiates (especially when there's snow on the ground outside right now).

 

[jeremydante]

Aw, not good. Not the worst, but not good.
Also, am I missing something? Why are all these athletes being placed on covers for January?
This is supposed to be awards show season- put the actors and actresses on the covers.

 

[MDNA]

i want a refund immediately if i paid for that cover.

 

[penny609]

But but dIvErSiTy!!1!

Diversity isn't the problem, far from it. I'd say the problem is in the lack of diversity in the way their models (or any person on a cover, in an editorial) are styled and photographed. Lazy and cheap ways in most cases turning anything (and especially anyone) potentially intersting into some tragically clownesque visuals.

Also diversity for the sake of diversity and just to please a crowd that will always find something to criticize (just because it's allowed, so hey ! why not?! and one can remain pretty anonymous online) will never bring something new and enjoyable to the table. Their so-called inclusive policies are pointless and worthless as long as it doesn't actually serve the aesthetics and point of view of a cover topic or story.

Back to this cover and editorial, I do wholeheartedly like Naomi Osaka but they didn't do her justice here, at all (somewhere in my mind plays that old ACDC tune "dirty deeds done dirt cheap" for some reason). They didn't take 5 poor minutes to understand her beauty, how to capture it and where to put some emphasis on. Business as usual?

 

[namelesscloud]

Aw, not good. Not the worst, but not good.
Also, am I missing something? Why are all these athletes being placed on covers for January?
This is supposed to be awards show season- put the actors and actresses on the covers.

In Australia now there's the Australian Open first Slam of the year that's why both issues of december and now January (Aryna Sabalenka) have tennis players on the covers