Vanity Fair April 2018 : Lena Waithe by Annie Leibovitz

[Melancholybaby]

 

[Miss Dalloway]

This feels very French VF, the art direction still bothers me, it almost gives me a feel of a "weekly".

But i am here for Lena, finally an interesting woman, whose interview i would actually want to read. Her episode was just sublime, need to watch it again.

 

[8eight]

I wonder if Annie is on a ridiculous contract?
Why would you get her to shoot this very boring portrait?

 

[kokobombon]

the photography is so pedestrian imo... and I have no idea who she is but I´m loving her expression

 

[Benn98]

I don't know her, and I doubt whether many people in the UK will know her. They couldn't maybe try to style the shot somewhat? That aside, it's an unflattering shot. The masthead seems centered and smaller, and overall it just looks like a fan-made VF cover which would never have seen the light of day.

 

[Lucien112]

I am very excited for this to show up in my mailbox but Annie is not the right person for this cover. Someone like Ryan McGinley would have been much more appropriate.

 

[biagiolr]

Can't believe that this is VF USA cover, what a disaster.

 

[tigerrouge]

As a subscriber, I'm happy to read all about this - but there wouldn't be any way I'd buy it on the newsstand.

 

[Miss Dalloway]

I don't know her, and I doubt whether many people in the UK will know her. They couldn't maybe try to style the shot somewhat? That aside, it's an unflattering shot. The masthead seems centered and smaller, and overall it just looks like a fan-made VF cover which would never have seen the light of day.

She is a screenwriter-producer-actress, works with Aziz on Master of None, wrote a great Thanksgiving episode about coming out in season 2, and won an Emmy for it. First black woman to win an Emmy for best comedy series writing. She is also in the new Spielberg movie. She has a very cool casual style, so i don't think it would work for her to do a super styled shoot. Imagine putting Ellen in HC. Wouldn't feel honest.

But i think that even in US many people won't recognize her at the newsstands, but while i doubt it will work from sales point of view, it's pretty amazing that the new EIC gave her the cover, because this way people can get introduced to her, and her work. If she does this in the future, and balances well known, and interestingly unexpected cover faces, i am all for it.

 

[Lola701]

Ahahahah! To think that on french TV they announced Macron as a coverboy for April because of Leibowitz following him...
The gag!
Lackluter cover

 

[Marc10]

Yes! Love this! Lena is so talented and a much needed new voice in the industry. Much better than another played out Hollywood figure.

Loving this new Vanity Fair. It feels more in the line of T Mag, WSJ, etc and less with US Vogue which is great to me.

 

[TheoG]

Love Lena! And finally a refreshing cover for month of April. Not completely in love with the cover but at least there's substance.

 

[Deleted member 45369]

I wonder if Annie is on a ridiculous contract?
Why would you get her to shoot this very boring portrait?

My thoughts exactly. While I’m sure she wouldn’t want to be glamoured up, VF could of still put in some production value around her. In fact, that’s what I was hoping VF would return to. The highly produced out of the box covers. Demi sitting on Santa’s lap for example or body painted in a suit.

But maybe that’s all just as much a Graydon trademark as the whole “old school hollywood” thing. This definitely has the feel of a new editor and one can tell she worked at The NY Times where this type of cover could easily show up on the front of their weekly magazine.

I don’t like it but it has me excited for what’s to come.

 

[Benn98]

My thoughts exactly. While I’m sure she wouldn’t want to be glamoured up, VF could of still put in some production value around her. In fact, that’s what I was hoping VF would return to. The highly produced out of the box covers. Demi sitting on Santa’s lap for example or body painted in a suit.

Or Roseanne Barr wide-legged in lingerie, lol.

VF was very stuffy and intellectual under Locke and Lerman with their nauseating Susan Sontag obsession, which was probably why neither stayed for more than 5 years. Incidentally Locke was also a book editor at the NY Times, and lasted only for 3 issues. The legacy and aesthetic of the magazine as we know it was really cemented by Tina and Graydon. A bit more fluffy, excessive and elitist under Tina (which aligned very much with the 80s), and more political, cultural and celebrity-driven under Graydon.

I'm interested to see what Radhika's legacy will be. Because while the cover star may sound interesting, it's not exactly a choice to usher into a new era where they're supposedly plagued by poor newsstand sales. That's if this is in fact her 'debut' issue. I happen to think last month was her first, but because of all the brouhaha which went down, she's trying to pass the buck.

 

[KoV]

Vanity Fair is a cultural magazine, not a fashion magazine. As such, I love seeing interesting, culturally significant people like Lena, who have something to say, on the cover. I like glam shots of movie stars photoshopped into oblivion as they halfheartedly hawk their latest easy multi million-dollar paycheck as much as the next guy, but this is a very welcome reprieve.

 

[Handbag Queen]

I definitely don't see this selling well.

 

[versustito]

I have no idea who she

 

[Simera]

^ I think she writes TV shows, that Chicago one.

Why does she have a sour expression? I'm sure they had better expressions for cover photos.

 

[Nocturnal]

I dont know her. Cover looks boring.

 

[mistress_f]

she's made an historic win - first black woman ever to win an emmy for comedy writing - stars in and writes for one of the most critically acclaimed tv shows of recent years and just created her own show that's going very well. She's an open lesbian of color and a very talented, interesting person. I'm so happy that she's on this cover.

Vanity fair is a cultural magazine - not a fashion mag, and it's so refreshing to see someone truly worthy of exposure getting attention vs yet another nepotism child whose biggest accomplishment is the art of the instagram selfie. I think it's bold that - even though she's got a Spielberg film to promote - they put her on the cover.