I don't mind the Snejana cover reference since it is one of my favorite covers ever, and I adore Hunter. Besides, it is quite clear for a while now that EJG is a Meisel copycat without the genius, subtlety, and wit. But it is also interesting, especially for us who grew up witnessing Meisel golden years, to reach a point where his work is being so literally referenced. A little bit like how Meisel himself would reference masters in his own work. It is a full-circle moment-ish. + At a time when Hollywood is obsessed with all these archive pieces and the early to mid-2000s period. I am sure his work is on many mood boards.
What I find really annoying, though, is the styling. It looks so cheap and literal... why those sunglasses??
The editorial, is a bit more promising than the cover since it tries to at least tell a different story, so I guess the cover choice was clearly a deliberate reference. Bu I honestly do not undrstand at all what is the narrative they were trying to tell here... I am really happy for Hunter and Dara . I think they are a really great team, but this is such a lackluster execution. And we have here another example of mabe someone is a great red carpet stylist.. doesnt mean it they are a great editorial storyteller. Also EJG photography is really poor here. Bare minimum...