Vogue Italia September 2025 : Mikey Madison by Steven Meisel

[likeahurricane]

Calling portrait photography "pedestrian" is an interesting choice

 

[testinofan]

I don't know what's worse, the cover or the editorial so copied from Ricardo Avedon. Steven Meisel is already tired of copying Avedon, Penn, It is more of a shame than a compliment to the tribute or inspiration

 

[mepps]

Yeah, like Meisel has never shot pedestrian models or actresses before and shot them well… it’s easy to blame the “models” for poor work from a photographer 🥴

They will blame God himself, before admitting that Meisel can be hit or miss, and that his glory days are far in past.

 

[MModa]

Calling portrait photography "pedestrian" is an interesting choice

Maybe the correct way to describe it would be way too "basic."

 

[ivano]

Expected Mickey landing some major campaign after the Oscars, but never thought about a)Vogue; b)Italia; c) by Meisel! I like the cover, but I don't understand which one is the main one (the framed one has the date) or the one bigger. Not fan of the editorial. She has the beauty, but the posing is pedestrian looking as said above.The font is very 1998, liking the art direction. Maybe it's a fold out, looks like some of those weird covers from the late 90s. I think there's a d) element here, is she wearing Prada?

love the fact he did Italian and French Vogue September issues for another consecutive year.

 

[ivano]

By the way, just the first pic of the ed reminds me of a young China Machado, but of course her skills are not the same level as CM.

 

[onlooker]

I'm just happy they realized there's other fonts out there. I'm sick of the two fonts that they've been using for a while now.

 

[Kimy Jo]

The buzz she had is already gone, no?

 

[ivano]

According to VI's website the framed one is for newstands and the close-up for digital:

"La cover riservata esclusivamente per l’edizione cartacea ricorda un annuario scolastico. Mikey Madison indossa total look Dior


La versione digitale della cover Vogue Italia Settembre 2025. Mikey Madison indossa total look Dior."

 

[likeahurricane]

Maybe the correct way to describe it would be way too "basic."

Portraits are the bread and butter of fashion photography and the style Meisel is aping. What else is he supposed to do? Leave the studio? Why is it pedestrian this year, but last years studio shots weren’t pedestrian? Because Linda was stretched and pulled to high heaven doing her best grand dame of fashion act?

 

[MModa]

Portraits are the bread and butter of fashion photography and the style Meisel is aping. What else is he supposed to do? Leave the studio? Why is it pedestrian this year, but last years studio shots weren’t pedestrian? Because Linda was stretched and pulled to high heaven doing her best grand dame of fashion act?

The team could have done a lot but it is what it is. It was a choice that they made, the look they wanted to present. For me, it is not an exciting cover to look at. All the elements, including the newsstand cover border, are terrible. For example, this July 2016 Vogue Italia portrait cover by Meisel is simple but the hair, the makeup, the color palette make it visually interesting and appealing. Not even mentioning the beauty of Vittoria.

 

[aa2005]

Portraits are the bread and butter of fashion photography and the style Meisel is aping. What else is he supposed to do? Leave the studio? Why is it pedestrian this year, but last years studio shots weren’t pedestrian? Because Linda was stretched and pulled to high heaven doing her best grand dame of fashion act?

And this is what not retouched to a cartoonish level? These are not portraits they are copy and paste versions of previously done work in the last 5 years uploaded as an overlay. This weird hair in the face thing that was essentially every BV cover under Edward has everyone look like cousin it or bearded. Look I am a Stan but we have to stop making excuses just because we are fans. It’s poorly done and so has most of the work in the last few years. He COULD do simple beautiful portraits but he isn’t. Why that’s his business I just don’t have to fake like it anymore.

 

[likeahurricane]

I’m actually not a Meisel fan at all. As someone who isn’t a fan, I’m arguing that this cover actually isn’t worse than any of the other lazy portraits things he’s shot. And people are also blaming this on Mickey Madison when Meisel’s assistant couldn’t give her proper direction? The cover is bad, but I get the feeling that a lot of commenters just don’t like Mickey Madison (Demi Moore stans???) so they’re acting like this cover is atrocious because *of her* because she looks "pedestrian," when it’s no worse than any of his similar shots last year with Linda and other models.

 

[likeahurricane]

The team could have done a lot but it is what it is. It was a choice that they made, the look they wanted to present. For me, it is not an exciting cover to look at. All the elements, including the newsstand cover border, are terrible. For example, this July 2016 Vogue Italia portrait cover by Meisel is simple but the hair, the makeup, the color palette make it visually interesting and appealing. Not even mentioning the beauty of Vittoria.

I'm not commenting on the cover art direction or design being "pedestrian." I'm referring to Mickey Madison herself being referred to as "pedestrian" looking and therefore incompatible with Meisel. Why is everything else blamed for how poorly this cover turned out EXCEPT the photographer?

This cover highlights exactly why Steven Meisel gravitates toward a very specific type of woman. It’s incredibly difficult to make someone with a more pedestrian quality read as high fashion.

Madison is just not a beauty to shoot in such a pedestrian way for the cover.

I don't think Mickey Madison looks particularly "pedestrian." I'm sure Meisel wouldn't have shot her if he thought she was soooo unworthy of his talents. Because Pixie Geldof, Kate Upton, and Agyness Deyn were so avant-garde lol

 

[mepps]

I’m actually not a Meisel fan at all. As someone who isn’t a fan, I’m arguing that this cover actually isn’t worse than any of the other lazy portraits things he’s shot. And people are also blaming this on Mickey Madison when Meisel’s assistant couldn’t give her proper direction? The cover is bad, but I get the feeling that a lot of commenters just don’t like Mickey Madison (Demi Moore stans???) so they’re acting like this cover is atrocious because *of her* because she looks "pedestrian," when it’s no worse than any of his similar shots last year with Linda and other models.

All of this.💯

 

[Melancholybaby]

I don't know what's worse, the cover or the editorial so copied from Ricardo Avedon. Steven Meisel is already tired of copying Avedon, Penn, It is more of a shame than a compliment to the tribute or inspiration

Yeah it's becoming really tiring. I guess we never do get over our childhood obsessions, and Meisel's last part of his career will be an endless tribute to his two heroes...

 

[Scotty]

I like the cover cause it gives PRADA. But the editorial is boring typical Meisel.

 

[MModa]

I’m actually not a Meisel fan at all. As someone who isn’t a fan, I’m arguing that this cover actually isn’t worse than any of the other lazy portraits things he’s shot. And people are also blaming this on Mickey Madison when Meisel’s assistant couldn’t give her proper direction? The cover is bad, but I get the feeling that a lot of commenters just don’t like Mickey Madison (Demi Moore stans???) so they’re acting like this cover is atrocious because *of her* because she looks "pedestrian," when it’s no worse than any of his similar shots last year with Linda and other models.

How do you know Meisel's assistant directed Madison? Where you there on set? I am a Meisel fan and I do not know who directed Madison on set but you do? Sorry, but I think the Linda photographs were much better than this or his other shoots. I will not continue to respond back and forth with you because we see the situation differently and I do not agree with you.

 

[jeje10]

A new photo

 

[aracic]

In a sea of photographers turning towards whatever vision of bleak modernity they possess, Meisel's work appeals to believers in tested formulas of the very roots of fashion photography. True glamour will never go out of style and I, for one, am never tiring of his style. His keen eye, when devoid of necessary evils of commercial standards, remains one of the few beacons of light on the current fashion scene for me. No other photographer could evoke such beautiful and elevated work with such seemingly minimal effort. The sculptural styling brings it all together in what is likely to be one of the only memorable offerings this September.
A truly odd choice to go with such a small framed photograph on the cover for the newsstand edition. It's a shame, I would've loved to have the digital version instead, since the portrait is beautiful. Mikey's portrait in the Prada jacket is a standout to me, she looks spectacular and the beautifully sculpted scarf collar does wonders! Karl, the man that you are! Condom or not, the David Koma piece also looks fantastic on photograph.

Several additional photographs, included in the article on Vogue Italia's website.