Vogue Italia September 2025 : Mikey Madison by Steven Meisel

[tigerrouge]

Vogue Italia, as we knew it, is long dead and gone, it's just another zombie edition being used as a empty shell for shared content, with the occasional half-decent cover story commissioned as a sop to the title's old reputation - but even then, VI has to sit and wait their turn, for the opportunity to run a Meisel shoot, because it's no higher in importance than all the other editions.

Last month, they gave their readers a reprint of a US Vogue cover shoot. That's the real baseline of this magazine.

Meisel is never coming back home to Vogue Italia, even if you see him in passing every now and again. Is a glimpse on the pages enough? Is it better than nothing?

 

[thiago:)]

The David Koma shots are kinda growing on me

 

[likeahurricane]

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.

Look, my entire point is that no matter who directed the shoot they didn’t do a good job and it’s not Mickey Madison’s fault for “not being a beauty” which makes her “pedestrian” and incompatible with Meisel.

 

[grimesisnotmymother]

I’m loving the whole thing now. I just wish the cover and the shoot is giving the same energy. I love the soft 90s direction on the cover, with the layout it’s raw in the best way.

 

[ivano]

She is so beautiful! She is a very unique beauty. The thing is she's not a model, can't pose or gesture as one, but we should know that this is her very first major fashion shoot. By time, as many talents, she will shine in front of the lens. So happy for Mikey scoring a Meisel cover as a first step.

 

[zacatecas570]

Not fan of the cover but there are some really cool b&w shots

 

[MDNA]

hfgl.proboards.com
The nachos reheated and failed. They probably tried to make her look like Audrey Hepburn also failed.

 

[onlooker]

New layout. The cover has a gatefold. 290 pages.

 

[MDNA]

 

[Cocteau Stone]

There’s some kind of Streisand-esque quality to her features on the cover. A shame there’s no colour shots in the actual editorial. The copious amounts of black and white from him is exhausting.

It all just lacks aura. There’s no spark and no real impact to this. It’s regurgitated creativity that has gone beyond homage and even pastiche… I don’t even know what to call it. Embarrassing is too strong, reductive is obvious. It’s just a sad state of affairs.

 

[grimesisnotmymother]

People need to STOP hating on b&w photography!! Period

 

[crmsn]

People need to STOP hating on b&w photography!! Period

And let's start hating Juergen Teller's type of photography that has been Vogue's excuse for being lazy for YEARS now.

 

[ivano]

How it looks the gatefold? It's the bigger version of the main picture?

 

[ivano]

hfgl.proboards.com
The nachos reheated and failed. They probably tried to make her look like Audrey Hepburn also failed.

Kind of, my friend Nathan (the great Muglerize!) spotted both Hepburn and Barbra pictures by Avedon which seems inspired the editorial. The OG's also are weird looking images. According to VI's IG the cover design wants to evocate the old highschool yearbooks. I want to know if Meisel called Jason Duzansky for this! I miss them as creative duo.

 

[Phuel]

Luca's Helmut Newton-lite story with a Jerry Hall lookalike and Theo's shoot of Lorenzo are the only worthy stories.


"Mikey Madison"
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Stylist: Karl Templer
Star: Mickey Madison






"La Prima Notte di Guiete"
Photographer: Luca Campri
Stylist: Elizabeth Fraser-Bell





"Tailoring Therapy"
Photographer: Rafael Pavarotti
Stylist: George Krakowiak





"Gioco Stile"
Photographer: Theo Wenner
Star: Lorenzo Musetti





"Materia Scultorea"
Photographer: Andrew Jacobs
Stylist: Luca Galasso


Vogue Italia September 2025

 

[Zorka]

MIKEY MADISON
Photography: Steven Meisel
Styling: Karl Templer
Hair: Guido Palau
Make-up: Pat McGrath
Model/Celebrity: Mikey Madison


Vogue Italia Digital Edition

 

[Zorka]

TAILORING THERAPY
Photography: Rafael Pavarotti
Styling: George Krakowiak
Hair: Tom Wright
Make-up: Aurore Gibrien
Model: Charlie Jones


Vogue Italia Digital Edition

 

[Zorka]

MATER(I)A SCULTOREA
Photography: Andrew Jacobs
Styling: Luca Galasso
Hair: Dre Sanders
Make-up: Michaela Bosch
Models: Penelope Ternes & Caitlin Soetendal


Vogue Italia Digital Edition

 

[ivano]

Thank you so much @Zorka and @Phuel. Looks like an upgrade for good. Previous issue looks insulting about how filler and full of copy-paste was, and this feels like a new editor arrived for good. It's about time for both VI and VP leaving American Vogue reprints (and please, keep it that way). Coincidence this is happening after Anna stepping down. There's no excuse 5 years after the pandemic to keep the global estrategy.

 

[alwaysademo]

I like the Pavarotti story, mostly for the styling but lowkey for the fact he's cosplaying Willy.
The sculptural fashion spread is pretty, almost pensive albeit warm in tone. The Alaia picture of Penelope made that dress make sense in a way that their campaigns never did, and Caitlin on a boat reminds me of old romantic pictures Sacha van Dorsen used to do for Marie Claire Fr in the 80s... a very good thing.