W Magazine Volume #3 2025 : Chappell Roan by Tim Walker

[Royal-Galliano]

this has been done a million times already. i mean, i guess it works with her style, but any professional model worked this concept much better than chappell so... she's still an eyesore. on the other hand, in the sea of this new generation of forgettable popstars, at least she stands out visually. gosh, i'm old.

 

[proseccotabis]

I don’t like her aesthetic as an artist and a musician but this is not the worst editorial ever. Coming here after the vogue FR covers is a bit of a treat lol

 

[penny609]

She is SOOO talented!

Great artist! Unapologetically herself!

So glad she is having her moment! ❤️

Hundred percent with you. Got used to see her here and there so I had to listen to what she actually does (something I don't always do, unfortunately or not) and it was a pretty nice surprise. I already liked her "character" and bold looks, so I wanted to know more, wanted to hear etc. I was surely not disappointed.

And yep, perfect and natural match with Tim Walker. Just missing a little when there used to be more elements in his photographs, the background feels empty but I guess this is how it works these days... and this cover-story is still a million times better than a lot of what I saw these last few weeks, Harper's apart.

 

[WAVES]

it is indeed a match made in heaven and I love everything about it.

 

[chalayan]

everything about this is a total eyesore. tim walker has been regurgitating the same tired style of photography with the same rotation of models and celebrity friends for at least the last ten years now. it's not original, or creative. it's just plain boring.

 

[Gonzalo]

Clowns scare me

 

[KoV]

everything about this is a total eyesore. tim walker has been regurgitating the same tired style of photography with the same rotation of models and celebrity friends for at least the last ten years now. it's not original, or creative. it's just plain boring.

I always find these sorts of critiques interesting (genuinely—I’m not being sarcastic), because I kind of love it when a photographer or designer has a defined, instantly recognizable style and sticks to it. Part of your critique is that he recycles subjects - yet you're making that comment about a story where he's working with a new subject for the first time! But I digress. This topic has come up here before, usually in reference to designers. Some people want them to keep reinventing themselves, as if having an established style, vision, or voice is a bug not a feature. Personally, I think reinvention is a bit overrated. I get that you seem not to like Tim Walker’s work, but he has plenty of fans who genuinely love what he does. What would be the value in him shooting in a different style, when he’s spent decades refining the one he’s known for?


Tim Walker does Tim Walker beautifully. I wouldn’t describe any of my favorite photographers, designers, or artists as chameleons. So maybe I’m biased and just don’t value that kind of flexibility as much. Still, I can’t imagine the point of commissioning Tim Walker if you don’t want his signature style. Sure, he could probably create technically solid, conventional black-and-white portraits—but to what end?


Maybe this isn’t an exact comparison, but if someone said, “There goes Monet with his blurry lilypads and haystacks again. Why doesn’t he try something new? Why can’t he be more like Matisse?” I’d think they were missing something fundamental. Artists—and photographers are no exception—don’t need to be jacks of all trades. I’ve mostly reached my limit with Juergen Teller’s photography. But my conclusion is just that his style isn’t really for me. I don’t fault him for doing what he does so consistently (and maybe so effectively) that his name has become synonymous with that particular look.


Tim Walker has an instantly recognizable style. Is there anyone who does that better?


Am I making sense? It’s been a long day and a long week.

 

[blueorchid]

@KoV It's definitely interesting to consider, I'm sure there are articles written on the topic. When does an artist's "style" become a gimmick or lazy vs... just their actual style? I think you can rely on a style and do new things within that framework, too. I'm not a fan of Tim Walker, just in general... not because he's repetitive, but because of the twee-ness of his vision. I'd compare him to maybe someone like Paolo Roversi, who can have really great work (for me)... but I prefer it in small doses. After a while it's like "ok here we go again..." So, I think Tim Walker's work CAN feel very repetitive if you don't like his work to begin with.

Most great fashion photographers aren't someone like Meisel, who refers constantly to the past and other photographers... and changes his style to suit that vision. I think all of the great fashion photographers have a distinct style, Penn, Newton, Avedon, Horst, Hoyningen-Hueneetc. You can pick out their work in an instant.

(With regards to Teller, I just find his style hilarious at the toll-level of absurdity it's reached... and people still hire him!!! I'd rather have him out there doing his "style" than Luigi & Iango, for example, who are just copies of a copy.)

 

[KoV]

I don't think Tim Walker is always twee. A recent story of his that I loved was one with Tilda (a frequent collaborator, admittedly!) but it's so moody and gorgeous. But still so... Tim Walker

Tilda Swinton Channels Her Ancestors in a John Singer Sargent-Inspired Fashion Fantasy

For her latest creative collaboration with Tim Walker, Swinton and her children explore and reimagine their family history.

www.wmagazine.com

 

[KoV]

But you're right in the sense that, even with a photographer whose work you admire, it can turn into a "too much of a good thing" situation. For me, Walker isn't even close to that level of saturation. We get a few stories a year, it seems. I'm not tired.

 

[blueorchid]

@KoV I'm not a fan of Tilda Swinton in a fashion context, so you're NOT going to convince me with regards to that one lol. He's done editorials I've liked in the past for Vogue UK (I think). I think we used to see him more than we have lately?

I think it's his studio work that's repetitive, actually. His style works fine well someone like Chappell Roan, who isn't someone I care about in any context (how long until she complains about this 🤭)... but I don't see anything bad about this combo? They make sense together.

Roversi is one who I can really sour on quickly if I see too much of his work in a row.

If we wanna talk about repetitive, remember Willy Vanderperre and his models sitting on stools with arched backs... lord. I do not MISS those editorials.