40 Megastars, One Magnificent Image: British Vogue Assembled Models, Movie Stars, Musicians And Moguls For A Once-In-A-Lifetime Farewell Shoot
Bonded by magnificence, purpose and an appearance on the cover of British Vogue, a sisterhood of 40 megastars gather for a once-in-a-lifetime Steven Meisel fashion shoot, styled by Edward Enninful. Photographs by Ned Rogers.
When it came to my last issue, I knew the cover would be dedicated to women. Of course! Women have shaped British Vogue for close to 108 years now, and have certainly informed every moment of my six and a half year tenure here, to say nothing of leading and guiding me through my entire life.
It was clear to all of us on the team that no one woman could or should encapsulate these past few years for the magazine. What we needed was a group, to lean into the power of the collective to bring to life what I hope has been a daring, disruptive and evolutionary period in Vogue’s history. They also – by dint of extraordinary impact, force of personality, style and influence – needed to have reached beyond fashion and culture to change the fabric of society in the 2020s, in ways small and large and always positive.
And so I knew just who I wanted to call. The asks went out. Dozens of them, to many of the women who had appeared on the cover of Vogue since my first issue all the way back in the (surprisingly) misty-seeming past of 2017. Photographer Steven Meisel came on board. A date was set. I held my breath for weeks. Would 40 of the most booked and blessed women on earth actually make it to one studio in New York, on one day in December, to take one image together?
Spoiler alert: they came. From London, New York, Paris, Milan, Los Angeles and beyond, they materialised as if from a dream. As dawn broke over Manhattan, a small army of technicians and creatives – actually it wasn’t a small army, I can’t write that with a straight face, it was enormous! – set up operations at Highline Stages in the Meatpacking District. When 8am rolled around the models, the movie icons, the musicians, the moguls, the sporting legends and media stars began to arrive. Mother and daughter Kaia Gerber and Cindy Crawford carpooled. Ditto Salma Hayek Pinault and Linda Evangelista, given Salma stayed at Linda’s house the night before. Dua Lipa and Miley Cyrus squeaked in by the skin of their popstar schedules. And everyone made sure things ran smoothly so Gigi Hadid could make it home on time to her toddler.
It was epic indeed. Simultaneously readying 40 of the world’s busiest women for Meisel’s lens is no mean feat, and with a video crew downstairs ready to interview every one of them, it was the biggest set I’d been on in my career. Everyone was in the highest of spirits, and it was fun to witness even the most worldly of stars’ jaws hit the floor at a never-before-seen gathering. “To get one of these women on a cover takes months,” whistled Miley, in that deadpan way of hers. “To get 40? Unheard of.”
It takes a village, as they say, and with so many changemakers in front of the camera I wanted to ensure this was a moment to celebrate teamwork and togetherness behind the scenes too. Guido and Pat McGrath guided some 40 hair and make-up professionals, many of whom were new discoveries to them, while my styling team and I worked closely with an exciting array of personal stylists to bring together a unified fashion image that benefitted from the hard work of so many, including many energy-filled and inspiring talents from a younger generation.
For the photographic portfolio on the coming pages you will find the work of Ned Rogers, Meisel’s protégé and former first assistant, who caught the candour and beauty of our galaxy of cover stars as they made their way to and from set, or as they hung out between shots and took the chance to bond and chat on this unique day together.
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Camaraderie, hugs, industry war tales, anecdotes, laughter: what struck me most about our time together was, despite the fact that I’ve known many of these women since I myself was a baby stylist in my teens, and have enjoyed their support and generosity for many decades now, how future-facing our conversations were. As ever, we’re always plotting for a better world.
Nevertheless, I thought about my late mother that day; I recalled her wisdom and her guidance. I thought of all the women I’d worked with over the years: at i-D magazine, at Vogue Italia, designers in Paris and Milan, extraordinary editors in the UK and US, or the young girls just starting out as models on the runway, or the titans ruling the world from Washington or London.
It has been a truly magnificent chapter for me personally here at British Vogue but it was apparent on set that day that it was the togetherness, community and teamwork that we cherished the most. And now? Well it’s the excitement of whatever this thrilling and unchartered decade has in store next isn’t it. For all of us.
The March 2024 issue is on sale from 13 February 2024
Ned Rogers1/39Karen Elson wears satin bralette and linen and jacquard skirt, ERDEM. Gold and diamond necklace, REPOSSI. Paloma Elsesser wears latex and feather dress, 16ARLINGTON. Vittoria Ceretti wears tubular top, BALENCIAGA. Iman wears organza trench coat, DOLCE & GABBANA. Adwoa Aboah wears wool/silk dress, THE ROW. Amber Valletta wears denim jumpsuit, ISABEL MARANT. Earrings, TOM WOOD.
Ned Rogers2/39Kate Moss wears duchesse-satin minidress, SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO. Cindy Crawford wears viscose/silk blouse, TOM FORD. Jourdan Dunn wears silk/wool shirtdress, CHRISTOPHER JOHN ROGERS, at Net-a-porter.com. Karlie Kloss wears vegan leather top, PETER DO. Irina Shayk wears georgette dress, ANN DEMEULEMEESTER. Bra, ZHILYOVA.
Ned Rogers3/39Naomi Campbell wears jersey body and beaded jersey skirt, STANDING GROUND. Patent-leather shoes, ALAIA.
Ned Rogers4/39Jourdan Dunn and Irina Shayk.
Ned Rogers5/39Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Christy Turlington Burns. Victoria Beckham wears satin slip dress, VICTORIA BECKHAM. Christy Turlington Burns wears responsible-wool tuxedo suit, vest, and cummerbund, STELLA McCARTNEY.
Ned Rogers6/39Christy Turlington Burns, Maya Jama, Selma Blair and Precious Lee. Maya Jama wears Chantilly lace dress, tulle and lace slip, hold-up stockings, and satin sandals, DOLCE & GABBANA. Selma Blair wears cotton gown, MAX MARA. Precious Lee wears leather bustier dress, VERSACE.
Ned Rogers7/39Serena Williams, Christy Turlington Burns, Jane Fonda, Maya Jama and Selma Blair. Serena Williams wears silk gown, VERSACE. Jane Fonda wears organic silk lamé trouser suit and vest, CHLOE.
Ned Rogers8/39Laverne Cox wears cut-out dress, COPERNI. Ariana DeBose wears sheer viscose top, bra, and crêpe trousers, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION.
