Two of the world’s most famous actors, one of Hollywood’s most beloved directors, a theme based on a 1950s classic thriller, and a diamond Cartier necklace belonging to Elizabeth Taylor all come together for the cover of the most important annual issue of the fashion world’s most powerful magazine.
The Vogue US September Issue has long been seen as the cornerstone of the annual fashion calendar, helping to give readers key insights into the upcoming year’s trends, consumer habits, and the influences that are going to drive it. It’s such an important moment in the year that the 2007 edition received its own documentary.
Famous faces that have covered the coveted September Issue include Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rhianna, and the four original supermodels, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington.
For 2024, Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour has brought together Blake Lively and Hugh Jackman, both of whom star in the recently-released hit, Deadpool & Wolverine. Directed by famed film director Baz Luhrmann—known for films like Moulin Rouge (2001), Elvis (2022), Gatsby (2013), and Romeo+Juliet (1996)—the two recreate the roles played by Grace Kelly (the Cat) and Cary Grant (L’Ombre) in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1955 thriller, To Catch a Thief.
The shoot by associate photographer Felix Kunza is moody and, obviously, extremely high-fashion. In one image, mother-of-four Blake Lively is being arrested while Hugh Jackman looks away. In another, she is seen dishevelled as jewellery and Louboutins litter the apartment. On the cover itself, Lively is holding a diamond Cartier necklace that once belonged to one of Grace Kelly’s closest friends, Elizabeth Taylor.
Speaking about the shoot, Luhrmann explained that: “[Blake] and Hugh’s character have had to shut their hearts off to love for different reasons, so I hope these images are both glamorous and beautiful… and a little bit tragic and sad.”
While the views clearly aim to recreate the French Riviera that framed the original story, Vogue has explained that all the photos were taken in New York.
