The cover introduces Isla Johnston through a Baz Luhrmann fashion photoshoot, championing a rustic, armor-like tapestry of burnt orange against gothic stone for a breathtaking editorial.
There are cover debuts, and then there are moments—the kind that signal a seismic shift in the cultural landscape. Isla Johnston’s arrival on the September 2025 VOGUE cover is exactly that. It’s a grand, cinematic gesture disguised as a studio portrait, immediately demanding the question the cover poses: “WHO’S THAT GIRL?”
Johnston emerges from the shadows, leaning against a rough-hewn stone wall in a garment that is pure narrative. The piece—a long-sleeved jacket or dress—is a magnificent study in texture. It appears to be an intensely tactile brocade or richly embroidered tapestry, a mosaic of deep copper, charcoal, and shimmering gold . The structure, with its deep V-neck and slight-shouldered lift, is less clothing and more ceremonial armor, reinforced by the small, raised metallic studs that run across the fabric.
The explicit text calling out her role in Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Joan of Arc’ is the key to this entire high fashion mood. The atmosphere is that of a medieval heroine caught between the sacred and the profane—vulnerable yet fiercely contained. The styling perfectly supports this context: windswept hair, a clean, freckled complexion, and a gaze that suggests both innocence and destiny. This isn’t just a celebrity photoshoot; it’s a costume test for the modern age, proving that the most compelling celebrity style is always rooted in storytelling.
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