Thoughts on the September Issue Covers

Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner, and Kerry Washington are some of this year's big cover stars

The Biggest Month in Fashion Means the Biggest Stars

Summer may be soon coming to an end, but for fashion lovers, the changing of the seasons is met with great anticipation, as September is the month. Not only does New York Fashion Week begin, but the September issues of fashion magazines are all about the newest fall styles and 2016's most famous faces. It's typical for a September issue to be nearing 1000 pages and weighing more than my dog, so obviously they are jam-packed with chic clothes and great style tips (and also, plenty of advertisements).



While the issues themselves will be rolling out throughout the month, the cover stars and images have been released for the biggest fashion magazines! I know we say not to judge books by their covers, but...come on, there's a reason why so much effort goes into selecting cover girls and their styling, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on the September issue covers.

In no particular order, the September issue covers are:

Gwen Stefani wearing Michael Kors, photographed by James White

This is a cover I expect from Cosmopolitan: sexy and glitzy. Gwen Stefani is a blonde bombshell here, looking dazzling in a gold Michael Kors dress and fishnets. It's not very "fashion" and not my style at all, but it is sooo Cosmo.

Cara Delevingne in Saint Laurent, photographed by Terry Tsiolis

I actually really love this cover. Cara is one of the more bearable members of the Instagram Model generation, and I think the styling is really fun. The Saint Laurent dress is so glamorous and eye-catching with the ballooning one shoulder ruffle covered in sequins, Cara doesn't have to do much to make this a great photo. It's fun and fashionable but accessible for the supermarket crowd too.

Bella Hadid, photographed by Nathaniel Goldberg

Bella Hadid has been on a roll, and I think this eye-catching cover is quite pretty. Cloaked in a bright red hoodie, Hadid stares out fresh-faced, and it contrasts nicely with the powerful red. I always like a fuller body shot that showcases fashion more, since this is the fashion issue, but this cover is nice.

Kanye West and Kim Kardashian-West, photographed by Karl Lagerfeld

*Side eye* Look, I respect this cover from an attention-grabbing standpoint. People are gonna see this waiting in the checkout line at Vons and be drawn in, because the Kardashian Krew is the trainwreck we can't look away from. But just, like, can we not?

Kerry Washington, photographed by Thomas Whiteside

Is it just me, or does Kerry look a little funky here? Maybe it's just the styling and the expression. I just wish there was a bit more emotion conveyed. Kerry is literally so gorgeous, I don't know why they chose the photo where she's just blankly staring. Anyways, the color palette is pretty.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Gucci, photographed by Michelangelo di Battista

It's SJP. In Gucci. You can't get much better than that. I wish she considered changing up her hair for once, but that's not an issue that Marie Claire is gonna fix.

Tavi Gevinson, photographed by Inez and Vinoodh

Tavi has been an inspiration of mine from the beginning, and when she shared the news of her September Issue on Instagram, I teared up a little. She looks great, and she's a great role model for young women who feel like their voices don't count because they're too young. I love that this issue seems to be all about empowering Teen Vogue's young readers, with interviews from Amandla Stenberg to Hillary Clinton. Talk about girl power!

Alicia Vikander in Louis Vuitton, photographed by Mario Testino

Who better to place on the cover of Vanity Fair's style issue than the most recent Supporting Actress Oscar winner with winning style, Alicia Vikander? She's a Louis Vuitton spokesmodel with another Oscar-worthy drama (co starring real-life beau Michael Fassbender) out soon, and she commands the viewer's attention with this steely pose. I like how the pale blue background softens the effect of the text, as you'll remember I found last year's abundance of type to be quite distracting.

Kendall Jenner in Gucci, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Well...I guess this was inevitable. I did my part by watching Keeping Up With the Kardashians and liking Kendall's personal style despite my best efforts. She's a pretty girl, and an okay model, but to be put on the September issue of Vogue, by an editor who made the decision to feature actresses and celebrities instead of models, is kind of ridiculous. There are so many talented models out there who have been denied big American magazine covers because of Anna Wintour's trendsetting, and yes, Kendall is a reality celebrity first and model second, but it's frustrating.

She looks decent enough in a Gucci matador suit, if not a bit dead-eyed (her go-to look, tbh) but I find the gray and gold coloring to be off putting (and similar to the color scheme of Beyoncé's 2015 cover).

Anyways, there are other celebrities that I think would be more deserving of a September issue this year. Rihanna, who's topping charts and embarking on an acting career, or, I don't know, the first female presidential nominee? I think fashion magazines have a great opportunity to make a statement with their September issues, and instead of rewarding the same select group of over-indulged celebrities, why not choose someone who matters?

Rihanna, photographed by Steven Klein

At least W put Riri on the cover, and in spectacular fashion, too. Rihanna has been having an amazing year both in terms of career and style, and she looks like a goddamn goddess on this cover. High fashion, full of impact, and powerful: just what you want from a magazine cover. Definitely my favorite of the bunch.

Which September issue cover is your favorite? Share in the comments!