In the span of a single week, three of the industry’s most recognizable titles – Vogue, Elle and WSJ Magazine – unveiled November covers that are almost indistinguishable. All three spreads were photographed by Hungarian visual artist Szilveszter Makó, and each features a solitary model seated on a stool against a stark, box-shaped backdrop. The uncanny similarity ignited a whirlwind of commentary across social platforms, prompting questions about originality, freelance collaborations, and the economics of contemporary fashion publishing.
Beyond the cover controversy, the same period has seen luxury houses double-down on printed media as a cultural weapon. Chanel, Hermès, Acne Studios, Bottega Veneta and Dior have each issued free, high-end magazines that blur the line between advertising and art. These publications, funded by multimillion-dollar cultural budgets, aim to embed fashion brands within the broader art-world conversation, redefining what it means to be a luxury tastemaker in the digital age.
Identical cover concept ignites debate among top fashion titles
The Vogue November issue arrives with actress Jenna Ortega posing in a flowing white high-low dress embellished with roses. Her loose curls frame a direct, teasing gaze, while one leg extends provocatively from a minimalist stool set against a geometric, white backdrop. Only three days earlier, Elle introduced its issue featuring transgender actress Hunter Schafer. Schafer mirrors Ortega’s pose: seated on a stool, staring straight into the camera, dressed in a black-and-white patterned gown, with two plush rodents perched on her lap.
WSJ Magazine’s November cover, unveiled a week after Elle’s, showcases runway veteran Gigi Hadid. Hadid’s composition matches the formula used by the other two magazines: a stool, a plain, box-like background, and a pose that rests one knee on the seat. Her outfit – a strapless, feathered blue bodysuit with an exaggerated black tail – echoes the dramatic minimalism of Ortega’s look, while her hair, pulled into a tight bun, mirrors Ortega’s sleek styling.
Social media users quickly noted the repetition, tagging the images with questions about whether the three publications had coordinated their visual language or simply fallen into a shared aesthetic trend. Japanese journalist Toshio Shimizu tweeted that the overlap was “intriguing,” wondering if it was “a coincidence using the same freelance photographer’s composition idea – placing the model in a chair or box-shaped space?”
Szilveszter Makó’s repetitive aesthetic explained
Makó, who has also produced recent covers for Vogue Italia, Vogue Arabia, British Vogue and Interview Magazine, openly embraces the notion of reusing concepts. In an interview with Aperture, he explained, “I often think in opposites. I enjoy holding tension between severity and play. I’m not interested in producing something new for the sake of it, and I don’t think photographing the same objects or concepts over and over again makes the work any less effective.”
This philosophy manifests in the November covers, where the stool-and-box motif creates a controlled environment that foregrounds the model’s expression, wardrobe, and makeup. By stripping away elaborate sets, Makó forces the viewer to focus on subtle details – the sheen of Ortega’s silk, the contrast of Schafer’s monochrome dress, or the dramatic tail of Hadid’s bodysuit. Critics argue that such repetition risks visual fatigue, while supporters claim it builds a recognizable authorial signature that can elevate the photographic narrative.
Makó’s earlier work, such as a Vogue Italia spread with singer-songwriter Alicia Keys seated on a similar stool, reinforces his commitment to the concept. The photographer’s willingness to repeat a visual formula aligns with a broader industry pattern: fashion houses and magazines are increasingly comfortable leveraging a single aesthetic across multiple platforms to reinforce brand identity.
Luxury brands turn to free-print magazines as cultural capital
While the cover saga dominates headlines, another quieter revolution is reshaping the fashion-media landscape. Chanel launched Chanel Arts & Culture in June 2025, a 300-page hardcover distributed for free through select bookshops and cultural institutions. The inaugural issue features iconic photographer Cindy Sherman in a 16-page self-portrait series, wearing pieces from Chanel’s Patrimoine archive. The publication also includes original lyrics by Patti Smith for recipients of Chanel’s Next Prize, alongside essays and interviews with contemporary artists.
Despite its star-studded content, the magazine circulates in a near-silence; sales staff at boutique bookstores often fail to recognize it as “the Chanel magazine.” Yet the strategy is deliberate: luxury houses create exclusive print objects that function as cultural propaganda, reinforcing their status as tastemakers beyond apparel. Hermès has been issuing Le Monde d’Hermès biannually since 1973, translated into 11 languages. Acne Studios intermittently publishes Acne Paper and even operates a permanent gallery space, Acne Paper Palais Royal, dedicated to artist books.
Bottega Veneta, during Matthieu Blazy’s tenure, funded the 2022 relaunch of the gay magazine Butt, serving as its sole advertiser and releasing limited-edition fanzines alongside runway shows. Dior’s quarterly Dior Magazine, overseen by Jonathan Anderson since 2012, blends original photography, campaign imagery and archival material, further cementing the brand’s narrative control.
These initiatives are not merely vanity projects. In the past year, Chanel pledged a three-year sponsorship of Hong Kong’s M+ museum, Louis Vuitton secured a three-year funding agreement with New York’s Frick Collection, and Bulgari announced a multi-year partnership with the Venice Biennale. Collectively, they constitute what industry observers label “culture-mogging”: the systematic placement of fashion houses at the heart of contemporary art discourse.
Critics sometimes label such efforts as “insidious” or “propaganda,” yet they also provide substantial financial support to museums, galleries and independent artists. The print magazines, while costly to produce, act as tangible proof of a brand’s commitment to the arts, offering collectors, journalists and cultural insiders a physical artifact that reinforces the brand’s narrative in a world increasingly dominated by fleeting digital content.
