Vogue March 2022

ANDRÉ LEON TALLEY AND I first met in 1983. Grace Mirabella, the then editor of Vogue (who we also commemorate in this issue), had just hired me as the magazine’s creative director, while André was its fashion news director. He’d arrived at Vogue having been at the Costume Institute, Interview, and the Paris bureau of WWD, where he was the toast of the town. We quickly became friends, in part because neither of us quite fit in with the no-nonsense and totally beige corporate atmosphere of the office: André had enough volubility to be onstage at the Metropolitan Opera, while I was just the weird Brit. Looking back, I really didn’t help my cause by having the eccentric Isabella Blow as my assistant, who took to cleaning her desk with generous…

Fresh Take To accompany “About Face” (page 216), Celia Ellenberg’s story on The Outset, Scarlett Johansson’s new skin-care line, photographer Cass Bird worked with the stylist Max Ortega on a light, bright portrait befitting their effervescent subject. “I’ve been the face of several luxury brands throughout my career, and all of those experiences were really wonderful,” Johansson tells Ellenberg. Still, she longed to spearhead something of her own: “I was sort of playing a character in those campaigns, and as I evolved, I wanted to create and represent a brand that was true to me.” On set at Pier 59 Studios in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, Bird also gave Johansson free rein—with charmed results. “I asked Scarlett what type of music she liked, and her response was German punk,” Bird says. “She…

PAT CLEVELAND, model In 1969, Grace would sit at her little desk in the alcove just outside of Diana Vreeland’s office. She would welcome me when I had to be there for fittings. Grace always wore that pussycat-bow shirt under those fawny beige little sweaters. I’ll never forget her hair, that chopped mane of ash blond, and her big smile as she looked up at me from her desk. “Hello, Miss Cleveland. You can go in now.” Together we would quietly enter the sacred space of Diana Vreeland’s bright red room. There were just the three of us, with Diana choosing looks to go into the magazine. Grace would be assisting, hanging on to every word as I changed. Grace would help me dress—time was of the essence, we had to move…

“You’re the writer?” The P.R. assistant looked up from her iPad and raised a single eyebrow as she appraised my outfit. Dressed smartly, but discreetly, I lacked the familiar trappings of Fashion Week peacocking: There was no It bag slung over my shoulder, no logo signage to transform my body into a chic billboard. Instead, I was armed with a notepad and my phone’s recording app, ready to get to work. “From Vogue—the magazine?” she continued, doubt now creeping into her voice as she messaged a colleague who might confirm my identity. Huddled in the cramped space of a backstage checkpoint with a line of photographers grumbling behind me, my Fashion Week was off to an unpleasant start. Though I’d arrived at the venue early, intent on speaking to a designer before the…

On a gray November morning in a brutalist indoor car park off an industrial road in West London, a large table is methodically laid with COVID tests. One would be justified in thinking that this is not where the magic happens—but then, a door opens into a cavernous studio, where nine striking Black models are awaiting hair and makeup. I note snippets of Dinka and hints of other languages peppering their conversation as they laugh and tease one another while moving and mouthing lyrics to the Wizkid soundtrack. Meet the women pushing the boundaries not only of beauty, but of the entire fashion world: Adut Akech, Anok Yai, Nyagua Ruea, Janet Jumbo, Maty Fall, Amar Akway, and company are representative of an ongoing seismic shift—one that became more pronounced on the…

ON TIKTOK, there’s strength in numbers: Anyone from a vintage fashion expert to a dedicated home chef can find a community of like-minded obsessives. And now, Vogue is launching a challenge to discover what strength means and looks like to TikTokers across the globe. Play along by following @voguemagazine and showing us when your body feels most powerful—whether while working out or spending time with loved ones—using the hashtag #ifeelstrong. Need a little guidance? Cut out the insert on the facing page to create a flip-book starring Mia Kang, or head over to our TikTok to see the challenge in action. VOGUE #ifeelstrong 3/18 HOW TO BUILD THIS 1 To remove all 18 flip-book cards cleanly, fold along each perforation before you tear them out. Then stack them in order, Mia’s side up, from 1…