The Time Is Right for a Magalog Renaissance

Some of the best editorial and creative direction out there right now is branded, so let's lean in!

Charli xcx for SKIMS, shot by Petra Collins

I’ve been more active on X lately, likely because I’m no longer part of a corporate Slack where I can drop my genius ideas, and two things I posted over the last few days sparked some lively conversation. 

The first post was about pop girl of the moment Addison Rae — specifically, her new cover of Katie Grand’s Perfect magazine, which features fashion exclusively by Coach. (For the uninitiated, that’s sneaky magazine speak for paid placement.) In the photos by Carin Backoff, Addison models a number of Coach handbags with conspicuous “C” hardware, a logo-print Coach bikini — showing off some cheeky, on-trend fake tan lines — and a Western-inspired fringe jacket, proving the cowgirl aesthetic is still going strong for fall.

Those who have been paying attention know that Coach has had the sauce for a while now. Since Stuart Vevers took over the American heritage brand in 2013, Coach has emerged as its parent company Tapestry's strongest earner — with $6.7 billion in revenue in 2023 — and it’s successfully joined the cultural conversation, casting the likes of Camila Mendes, Dove Cameron, and Megan Thee Stallion in its ad campaigns, and Gen Z superstars like Lil Nas X in its runway shows. (Aligning with Addison right after the release of her single “Diet Pepsi,” complete with a music video creative directed by Mel Ottenberg, was a smart move.) Coach’s circular brand Coachtopia, comprised of clothing and accessories made from repurposed materials, is also extremely cute.

Addison Rae for Perfect, shot by Carin Backoff

The second post, naturally, was in praise of SKIMS. Kim Kardashian’s underwear, loungewear, and shapewear brand is arguably doing better casting and creative direction than anyone in the industry. They tap talent at just the right moment in the press cycle — a promotional opportunity that used to be reserved for magazine covers. To close out Brat Summer, SKIMS’s newest campaign stars Miss “Guess the Color of My Underwear” herself, Charli xcx, shot by perennial cool girl Petra Collins. While this is a straight advertisement, the simple styling choices aren’t all that different from the Perfect editorial; Charli wears a variety of cotton separates by SKIMS, including cropped tees, zip-up hoodies, bralettes, and bikini briefs, letting Petra’s dreamy imagery do the heavy lifting.

I’ve posted about these campaigns ad nauseam, but my general point is this: Not only are SKIMS photoshoots more memorable than most modern magazine editorials, the talent also gets a nice payday and doesn't have to be interviewed by a journalist, something that celebrities aren’t particularly keen on in our current climate. A win-win-win situation! In a press release that accompanies her campaign, Charli says, “SKIMS empowers people to feel confident in their own skin, which is the essence of Brat. I am excited to be working with a brand that understands that comfort and style don’t need to be compromised.” This is the sort of harmless PR-approved soundbite that can’t go viral for all the wrong reasons. The photos, however, go viral every time — and are widely praised both in and outside of the fashion industry social media bubble — because they are invariably very good.

According to Kardashian, “SKIMS is always trying to highlight individuals at the forefront of culture,” and this is an area where the brand really excels. This year alone, SKIMS hired Nadia Lee Cohen to shoot Lana del Rey ahead of her headlining Coachella performance; GQ-favorite Jack Bridgland photographed Sabrina Carpenter just as her mega hit “Espresso” was about to take off; the iconic Ellen von Unwerth captured bride-to-be Alex Cooper of “Call Her Daddy” fame ahead of her buzzy wedding; and experimental photographer Elizaveta Porodina shot Nicola Coughlin to coincide with the premiere of “Bridgerton” Season 3. This sort of talent-and-creative pairing is what used to make magazine editorials exciting, but in the era of shrinking print pages and mass media layoffs, is now sorely lacking.

Sabrina Carpenter for SKIMS, shot by Jack Bridgland

By now it’s common knowledge that magazine budgets are all but extinct; additionally, the more corporate titles not only share editors and creative resources, they’re also increasingly risk averse. Rarely will photographers or stylists get free rein with a concept — for example, some fashion brands require that only full looks from a runway collection be shot (instead of allowing pieces to be mixed with other labels), and editors must be sure to include items from advertisers to appease them. Additionally, talent is choosy about which titles they work with, and sometimes access to them is limited — except when it’s through a brand for which they are a paid ambassador. In short, what you see in a magazine editorial today is largely dictated by brands’ interests anyway.

So why don’t we just lean in?