As expected, Anna Wintour successfully completed her mission to get Lena Dunham on the cover of Vogue‘s February Issue cover (Kanye’s plan to secure the gig for fiance Kim Kardashian is still, however, very much in the works).
Photographed by Annie Leibovitz and styled by Tonne Goodman, the cover and accompanying editorial spread play to Dunham’s quirky public persona while staying true to the publication’s label-conscious identity. On the front of the glossy, Dunham wears a collared shirt printed with oversized red polka dots — a playful choice from from Burberry, which is a major advertiser.
Elsewhere in the magazine, Dunham poses for a series of staged vignettes set in a cheesy, out-of-touch version of Brooklynadia — think artisanal grit goes CGI. In one shot, she’s pictured on a quiet brownstone street, wearing a dramatic black-and-white feather dress by Alexander McQueen; naturally, there’s a pigeon perched on her head. In another, Dunham twists her face into an expression of either discomfort or flirtation, I can’t be sure; she is standing on a subway platform in Brooklyn at sundown, wearing an expressionistic, multicolored jacket by Céline.
In other photos, the writer/director is joined by Girls actor Adam Driver. In one, he sits in bed shirtless, while Dunham is splayed out on the bedcover, wearing a strapless, sequined mini-dress from Prada‘s Spring 2014 collection. In another photo taken on the Upper West Side, Driver carries Dunham on his shoulders; she wears a full Rochas look, her feet dangling with the label’s memorable neon feather slippers.
In yet another shot, Driver soaks in a dingy clawfoot tub (such bohemia) while Dunham perches on the side, wearing an elegant off-the-shoulder dress by Dolce & Gabbana.
It’s amazing to these see clothes worn to great effect by someone who doesn’t fit Vogue‘s typical mold: Dunham is a talented young woman and her primary attributes aren’t her looks. Still, we should see this for what it is — hardly a revolution, just the Vogue guide to slumming it.
