Fresh faces are an extremely rare sight on the front cover of American Harper’s Bazaar (let alone an actual working fashion model). Now that Samira Nasr is at the helm of the title following the departure of Glenda Bailey, things are looking up. After a remarkable 20-year career in the world of modeling, firm forum favorite Liya Kebede finally becomes a Harper’s Bazaar cover star for November 2020. Captured on the rooftops of Paris, Liya is a vision before a vibrant yellow backdrop wearing a Christian Dior jacket (picked by Ludivine Poiblanc) while gazing effortlessly down the lens of Christopher Anderson.
Unfortunately, the cover left a lot to be desired according to our forum members. “I’ve missed Liya, but I’m not liking this,” admitted Serend1pity.
“I don’t like the way she looks at all! And her painful expression isn’t helping, either. She looks so diminutive and fragile. Not at all like the powerful, strong woman she truly is,” said mikel.
“Wasted potential. Powerful taglines ruined by a rather weak image,” agreed MON.
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GivenchyAddict felt majorly underwhelmed: “Her expression is off. Her hair is a mess and the styling is uneventful. It could have been nice. Liya’s smile could have been a huge asset to this new era for Bazaar and would match this very joyful color in the background.”
“Love Liya, but wish she looked happier… This is such a depressing and sad-looking cover,” voiced Lola701.
“Intrigued to see how Samira’s tenure pans out, but judging by this cover, even with Liya, there’s nothing to shout about,” wrote Fiercification.
“All this screams shoestring budget, but even something shot on pennies doesn’t have to be this boring. Where’s the creativity?” asked A.D.C.
Meanwhile, jal718 described the cover as “simply awful.”
Do you agree? Share your thoughts here.