Marc Jacobs Named US Vogue’s First Guest Editor

American designer Marc Jacobs served as the guest editor for the December issue of American Vogue, the first time the magazine has ever named a guest editor in its history.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour approached Jacobs earlier this year with the request to shape the magazine’s final issue of the year. Wintour told the New York Times that the period following the US presidential election, which ultimately saw the reelection of former President Donald Trump, would be “an emotional time” requiring a new chorus of voices to emerge.

Though this marks the first time a guest editor took the helm at American Vogue, other editions of the magazine have been guest-edited in the past. The September 2019 issue of British Vogue, for instance, was edited by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.

The process of crafting the December issue was not dissimilar to creating a runway collection, Jacobs wrote in his editor’s letter. He selected model Kaia Gerber to appear on the cover, and focused on the themes of dance, youthful exuberance, and creative expression.

The issue has two different covers, one shot by photographer Steven Meisel, the other painted by artist Anna Weyant. The model is clad in Marc Jacobs’ autumn/winter 2024 collection, complete with the bouffant hairstyle that models wore on the runway.

The issue, which will be available on newsstands Nov. 26, includes contributions by photographer Gregory Crewdson, stylist and former editor-in-chief of i-D magazine Alastair McKimm, Raul Martinez, Vogue’s global creative director and former Vogue creative director Grace Coddington.