Vogue's Cosmic Chalamet Cover Ignites AI Speculation

In November 2025, Vogue magazine's December issue has caused a stir in the fashion world. The cover features actor Timothée Chalamet standing in brown leather boots, a cream topcoat, and floral embroidered jeans by Celine, hovering over a blue planet and surrounded by a cosmic haze. The image, shot by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, was intended to be ethereal, but it has instead become a flashpoint, sparking memes, mockery, and even suspicion that it might have been conjured by artificial intelligence (AI).

The timing of the cover's release couldn't be more significant, as Vogue, long considered the unshakable authority in fashion publishing, is currently in transition. Just this week, Teen Vogue was folded into its parent site, and a new head of editorial content, Chloé Malle, stepped into the role once synonymous with Anna Wintour's untouchable reign. Change, it seems, doesn't come quietly, especially to an institution built on consistency.

While Chalamet's cover might have been intended as a metaphor for exploration and his zeal to succeed, many have found it simply off-putting. Online, users have compared it to "galaxy-print leggings" and AI-generated fan art, with one user even questioning whether it could be the work of the language model ChatGPT. However, a third user has a different opinion, applauding the new editor-in-chief for stepping away from the "boring, repetitive covers" Vogue has had in the past.