It’s that time of year again! Vogue’s September issue is out—and it’s Chloe’s first as the head of editorial content. Fifteen years ago, before her interview at Vogue, Chloe watched R.J. Cutler’s 2009 documentary The September Issue to get ready for what was ahead. Now, she’s the one leading the issue that celebrates “the January of fashion.” Co-host Nicole Phelps and Vogue’s Virginia Smith joined Chloe to chat about their favorite pieces in the issue and the chaos behind the scenes of the most elaborate photo shoots.

They kicked things off by talking about the cover story, shot by the one-of-a-kind Steven Meisel and featuring Kaia Gerber and Homer Gere, two leads in Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s The Shards. It’s a nod to Vogue’s November 1992 cover with Cindy Crawford and Richard Gere—Kaia’s mom and Homer’s dad, who were married then—photographed by Herb Ritts. On the fashion angle of the 2026 story, Virginia explained: “We kept coming back to this idea of designers looking to the past to reinvent their future, which tied into the whole nepo-baby thing and made perfect sense for our cover stars.”

Nicole then talked about Nathan Heller’s in-depth piece on Demna. “Demna has achieved so much at Balenciaga, and I think that’s given him the confidence to take on this new challenge at Gucci,” she said. “And he’s really leading with fun.” Heller’s story includes a portrait of the designer, taken just days after his flashy resort show in Times Square. (Anna politely asked him not to show up in all black, and he listened—arriving for the shoot in a white T-shirt.)

The hosts also highlighted a few other standout stories from the issue, like Gaby Wood’s profile of Marta Ortega, who’s been driving Zara into the future over the last few years; a bold, maximalist shoot in a train car designed by Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin, featuring some of London’s favorite West End actors; Mattie Kahn’s profile of conductor Gustavo Dudamel; and Adrienne Miller’s conversation with Julia Louis-Dreyfus about her upcoming Broadway debut.

Also on today’s episode, Chloe and Chioma caught up after Chloe’s vacation in France, and they discussed Chioma’s September cover star: the one and only Nicole Kidman, shot by Venetia Scott and profiled by British Vogue’s own Giles Hattersley. “She just has such presence,” Chioma said, remembering meeting her at the Met Gala and being completely starstruck.

Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the Vogue podcast episode featuring Chloe Malles first September issue written in a natural conversational tone

General Background

Q What is this podcast episode about
A Its a behindthescenes look at how Chloe Malle the editor of Vogues website put together her very first September issue cover story It focuses on the pressure the process and the people involved in making one of fashions biggest moments happen

Q Who is Chloe Malle
A Shes a journalist and editor at Vogue In this episode shes in the hot seat because shes overseeing a major feature for the iconic September issue which is the magazines biggest and most important edition of the year

Q Im not a fashion insider Will I still enjoy this episode
A Yes probably While its about fashion the core of the episode is about creative pressure teamwork and problemsolving Its interesting to anyone who likes podcasts about how media and big projects get made

Q Who is the cover star of her September issue
A The episode focuses on her interview and photoshoot with the actress and singer Sabrina Carpenter Its all about capturing her at a peak moment in her career

The Process The September Issue

Q Why is the September issue such a big deal
A Its the fashion industrys New Year Its the biggest thickest issue of the year filled with fall fashion ads and major editorial spreads It sets the trends for the season and is a huge financial and creative driver for the magazine

Q What does an editor actually do for a cover story
A Its not just writing They pitch the concept hire the photographer and stylists coordinate with the celebritys team direct the creative vision and then write or edit the article Theyre the project manager and the creative director all in one

Q What was the biggest challenge Chloe faced in this episode