Creating an iconic marie claire cover isn’t as easy as it looks. To celebrate our 30th anniversary we’re looking back at some of our favourite cover stars.
CHRISTY TURLINGTON, September 1995
“This was the Australian launch cover starring Christy Turlington at the height of her supermodel fame. The image was ground breaking as it was pared back and shot in natural light. I had actually shot this for US marie claire, just before I accepted the editor’s position here. When the pics came back from the photographer I thought it would make a stunning cover, so I asked if I could have it. Luckily they said yes!” Jackie Frank, editor 1995-2015
LUPITA NYONG’O, August 2024
“I visually loved this cover. The story was very strong on fashion and of course featured the iconic Lupita – the Louis Vuitton dress on the cover was perfect. We shot this in LA in a beautiful retro ’50s house that had featured in a lot of film. The house apparently burnt down in the recent fires. This was the only Australian cover to be listed in Fashionista’s ‘Most Memorable Magazine Covers of 2024’ list. It was really nice to get that nod.” Naomi Smith, fashion director
NICOLE KIDMAN, September 2021
“For 18 months, I’d chased Nicole Kidman to front our milestone 25th birthday issue. With more marie claire covers than anyone, she was our ultimate choice. We planned every detail, then Covid surged. We pushed on and squeezed the shoot in. Hours later, we were in lockdown and I didn’t see my team again for six months.” Nicky Briger, editor 2015-2023
JULIA GARNER, January 2025
“I loved Julia Garner in Ozark and Inventing Anna, and she entertained us on set with her accents. We shot her in the Bronx at these community gardens she used to visit as a kid, so her parents dropped by to the shoot, which was sweet. I loved her natural, pale-skinned beauty that created a really strong cover look.” Naomi Smith, fashion director
OLYMPIC GOLDEN GIRLS, December 2024
“We were all glued to our screens during the Paris Olympics. And it was our amazing female athletes who had created all the magic moments – winning more medals than the men. We wanted to celebrate them and shoot as many golden girls as we could. It was a logistical nightmare but when we saw the cover with Alexa Leary, Nina Kennedy, Saya Sakakibara, Ariarne Titmus and Jessica Fox, it was so worth it. Definitely on my list of favourite covers.” Georgie McCourt, editor
JESINTA & BUDDY FRANKLIN, March 2018
“Jesinta and Buddy were Australia’s golden couple when they agreed to this cover shoot, and they were just divine. We shot it on a perfect summer’s day. They were both so clearly in love, it was just so good to be in their orbit. We’d only ever run one couple on the cover previously, so this was a treat.” Jana Pokorny, former fashion editor & director
FIRST NATIONS ICONS February 2020
“When I learnt our Constitution still doesn’t recognise Indigenous Australians, I was shocked – and deeply ashamed. As a brand that stands up for what matters, we knew we had to use our platform for change. The features team pitched an all-Indigenous cover, fronting a powerful 25-page portfolio with 30 prominent Australians calling for recognition and support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Jess Mauboy, Samantha Harris and Miranda Tapsell said yes without hesitation. The shoot was so joyful, unforgettable – the women’s emotional stories brought us all to tears I’d like to think this would always make it on any list of iconic marie claire covers.” Nicky Briger, editor 2015-2023
RENÉE ZELLWEGER, March 2025
“I remember when I first came face to face with her, I thought, ‘Oh my God, it’s Bridget Jones,’ and she is so much like Bridget in real life. I loved her spirit and she was so much fun. Absolute joy. She was really kind on set to everyone and then brought the energy when the camera was on her. We were running over time, but she stayed back to get all the shots in and never complained. I think the final pictures captured this spirit.” Naomi Smith, fashion director
ROBYN LAWLEY, November 2014
“When we put Robyn on the cover, she was the first so-called ‘plus-size’ model to front an Australian magazine. Even then, the term felt offensive. Robyn was celebrated for her natural curves, and we wanted to honour that. We recreated the iconic Sports Illustrated cover of Elle Macpherson and we shot her in Greece. She revealed on set that she was pregnant. A year or so later we shot her again with her baby girl for another cover, which was fabulous.” Jackie Frank, editor 1995-2015
MARRIAGE EQUALITY, July 2012
“Our ‘I Do’ campaign for marriage equality, starring Rachael Taylor, was the first time a homegrown campaign took centrestage on the cover. Even though this became an instant iconic marie claire cover it was also the cover that almost got me sacked. A lobby group had gone to all our advertisers and members of the board saying I was using marie claire as my private platform to push for change, which of course was not true. Thankfully, the board backed me and stood by us but it was very stressful. I remember crying when I heard the bill eventually passed.” Jackie Frank, editor 1995-2015
SYDNEY SWEENEY, January 2024
“This was an unforgettable experience for me. I got to assist on a cover shoot in LA for the second time. AND I was thrilled to work with Sydney. She is such a talented young actor who was especially hot at that time. There were some sleepless nights in the lead-up but it all came together beautifully as we had a stunning location with views overlooking LA. It was such an incredible day and she was an absolute dream to work with.” Jordan Boorman, fashion editor
MARY FOWLER, December 2023
“This was shot in Manchester and I had to wrangle a crew from London. There were lots of late-night calls to sort it. On the morning of the shoot the hair stylist called in sick, so I had three hours to find someone to do hair for Mary, which as you can see was pivotal. Despite the scramble, it all worked out and she looked incredible.” Robyn Fay-Perkins, photo director
