W has been chronicling fashion and society since 1972 and—ever since a 1992 Nicole Kidman cover—we’ve been putting celebrities front and center, as well. Quite often, W is a future star’s first major cover—the magazine has a long track record of spotting talent early—and even when this hasn’t been the case, famous faces have often appeared as you’ve never seen them before. Maybe that’s why so many big names have agreed to appear on our pages again and again. So, with plenty of time on our hands at the moment, we tracked down the debut W covers of some of our favorite pop culture icons and compared them with their most recent appearances. Sometimes, not much has changed (Brad Pitt: still smoldering after 23 years) while other transformations are illuminating (Rihanna went from pop starlet to diamond crowned queen in less than a decade).
1
Left: Brad Pitt photographed by Steven Klein for W Magazine, July 1999.
Right: Brad Pitt photographed by Juergen Teller for W Magazine, Volume One February 2020
2
Left: Cindy Crawford in W Magazine, September 1990.
Right: Cindy Crawford photographed by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine, 2016.
3
Left: Eddie Redmayne photographed by Alasdair McLellan for W Magazine, April 2013.
Right: Eddie Redmayne photographed by Tim Walker for W Magazine, Volume One 2019.
4
Left: Jennifer Lopez photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine, 2000.
Right: Jennifer Lopez photographed by Juergen Teller for W Magazine, Volume One 2020.
5
Left: Kate Moss photographed by Patrick Anderson for W Magazine, November 1992. Right: Kate moss photographed by Nikolai Von Bismark and Richard Prince for W Magazine, Volume 7 2019.
6
Left: Lindsay Lohan photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine, April 2005. Right: Lindsay Lohan photographed by Brigitte Lacombe for W Magazine, January 2018.
7
Left: Naomi Campbell photographed by Francesco Scavullo for W Magazine, December 1990.
Right: Naomi Campbell photographed by Steven Klein for W Magazine, November 2016.
8
Left: Nicole Kidman photographed by Mark Abrahams for W Magazine, May 1992.
Right: Nicole Kidman photographed by Colin Dodgson for W Magazine, Volume Eight 2019.
9
Left: Reese Witherspoon photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine, 2006.
Right: Reese Witherspoon photographed by Tim Walker for W Magazine, Volume One 2015.
10
Left: Rihanna photographed by Craig McDean for W Magazine, February 2010.
Right: Rihanna photographed by Steven Klein for W Magazine, September 2016.
11
Left: Scarlett Johansson photographed by Craig McDean for W Magazine, August 2004. Right: Scarlett Johansson photographed by Juergen Teller for W Magazine, Volume One 2020.
12
Left: Natalie Portman photographed by Mert and Marcus for W Magazine, May 2005.
Right: Natalie Portman photographed by Craig McDean for W Magazine, Volume One 2017.
13
Left: Tom Cruise photographed by Michael Thompson for W Magazine, January 1997.
Right: Tom Cruise photographed by Mario Sorrenti for W Magazine, June 2012.
