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While everyone I know is listening to Sabrina Carpenter's new album, Man's Best Friend, I'm over here having a staring contest with her new Vogue Italia cover. And can you blame me? The inherently stunning pop star is looking out unblinkingly from the warm, retro Steven Meisel portrait, wearing Pat McGrath-applied eye makeup that's just begging me to fail to recreate it. But perhaps the most mesmerizing element of the look is her updated 'do.
Even when she switches things up and away from her signature look, Carpenter tends to exude blonde bombshell energy, and her Vogue Italia shoot is no exception. But instead of her usual length—typically anywhere from mid-shoulder-blade to way down to her waist—the singer-songwriter is seen in a downright inspirational lob styled by Guido Palau.
Shoulder-length hair can often feel like a temporary layover while growing out a short style into a longer one or making a safe chop on the way to a shorter look, but this full, flippy, voluminous take on the long bob is far from “neither here nor there.” Palau has given Carpenter a blowout that combines ‘90s and ’60s vibes to create a modern take on polished oomph that proves glamour doesn't depend on lengthening extensions.
Photographer: Steven Meisel; Fashion Editor: Karl Templer; Hair: Guido Palau; Makeup: Pat McGrathPhoto: Courtesy of Vogue Italia
“Femininity is not a mask but an experiment, a shifting character I can write and rewrite every day,” Carpenter says in the accompanying interview. “I always love an opportunity where I get to really play a character and channel something. This time [during the shoot with Steven Meisel, ed.] it was something that felt a little bit more sophisticated, but still just very playful.”
Read more of the interview and see more of the stunning photos on vogue.it.