Vogue Trails WSJ, Elle With Near-Identical Makó Photo Covers

Vogue's November cover, unveiled Thursday with Jenna Ortega shot by photographer Szilveszter Makó, arrived after two rival titles published visually similar covers from the same photographer within the same week, according to Page Six, which reported the overlap Oct. 24, 2026.

What Do the Three Covers Have in Common?

According to Page Six's Oct. 24, 2026 report, Makó shot all three covers using what the outlet describes as his "signature painterly, box-like setup." The Wall Street Journal Magazine published a Gigi Hadid cover in that style roughly a week before Vogue's release, Page Six reported. Elle ran a Hunter Schafer cover in the same aesthetic three days before Vogue's, per the outlet. Vogue's Ortega cover landed last among the three, by Page Six's timeline.

Who Is Szilveszter Makó?

Page Six identifies Makó as the photographer behind all three covers and notes he used a similar aesthetic for Interview's September 2026 issue featuring Sandra Bullock. The outlet also reports his work appeared this summer in British Vogue, Vogue Albania and Vogue Philippines, citing the breadth of his client list as evidence the overlap was foreseeable.

Why Does the Overlap Matter for Vogue?

"This is a giant screw-up," a fashion media source told Page Six. The source called the sequencing "bad and unheard of," adding: "We don't know the timing of the shoots, but it's irresponsible from the photographer's side not to let the magazines know they're doing the same concept." The same source told Page Six that Vogue running its cover last — after both WSJ Magazine and Elle — is "so unlike Vogue," praising editor Chloe Malle's track record on covers while flagging this instance as an exception. The insider told the outlet: "I have never, ever, ever seen anything like this before."

What Role Did a Repeated Balenciaga Dress Play?

Page Six reports a second overlap beyond the photography: Ortega's Vogue cover and Hadid's WSJ Magazine spread both feature the same Balenciaga Couture feather dress in their inside pages. "How did Balenciaga lend this dress to everyone?" the fashion media source asked, per the outlet. The same source called Hadid's shoot the strongest of the three, describing it to Page Six as "superior" and citing its styling.

Has Magazine Photographer Exclusivity Changed?

Page Six notes that Vogue previously maintained exclusivity arrangements with marquee photographers such as Steven Meisel under the Condé Nast umbrella. The outlet's source said tighter budgets across the industry have made those arrangements harder to sustain, leaving photographers like Makó free to shoot overlapping concepts for competing titles in the same cycle. The source added that Makó is talented and "deserves a long career," but said he needs to manage scheduling conflicts going forward, per Page Six.

Neither Vogue, Elle, WSJ Magazine, nor representatives for Makó were quoted directly in Page Six's report addressing the sequencing of the three shoots.