It happened quietly on a Monday morning. No warning. No teaser campaign. Just two covers dropped on Instagram. And suddenly, everyone stopped scrolling.
Rihanna brings high fashion glamour back to magazine racks with her Summer 2026 feature for 72 Magazine, also known as EE72. This is not another quick digital spread. This is an 18-page editorial titled “La Reine” The Queen. And after seeing every image, I can tell you one thing for sure. She did not come to play safe.
I have followed Rihanna’s fashion moments for over a decade. From the CFDA Awards in that sheer Swarovski dress to her Met Gala looks that broke the internet. But this EE72 shoot feels different. It feels personal. Almost like a love letter between two creative minds who have known each other for 15 years.
Let me walk you through exactly what happened, what she wore, and why this matters for anyone who cares about fashion photography.
Who Is Behind EE72 Magazine? (And Why You Should Care)
Before we talk about the clothes, you need to understand the man behind the camera.
Edward Enninful is not just any stylist or editor. He was the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue. In 2018, he made history by putting Rihanna on the September cover – the first time a Black woman held that spot in the magazine’s 102-year existence.
Now he has left Condé Nast. He started his own media company called EE72. The “EE” stands for Edward Enninful. The “72” is his birth year – 1972. Smart naming. Personal. Meaningful.
72 Magazine is his first major project. And he got Rihanna for the Summer 2026 issue. That is not luck. That is loyalty. When you work well with someone for 15 years, you show up when they launch something new.
The Two Covers: A Tale of Different Moods
The issue comes with two collectible covers. I have seen both. They could not be more different. And I love that.
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Cover One: Rihanna wears a pale blue Dior Haute Couture dress by Jonathan Anderson. The neckline plunges deep. The fabric looks soft like morning sky. Her hair sits tall in a 1960s beehive – bleached blonde, almost white. She stares straight at you. No smile. No expression. Pure power.
Cover Two: She wears a feathered Valentino outfit by Alessandro Michele. The mood shifts here. Softer. More playful. Still royal, but approachable.
Edward Enninful styled both concepts. Szilveszter Makó shot them. A Hungarian photographer known for painting over his own prints by hand. More on him in a minute.
Between the two covers, I prefer the blue Dior shot. That gaze stays with you. You cannot look away.
The Alexander McQueen Dress Everyone Is Talking About
One image from the spread has already broken social media.
Rihanna wears an Alexander McQueen dress made almost entirely of ribbons. Red and black strands flowing from the neckline down to the floor. And underneath? You can see everything. A sheer bodysuit by Madomorpho with a diamond pattern running across the arms and legs.
This is not a dress for a red carpet. This is art. The kind of image you frame and hang on a gallery wall.
Edward Enninful described the shoot’s inspiration as African royal portraiture through the decades. Not copying one specific queen like Nefertiti or Nzinga. Instead, pulling from the collective archetype of what a queen looks like. Unblinking dignity. Absolute stillness. Maternal strength.
That McQueen image captures all of that. She does not look uncomfortable despite wearing barely anything. She looks like she owns the room. Because she does.
The Hair Transformation That Shocked Everyone
Rihanna changed her hair for this shoot. Fully committed to the bit.
She debuted a platinum blonde beehive. Massive volume. 1960s shape. Almost architectural . Yusef Williams styled it using Fenty Hair products. Smart product placement. But it did not feel forced.
In the past, Rihanna has talked about getting bored with her hair. She told Allure in 2024: “I get bored, and I need to move on to something, or I’m going to crawl out of my body. Cut it. I don’t care. It’s hair. It’ll grow back.”
This time she bleached it. Went blonde. Built a beehive. And it works.
The blonde contrasts beautifully with the dark lip makeup done by Ammy Drammeh using Fenty Beauty products . Dark lip. Light hair. Sharp eyebrows. That is the formula here.
The Other Designers Featured in the Spread
The EE72 editorial pulls from some of the biggest names in luxury fashion. Here is the full list based on the images released so far:
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Christian Dior by Jonathan Anderson – The pale blue plunging gown on cover one
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Maison Valentino by Alessandro Michele – The feathered look on cover two
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Alexander McQueen – The see-through ribbon dress
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Chanel – A patchwork cape from the Spring/Summer 2026 Haute Couture collection
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Schiaparelli – Rings and dramatic accessories
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Bottega Veneta – Earrings paired with a black bodysuit and orange Alaïa skirt
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Givenchy – Another look featured in the 18-page spread
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Alaïa – A structured black bodysuit and orange skirt combination
That is a murderer’s row of fashion houses. And Rihanna wears each piece like it was made for her. Because honestly? Most of it probably was.
The Photographer Who Paints by Hand?
Szilveszter Makó is not your typical fashion photographer. He grew up near forests in Hungary. His education included Ancient Greek and Latin. Arts and crafts were not hobbies – they were foundational.
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For this EE72 shoot, he used an unusual process. He hand-painted physical backdrops. Then he sketched directly over the final photographs. The result looks like a Renaissance painting crossed with a fashion magazine.
Makó described the shoot as an unexpected all-nighter in Paris, wrapped gently by the first light of sunrise.” He called it “a little delirium, and so much gratitude.
That is the kind of energy you want behind a camera. Not a sterile studio with perfect lighting. A late night. Tired eyes. Something magical happening at 5 AM.
What Fans Are Saying (Real Reactions, Not PR)?
I scanned forums and social media to see what actual people think. Not paid influencers. Not brand partners. Just fans.
On theFashionSpot forums, one user wrote: “Probably the best cover of 72 Magazine and best photo I’ve seen of Rihanna in the 2020s! Flawless!”
Another said: “Aghhhh this is stunning!”
Someone else described the overall feeling as “magically ghastly in a very very very good way”. I love that phrase. Because it captures the strange beauty of high fashion. Not pretty. Not cute. Something darker and more interesting.
One fan simply commented on Instagram: “Mona Lisa ain’t touching this”. And honestly? Fair comparison. Both are portraits of powerful women staring directly at you. Both demand your attention.
The 15-Year Creative Partnership
Here is what makes this shoot different from any other magazine cover this year.
Edward Enninful has been working with Rihanna since 2011. At W Magazine, he styled her for a September issue called “The World’s Wildest Style Icon”. In 2016, they worked with photographer Steven Klein on a 24-hour shoot that produced “apocalypse queen” images.
Every time they collaborate, they push further.
Enninful said it best: “Rihanna and I share a deep, instinctive creative shorthand, honed for over fifteen years. Every single time we collaborate, it is about challenging what a ‘fashion editorial’ can and should actually achieve”.
That is not PR talk. That is two people who trust each other completely. You cannot fake that in front of a camera.
Fenty Integration That Feels Natural
The shoot also includes subtle placements for Rihanna’s brands. Fenty Hair gets credit for the beehive. Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin products were used for her makeup and skincare.
But here is the smart part. You do not notice it unless you look for it. The products serve the art. Not the other way around.
Too many celebrity magazine covers feel like a shopping catalog now. “Here is my makeup line. Here is my clothing line. Buy this.”
This EE72 spread does not do that. The Fenty products are there. But the fashion and photography remain the main event.
Why This Shoot Matters for Fashion Photography?
We live in the age of AI images and disposable content. Brands pump out 50 photos a day. Nobody remembers anything after 48 hours.
Edward Enninful and Szilveszter Makó took a different approach. They slowed down. They painted backdrops by hand. They sketched over prints. They treated each image like a museum piece.
The entire issue has no advertisements. It is designed as a collectible art object, not a marketing vehicle.
That is rare in 2026. Almost unheard of.
Rihanna bringing high fashion glamour to this project gives it legitimacy. She could have done any magazine. She chose this one because it respects fashion as art, not just commerce.
What We Still Do Not Know?
The Summer 2026 issue of 72 Magazine has not fully leaked yet. We have seen maybe 6 or 7 images out of 18 pages.
We do not know:
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What the remaining Schiaparelli looks feature
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Whether there is a written interview component
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How many physical copies exist
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If the beehive appears in every shot or only some
I will update this article when the full issue becomes available. But based on what we have seen so far, this is worth tracking down.
Where to Find the EE72 Magazine?
Physical copies of 72 Magazine Issue #4 Summer 2026 are available through the official website at ee72.com. The publisher has emphasized that this is a print-first project. Digital versions may come later, but the intended experience is physical.
If you care about fashion photography as art, order a copy. This is not a magazine you flip through once and throw away. This is one you keep on your coffee table for years.
Final Thoughts
Rihanna brings high fashion glamour to everything she touches. That is not new. But this EE72 cover shoot feels different because of who she brought with her.
Edward Enninful understands her. Szilveszter Makó captured her like a Renaissance painter. The designers gave her their best work.
The result is not just another magazine cover. It is a reminder of what fashion can be when nobody chases clicks or algorithms. Slow art. Real collaboration. A queen on her throne.
Mona Lisa aint touching this. And she knows it.
