The New W Miraculously Unearths A Diverse Young Hollywood

With the September issue, the new editor of W is announcing his vision to the world. The cover theme is young Hollywood It girls, and somehow, unlike corporate sibling Vanity Fair, W thinks women of color can also be “it.”

Formerly the editor of T, the style magazine of The New York Times, Stefano Tonchi took over W a few months ago promising to make it more general interest. The magazine has a triple-gatefold cover with a series of young actresses, including YaYa DaCosta (an America’s Next Top Model alum who can currently be seen in The Kids Are All Right), with two more customary blondes, Jennifer Lawrence (Winter’s Bone) and Greta Gerwig (Greenberg, assorted mumblecore).

An alternate cover that’s been also released today shows Kat Dennings and ~~Karen Elson~~ Jessica Chastain gazing into each other’s eyes as if they’re about to make out. Subtle!

It’s not clear which other actresses made the cut for the cover flap — according to WWD, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Emma Roberts and Zoë Kravitz were also part of the shoot. If you’re keeping score, that’s at least two more women of color than Vanity Fair anointed for its March issue. What will they think of next?

Also being teased for the issue: a new logo, actresses talking about their first sex scenes, and “topless models in jewels.” And, according to the Times,

Others are more utilitarian and educational: a travel piece on Montenegro and an article about people who undergo plastic surgery prematurely.

Educational indeed.

On The W Watch [WWD]
Stefano Tonchi Reveals W‘s September-Issue Details [NYM]
W Takes A New Direction [NYT]