Harley Weir and Vetement’s stylist Lotta Volkova shoot Re-Edition cover

In seven issues, independent photography quarterly Re-Edition has gained the kind of contributor’s list most mags could only dream of, and with it, a cult following.

Earlier this week, the magazine revealed covers of its upcoming eighth issue via Instagram. Alongside images of models Eliza Douglas and Natalie Westling decked out in Balenciaga by photography duos Collier Schorr and Jo Barker and Craig McDean and Vanessa Reid respectively lurked third cover. In stark contrast to the two Balenciaga-clad models fronting the other covers, this one depicts a woman’s face slicked in heavy make up. High on impact and low on airbrushing, the unnamed woman’s sunburnt skin is presented pores, wrinkles and all, with not a clothing credit in sight.

The cover is the work of photographer Harley Weir and Vetement’s stylist Lotta Volkova. “It’s always a pleasure to work with Lotta,” Harley tells It’s Nice That. “She is truly passionate about identity and takes inspiration from real everyday life and people which Is of course where trends really begin.”

So what took the pair to Mexico? “Lotta has been visiting Mexico a lot recently as friends are flocking to move out there,” Harley explains. “We decided to very intuitively go and explore all our favourite things about the city. We had amazing help from a girl called Maria Osada who is very young and wonderful casting director out there. She introduced us to her friends and we went from there.”

The cover is a far cry from much of the work displayed in Harley’s packed-out portfolio of dream-like editorial shoots and envy-inducing close-ups of the world’s most photogenic faces. “What probably stands out is the use of my digital camera,” Harley considers. “I’ve done a lot of shoots using digital in this style before, but not yet for my commercial work, so maybe it gets neglected. I actually had a whole Instagram for the past few years using solely that camera, unfortunately it recently got hacked and deleted so I’ll certainly be airing my digital work more publicly from now on.”