It finally happened. Miley Cyrus just dropped a 110-page visual bomb that has the internet arguing again, and honestly, it’s about time. If you’ve been following her lately, you know she’s moved way past the tongue-wagging Bangerz era. She’s in her "God pocket" now. That’s her own term, by the way. She used it to describe the flow of her life during the Miley Cyrus photo shoot for Perfect Magazine’s August 2025 issue, and the images are, well, pretty intense.
This wasn’t just a few glossy pages for a monthly mag. This was an 80-page special edition zine shot by the legendary Paolo Roversi and Lynette Garland. We’re talking about a fashion epic that literally starts with no fashion at all.
The Raw Power of the Perfect Magazine Covers
People are freaking out over the six different covers, specifically the one where she’s wearing absolutely nothing. But if you look at the shot, it doesn't feel like "shaking things up" just for the sake of a headline. It feels like a 32-year-old woman who finally owns her own skin. Miley told the magazine that even when she’s wearing nothing, there’s a "level of power to it." You can see it in her eyes—there’s no "Hannah Montana" left in that stare.
The shoot is a wild mix of vibes. One minute she’s channelng Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette in a full period costume, and the next she’s in a romantic corset that looks like it was pulled from a Victorian attic. It’s incoherent in the best way possible.
Why Paolo Roversi was the Right Choice
Roversi is known for that painterly, blurred, almost ghostly aesthetic. He doesn't do "sharp and digital." He does "moody and timeless." By pairing Miley with Roversi, the creative team (led by stylist Katie Grand) basically forced us to look at her as a piece of art rather than a pop star.
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- The White Body Paint: In a nod to Maison Margiela’s bianchetto technique, Miley posed nude with her body painted entirely white. It’s a reference to the way Margiela used to paint over furniture and let it chip away over time.
- The Tabi Boots: She’s been wearing the signature split-toe Maison Margiela Tabi boots everywhere, and they take center stage here.
- The "Trace of Time": The whole shoot centers on destruction and reconstruction. It’s about how things look better when they’re a little broken or worn in.
What Most People Get Wrong About the New Aesthetic
If you spend five minutes on Reddit or X, you’ll see the same complaints. "Why is her mouth always open?" "She looks too thin." "The veneers are distracting."
Honestly? It feels like people are missing the point. Miley’s current look—the hollowed-out cheekbones and the constant "half-breath" pose—is a deliberate choice. She’s leaning into "heroin chic" and 90s indie sleaze because that’s the world she’s inhabiting for her upcoming visual album, Something Beautiful, set to drop May 30, 2025.
She isn't trying to look like the girl next door anymore. She’s trying to look like a rock icon who has seen some things. There’s a specific shot in the zine where she’s wearing a giant black hat pulled down low, and it’s arguably the best photo of her in years because it hides the "Miley face" we’ve all grown accustomed to and lets the silhouette do the talking.
The Gucci Connection
You can't talk about a Miley Cyrus photo shoot in 2025 without mentioning Gucci. She’s the face of the Flora Gorgeous Orchid campaign, and the contrast between that and the Perfect Magazine shoot is jarring. In the Gucci ads, shot by Tyler Mitchell, she’s under the L.A. sun with the Hollywood sign in the background. It’s bright, floral, and commercial.
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It shows her range. She can play the luxury brand ambassador for Sabato De Sarno in a pale blue backless slip dress one day, and then go full avant-garde with Paolo Roversi the next. It’s a smart business move. She’s keeping the high-fashion world happy while maintaining her "weirdo" credentials with the indie zines.
The Visual Evolution Toward Something Beautiful
Everything we’re seeing right now—the Vogue France cover shot at the Château Marmont, the W Magazine "Pop Issue" with those heavy Joni Mitchell bangs—is a lead-up.
She’s working with Glen Luchford for the album art of Something Beautiful. If you haven't seen the teaser, she’s wearing archival Thierry Mugler from the 1997 "Les Chimères" collection. It’s a sculptural, iridescent piece that makes her look like a mystical insect. It’s a far cry from the safety-pin Galliano dress she wore to the 2024 Grammys, but it follows the same thread: Miley is obsessed with fashion history right now.
Breaking Down the Style Shifts
- The Hair: We’ve gone from the two-tone "Endless Summer Vacation" hair to a much darker, voluminous brunette with 90s-inspired bangs.
- The Archive: She isn't just wearing new runway pieces. She’s digging through the 90s archives of Jean Paul Gaultier and Mugler.
- The Attitude: There’s a stillness now. The 2013 Miley wanted to jump on you; the 2025 Miley wants you to look at her from a distance.
What This Means for Her Future
This Miley Cyrus photo shoot cycle is a clear signal that she’s done being "just" a singer. She’s positioning herself as a creative director of her own image. By choosing photographers like Mario Sorrenti and Alasdair McLellan, she’s curated a portfolio that looks more like a supermodel’s than a musician’s.
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Is it working? Mostly. While some fans miss the "fun" Miley, the fashion industry has never taken her more seriously. She’s the first official face of Maison Margiela. That doesn't happen by accident. It happens because you’re willing to stand in a studio, covered in white paint, for twelve hours until the lighting is just right.
If you want to understand where she’s going next, look at the details in these shoots. The way she uses fashion as "armor," as she told Vogue at the 2025 Met Gala. She’s building a new version of herself that is tailored, tough, and a little bit unapproachable.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Era
- Watch the Visual Album: Keep an eye out for the Something Beautiful film on Letterboxd; it’s going to be the culmination of all these high-fashion looks.
- Study the Photographers: If you like this new look, look up Paolo Roversi’s past work. It explains exactly why Miley chose him for her most provocative shoot yet.
- Look for the Archives: The real "easter eggs" in her photo shoots aren't in the lyrics anymore—they're in the vintage labels she’s pulling from the 90s.
Miley has always been a chameleon, but this time, the skin she’s growing into seems permanent. She’s no longer trying to prove she’s an adult; she’s just being one. And if that means a few "weird" photoshoots and some polarizing fashion choices, she seems more than okay with that. She’s in the God pocket, and she’s not leaving anytime soon.
Next Steps:
To see the full evolution of this aesthetic, you should track the specific designers she’s wearing during her Something Beautiful press tour. Focus on her use of Schiaparelli and archival Mugler, as these pieces are directly influencing the visual narrative of her upcoming album. Pay attention to how the "visual album" format on platforms like Letterboxd changes the way we consume celebrity photo shoots in 2026.