CULTURED Magazine released its Fall 2026 “The Cult of Personality” issue, which explores the modern-day era of social media scrutiny and the belief that society is centered around cults of personality. The issue shares insights on how magnetic actors, musicians, filmmakers, and artists navigate how they are viewed by the public, including cover stars: Sofia Coppola, Troye Sivan, Gemma Chan, and Mika Abdalla. The issue also features profiles on actor Lily Rabe in conversation with fellow actor Chris Messina, DJ and musician horsegiirL reveals more about who she is behind the mask, Italian visual artist Maurizio Catteland discusses his new exhibition in Berlin, and Jordan Wolfson discusses his upcoming first New York solo exhibition with Gagosian this September.
“In our current era of social media scrutiny, it’s a lot harder for artists to control public perception,” says CULTURED Founder and Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson in the issue’s editor letter. “In the Fall issue, we examine the actors, musicians, filmmakers, and artists who have captured our culture’s most precious resource: our attention. Many of them have found themselves in moments of transition, wrestling with how the public sees them, but each shares charisma, a distinct point of voice, and a deeply invested fan base.”
The Cult of Personality Issue
In a conversation with artist Sam McKinniss—who also painted his portrait for the limited-edition cover—Troye Sivan reflects on how his fourth studio album, She’s the Best, challenges perceptions of him as a pop icon. For the accompanying portfolio, Sivan reunited with former partner Jacob Bixenman to create images of startling intimacy. The raw tenderness of Bixenman’s photographs contrasts with the materiality of McKinniss’s portrait as CULTURED presents Sivan through two distinct lenses.
Photographed by Craig McDean, filmmaker Sofia Coppola sits down with longtime friend, painter Lisa Yuskavage, to reflect on how they held their ground when their respective industries weren’t interested in their perspectives. Actress Gemma Chan discusses her pivot from blockbusters to independent films in conversation with Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu. Chan reflects on her life before fame as an Oxford graduate, the decision to turn down a major law job to pursue acting, and her “arthouse era.” Mika Abdalla, star of the record-breaking college drama Off Campus, reflects on the whirlwind experience of gaining a devoted fan base almost overnight and adjusting to newfound fame.
Elsewhere in the issue, to mark the release of CULTURED Magazine Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson’s highly anticipated new book, The Cultured Collector, athlete and art collector Venus Williams speaks about the importance of the project and how Harrelson has been an advocate for emerging artists and creatives who don’t always receive recognition. The debut book will provide a rare insider’s tour of the world’s most exceptional art collections of notable collectors including Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz, Joe Jonas, Daniel Humm, and many others.
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and fashion editor, Robin Givhan writes a thought-provoking piece about fashion’s recent awakening, embracing older women in recent runway shows, as designer muses, and as the face of fashion campaigns. Givhan praises that while this “age-quake” has signified notable positive momentum in the fashion industry, there is still room for growth.
The issue also recognizes 29-year-old Georgia-born author Lydia Mathis as the recipient of its first Young Writers Prize in collaboration with Montblanc. Mathis was chosen by a jury made up of author and New Yorker writer Jia Tolentino, novelist and journalist Christopher Bollen, The Drift co-founder and editor Kiara Barrow, author and New Yorker writer Hanif Abdurraqib, author and CULTURED Literary Editor Emmeline Clein, and Montblanc Director of Writing Culture & Brand Strategy Alexa Schilz.
The Shards Digital Cover
Photographed by Christian Coppola, the digital cover features actors Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Graham Campbell, Hayes Warner, and Igby Rigney, who star in Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of The Shards, Bret Easton Ellis’ pulpy thriller. In January, CULTURED Magazine visited a closed set, and novelist Josh Duboff spoke with the young stars on their relationship with impending fame.
Pictured upper left: Sofia Coppola photography by Craig McDean; middle: Troy Sivan painting by Sam McKinnis; upper right: Troye Sivan photography by Jacob Bixenman; lower left: Gemma Chan photography by The Masons; middle: Mika Abdalla photography by Elizabeth Miranda; lower right: Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, Graham Campbell, Hayes Warner, and Igby Rigney photography by Christian Coppola. Images courtesy of CULTURED Magazine
