Vogue USA – May 2026

Summary

Anna Wintour and Meryl Streep face off in Prada on the May 2026 cover of Vogue USA, photographed by Annie Leibovitz and styled by Grace Coddington, timed to The Devil Wears Prada 2 buzz. Inside, The Met's "Costume Art" exhibition gets the blockbuster treatment, Venus Williams speaks ahead of her Met Gala cohost role, and five female artists reimagine the human figure.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover Story / Features

p.138 · Joy Ride
Meryl Streep and Anna Wintour in conversation, moderated by Greta Gerwig. They discuss the legacy of The Devil Wears Prada, the sequel script, and what the film got right about the fashion industry. Streep reveals one line she improvised that made the final cut.

p.148 · Going Strong
Venus Williams talks to Jen Wang about her Met Gala cohost duties, her career longevity at 46, and the business ventures that now fill her calendar. Closes with her non-negotiable recovery routine between tournament and gala season.

p.114 · Making Space
Dodie Kazanjian examines "Costume Art," the Met's new exhibition that places fashion and fine art side by side in the newly inaugurated galleries. Draws a direct line from historic couture to contemporary installation art.

p.142 · Life Drawing
Five female artists respond to "Costume Art" by creating original interpretations of the human figure. Each artwork is reproduced alongside the artist's statement. A gallery guide for post-exhibit viewing.

▸ Body / Health

p.94 · A Bone to Pick
Alice Gregory reports on skeletal strength—why bone density matters beyond osteoporosis and how fashion, diet, and exercise intersect with skeletal health. Includes a 3-minute daily movement checklist for spinal maintenance.

p.98 · Learning Curve
Margaux Anbouba investigates why corsets are surging in popularity in the age of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. Interviews historians, corset-makers, and body-image therapists. A fitting guide for first-time corset buyers.

▸ Culture / Living

p.106 · Bloom Time
Floral artist Alex Crowder launches a line of gardening tools designed for both novices and experts. Each tool is field-tested and reviewed. A recommended three-plant starter kit for apartment gardeners.

p.104 · Book It
A guide to new spring fiction. Eight novels are summarized with one-line verdicts. Three debut authors are flagged as ones to track for the rest of 2026.

p.82 · Up Front
Three writers reflect on the universal, and infinitely distinct, human form. Personal essays on body image, aging, and the gaze. Each writer takes a different angle—medical, emotional, and cultural.

▸ Fashion / Style

p.152 · Free Form
Spring's most beguiling shapes—fluid cuts, asymmetric hems, and soft tailoring. A visual essay showing how volume can read as polished rather than sloppy. Styling notes on proportion balancing for different heights.

▸ Regulars

p.28 · Editor's Letter
The editor introduces the second Vogue Book Club pick: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, tying the selection to the issue's cover conversation.

p.32 · Masthead
Full editorial and business credits.

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Editor's Take

The Streep-Wintour-Gerwig conversation is the obvious centerpiece, and it delivers—genuine rapport, insider details, and one genuine laugh-out-loud moment about the "cerulean" speech. The Met "Costume Art" feature by Kazanjian is the intellectual anchor of the issue. Venus Williams piece is solid but conventional. Weakest section is the "Up Front" body-essay triptych, which reads as three variations on the same note. The corset-GLP-1 piece is sharp and genuinely surprising. Best for readers who want fashion-meets-institutional-culture coverage with a Hollywood entry point.

Strengths
• Streep-Wintour conversation with Greta Gerwig as the ideal moderator
• Corset revival piece connects body politics to current pharmacology
• Met exhibition coverage with genuine art-world context

Weaknesses
• "Up Front" essays overlap in theme without enough tonal variety
• Spring fiction guide is too brief to be useful for serious readers

Verdict: Essential — A front-to-back strong issue anchored by an iconic cover conversation and museum-grade fashion coverage.