Lucy Dacus and MUNA's Katie Gavin are taking us right back to the '90s with a recreation of an iconic magazine cover from sapphic history.
Gracing the April 2025 cover of Alternative Press, Dacus donned menswear as she relaxed in a barber’s chair. Meanwhile, Gavin, in a swimsuit and boots, held a razor to her neck, prepared to give the "Best Guess" singer a shave.
If this feels familiar, it’s because it’s the same cover Vanity Fair did 32 years ago — only with k.d. lang and Cindy Crawford subverting gender norms.
This modern take is a cheeky, gorgeous callback to a truly iconic moment in queer pop culture. The original made space for butch-femme imagery in a mainstream magazine in a time when "lesbian" was still treated as a dirty word and years before Laura Dern’s career took a temporary dive for even guest starring as one in the infamous coming out episode of Ellen.
Now, three decades later, this recreation reminds us how far we’ve come while also providing an almost surreal sense of déjà vu considering the current political climate.
Both artists have long been beloved for taking up space in the music world while being unapologetically queer. Seeing them channel Crawford and lang feels like more than just homage. It’s a continuation of a conversation about gender, attraction, and presentation that never really stopped.
The fact that this cover dropped in 2025, amid a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation, makes it hit even harder. It’s a visual reminder that queer art, queer history, and queer joy aren’t going anywhere — no matter how loudly some might wish otherwise.
And on top of everything else, it’s proof that a good suit, a bold lip, and a delightful bit of subtext will always be in style.
