Sabrina Carpenter channels Brigitte Bardot in Vogue Italia boudoir shoot for October issue

Sabrina Carpenter graces the cover of Vogue Italia's October 2025 issue in a Prada short-sleeve sweater with pendants, anchoring a boudoir mood that fashion editors are calling a bold reinvention for the former Disney star. The look channels Brigitte Bardot with a dramatic double-cat-eye and a voluminous ’60s blowout, a silhouette Carpenter leans into from the top of her teased hair to the tip of her high heels. The cover shot, captured by Steven Meisel, positions Carpenter at the nexus of cinematic glamour and contemporary pop stardom as she pivots from acting toward music.

Inside the magazine, Carpenter wears an encyclopedia of Italian designers, from Dolce & Gabbana to Gucci to Prada. The editorial emphasizes silk- and lace-trimmed loungewear and lingerie against chunky knits and fuzzy fur jackets, creating a moody, tactile contrast. Carpenter strikes a series of poses in a wardrobe that fuses luxury with sensuality, including Manolo Blahnik Mary Jane heels, a Streets Ahead chain belt, an Eres bra, and Olivia von Halle shorts. Other frames pair a Dolce & Gabbana cardigan and bodysuit with Prada pumps, complemented by a Cartier bracelet worn as an anklet.

The shoot is described as a moodboard inspired by German girls in the 1960s — moody and black-and-white, part Bardot, part Berlin nightclub. Carpenter’s glam team includes Pat McGrath on makeup and Guido Palau on hair, who help craft a look that feels both elegant and melancholy. The photographer’s lens captures a restrained, noir atmosphere that aligns with Carpenter’s evolving public persona as she channels cinematic references into a modern pop star aesthetic. Carpenter has said the project feels like a new chapter, one that melds vintage glamour with Gen-Z energy, and the imagery reinforces that transition.

Earlier this month, Carpenter’s ascent continued at the MTV VMAs, where she won three awards, including album of the year, and earned multiple appearances on “Best Dressed” lists for a lacey red Valentino gown and a feathered purple boa. For the afterparty, she stepped into a vintage Bob Mackie dress originally worn by Cher, a choice that amplified the retro-glam narrative surrounding her career. The VMA moments flow into Vogue Italia’s mood piece as a throughline: Carpenter as a fashion-forward artist with a cinematic sensibility who can intertwine music history, cinema, and high-fashion in a single, cohesive image.

The magazine’s captioning underscores the influence of Bardot and 1960s German styles, while asserting Carpenter’s ongoing transformation into a music-driven fashion icon. The fall editorial positions Carpenter among an array of Italian designers, but with a distinct, story-driven approach that treats the boudoir as a stage for performance rather than a mere portrait. The collaboration with Vogue Italia, plus the involvement of Pat McGrath and Guido Palau, signals a deliberate, cinematic path for Carpenter’s public image as she continues to craft a multi-dimensional artistic identity. “The shoot, inspired by German girls in the ’60s, was moody and black-and-white, part Brigitte Bardot, part Berlin nightclub,” explains Vogue Italia. “There’s this black-and-white glamour, elegant and melancholic. And with that touch of Brigitte Bardot, everything is even sexier. I’m thrilled,” Carpenter told the magazine.

We’ll raise an Espresso martini to that.