Richardson founder and creative director Andrew Richardson said, “It’s been twenty years since Richardson A1, a lot has changed since Glen Luchford and I sat nervously in the lobby of the Raleigh Hotel in Miami waiting for Jenna Jameson. Thanks to everybody who’s contributed to and supported the magazine since its inception.”
Inspired by Perfect Blue, a Japanese adult animated thriller, the cover — shot by Steven Klein — portrays a topless Kim Kardashian against a red curtain.
The interview with Kardashian talks about a range of topics, from the evolution of her fame to the way she’s represented as both a sex symbol and a mom.
Richardson talked to Vanity Fair about landing Kim for the issue.
“I basically was working with Kanye on a couple of projects, so I had met with Kim…That was about a year and a half ago. A lot of energy went into getting it to work and making it happen. It was very cool, but logistically probably more challenging than anything we’d done before.”
While Kardashian was shooting the cover, she also happened to get a phone call from Donald Trump about the pardoned inmate Alice Johnson, who she had advocated for. But, Richardson told Vanity Fair, even a call from the president didn’t interrupt her work.
“As a testament to Kim, she was there from 7 a.m. until 11 at night the first day and about the same the second day,” he said. “She’s really hard-working and committed and didn’t really waver. It didn’t really change anything. There was maybe a conversation, but it didn’t change her commitment to the project.”
The issue is available on the Richardson online store, Richardson stores, and select retailers. Stay tuned for a capsule collection that will accompany the issue, with T-shirts, hoodies and a reversible MA-1 bomber jacket, out on Oct. 26.
Photo by: Getty Images