‘Blade Runner 2099’ Star Hunter Schafer Gets Gloriously Weird With Flames, Feathers and a Knitted Rat in Elle’s Surreal Shoot
Hunter Schafer has never treated fashion as a simple matter of looking good. Whether she is on a red carpet or in a magazine, the actress and model tends to lean into the strange, the theatrical and the unexpected. That instinct is on full display in her latest editorial.
Schafer covers the November 2026 issue of Elle, which hits newsstands November 3 and is already online. The accompanying interview, written by Lotte Jeffs, covers her first TV lead role in ‘Blade Runner 2099’, queerness, celebrity and spirituality. But it’s the photographs that are stealing attention.
Hunter Schafer photographed by Szilveszter Makó for the latest issue of ELLE Magazine. 📷 https://t.co/bFOQECKBnR
— Film Crave (@_filmcrave) October 19, 2026
The images were created by Szilveszter Makó, who both photographed and art directed the story. Makó is a Hungarian fashion photographer based in Milan, known for an illustrative, theatrical and surrealist style. He has shot covers with stars including Elle Fanning, Willem Dafoe and Anya Taylor-Joy.
The pictures live up to that reputation. One look shows a black feathered mini dress, black gloves and heels against a painted backdrop with flames licking up from the bottom. Another pairs a sleeveless, textured dark column dress with long black gloves and a bare-legged silhouette.
Hunter Schafer stuns for Elle Magazine 📸: Szilveszter Makó https://t.co/aFAIcZZIm8
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 19, 2026
The most memorable frame features a cream coat with a dark fur trim and a quilted black bag. A knitted white rat is tucked into the crook of an arm, with its pink limbs hanging down. It is exactly the kind of odd, charming detail that makes a fashion story stick.
The set design by Edith Di Monda leans into the dreamlike mood, with painterly backgrounds and muted, moody lighting. The images feel more like a collection of paintings than a typical magazine spread. That fits Schafer, who has a background in visual art and has long been drawn to experimental looks.
Hunter Schafer behind the scenes of her Elle Magazine’s cover shoot, by Szilveszter Makó. https://t.co/SizFhkvzek
— Hunter Schafer Central (@schafercentral) October 19, 2026
The credits show a mix of heavyweight labels. One look features a sweater and skirt by Marc Jacobs, while another has a cardigan and pencil skirt by Tom Ford with a Prada bag. Shoes by Olivier Theyskens and Jeremyn Lee Archive round out the styling.
Jessica Willis served as stylist, with hair by Pablo Kümin and makeup by Raoul Alejandre. Honey did the manicure for Dior Vernis. The full team clearly built a world that is both elegant and slightly unsettling.
Hunter Schafer graces the cover of Elle Magazine’s new issue. https://t.co/hcCmMvVjfO
— Hunter Schafer Central (@schafercentral) October 19, 2026
Beyond the visuals, the cover story is a candid one. Schafer discusses taking on her first TV lead as Cora in ‘Blade Runner 2099’, a human pretending to be a replicant Blade Runner. She has said the role is a serious one, and that the character barely smiles.
She also opens up about her gender identity and shares that she had gender-affirming surgery in December 2025, describing the experience as amazing. Elle’s headline says she wants to make a trans girl rom-com, which hints at the lighter side of her creative ambitions. The mix of heavy and playful topics makes the piece feel like a complete portrait.
The shoot arrives as Schafer is in the middle of a busy style run. She is a longtime Prada ambassador and the face of Mugler’s Angel Elixir fragrance. At the 2026 Met Gala, she channeled a Klimt painting in a Prada gown with deliberately torn holes, and she wore a custom velvet Prada look to the Academy Museum Gala.
Her third season as Jules in ‘Euphoria’ premiered in April, keeping her firmly in the spotlight. Each new editorial adds to a reputation for fearless choices. The Makó photographs fit neatly into that pattern.
A surreal editorial can easily feel like style over substance. Here, the strangeness matches the conversation inside the magazine, which is about identity, self-expression and growth. The odd props and painted backdrops echo the idea of someone building a life that is entirely her own.
It also shows how much trust Schafer places in her collaborators. The risk of looking silly is real when you are posed beside a knitted rat. Instead, she makes it look effortless and a little bit magical.
For fans who love fashion that takes chances, this is a shoot worth studying closely. It blends art, couture and personality into a single, memorable story.
Which detail from Hunter Schafer’s surreal Elle shoot stands out most to you?
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