Seven days ago, Ayo Edebiri graced the March cover of Paper Magazine and the internet has not recovered. Decorated like a 90s paper doll, the images look like sketches plucked straight from a designer’s notebook—analog in feeling, deliberate in execution, and completely unforgettable. But great cover stories don’t happen by accident. Here’s a closer look at the creative minds who made it happen.
Photographer: Jaša Müller
Müller’s fingerprints are all over this Paper Mag shoot. The Paris-based photographer brings a painter’s sensibility to his images. His work blends texture, emotion and a subtle surrealism into a visual language rooted in intimacy and curiosity — portraits of friends, muses and collaborators that feel suspended somewhere between a photograph and a painting. Quiet but magnetic, his images pull you in before you realize you’re already there.
Stylist: Angelina Cantu
Edebiri wore Chanel’s Spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection, styled head to toe by Angelina Cantu. The New York-based stylist and creative producer sits at the intersection of fashion, culture and media,bringing all three to every project she touches. As an executive producer at Paper Magazine, Cantu is as much an architect of the publication’s visual identity as she is a stylist. Her client roster spans from POSE legend Dominique Jackson to Matthew McConaughey, and somehow she makes both make sense.
Makeup Artist: Dee
Dee (@deemakeupart) is not your average MUA. Having worked with Rico Nasty, SZA and Doechii—to name a few—her portfolio speaks for itself. But what sets Dee apart isn’t just the résumé, it’s the philosophy behind the brush. She’s on a mission to redefine what beauty looks like, pushing her clients and her craft toward the unconventional, the unexpected, and the genuinely original. For this shoot, that spirit is written all over Edebiri’s face—literally.
We remain obsessed with this shoot and more importantly, the creative minds who made it possible. Behind every iconic cover is a laundry list of artists, visionaries and collaborators putting in the work long before the camera clicks. This is their moment too.
