Two Fall Fashion Issue Covers, Two Letters From The Editor-In-Chief

I almost didn’t step in front of the camera for this issue. Not because I didn’t believe in the message, but because, like so many women, I’ve spent years behind the scenes — building, supporting, creating.

But this time is different. This issue is different.

We’re living in a moment where artificial intelligence is being used to erase the very soul of the creative industry — one editorial, one campaign, one generated model at a time. It’s fast. It’s clean. It’s cost-effective. It’s perfect.

But it’s also empty, because fashion has a pulse. And #AICantDoThis.

The BELLA Fashion Issue has always celebrated style, beauty, and creativity — but this year, it’s also a protest. A declaration. A reminder.

I didn’t step onto this cover for fame — I stepped into it because I’ve earned every inch of this ground.

I’ve been told I’d never make it. Shut out of rooms I now run. Skipped over, talked down to, told to stay in my lane. And now? I own a platform in the industry I once dreamed to be seen by.

This is about power reclaimed. More importantly, it’s about reminding every woman watching that you don’t have to wait for permission to take up space — you just have to be you.

This cover is about presence. About legacy. About showing up for those who feel they’re being replaced or edited out.

Alongside me, you’ll meet Annabelle Hedges, a fresh face for the future of fashion — a young woman who reminds us that beauty doesn’t need to be downloaded to be seen. Annabelle represents the generation we’re fighting for — one that’s watching as creativity gets faster, faker, and flatter — and who deserves to know there’s still room for what’s real.

And speaking of legacy — in this issue, we honor Fern Mallis, the visionary behind New York Fashion Week. A woman who helped shape the very runways now grappling with the consequences of automation. Fern’s presence in these pages is not just historic — it’s grounding. She reminds us that fashion is people. Stories. Risk. Emotion. It has always been that — and it must continue to be.

As we head into Fashion Forward Week and NYFW, we’re not just dropping covers. We’re starting conversations. We’re amplifying voices. We’re saying out loud what so many in this industry have quietly feared: If we’re not careful, fashion won’t just lose its edge — it will lose its heartbeat.

To every stylist, model, photographer, designer, editor, makeup artist, assistant, and visionary: We see you. This one is for you.

Because machines can replicate style. But they can’t replicate soul. BELLA will never stop fighting for that.

With love,

Vanessa Coppes

CEO + Editor-in-Chief

She walked into the spotlight with grace, presence, and power.

Annabelle Hedges represents the future of fashion, not because she’s perfectly styled or algorithm-approved — but because she’s real. She’s raw, still learning, still reaching — and that’s exactly why she deserves to be seen.

When I decided to create two covers for this issue, I knew Annabelle needed to be one of them.

Where artificial intelligence is being used to generate faces, clone poses, and erase entire creative jobs, her cover is a reminder: Realness still matters. Presence still matters. Soul still matters. And #AICantDoThis.

This fashion issue isn’t just a celebration. It’s a statement.

We’re not just spotlighting the next generation — we’re fighting for it.

Annabelle’s generation is growing up in an era where perfection is simulated, speed is rewarded, and authenticity feels optional. But she reminds us what fashion has always been at its core: human.

That’s why her image, captured beautifully and honestly by the legendary Nigel Barker, stands without heavy retouching, filters, or fabrication. It shows what AI can’t reproduce — heart, softness, strength.

She is not just our cover star — she is our why.

Because this issue isn’t about chasing likes or going viral. It’s about making space. About protecting artistry. About ensuring that the future of fashion still has a pulse.

And as we honor the iconic Fern Mallis in these pages — a woman whose legacy built the very runways now grappling with the rise of automation — we also honor every single creative who’s been told they’re being replaced by a faster, cheaper, cleaner version.

No machine can feel the heat of backstage chaos.

No code can replace the hands that stitch meaning into garments.

No AI will ever dream like a young girl taking up space.

This is for the dreamers. The doers. The ones who stay up late and show up early. The ones who were told they weren’t enough — and kept going anyway.

Annabelle, this one’s for you.

And for every girl watching — wondering if there’s still room for what’s real.

There is. And there always will be. BELLA will never stop fighting for that.

With love + purpose,

Vanessa Coppes

CEO + Editor-in-Chief