Rihanna captured by Hungarian photographer, as we've never see her

“We just did the sickest shoot ever,” Rihanna says to the camera in EE72 magazine’s behind-the-scenes video, after spending a day in front of Szilveszter Makó’s lens. The photo series created for the cover story of the magazine’s summer issue sets the bar high in every way: in Makó’s surreal, painting-like images, we are introduced to a whole new side of Rihanna—the singer-businesswoman-style icon who puts models to shame—while in the selection curated by the magazine’s editor-in-chief, Edward Enninful, iconic pieces from this year’s collections of the hottest fashion brands are given the artistic consideration they deserve. The end result is sure to be talked about for a long time to come by those interested in fashion photography.

The unique visual world of the Hungarian-born, but US-based Szilveszter Makó and his precisely composed, staged images are hard to mistake for anyone else’s. The photographer plans his images down to the smallest detail, filling them with unique objects and hidden symbols. His name is becoming increasingly well-known in the fashion world; in recent years, he has worked with celebrities such as Willem Dafoe, Bad Bunny, Cate Blanchett, Gwendoline Christie, Elle Fanning, and Marina Abramović. Makó is responsible for the campaign photos of the Transylvanian fashion brand ABODI Transylvania, but he also regularly collaborates with Zara, which is why he recently created the portrait series with which the Spanish fast-fashion brand announced the signing of legendary fashion designer John Galliano. Most recently, Anya Taylor-Joy posed for his camera, wearing an ABODI leather jacket in one of the photos.

Makó has long been a familiar name in the fashion world, but he truly burst onto the scene last December with the photo series he shot for The Cut magazine featuring Rama Duwaji, the wife of New York’s recently inaugurated mayor. The photo series with Rihanna could be another step toward establishing his name among the hottest fashion photographers.

EE72 magazine was founded last September by Edward Enninful, the former editor-in-chief of the British Vogue. The magazine is published quarterly; the summer issue is the fourth (the first featured Julia Roberts on the cover, the second South Sudanese supermodel Ajus Samuel, and the third Kate Moss). The fact that Enninful launched yet another printed fashion magazine at a time when the future of the genre’s biggest players—such as the print edition of American Vogue—is highly uncertain might have appeared to be a risky venture, but from the very beginning, EE72 has consciously sought to distance itself from monthly publications, instead positioning itself as a collectible periodical aimed at the fashion industry’s elite. This is reflected in the price as well; a single issue costs nearly 7,000 forints (USD 20).

Enninful didn't leave anything to chance: not only did he commission a photographer with a truly unique style to capture one of the world's biggest stars for the magazine, but the photos also feature pieces from fashion brands such as Schiaparelli, Givenchy, Dior, Chanel, and Alexander McQueen. Additionally, Bottega Veneta’s fiberglass skirt, Wolford’s jumpsuits, and Giuseppe Zanotti’s fishbone-jeweled high-heeled sandals also make an appearance. In one photo, the feathered coat from Schiaparelli’s Spring/Summer 2026 couture collection isn’t even being worn, but is instead seen in the singer’s hands—and for good reason: the bird-like coat is a true work of art, one that would have a place in any museum.

The magazine features both a front and a back cover; on the former, Rihanna is seen in a piece from Jonathan Anderson’s Dior collection, and on the latter, in a piece from Alessandro Michele’s Valentino Spring/Summer 2026 haute couture collection. The photo series also features a uniquely structured orange skirt from Pieter Mulier’s final Alaïa collection (the designer signed with Versace). As always, the singer’s makeup was done with products from her own line, Fenty Beauty.

The photos were taken in Paris, and the singer’s baby daughter, Rocki, born last September, was also there during the shoot, though she did not appear in the photos this time (in April of this year, she too became a cover star, appearing alongside Rihanna on the cover of W magazine—in Dior).