Holocaust survivor Margot Friedländer lands on German Vogue cover

She is one of the last few Holocaust survivors who experienced the horrors of Nazi crimes firsthand. Having first lived in the US, she moved to Berlin in 2010 and has since been tirelessly campaigning for a remembrance culture as well as for mutual understanding and tolerance. In 2016, she received the Order of Merit of Berlin, the highest award given by the state.

But an even older model has already made it onto the cover of the magazine in 2023: Apo Whang-Od, who hails from a remote, mountainous village in the Kalinga province in northern Philippines, began tattooing at age 16. The traditional Kalinga tattooist has inspired a new generation to learn "batok," which involves tapping tattoos into the skin by hand using a thorn dipped in soot and natural dye.

Hollywood darling Timothee Chalamet is the first man to make a solo appearance on the cover of British Vogue in its 106-year history. Vogue describes him as carving out "a new genre of man" who delivers both vulnerable and violent performances. In the interview, Chalamet talks about growing up, his ambitions and the importance of going to the dentist.

Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, 44-year-old Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, discussed her unannounced trip to the US in July 2022, where she addressed Congress. Saying that she was speaking as a mother and daughter, not just a First Lady, she showed US lawmakers pictures of Ukrainian children who had been killed by Russian rockets before she requested more support in the form of arms.

Promoting her latest album, "30," the English singer-songwriter graced the November 2021 covers of both British and American "Vogue" with two different photos. In the interview, Adele broke her media silence on her drastic weight loss: "I did it for myself and not anyone else. So why would I ever share it?" Adele said, reacting to fans who would have liked to follow her "journey" on Instagram.

Featuring on the fashion magazine's Summer 2021 cover, the teenage activist used the platform to criticize fast fashion: "The fashion industry is a huge contributor to the climate and ecological emergency, not to mention its impact on the countless workers and communities who are being exploited around the world in order for some to enjoy fast fashion that many treat as disposables," she tweeted.

As a 15-year-old, Malala was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan because she spoke up for girls' education. In 2014, she received the Nobel Peace Prize. She featured on the cover of Vogue UK's July 2021 edition, in which she discussed the limits of online activism: "Right now ... we have associated activism with tweets. That needs to change, because Twitter is a completely different world."

We watched agog as she recited her poem "The Hill We Climb" with such aplomb at Joe Biden's inauguration. Since then, Amanda Gorman's star has been on the ascent. The 24-year-old cultural icon, Harvard graduate and Youth Poet Laureate has since landed a modeling contract and will grace the cover of US Vogue in May 2021.

In an Instagram post, musician Lizzo claimed that she was the first big, Black woman on the cover of Vogue — although the magazine itself hasn't confirmed that. Nevertheless, the rest of her post is worth emulating: "But our time has come. To all my Black girls, if someone like you hasn't done it yet — BE THE FIRST."

British pop singer (and former One Direction heartthrob) Harry Styles became the US magazine's first ever male cover star in November 2020. Garbed in a Gucci gown paired with a black tuxedo jacket, the cover sparked debate. Styles responded, "I think what's exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn't have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred."

In a country where lighter skinned people get more media coverage despite being outnumbered by Indigenous communities, Mexican actor Yalitza Aparicio's Vogue Mexico cover made history. The former preschool teacher, who received a best actress Oscar nomination for her debut performance in Alfonso Cuaron's 2018 drama "Roma," was named UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples in 2019.

Padma Lakshmi, top chef, author and host of an Emmy-winning television show, is also an ambassador for the American Civil Liberties Union. She has established the Endometriosis Foundation of America (a condition that she suffered personally), and placed the spotlight on sexual assault in an op-ed in 2018 in the New York Times, where she revealed that she too was a rape survivor.

The first Indian woman to grace the cover of US Vogue, Priyanka Chopra rose to fame in her native India after being crowned Miss World in 2000. She starred in several Bollywood films, winning acting awards on the way. She has since successfully crossed over to Hollywood and recently published her memoir, "Unfinished," which made the New York Times bestseller list.

No Vogue-related listicle would be complete without a mention of the singer who not only influenced pop culture but whose similarly titled single put "vogue-ing" on the map. The 65-year-old music icon has been setting trends since the 80s, and has played muse to fashion designers and younger pop stars alike.

The Oscar-winning Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong'o has openly spoken of her insecurity about her looks. "Until I saw people who looked like me, doing the things I wanted to. Seeing Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey in 'The Color Purple,' it dawned on me: 'Oh — I could be an actress!' We plant the seed of possibility." She now uses her platform "to expand and diversify the African voice."

Besides Laverne Cox, who became the first trans cover person on British Vogue, this landmark issue boasted a cover line-up of global female movers-and-shakers including New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern; teenage Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, and Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.