Heroine #16

It’s Amanda Seyfried, but virtually unrecognisable. Jutted jaw, hunched, stompy walk, untamed hair and unnerving accent. A complete transformation without prosthetics or CGI, just good, old-fashioned, well-researched, exquisitely executed acting. She’s done all of the work, but it doesn’t feel laboured, it feels energising, engrossing and delicious to watch.

Already massively accomplished, Seyfried spun a 180 mid-career with her unexpected and brilliant portrayal of biotech fraudster Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout: proving herself as one of the most watchable character actors of her generation. In conversation with James Norton , Seyfriedstars on the cover of Heroine 16 and reflects on the opportunities that propelled her to this point.

Artist Graciela Iturbide spent a life studying the rituals and iconography, the human exchanges, processes, understanding and shared moments that define us. Timing with her acclaimed exhibition Heliotrope 37 at Fondation Cartier, she looks back on a career documenting her native Mexico with authenticity and expression.

LVMH prize-winning designer Thebe Magugu uses his voice to communicate narratives from South Africa – about corruption and politics, but also about family, memory and hope.

Lauren Auder is a genre-shifting singer-songwriter who pays homage to humans as complex creators. When she found songwriting elusive, she just did it every day until she got better: “Most people have many great ideas – then it’s like, can you have the discipline to make that work?”

Plus Ari Marcopoulos’ latest instalment of Chaos, a unique zine by the artist photographer only found in the pages of Herione.

Hong Jang Hyun and Lisa Jarvis capture a portrait of youth in Korea, Fabien Montiqueand Laetitia Paul transform model Amandine Renard into a series of off-beat personas and Clare Shilland and PeghahMaleknejad imagine a poetic vision of 80s high school. Nhu Xuan Hua and HEROINE Senior Fashion Editor PeghahMaleknejadcapture Chanel's Coco Crush jewellery as a series of alluring film stills while IñigoAwewave and Joana Dachevillepaint an 80s noir composition with Dior Beauty.