Krista Smith talks Vanity Fair's 2016 Hollywood Issue

Vanity Fair out with its annual Hollywood Issue, complete with photos by Annie Leibovitz. Krista Smith is the magazine's West Coast Editor.

Vanity Fair's 2016 Hollywood cover is a female tour de force, with Annie Leibovitz wielding her camera once again, and a group of 13 actresses reveling in one another's company.

Not since 2001 has the iconic issue featured an all-female, multi-generational lineup, and this issue and the accompanying portfolio include actresses who occupy all points of the Hollywood pantheon, from legends such as Helen Mirren and Jane Fonda to 2016 breakout stars such as Alicia Vikander and Saoirse Ronan, to game changers such as Viola Davis and Lupita Nyong'o, ranging in age from 21 to 78.

The 13 actresses assembled have racked up 35 Oscar nominations and nine wins, with all five of this year's best actress nominees included.

The full lineup of actresses includes:


Says Vanity Fair fashion and style director Jessica Diehl of the cover's all-black palette, "The dresses on the cover are all black because that lets each actress's face stand out--faces that are expressive, and in many cases even transformative."

This marks the first time the portfolio inside the magazine encompasses the same subjects celebrated on the cover. Contributing editor James Wolcott soaks up the defining details of each of the 13 actresses' contributions to the year in film, as well as the industry overall.

The Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair is available on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles, and on the iPhone, Kindle, and other devices, on Thursday, February 4, and nationally on Tuesday, February 8.

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