Model and singer Cara Delevingne has suited up for a magazine photoshoot while reflecting on whether she has been too honest about her personal life.
The 34-year-old star posed for the Harper's BAZAAR September 2026 ICONS Issue, opening up to the publication on Wednesday about how much of her private story she has shared in the past.
In June, Delevingne appeared on Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy podcast, where she discussed her path to sobriety, childhood trauma, sexuality, industry pressures, and her journey navigating addiction. The popular podcast is widely known for candid interviews with high-profile celebrities discussing personal struggles.
Reflecting on that level of openness, Delevingne admitted to having mixed feelings. "There's a part of me that after I do stuff like that, I'm like, 'Why did I do that?'" she told the magazine.
"But there's another part of me, especially as someone who's struggled with mental-health stuff and substance stuff and everything, that I feel like I need to be honest about that, that maybe that will help people more," she added.
The model also spoke about managing her mental wellbeing while balancing a manic schedule, admitting that she has to "really work to relax". She quipped: "I'm an unmedicated mental-health queen - we do our best."
Harper's Bazaar Icons photoshoot
For the accompanying photoshoot, Delevingne looked stunning in a sheer black sequin top in an off-the-shoulder style, teamed with leather gloves and a plain skirt. In a contrasting look, she wore a sharp black and white suit paired with tall boots and swept her hair into an updo.
Harper's Bazaar, one of fashion's longest-running publications, features influential figures across culture and entertainment in its annual Icons feature. Delevingne first rose to prominence as a supermodel in the 2010s before expanding into acting and music.
Delevingne was joined in the special spread by a stellar lineup of stars, including Charlotte Rampling, Alysa Liu, Julie Mehretu, Gabbriette, Chris Fleming, Kim Gordon, and Anna Sawai.
American model and musician Gabbriette, 29, looked stunning in one black and white shot as she wore a mini dress. Gabbriette, lead singer of the punk band Nasty Cherry, has become a prominent name in alternative fashion.
Actress Charlotte Rampling also starred in the spread, wearing a dramatic red ruffled dress as she posed up a storm. Rampling is an Oscar-nominated English cinema icon whose acting career spans six decades.
Singer Kim Gordon, 73, wore a knitted red dress for the glossy shoot. Gordon is renowned as the founding bassist and co-vocalist of the pioneering American alternative rock group Sonic Youth.
Artist Julie Mehretu wore a smart suit for the photoshoot. Mehretu is an acclaimed Ethiopian-American visual artist celebrated worldwide for her large-scale abstract paintings.
Japanese actress and singer Anna Sawai wore a structured black dress paired with white socks and chunky shoes. Sawai recently gained widespread critical acclaim for her leading role in the historical drama series Shogun.
Comedian Chris Fleming and figure skater Alysa Liu also completed the diverse group of cultural icons selected for the feature spread.
Playboy cover and body empowerment
Alongside her Bazaar feature, Delevingne has been embracing her sexy side in recent months, declaring that it is "fun to be naked" after posing for the cover of Playboy.
Described as her raciest magazine cover to date, the Playboy shoot saw Delevingne go topless and model a series of sexy lingerie sets. In one shot she wore red heart-shaped pasties, before covering her modesty in foam.
Playboy detailed that Delevingne made history as the first out lesbian woman to appear on the print cover of the magazine. To mark the occasion, she also donned the iconic Bunny Suit, becoming the first supermodel to do so for the publication since Kate Moss in 2014.
Photographs from the shoot captured her lighting up a cigarette with a match in a smouldering pose while showing off arm tattoos. Another shot showed her prowling towards the camera in red lingerie while her image was displayed on a vast screen alongside.
She also slipped into the classic Playboy ensemble comprising a corset, bowtie, bunny ears, and cuffs. Another image provided a full shot of her bunnytailed bottom, cuffs, and Playboy cufflinks.
Reflecting on the shoot, Delevingne declared: "It's so fun being naked." She added: "I love the sense in the freedom of owning my sexuality and owning my body and I think for the first time instead of getting naked for a brand or an editorial, this felt more like my choice. Like, of course it's always been my choice, but it felt like something so liberating. That to me is sexy."
She also recalled sending the photos to her girlfriend during the session. "I was texting my girlfriend earlier and I was sending her the photos and she was like 'Oh my god, you look so pretty'. And I was like 'But I'm just a silly baby pretending to be a sexy lady and sometimes that's how it feels," she revealed.
"You know, everyone has that kind of polarity and dichotomy and so kind of playing within that and still having fun while trying on this, like I'm a sexy woman because you can be all of those things," she noted.
Delevingne deemed her cover appearance "powerful", acknowledging Playboy's history. "Of course, Playboy is very much a heterosexual institution. That's why it felt like a bit of a 'f**k you' and a rebellious thing to do, and to have an incredible female-led creative team - a lot of them being queer - felt really fun and different," she said.
Speaking about stripping off, she noted how her perspective has evolved: "I've been naked before in shoots, in movies. But it always made me feel a bit gross when it was for someone else - of course, it was my choice and I agreed to it, but it never felt empowering... I didn't feel great after it. But today I had so much fun. I've never felt more comfortable in my body and in my sexuality. I feel like I'm in more of my prime as a woman and as a sexual being."
Music career under a new name
In addition to her modeling and acting work, Delevingne opened up about her music career during her conversation with the publication.
She revealed that she wants her future musical releases to go out under a different name in order to avoid "preconceived ideas" from the public.
