Rihanna! Anne Hathaway! Billie Eilish! Olivia Dean! Raye! Those are just a few of the names that Nina Garcia has managed to secure for the cover of ELLE throughout 2026. Up next on the cover of ELLE is none other than Julia Garner, who makes an appearance on the October edition of the magazine. In her American ELLE cover debut, the American actress lights up a cigarette in the unconventional cover photograph, captured by the photographer Allan Hamitouche. Against a classic grey studio backdrop, the Golden Globe Award-winning talent showcases a feathered creation from Pierpaolo Piccioli’s debut Balenciaga Haute Couture Fall 2026 collection.

Julia Garner on the Cover of ELLE October 2026IMAGE | ELLE.COM Read below the reactions of theFashionSpot’s forum members:

“Great cover!” Lola701 heralded upon first look.

“WAKE UP, HONEY! MOTHER IS MOTHERING AS USUAL!” raved JPineapple.

“Not a big fan of the cigarette/making smoking ‘cool’ again movement, but it is quite a striking cover, you gotta admit,” confessed ingvar.

“This one is much better than their September cover. And yes, I’m loving it,” enthused voulezvous.

Vogue28 commented: “Absolutely love the attitude this cover radiates. This is exactly what the cover of a fashion magazine should do – command your attention and ooze allure and pure, unapologetic glamour. I’m not even a Julia Garner fan, but this is pretty fierce. So much stronger than last month’s banal Rihanna offering.”

“It’s gorgeous, even with something as lame as a cigarette,” noted Squizree.

“I like everything except the cigarette. Smoking is not cool and should not be promoted on magazine covers, especially in this day and age,” MModa scolded.

See more of Julia Garner from the US ELLE October 2026 cover shoot and click here to join the conversation.