There’s a reason some models dominate print and some dominate the runway. Oftentimes, it comes down to elements out of the model’s control, such as height — although, we won’t ever forget the iconic struts and chokehold Kate Moss and Devon Aoki had on the fashion industry. Still, it isn’t super common for models to walk multiple shows and grace multiple magazine covers, billboards or storefronts unless they are already celebrities in their own right.

The main reason, though? Plain ol’ awkwardness or uncreative photos.

It sounds kind of ironic, since lots of editorials seem to be straight-faced, but when I think of some of the best editorials, I think of how the models capture the essence of their environment and the story behind it, for example: Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Claudia Schiffer’s “Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down” spread by Ellen von Unwerth for GQ or Patrick Demarchelier’s photo for Vogue of Caroline Trentini with videographers for the filming of “The September Issue” (2009).

Maybe it’s more of a personal preference, as many people will argue the straight-faced models are meant to “stand there and look pretty” — essentially hired to be beautiful, glorified hangers. But I find that flipping through pages of a brand’s coffee table book or an issue of Vogue France is more enjoyable when the model, clothes, background, props and overall vibe help paint a story.

I saw this fiercely refreshing storytelling in Acne Studios’ Fall/Winter 2023 editorial with Kylie Jenner. Strangely enough, it reminded me a lot of Christian Dior’s Spring 2001 spread with Gisele Bündchen.

Frankly, while she isn’t a runway model, Kylie Jenner blew her sister, Kendall Jenner, and all of her past editorials out of the park.

In the shoot, Kylie Jenner is covered in dirt and donning denim. Some images were even edited with two of herself in one photo, as if Kylie Jenner had an identical twin. Her facial expressions, poses and overall simplicity of the photos were killer. In such minimalism around her, the dark washes of denim acted as magnets for readers’ eyes to discover the wonderful tension — a flirty invitation to dive into Acne Studios’ new collection.

It really surprised me that the shoot was for Acne Studios, in all honesty. Not that it hasn’t been relevant in a while, but I personally stopped paying a lot of attention to it in recent years. While still an iconic “multidisciplinary” fashion house, the Sweden-based brand had its moment in the early 2000s, dominating the internet with its iconic square face and Tumblr.

I thought to myself: Did the label have a brand revival? Maybe I haven’t been paying close enough attention, but it seems the edgier, ready-to-wear collection Acne Studios just launched is simply keeping up with the recent trends of loud hardware, chunky boots (a la Miu Miu) and leather for the fall. Nothing major has changed other than my impression, as even its creative director has remained the same since its launch in 1996 under Jonny Johansson — who is also the co-founder of Acne Studios.

An example of a true revival, in my opinion, is Diesel with its Fall 2022 ready-to-wear collection. The collection utterly changed Diesel’s brand demographic, buzz and relevancy in the industry. Since it dropped this collection, Diesel photos on my Pinterest have increased dramatically, and the search term on Google Trends shows a steady increase of searches for the brand since the collection’s debut, despite the slow decline since 2004.

Regardless of whether I believe, no one believes or the entire industry agrees there has been a rebirth of a brand, there has to be an understanding of how to truly assess the value of a brand. To step halfway into the role of a “finance bro,” stocks can only tell us so much. Business can be booming, but that doesn’t equate to love and loyalty from a consumer to a brand. Hypotheses of revivals need to be approached with the scientific method or, rather, with aggressive academic research; there needs to be careful consideration of diverse perspectives and a deep dive into each layer of the industry, business and history of the company.

That doesn’t mean, though, that you can’t form your own opinions — as I have with Diesel — regardless of if you do research or not. So, let me know what you think about Kylie Jenner, Acne Studios or your take on the world today. I’m always around and my doors are always open, especially for a fashion enthusiast.

Hadyn Phillips is a junior writing about fashion in the 21st century, specifically spotlighting new trends and popular controversy. Her column, “That’s Fashion, Sweetie,” runs every Wednesday.