Sabrina Carpenter is entering a new era, and she’s making sure the world knows she’s not here to play it safe. The pop sensation — famous for her cheeky lyrics and bold public persona — is now extending that fearless energy straight into her wardrobe. In her new Variety cover story, she admits she’s fully embracing the version of herself that refuses to shrink, censor, or apologize. “I want to remember this as the time I never held back,” she said. And judging by her recent photoshoot, she meant every word.
Carpenter, who has spent the past year owning her sexy, rebellious aesthetic, says she’s only scratching the surface of the woman she’s becoming. She told the magazine she always imagined adulthood as the moment she would fully explore her own sensuality — though she jokes she’s still figuring out what that even means. Until then, she’s expressing it the best way she knows how: through a fashion identity that blends playful glamour with provocative, vintage-inspired edge.
For her cover look, Sabrina climbed to the rooftop of New York’s Manner Hotel in a breathtakingly sheer lace gown by Jacquemus — a white, high-neck piece made almost entirely of see-through crochet. The dress gathered into sculptural ruffles down the back, giving her the appearance of a modern angel who wandered out of a dream and onto a skyscraper. Styled with a delicate crochet scarf worn like an old-Hollywood head wrap, the look was equal parts romantic and risqué — exactly the blend Carpenter has made her signature.
But the fashion feast didn’t stop there. In another shot, she swapped ethereal lace for full feline fantasy, posing with a fluffy cat while rocking a vintage off-the-shoulder leopard print minidress by Emanuel Ungaro. Hot pink heels by Melissa x Vivienne Westwood pushed the outfit from playful to unapologetically seductive, proving Carpenter is just as comfortable in campy drama as she is in barely-there lace.
Her final look softened into dreamy pastels: a pale green flutter-sleeve dress by Conner Ives, topped with a fuzzy white newsboy cap from Palace Costume and a ring engraved with her initials. The energy was sweet, whimsical, and effortlessly charming — a fitting contrast to her bolder ensembles.
From nearly naked lace to wild-cat glam to airy vintage chic, Sabrina Carpenter’s Variety spread marks a woman stepping into her power, her voice, and her pleasure — and looking dangerously good while doing it.
