In June 2020, it became known that the world's most famous fashion magazine would get a Scandinavian edition. Almost a year later, large parts of the editorial staff were in place, with four Norwegians among the employees; Rawdah Muhamad, Celine Aagaard, Marianne Theodorsen, and Betty Bachz.

When the first issue of the magazine came out in September 2021, Melk & Honning tasked fashion theorist Pia Henriksen with reviewing it. She called it "almost stereotypically correct where it has to be, but perfectly executed".

In the spring, it became known that all four Norwegians quit. Muhamad stated in that connection that the magazine "did not meet the standard she thought Vogue should have". When Melk & Honning met editor-in-chief Martina Bonnier in connection with the magazine's one-year anniversary in September, she did not want to comment on it.

When asked why there had been no Norwegians on the cover of the magazine, she nevertheless eased the lid a little.

- It's a secret, but it's coming very soon...

According to her, it was an "interesting and current person from the Nordics."

The news broke late Tuesday afternoon.

No less than three Norwegians feature on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia's brand-new October/November issue.

The Norwegian-Somali top model Ceval Omar is in the spotlight, surrounded by, among others, IT photographer Jacqueline Landvik and model and artist Inti Wang.

Omar has been very successful in the international modeling industry. She was the first black trans to be booked by British Vogue, has been featured in beauty campaigns for YSL and Charlotte Tilbury, Off-White, and Mugler, and featured on major advertising posters for Dolce & Gabbana.

Omar has also been on the cover of Norwegian and Danish ELLE.

With the tagline 'Ceval and her sisters', she has a bunch of her very best friends within the LGBTQIA+ community on the cover.

The photos were taken by Romanian Dan Beleiu.

According to the interview – penned by digital editor for Vogue Scandinavia Allyson Shiffman – this was Omar's own idea.

She is said to have sent over a photo taken by Peter Lindbergh for Vogue in the 90s, where the most legendary models of the time stood side by side, and wanted it to be the inspiration for the shoot but in an updated version, with greater diversity and more trans people. Landvik is also a trans woman, while Wang has a non-conforming attitude to gender.

Three Norwegians feature on the cover of the new Vogue Scandinavia

Photo: Dan Beleiu / Vogue Scandinavia

- It could have been a separate celebration just by me. But I wanted to pay tribute to all the different versions of me that make room for me in this world, just as I make room for them. They deserve a tribute and the spotlight aimed at them, Omar explains in the interview.

When asked by Shiffman if she can describe her best friend, Jacqueline says the following:

- You know when gay people say "She is the moment?". Well, Ceval literally is.

- Ending up on the cover of Vogue after icons such as Prince Nikolai, Helena Christensen, and Alicia Vikander is of course huge. And there is no doubt that for a model a Vogue cover is extremely valuable, Jonas Mangerud at Heartbreak model agency tells Melk & Honning.

- But the most special thing is that she has been given such a place to frolic. At the same time, they serve a story that many people need to hear, he continues.

Mangerud hopes many people buy the magazine and read her story.

On Monday this week, it was also announced that Omar is among the models in Victoria's Secret's new global campaign. There she is, among other things, together with greats such as Bella Hadid and Paloma Elsesser.

- Over the past decades, VS has been considered one of the biggest things you can do as a model. They were then forced to change their course slightly to adapt to "the new times", explains Mangerud.

- And they are already proving that with this new campaign.

He believes that if you ask models, many probably still have Victoria's Secret at the top of the list of campaigns they want.

- And there are still only a handful of Norwegians who have worked for them, he concludes.