Taylor Swift covers British Vogue in first magazine shoot for Reputation

Taylor Swift is celebrating her pop comeback by featuring on the prestigious cover of British Vogue.

The superstar took a step back from the limelight following the end of her 1989 World Tour in late 2015, and only returned to the public eye this summer (17) as she prepared for the November release of Reputation, her first album in three years.

Now Taylor has unveiled her first magazine shoot since her chart return, reuniting with famed photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott to front the January, 2018 edition of the top fashion publication, the second issue released under the watchful eye of new British Vogue editor Edward Enninful.

The 27-year-old took to Instagram on Monday (04Dec17) to share the cover image in which she is shot from the side as she wears a red, ruffled, leather Saint Laurent dress by Anthony Vaccarello.

Taylor, reviving the edgy, vamp look she modeled in her Look What You Made Me Do music video, completes her appearance with maroon lipstick, while her naturally curled hair is pinned in waves away from her forehead.

"Thank you @edward_enninful and @mertalas for your passion, spirit, and contagious laughter on set," she captioned the picture. "Mert and Marcus took these photos for @britishvogue and my album photos for reputation, and it's been such a bonding experience working together so closely and talking so much about what we wanted to make.

"It's been a while since I've done a magazine cover. I'm really happy my first one back was with such wonderful people.

#newvogue".

Enninful personally styled Taylor for the 12-page spread, and he gushed about working with the singer for the issue, which also features a poem by the star.

"For me, the chance to help transform America's most fascinating sweetheart was a joy," he said in a statement. "As we took the pop icon on an epic fashion journey with photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, what struck me most about Taylor was her brilliant sense of humor, but also how, for a woman in her 20s, she has an incredible sense of who she is.

"Obviously she is a world-class lyricist - and has written a stunning poem just for Vogue on the timely subject of reinvention and moving on - but she also takes her duties as a role model very seriously. Taylor is acutely aware of her following and how she communicates with young women, and will never portray a character that would send the wrong message. That said, even superstars aren't immune to the power of a great dress. Taylor says she has never seen herself transformed like this before, and I was very touched to see how emotional she was at the end of our shoot day in London."

The news of Taylor's British Vogue cover emerges three days after she returned to the stage to perform a headlining set at KIIS-FM's iHeartRadio Jingle Ball in Los Angeles on Friday (01Dec17), when she also surprised fans by duetting with pop pal Ed Sheeran.