The Story Behind David LaChapelle’s Charli XCX New York Cover Shoot

David LaChapelle has spent much of his career photographing pop icons — among them Cher, Janet Jackson, and Madonna. For the cover of New York’s “Fall Preview” issue, he added Charli XCX to that list, creating a photo portfolio that captures the fever-dream quality of Charli’s rise to superstardom. Here, LaChapelle explains how the concept came to life.

I’ve always loved the rawness of B-movies and tabloids and Hollywood Babylon. Charli’s had such a strong career...