Millie Bobby Brown Is British Vogue’s December 2025 Cover Star

I’ve always been fascinated by family traditions, how they take shape and evolve over the course of our lives, especially at this time of year. As the child of a Swiss German mother, it was not unusual when I was growing up for Christmas to come early, quite literally. Saint Nicholas Day, which is celebrated across continental Europe on 6 December, was quite a big deal in the Nnadi household. My older brother was tasked with bringing the centuries-old lore to life and would appear, as if by magic, on the balcony of our council flat in central London (because, duh, no chimney) dressed as Santa Claus, or Samichlaus as he’s affectionately called in Swiss German, a bag of goodies casually tossed over his shoulder. Even as a very little girl, his white beard, hastily glued together with cotton balls swiped from mum’s cosmetic cabinet, never had me fooled, though the promise of gingerbread treats was enough to keep me playing along. My brother, who is now the proud father of two teenage boys, was relieved to put his makeshift Santa costume to one side when he left home for university. That said, our family is still partial to a little seasonal cosplay: an ugly festive jumper is de rigueur on Christmas day.

There are, mercifully, no ugly jumpers featured in this issue, though you will certainly find it bursting with style and Yuletide cheer. In the spirit of the season, we invited several of our favourite voices to share their own festive traditions: the likes of Oyinkan Braithwaite, Yael van der Wouden, Saba Sams, Anaïs Gallagher and the inimitable Miriam Margolyes, whose loathing of Christmas has prompted her and her partner, Heather, to escape to a secluded Tuscan farmhouse for most holidays over the past 50 years.

There’s absolutely no escaping the exuberant fascination of party dressing on our pages this month though. Take Into the Night, for example, a fashion story full of bewitching glamour, styled by contributing fashion editor Julia Sarr-Jamois, shot by photographer Lachlan Bailey, and starring models Angelina Kendall, Adut Akech and a cast of faces wearing some of the most high-wattage after-dark looks of the season. Speaking of high-wattage, with his epic Chanel debut at Paris Fashion Week this past October, Matthieu Blazy has also stepped into the spotlight like never before. Writer Nathan Heller trailed the unassuming French Belgian designer, one of only four to have helmed the storied house in its 115-year history, in the run-up to his agenda-setting show, undoubtedly the most highly anticipated of the year, perhaps even the decade.

Meanwhile, on this side of the Channel, as British Vogue’s Mahoro Seward reports, there’s a new generation of It girls reimagining that unapologetically dazzling moniker in radical and forward-thinking ways. In The It List, we introduce 10 names electrifying the UK scene. “Today’s It girls are both a call and response to a dramatically altered cultural landscape,” writes Seward.

For those craving a night in this winter, we have you covered too. Almost 10 years after it was first broadcast on the BBC, much-loved spy thriller The Night Manager is back, with Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Jonathan Pine, the luxury hotel boss turned secret agent. Much like the first series of the multi-award-winning show, its second is set to have a vice grip on viewers when it lands on screens in January. Its new leads, the gorgeous Camila Morrone and Diego Calva, were captured alongside Hiddleston, with photographer Scott Trindle in hot pursuit around London, in Secrets & Spies. Also a must-see: Chantal Joffe’s latest exhibition at Victoria Miro. Her deeply moving figurative paintings are brimming with humanity and touch on raw-nerve themes. Writer Charlotte Jansen’s brilliant profile of the American-born British artist is thoroughly captivating.

Lastly, I’m beyond thrilled to announce that we’re capping off the year with Millie Bobby Brown as our December cover star. Although only 21, the British megastar has achieved the sort of career highs most actors can only dream of – lest we forget, she was catapulted to fame at the tender age of 12 with Stranger Things. As the smash-hit TV series comes to a close, Brown is entering an exciting new chapter of her life, professionally and personally. Indeed this Christmas will mark her first as a new mum. “Perspective is a huge thing,” Brown tells Zing Tsjeng, who travelled to Atlanta, Georgia, where the actor lives with her husband and newly adopted daughter. “The smaller things in life are so much more precious.”

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Cover look: Millie Bobby Brown wears hand-knitted cashmere dress, McQueen. Make-up by Florence by Mills. Skin: Dreamy Dew Moisturiser, £14. Lips: True To Hue pH Adjusting Lip & Cheek Balm, £16. Eyes: Up A Notch Volumizing Mascara, £16. Eye Candy Eyeshadow Sticks, £14. Hair by Kérastase. Densifique Densimorphose Mousse, £36. Couture Styling Laque Couture Hairspray, £36. Hair: Shon Hyungsun Ju. Make-up: Rebecca Wordingham. Nails: Robbie Tomkins. Photograph: Sebastián Faena. Styling: Stella Greenspan.