Ms. Lauryn Hill is bringing high fashion, cultural history, and a little Casablanca glamour to her latest magazine cover. The Grammy-winning artist is the third cover star of CLASH Issue 135, appearing in a fashion editorial photographed in the Moroccan coastal city.
But the shoot isn’t simply about putting Hill in designer clothes. She’s using the platform to celebrate Rita Marley, the reggae pioneer whose contributions to music extend well beyond her marriage to Bob Marley.
For the editorial, Ms. Lauryn Hill wears pieces from designers including Tolu Coker, Nicholas Daley, Maximilian Davis, and Giuseppe Zanotti. The wardrobe blends contemporary luxury fashion with designers whose work engages Black identity and cultural heritage. Hill also helped style the shoot alongside Raheem Robinson and Johanna Laracuente. Photographer Elliot Hensford captured the Casablanca editorial, with creative direction from Hensford and TJ Saw.
The fashion choices fit an artist who has spent decades developing a recognizable visual identity. British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker often weaves cultural storytelling into her collections, while Nicholas Daley draws on his Jamaican and Scottish heritage to explore music, identity, and craftsmanship.
Maximilian Davis, meanwhile, has brought his Trinidadian heritage into conversations about contemporary luxury fashion.
Giuseppe Zanotti supplies the Italian footwear connection, rounding out a wardrobe that crosses cultures without abandoning the editorial’s central theme.
That theme is Rita Marley, who celebrated her 80th birthday in July. Rather than making the accompanying feature exclusively about her own career, Hill shares the spotlight with Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley, who contributed an essay examining her mother’s life as a musician, philanthropist, mother, and guardian of reggae’s legacy.
“She refused to let the message die,” Hill told CLASH of Rita Marley. “Those of us who have been empowered, transformed, or touched by that message should recognize the significance of her relentless and unwavering commitment to carrying it forward.”
Hill’s connection to the Marley family predates the magazine feature. She recorded portions of her landmark 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, at Jamaica’s Tuff Gong Studios, drawing inspiration from Bob Marley’s commitment to peace, social justice, and Pan-Africanism.
She also shares a family connection with the Marleys through her children with Rohan Marley, Bob’s son.
The CLASH cover also comes at a time when Hill’s professional and financial affairs have drawn attention. Earlier in 2026, her representative confirmed that she had entered a repayment agreement with New Jersey over outstanding state income taxes. Her spokesperson linked the liabilities to financial difficulties after a canceled tour.
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