‘Behind The Rolling Stone Cover Live’: How Three Creatives Got Their Start

In Partnership with the Department of Education Victoria

You don’t forget your first Rolling Stone cover. Whether it’s the nerves, the pressure, or the moment the artist steps onto a set you’ve spent weeks pulling together, it tends to stick with you. Just ask creative director James Di Fabrizio, production designer and artist Shanahbelle Macdonald, and photographer and creative director Giulia Giannini McGauran.

Speaking live for the Behind The Rolling Stone Cover Live podcast at The Espy in front of a room full of high school students, the trio shared what it really takes to bring a cover shoot to life, the unconventional paths they each took to get there, and why the VCE Vocational Major is a great way to start.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” James admitted about his high school days. “But I knew what I loved… any chance I got to do something creative, I kind of went with that. And yeah, that sort of created the pathway for me to find my passion.” 

For Shanahbelle, it was a bit of a different story. “I really liked school. Maybe because I knew exactly what I liked to do, and that was odd-ish stuff. I did studio arts, dance and chemistry in Year 11, which, you know, left and right brain… it was a bit of a hard year.” 

“In Year 12, I came over to theatre studies, which made more sense. It’s pretty much very in line with what I do now,” she shared with the audience.  

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Giulia’s route was a little more chaotic. “I did every kind of subject because I was super curious about everything. I did chemistry, I got 0%, but I really loved it. I think I realised that I was firing on all fours when I was in the art room and the theatre. You know where you shine, and you should follow that.” 

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For all three, the idea of the Department of Education Victoria’s VCE Vocational Major – a new two-year applied learning pathway for Year 11 and Year 12 students – sparked curiosity and enthusiasm.

“I would absolutely do it,” James said. “If something speaks to you when you’re in school and if you think this is for me, then just bet on yourself and do it.”

“You don’t have to start by thinking about a job or a career. Just start with the skill. If you like something, learn the skill and see where it leads you. That’s what I did.”

Giulia agreed, also speaking to the fear some students have diving into the real world after the comfort of the school system. “It’s scary and I think being able to jump into the world in a structured and safe way [with this program] is incredible,” she said.

Their first Rolling Stone gigs came about in different ways too. Giulia’s happened through a direct artist request: “I’d been working with Tones and I for a while, and when Rolling Stone approached her, she said, ‘I want Gigi to shoot it.’ They said, ‘No, we don’t want Gigi to shoot it,’” she laughed. 

Luckily, Tones and I eventually got her way. “They said, ‘Okay,’ and seven covers later, here we are.”

Shanahbelle found her way to Rolling Stone through her industry connections. “Giulia is one of my favourite collaborators and we’ve worked together on a lot of different things. [She] brought me on board for The Rubens cover, and since then we’ve done two other covers.”

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As a production designer, Shanahbelle comes into the team towards the end of production. “I love the briefs that Giulia gives me because they’re always, you know, left of centre,” she said, explaining how for The Rubens cover she had to figure out how to paint a mountain onto wall flats.

“I’d never done a mountain freehand, but it’s there on the cover, and then the rest was sand and plinths and a funky chair.”

James, who now leads creative direction at Rolling Stone AU/NZ, sees each cover as a storytelling challenge. “I spend a lot of time thinking, what is the story behind this artist? What are the themes behind their music?” he told the audience. “Then I work with incredible people [like Giulia and Shanahbelle] to bring that to life visually.”

On the live podcast episode, the three creatives went into detail about their career paths, and spilled the tea on the moments of stress, technical difficulties, and photoshoots where things have gone wrong. 

“On every shoot, something always goes pear shaped. I just remember back in school, you have tests or exams and you’re thinking, ‘Why do I have to do this?’ Well, even if you’re not going to end up in a career on that pathway, it still teaches you how to deal with stress. That’s a really valuable skill,” James said. 

When asked about the most exciting opportunities in music and media right now, the panel was unanimous: follow what you’re interested in. TikTok. YouTube. Gaming. AI. These aren’t just trends or distractions, they’re entry points into these industries. Start where your curiosity is loudest – it might just lead you exactly where you’re meant to be.

To learn more about how the VCE Vocational Major can help you explore a career in the creative industries, visit vic.gov.au/VCE.