Photographers Mert & Marcus move from capturing Oprah on the August issue of British Vogue to Madonna on the August 2018 issue of Vogue Italia.

Initially, the magazine planned to celebrate Madonna's 60th birthday with a focus on her career and accomplishments, Vogue Italia creative director Giovanni Bianco told WWD in an exclusive interview that included editor-in-chief Emanuele Farneti. Bianco has worked with Madonna for 12 years on four CD covers, multiple tours and countless editorials.

This plan didn't suit Madonna at all, because "She doesn't want to talk about the past." Madonna's plan for her Vogue Italia feature was a focus on her children, her passionate love of music and horses, her projects for charity Raising Malawi and life in Lisbon.

“It’s the tale of a new life, her move to Portugal to help her son David play soccer—it’s incredible to think of Madonna as a soccer mom,” said Farneti with a smile, shaking his head slightly. “She proposed the Lisbon angle and it turned out to be a very personal interview, more interesting than doing a retrospective of the artist or a story on her African projects, which have already been explored,” he explained.

“She is in an incredibly hard worker, I have learned so much from her intensity and dedication, but I think there is a distinction between her popular image and the day-by-day, normal person,” observed Bianco. “In this shoot, you see more of her maternal side, she is fascinating with her children and friends – she is an example.”

Madonna is living in Portugal with four of her six children: David Banda, 12; Mercy James, 12, and the twins Stella and Estere, 5. “She is very happy and romantic at the moment, and you can see it in the photos, where she poses with all that she loves the most,” said Bianco.

The shoot is called “Just one Day out of Life,” and Madonna on the two available covers and posters wears all-black Saint Laurent looks, posing at the Herdade do Peru estate, which dates back to the 18th century, and is located in the national Park of Arrábida, about 19 miles from Lisbon.

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