The latest cover of Marie Claire in SA has blown up in a huge way online, and after kicking up a fuss on local news outlets, is making headlines on major news sites and aggregators like The Huffington Post, Jezebel and even the New York Daily News. What’s all the fuss about? Kate Middleton on the front cover.

Here’s the full cover:

The Duchess of Cambridge appears on the August edition of South African Marie Claire, wearing local designers. Except, wait. Is she really? Upon closer inspection, tucked in the upper right-hand corner of the mag, we see it’s a fan art tribute. A small asterisk at the end of the headline proclaiming her wearing SA’s best designs, points to a disclaimer: “No, she doesn’t. But she should.”

This hyper-realistic illustration has garnered reaction from all over the world, with some sites calling it a little creepy and weird, and others commending the magazine on taking the initiative in getting Kate on a magazine cover, something everyone would like to see.

Five local designers took to ‘dressing’ her in local designs, which can be seen in the August edition.

What do you think though? Is the illustration cool or creepy?

[Source: Marie Claire; Jezebel; Huffington Post; NY Daily News]