Influential Magazine Covers

INFLUENTIAL MAGAZINE COVERS

Researching into the history of various magazines has made me think further about covers - it is after all the cover that sells the magazine and a picture says a thousand words! It's interesting to think more deeply into what the magazine is really trying to say and what type of reader it is trying to attract. I've chosen two covers that have been influential on the make-up industry going forward.

VOGUE

Thoughts:

This cover is from 1954 and of course was created without Photoshop! I think combining a hand drawn image with a beauty look is really eye-catching and says more about the magazine than using either of these images on their own. It clearly states this magazine is interested in both fashion and beauty. Here we see the use of blue eyeshadow combined with a red lip - something that was quite an avant garde look for that time! It's an example of a time where covers didn't rely on celebrities to sell issues, creating the wow factor in other ways!

VANITY FAIR

Thoughts:

In stark contrast, this front cover definitely does use celebrity to sell itself! Clever use of body art grabs readers interest for a variety of reasons! The artwork itself was expertly drawn on to Demi's body by Joanne Gair and photographed by Annie Leibovitz. This piece is considered to have reignited the 'trend' of bodypainting as we know it today although this point is widely discussed since bodypainting has dated back to the beginning of mankind and has continued to be ever-present in many cultures. This image has definitely pushed this art-form into new spheres and brought about a wider audience through it's use on such a well-known body and it's no wonder it's worth a second glance! 

Referencing:

ASME's Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years | ASME. 2015.ASME's Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years | ASME. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.magazine.org/asme/magazine-cover-contests/asmes-top-40-magazine-covers-last-40-years. [Accessed 22 February 2015].

Search | Vanity Fair. 2015. Search | Vanity Fair. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.vanityfair.com/search?q=demi+moore+birthday+suit. [Accessed 22 February 2015].

Top 10 Vogue Covers of All Time - TheRichest. 2015. Top 10 Vogue Covers of All Time - TheRichest. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.therichest.com/expensive-lifestyle/top-10-vogue-covers-of-all-time/. [Accessed 22 February 2015].