As I mentioned in my previous post, the magazines which inspired my colleague (and partner) Ana Botea and I, are Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and L'Officiel. Therefore, for our magazine analysis task, we will be analysing individually one issue which intrigues and inspires us most from each of these three magazines. We are doing this in order to help guide us in the development of Sylk Magazine.
All three of the magazine issues chosen by me can be found on Issu, an online publishing platform mostly for magazines. It is important to know that before I started to analyse the magazines, I made sure I was familiar with their conventions by reading articles online, such as this one: Codes And Conventions Of Fashion Magazines
VOGUE - Russia November 2019
Click here for the online magazine.
THE FRONT COVER:
I chose this magazine issue because of its simplicity an expressiveness. The layout and design is typical for a Vogue magazine and it follows some conventions of fashion magazines. The masthead is very big and plainly coloured (white) but it is not the focal point of the magazine since it is covered by the main image. This draws more attention to the model, who is wearing a luxurious fur coat, intricate tights, daring shoes and some sort of head piece/scarf. She looks very mysterious and intriguing. Also, some may say that she looks like a typical Russian girl, because of her outfit, makeup and figure. This hints to the theme of the magazine, which is Russian culture. The straplines contain additional information regarding the contents of the magazine issue. One of them is coloured in red and another text is in beige. They represent the only colours on the cover, which attracts the audience's eye. The text in beige is the main cover line, which translates into 'First Edition Vogue Business'. This gives the audience some useful insight as to what the magazine contains. The fonts are very classic and timeless, typical for Vogue. Also, there is a bar code at the top left corner of the cover. The magazine is directed to women of all ages, thus, the model seems to portray elements which are often associated both with a younger and an older woman. One of her hands is on her shoe, as if fixing it or making sure it is in place, because she might be insecure and wants to look perfectly put together, while her eyes are gazing to the side, as if waiting or looking for someone. Her dark makeup suggests a very strong and fierce woman, while the way she was styled looks both daring and modest. Her hair is covered by a scarf, hiding her hair and intriguing the audience and her upper body is covered by the voluminous fur. In contrast to these, her lower body seems to be covered only in sheer, delicate tights with a playful pattern, which show that she may be an adventurous woman who likes to take risks both in fashion and in real life. Her footwear consists of some simple black pumps with platforms, which are often seen as a symbol of timelessness, simplicity and style for their usefulness and versatility. The background is very dark, making it hard for the audience to see where the woman is. This brings in even more mystery and gives off an alluring vibe.
I really like the idea of a black and white front image and a coloured masthead, so this may be a concept suitable for Sylk Magazine as well.
THE CONTENTS PAGE:
These are two of the contents pages, there are a few more. I chose to analyse these two because I really liked their aspect and feel. First of all, the layout is specific for a Vogue magazine. It includes text which informs the audience about the topics seen on each page. At the bottom of the pages we can see the number of the page and the magazine issue (in Russian). Secondly, both pages contain a cover-like picture which has a masthead, the magazine issue and a page number (which probably contains these pictures) written on top.
The photograph in the first page is very similar to the front cover one. It is the same model, same clothes, same makeup and styling. It is taken a lot more closer to the model. The voluminous fur coat gives off a luxurious and sophisticated vibe. The model's bare neck and daring gaze bring a sense of mystery and allure to the audience, while having the power to intimidate them. The whole composition looks and feels timeless and elegant, mostly because of the fact that it is black and white. I believe that it looks very classical since many years ago, photographs were only made in black and white. As for symbolism, the colour white is often associated with peace, purity, innocence and simplicity, while the colour black with mystery, power, elegance, and sophistication, (but it can also evoke emotions such as sadness and anger). Thus, I believe that the contrast between the two colours combined with the model's makeup and facial expressions, construct a very powerful image.
The second picture is very different. It is a coloured picture, with neutral colours and shades of brown, beige, blue and black. The model doesn't seem to be the same one as in the other picture. The composition is very different as well. This photograph is a lot more dynamic and complex. The model is sitting on what seems to be a motorcycle, which gives off a very fierce vibe. She is also wearing a fur coat, along with leather top and bottoms and what seems to be some sort of leather footwear, such as combat boots. Her hair is let down in voluminous waves. As for makeup, she seems to have a similar one to the other model in the black and white picture. Her overall styling and the prompt used build the image of a woman who seems to be very confident, strong, independent, fierce and courageous. Also, she is wearing a lot of leather, which is known to be a symbol of power and protection.
I like the idea of including photographs on the contents page and it is something Ana and I wish to do for Sylk Magazine as well.
THE DOUBLE SPREAD:
I chose this particular double spread because I love the layout and design of it. Also, me and Ana are thinking of
including similar pages in Sylk Magazine as well, so this page is a great model for guidance. This double spread seems to be a styling advice one, made in order for the audience to feel closer to the magazine by 'getting the look'. The model seems to be the same one as in the contents page coloured picture. We can now definitely tell that there is an ongoing theme and specific style in this magazine issue. The trend seems to be fur coats, dark leather pants and bold jewellery/accessories.
The first page consists of a photograph of the model, wearing the items mentioned above, along with some text at the top right corner which mentions where the pieces of clothing are from and two other texts offering more detail, one in the middle and the other in the top left. The text in the middle is white, in order to pop up more and to attract the audience's eye, whereas the other two are black, in order to blend in well with the whole composition and to not take away the focus from the picture.
The second page looks more 'collage'-like. There are two photographs of the model, overlaid and some cutouts of some pants and a necklace, as well as two texts, mentioning where the items are from. The two pictures seems to be tied one to the other since in the first one the model is holding a helmet in her hand and in the other one she is laying on top of a motorcycle. Her clothing, hair makeup make her look very fierce and confident, while the motorcycle gives her a sense of independence and power. The colours are very warm and neutral throughout the whole double spread and give off a very elegant yet trendy and modern vibe. Overall, I really love that the double spread is used in order for the audience to connect more with the magazine and to feel as if they are learning a few new styling tips and tricks.
1. HAPER'S BAZAAR - Australia March 2020
Click here for the online magazine.
THE FRONT COVER:
The reason why I chose this particular issue is because I find it very different from the other two that I chose to analyse. Also, this magazine issue definitely follows more fashion magazine conventions than the other two. The overall layout and design of the cover looks like a typical fashion magazine, similar to others. The masthead is big and colourful in order to attract the audience's eye. The country of the issue is written vertically before the title and the issue is written between the two A's of the name `Bazaar', which I think is really clever and aesthetically pleasing. The menu is on the top left, with a title:'The Fashion Issue' and a subtitle which offers details about fashion trends seen in this magazine issue. The straplines include other details about the contents of the magazine, as well as who the celebrity on the front cover is. The main cover line of this particular issue is 'Wild at Heart' (followed by a subtitle), which gives the audience some intel on what type of person Rosie is. The font is simple and classic yet modern and contemporary. The way in which the text is in three different colours looks really eye-catching and brings some excitement to the cover.
The main image features Rosie Huntington-Whitely, the well-known English model, actress, designer and businesswoman. This issue features an editorial and an interview of her. The high-key lighting of the photograph is a convention that many magazines use when shooting, in order to bring freshness and cleanliness to their cover. The plain background makes the cover look a lot more sophisticated and elegant. Rosie is wearing a beautiful navy blue dress with a deep heart-shaped neckline, gold jewellery, classic and natural makeup and her hair laid down. This dress gives off a very timeless and elegant look and its heart-shaped neckline resembles the heart tattoo on her wrist. This correlation makes her seem like a loving person. Her body language makes the audience feel as if she is a very elegant woman, who is also really confident, since her hands are spread and resting on her shoulders, as if she has nothing to hide. Her gaze is looking towards the side, as if giving the audience the chance to examine her, without feeling pressured by her gaze (if she were looking straight ahead, 'in their eyes'). Her overall posture and expression feels very welcoming, as well as kind.
I think that this 'plain background' concept looks really elegant and beautiful and it is something that I think would be suitable for Sylk Magazine. But, I think that there is too much writing on the cover.
THE CONTENTS PAGE:
The contents pages are quite different from the Vogue ones, although they do have many similarities as well. Both of them have white background which acts as a frame to the main photographs in each of them. At the top of the background, we can see the title 'Contents' in the middle and at the bottom, we can see the number of the page and Harper's Bazaar's website, as well as the magazine issue, March 2020. I think that putting their website address is very clever since it allows the audience to connect more with the magazine. The texts are surrounding the models, all offering detail as to what the magazine contains. The second contents page also has the masthead at the bottom, which looks really elegant and serves as a reminder to the audience as to what magazine they are reading.
The image on the first page is really clean and simple and looks like it was taken in a very professional studio. The model's clothing is a combination between classical and modern/trendy. She is waring a beautiful light yellow suit, paired with sneakers. Her posture and facial expression feel welcoming, as if inviting the audience to take a look at the contents of the magazine.
The image on the second page seems to be taken outside (by the grass on the ground), using some sort of canvas as a backdrop. The lighting looks very natural, which can be seen by the shadows on the canvas and the warm toned lighting. The model is wearing a long, brown skirt with a pattern all over it. Her footwear can't be seen really well since it blends in with the grass. She isn't wearing anything on her upper body, except for a big sea shell necklace, paired with a matching bracelet. The styling and the items chosen hint at the editorial in the magazine, which has a sea theme. Her posture and facial expression seem playful, fresh and inviting, just like the other one.
I think that this page layout would look really good for Sylk Magazine and it will most probably be an inspiration when creating our own layout.
THE DOUBLE SPREAD:
I've always loved this kind of double spreads since they provide helpful styling tips as, well as new trends, while being very pleasing to the eye. Both of the pages have a mood-board feel, by the way in which everything is laid out. This particular page design is very common in fashion magazines.
The first page contains images and cutouts of different items which were on trend at the time when the magazine was published. One of the texts, the one in the middle, summarises the whole page: 'Stay up to speed with the latest fashion news via our monthly wrap-up by Chantal Walsh'. The rest of the texts offer additional information regarding each trend/item. All of the images chosen have the same neutral colour palette and warm tones, which makes the page look really well thought out and put together. The way in which some images are overlapped and some are cutouts, gives the page a more eye-catching and dynamic feel.
The second page is filled with images of Kaia Gerber, the 'model of the moment', as written as the top of the text box. The rest of the text in the text box contains information about the model. All of the images and cutouts of her are surrounding the text box. All of them show different outfits worn by her. They all look very well put together, trendy and very bold and daring. She seems to be a fashion inspiration for the audience. At the bottom of both pages there is the page number and the website address of Harper's Bazaar.
3. L'OFFICIEL - Levant May 2014
Click here for the online magazine.
THE FRONT COVER:
From the first moment I saw this cover, I fell in love with it. But, that is not the only reason why I chose it. I chose to analyse this magazine issue since it has a very artsy and unique approach towards fashion compared to Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. The masthead is very simple and classical and it blends in with the main image in the right half of the cover. Other than the masthead, number of the issue and country/area, there is only one other text, which is the main cover line of the issue:'Beyrouth en cinemascope' which translates to Beirut in Cinemascope. This hints at the theme of the issue. There are two fonts: a simple and classical one and a modern one (which has a special effect, resembling the shape of a cinema screen). Also, there is a barcode at the bottom left corner of the cover.
The main image is a portrait of a woman who seems to be quite mature in age. Her dark hair is styled in perfectly done tight waves, a hair style which was very popular in the 1940s. Her makeup seems to be a more dramatic and bold take of the makeup worn in the 1940's. The perfectly lined red lips, the contoured and blushed cheekbones and the very carefully manicured eyebrows are typical to that decade. But, the gold, glittery eye makeup along with the glitter on the lips seem to be a way of exaggerating the 1940s trend, which goes hand in hand with the theme of cinema, since films are often very dramatic and and exaggeration of real life. Her gaze is looking forwards, as if maintaining eye contact with the audience. The blue lighting is artificial, probably made in a studio, which can also symbolise film-making and the difference between real life and the one portrayed in movies. The blurred lines on the right half of the image resemble stage curtains, used at the beginning and end of a play. This shows how the woman seems to be portraying an actress and hints even more at the theme of the magazine issue. The choice to only put the blurred lines on half of the cover might have been made in order to make the audience feel lucky that they get to see what is behind some closed stage curtains. The model's eyes seem to have some anxiousness and nervousness in them, as if waiting for the curtains to open (if it is the beginning of the play) or for the sound of people applauding to get louder (if it is at the end of the play).
I love the idea of having a title for a specific issue and both Ana and me would love to do this as well for Sylk Magazine.
THE CONTENTS PAGE:
These contents pages are totally different from the ones in Vogue or Harper's Bazaar. All of the contents page in this L'Officiel were identical so I chose only these two. The background is a dark blue colour. At the top of the pages, there is a title: 'Somaire', which means summary. The font is very unique and an intriguing factor to the audience. The contents of the magazine are divided by categories such as fashion, life, style etc and are placed on the left side of the pages. On the right, both pages have a collage of photos from inside the magazine, with the page number on them. The photos are edited in order to blend in with the blue background and to look like small drawings. The overall design of the pages looks very fresh, clean and unique and fits with the dominant colour in the magazine: blue, while giving off a movie-like vibe.
I believe that including photos from inside of the magazine and writing the page where they are from is a very smart think to do and would love to incorporate this in Sylk Magazine.
THE DOUBLE SPREAD:
This double spread is similar to the ones from Vogue and Harper's Bazaar in the way that it also shows current trends. The design and layout is tremendously different though. Both of the pages are collages of different cutouts of images, put together in order to create a very eye-catching and visually pleasing composition. The bright colours attract the audience's attention and spark their curiosity. The luxury brands items included in the pages are there in order to show the audience what is trendy and 'in fashion' at the moment and to help them improve their outfits by adding even only one of the items shown. The way in which cutouts of different photographs are overlapped in order to form a new one, combined with the beautiful and bold colours, spark the audience's imagination and makes them feel more daring, playful and creative when it comes to putting together their outfits. They might feel inspired to combine colourful and different patterned pieces together, which is very 'on-trend' for 2014, when the issue was published.
This type of artsy collages are very intriguing although I do not know wether it would go that well with Sylk Magazine (maybe they would if Ana and me made them more simplistic).
PHOTOGRAPHY (additional analysis):
These are two double spreads of two different editorials: one which the main image of the cover is from and one with a famous actress, Kristin Scott Thomas. I chose to add two additional double spreads in my analysis for L'Officiel since I have completely fallen in love with the photography in this magazine issue. The theme of cinema remains constant throughout the magazine and the editorials.
The first double spread contains two images, one of them framed in red. This editorial portrays beauty laboratories in a fashionable and playful way. The prompts used make the audience think of the model as being a very uncommon 'scientist'. The blue lighting and the way in which the images are edited give off a very cold feel, as if the inventions made need to be stored at a certain temperature. The model's styling (outfits, hair and makeup) create an image of a daring, bold and powerful woman. Her clothing is skin-tight, as if she is so confident in herself that she has nothing to hide. Her lips are painted bright red, in order to attract more attention towards them and herself. The editorial also seems to be a commercial since we can see two very large perfume bottles, with their brand name written boldly. These may hint at the fact that the woman is creating her own perfume, in order to capture her very own personal essence.
The second double spread is focused more on the theme of cinema. The globally well known actress is portrayed in her 'natural habitat'. The concept of the stage curtains is taken further and more in depth than in the cover. The curtains are blue and red which are two of the dominant colours in the magazine. The way in which they shine and sparkle gives the audience the impression that the play might be a very professional one, which may be just as well thought out and designed as the curtains. Kristin's outfits are both daring in their own way: the first one is daring because of it colourfulness and complexity and the second one because of it sheerness and simplicity. Her posture looks very confident in both images, intriguing the audience and sparking their curiosity about the role that she is playing. Her makeup and hair are very classic and Hollywood-like.
Overall, analysing all of these three magazines has sparked my creativity and has inspired me to think of more ideas for Sylk Magazine.
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