Magazine cover analysis task

Analysed front covers

For my analysis into front covers I decided to choose a high-end fashion magazine, a mainstream magazine, and an Independent magazine.

Analysing a high end fashion cover came with an idea of 'lavish' and 'polished' already set into my mind. From what I found from my example 'Vogue', my expectations were not too far from reality. However, I found with 'Vogue' that it embedded the same polished etiquette, yet with a nice essence of  expression and exploration of art. Intertextuality was simply found in the details of 'Rihanna' and her makeup, presenting a 'Betty Boop' nature retreat vibe, while mixing in Prada. This made for a high end fashion cover as opposed to 'student art project'.

Analysing a more mainstream fashion front cover didn't come as a surprise. I found, in particular with 'Cosmopolitan', that there seemed to be more 'cliff hanger' statements, or statements which society may deem as more 'taboo'. The 'taboo' topics came from the explicit sex facts and use of controversial imagery. For Example, use of  'Tess Holiday', well known plus-sized model, was inevitably going to spark controversy. The 'All Bodies' movement sparked it's own controversy due to conflict between what is a 'normal body' and advertising obesity. The came across to me as methods to 'guarantee' readership as it is natural to be intrigued by drama, gossip, or controversy.  

To broaden my research I decide to look into independent magazines. I looked into '1 Granary' which involves themselves in fashion made by independent creator and fashion students. The fashion aimed itself towards more alternative, costume design, which sparked my interest. Both covers, and other covers accessible, had little to work with which made the analysis far more enjoyable. It became apparent that these appear to reject ordinary fashion conventions and delve into showcasing a 'new wave' of fashion. This suggests that they have a future outlook onto the limits of fashion, which in this case, are non-existent.