Creating Constructs

Fashion magazine's undeniably follow a pattern for their cover. Closeup of a pretty actress/model, hair blowing, face photoshopped to eerie perfection, typically blond (especially for teen magazines) and caucasian (although Vogue has actually had three african american women this year on the cover!). To exemplify this point, here is Vogue's January cover:
Anne Hathaway is beautiful, I want to become a redhead, and have a stylish New Year. This sounds great. Unfortunately though, this formula for a magazine cover has become so uninteresting that almost none of them are eyecatching anymore. The beautiful woment that they choose for the cover appear as unhuman clones of this vision for uniform, ideal beauty. The Moment, New York Times Style Blog, recently posted a picture of the cover of Vogue from January, 1950. In looking at this image, it seems like in the past 59 years, has the magazine industry has become less progressive and less artistic.

Erwin Blumenthal’s photograph on Vogue’s cover in January 1950.

This cover includes Jean Patchett’s beauty mark, mouth, eye, brow and nose. This reduction is artistic, alluring, and unique- something many covers today are missing.