The Story of The Face: The Magazine That Changed Culture

The Face captured the imaginations of young people aged 18 to 35 for two decades. Gorman (The Look: Adventures in Rock and Pop Fashion) recounts the history and influence of the monthly British publication, which, founded by Nick Logan in 1980, folded in 2004. He shows how Logan, who had previously established the teen pop music magazine Smash Hits, wanted to create a general-interest magazine for readers curious about music, popular culture, politics, and fashion. The author describes how the content at first took its cue from cultural movements outside the mainstream, such as the early 1980s club scene of the New Romantics, but then later set the standard for its style-conscious readership interested in discovering new looks, music, and trends. Gorman further details how the look of Logan's magazine mirrored the cutting-edge vibe of the articles under the helm of art director Neville Brody, whose unconventional graphic design, photographic editing techniques, and original fonts were imitated by other publications of the time and later by digital media.