The National Portrait Gallery in London has organized an exhibition featuring over 200 photographs from the legendary British culture and style magazine The Face. During the 1980s and 90s the magazine was known for its bold design and typography and its ground breaking fashion editorials. Unlike other magazines The Face gave photographers and stylists considerable freedom of expression, which made it a magnet for talent. Many of today’s leading photographers, from Nick Knight to Juergen Teller, started out at The Face. Some of the magazine’s photo shoots have since become the stuff of legend, such as the work of photographer Corinne Day and stylist Melanie Ward, which launched the career of Kate Moss and a generation of British models.
The Face ran between 1980 and 2004, but its heydays were during the late 1980s until the mid 1990s, which coincided with my student years. I would buy an issue whenever it featured some stories that I couldn’t live without. In fact, I still have some lying around somewhere. In the early 1990s London was the place to be and The Face kept track of what was happening in fashion, music, art and design. I wanted to be part of that world, which is why I moved to London in 1994. The exhibition therefore filled me with a sense of nostalgia. I was never much of a clubber and I’ve never been to a rave, but I did visit countless gallery shows and events at the ICA, the Serpentine Gallery, the Whitechapel Gallery and so on.
Some time around 1994, while browsing magazines at a bookshop in London, I discovered the work of David Carson and RAYGUN, which briefly took over the helm as the most innovative magazine of music and style.
In the age of Instagram and TikTok influencers it may sound odd that there once was a time when magazines reigned supreme. But if I look at what’s possible with the latest generation of video and image generating algorithms the age of influencers may already be coming to an end and without leaving a record.
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift is a must-see exhibition and a trip down memory lane if you grew up in the 80s and 90s. If you can’t make it to the exhibition, it comes with a lushly illustrated catalogue that you can buy from your favorite (local) bookstore.
The Face Magazine: Culture Shift is at the National Portrait Gallery in London until 18 May 2025.