magazine art

Who would have thought magazine covers could display such artistry? These subscription covers of Harper’s Bazaar are absolutely gorgeous. They are stunningly picturesque. The cinematic photography has so much flair and drama, making the covers incredibly enchanting. Totally different from their newsstand versions that scream “FASHION! New Looks! BAGS! Shoes!”

Isn’t the difference between the newsstand cover and their subscription version remarkable?

Interestingly, the subscription covers are reminiscent of vintage covers. There is a surreal and elegant quality in these old and new covers. 

I love how the May 2011 subscription cover with Gwyneth Paltrow (or Renee Zellweger in December 2007) captures the glamour and opulence of the 1950's covers.

But really, the cornerstone of vintage covers is really beautiful simplicity. They took it somewhat to the extreme back then.

Nevertheless, subscription covers have imbibed this simple, exquisite elegance, so you can hardly tell which is old and which is new. Can you?

I can already imagine the utterly stunning cover with Demi Moore and a giraffe on my wall, just like this one from Domino Magazine which showcases vintage covers. See how I altered the room (from french by design blog) with my favorite subscription covers.

Truly, these magazine covers are works of art!

Thanks goes to www.101gramsofeyecandy.blogspot.com where I first discovered that subscription covers are different from their newsstand versions, to http://stephanie.posterous.com where I found side-by-side comparisons of the 2 cover versions, to www.escapadeblog.com which inspired this post and provided many vintage covers and even the room photos, and to all my other sources of Vogue and Bazaar covers - old or new.