They say don’t judge a book by it’s cover, but damn do covers sell.
One magazine which has mastered the art of creating an eye-catching/controversial/media storm-generating cover is Love. There was the eye-popping, Jessica Rabbit-like cover featuring Victoria’s Secret model Rosie-Huntingdon Whiteley, and before that, the series of ‘nude supermodel’ covers, starring everyone from Naomi Campbell to Lara Stone.
But Love’s latest offering is possibly their most shocking yet. It features Kate Moss and a young Brazilian model sharing a kiss — a story which would generate much hype and publicity as it is, given Moss’s goddess-like status in the fashion world.
Throw into the mix that said young model is Lea T, a transexual, and you get an avalanche of press coverage.
But is using sex and controversy really the best way to promote a magazine? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a tried and tested tactic, and there’s no doubt it works. All publicity is good publicity as the saying goes.
However when it comes to the world of glossy, high fashion, luxury mags that Love belongs to, surely commerciality comes second to ‘artistic integrity’? As a twice-yearly publications, the magazine is aimed towards industry insiders – stylists, designers and fashion buffs.
It doesn’t belong to the fast-fashion, disposable realm of magazines like, say, Grazia. So surely it shouldn’t be relying on cheap shock-tactic techniques to shift copies?
Using a transgender model I have no problem with — let’s face it, Lea T is strikingly beautiful, regardless of her ‘original’ gender, see above.
However, using the lesbian/not lesbian kiss with La Moss exploits Lea’s sexual identity, using it as a gimmicky commercial vehicle. I might have more patience for the idea had the exact same trick not been used by Givenchy in their summer ad campaign featuring Lea….
By all means use a transexual model, but please refrain from using the same cliches over and over to draw attention to said model’s gender and make a quick buck out of it.
That said, the one saving grace that Love has is the quality of it’s ideas’ execution. I might find the concepts a little seedy/exploiting, but I’ll give them their dues: the cover is well shot, and aesthetically pleasing. Seediness has never been so tastefully done.
Rosa Abbott is an arts, fashion and culture obsessive originating from Yorkshire, England, and currently living in Dublin, Ireland. On top of being a student at the illustrious Trinity College, she is a freelance journalist, writing for a number of Irish publications, and also edits the visual arts section of entertainment magazine Totally Dublin.
When she’s not up to her eyeballs in writing, Rosa works as an assistant to stylist Aisling Farinella and volunteers at various art galleries. Her musings on life, style and art can also be found over at her blog, Too Gallant.
