The Story of The Face: The Magazine that Changed Culture

Any fan of The Face will love this book - lovingly produced, gorgeously designed and artfully written… Just like the mag, in fact! Charting the history of the iconic, style-driven title, Gorman's book includes fascinating anecdotes from many of the editors, writers, photographers and designers which made The Face a must-have for those in search of the next big thing (even if they were part of the current in-crowd) throughout the Eighties and Nineties. Starting with founding editor Nick Logan's decision to leave the NME (and the corporate structure which strangled his creativity) and go it alone, it explains how young writers such as Robert Elms brought a hip new perspective on London's underground nightclub scene right to the forefront of British pop culture, leading directly to the second great wave of English bands to crack America. Spandau Ballet, Duran Duran, Culture Club and the artists that followed in their wake all had their first major exposure in the pages of The Face, whose format – glossy, fashion orientated and bursting with colour – was perfectly in tune with the prevailing mood. The work of graphic designers such as Neville Brody also gave the magazine its radical edge, pushing the boundaries of typography to beyond the accepted norm – and leaving a host of imitators struggling to keep up with its accelerated pace, as did the fashion shoots put together by the Buffalo collective headed by stylist Ray Petri. Surfing the Acid House boom gave The Face its second wave of success, expanding its remit to cover all aspects of what many know feel was the headiest, most inclusive and most widespread youth movement of them all – an egalitarian, cross-cultural ferment centred on the dance floor. Things might never reach such a peak again, but Gorman does a fine job in explaining how the Nineties saw both high and lows, before Logan eventually decided to bow out, leaving a legacy that has been unmatched by nearly all of British publishing since. After enjoying this book, you may well decide to get rid of all those old copies of The Face that are taking up so much space in the attic (my wife would be delighted if I did!), but its influence will endure long after the pages have turned slightly yellow and musty with age. For those who never enjoyed the magazine first hand, The Story of The Face is a prime source for information (and inspiration) about a generation of creative talent in the UK that changed the culture for good…

Brilliant book from a brilliant era. Those who didn't live through it will perhaps not appreciate the degree of influence that The Face had. This brought back memories. Really good book.

Bought for my sister-in-law for Christmas. This terrifically heavy book will delight and horrify older hipsters in turn as they gasp at how pretty we all were and sigh at the shoulder pads ... I hated the Face at the time as it seemed to stand for everything vacuous and self-regarding that punk had rebelled against. But I was young and bursting with ideals and righteous fury. Now, I am filled with nostalgia and pity for the bright, unlined faces captured here, loving their moment in the sun and spouting nonsense. My advice - don't drop it on your toes ...

Gave my daughter a great insight into probably the most influential style magazine ever. A must for any serious about style and youth culture. Every major and minor artist, musician, designer etc are here.

An excellent History of the Face and it's ups and downs.

style junkies' ultimate hit. beautifully printed and laid out, with pretty much everything in it i wanted to see again. it even has little felix on the cover (was that whole felix fever thing quite right? seemed ok at the time but not sure it could happen today?). it's a grand, hefty object as is worthy of it's subject matter, but loses one star due to insubstantial binding that has fallen apart on my copy (altho i don't mind as that's how comes it was in the sale).

Highly recommend. This a great read and full of nostalgia.

A Brilliant book. Very enjoyable and informative. It made my Christmas.

Great MAGAZINE FACE!

Superb documentation of the most influential magazines for style culture of the 1980s and 1990s.

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