The Face magazine makes a stylish Insta-return
After 15 years out of circulation, The Face made a comeback this week with a red and white Instagram feed which we are told will be followed by an online magazine and print publication
After 15 years off the news stands, The Face has announced its return. In its prime the magazine was thought of as the foremost authority on all things cool – pop-culture, fashion, film and music. Though out of circulation since 2004, the magazine hasn’t slipped out of public consciousness, continuing to inspire visual artists and even becoming the subject of a Thames & Hudson title, The Story of The Face: The Magazine That Changed Culture. In a whopping 352-page coffee table book Paul Gorman provided an in-depth examination of the title’s history and significance.
While its past was of course rooted in print, in announcing its return this week The Face chose Instagram as the channel with which to boldly claim that it has “still got it”.
All the teasers and visuals released so far focus on the magazine’s history; reminding us what the magazine used to stand for rather than the direction it might be heading in. Fortunately, the familiar red and white logo actually translates quite well in the meme-world and seems to be the focal point of the mag’s mysterious launch campaign. The question is, will nostalgia be enough? Will it appeal to today’s youth or remain something their parents once thought was cool? Either way it will be interesting to see how The Face evolves.
All we know at the moment is that the Instagram channel will be followed by an online magazine and a print publication, due to hit news stands later in the year. For now you can visit the website and sign up to receive newsletter updates. Expect a more in-depth analysis of the new Face on CR in the coming weeks.
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