The holiday season is just around the corner, and unapologetic glitz, glamour, sparkle and splendor should be all the rage. In the midst of celebration, we brainstorm to unbox the five most festive fashion magazine covers of all time – from spectacular cover images shot by master photographer Steven Meisel to discovering a forgotten favorite deep in the universe . Harper’s Bazaar archives.
Scroll further to see FashionSpot’s selection of the most festive and dazzling magazine covers to ever grace newsstands:
#5 Vogue Italia December 2004 with Karen Elson by Steven Meisel:
While this cover doesn’t exactly scream Christmas from the treetops, there’s no denying that the cover photo exudes a certain holiday quality. Karen Elson posed for Steven Meisel and the duo created a romantic mood that was both dark and glamorous, as if Karen had just returned home from a fabulous New Year’s Eve party and was now sitting alone thinking about the handsome stranger she has met. Meisel photographed the redheaded British beauty wearing a black velvet Ralph Lauren dress, with Karen’s hair styled into old Hollywood waves adding drama and Italianate charm. VogueThe December 2024 cover.
#4 UK Vogue December 2007 with Sienna Miller by Nick Knight:
Nick Knight has created some extremely magnificent British pieces Vogue covers – many becoming instantly iconic. The December 2007 magazine cover may not be considered iconic yet, but we certainly remember this particular cover that shone like a diamond on newsstands during the 2007 holiday season. Sienna Miller featured a stunning metallic dress from Dolce & Gabbana, looking ready. for the upcoming holiday season, posing alongside a statement accessory. The silver metallic fonts added some pizzazz when seen in real life and we’ll be hunting down our copies today to get in the festive spirit!
#3 Vogue Paris December 2001/January 2002 with Kate Moss by Mario Testino:
This cover screams Christmas from the start. Kate Moss graced the final double issue of 2001 for French Vogue with Mario Testino capturing everyone’s favorite British model with a string of Christmas lights wrapped around her head – with wonderful results! The cover, in theory, seems pretty cheesy (but aren’t holidays supposed to be cheesy?), but Testino, Carine Roitfeld, and Kate nailed the concept perfectly. Vacation but make it fashionable and we approve 100%.
#2 Vogue Russia December 2008 with Naomi Campbell by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott:
Yet another cover that evokes the holiday season, although the December 2008 cover of Vogue This time around, Russia has taken a more luxurious approach. The magazine chose Naomi Campbell as its cover subject and asked creative duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott to photograph the session, choosing to photograph Naomi draped in luxurious white fur that cascaded around her structured face as she gazed at the M&M goal. With a minimal amount of text and a subtle pink header, we’d say this cover is just about perfect for December.
#1 Harper’s Bazaar December 1992 with Kate Moss by Patrick Demarchelier:
An old classic, a forgotten favorite and a clear winner. Kate Moss wows us in the December 1992 issue of American Harper’s Bazaar. Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, Kate, then 18, posed wearing an extravagant red Christian Dior haute couture dress, with hair and makeup to the nines, while holding a Christmas snow globe. Simple, effective and totally sober, we ask the current team to Bazaar please take note of this. This is how a festive fashion magazine cover is truly made!
This article was first published on FashionSpot on December 18, 2014.
