Initial look at layout in mainstream fashion magazines

This is an example from X magazine, here we can start to note down conventions and begin working out what works well, and why the publishers use certain techniques to create an successful image and creative style for their magazines. In this one firstly, the photo of the model and the outfit gets a whole page dedicated to it for the viewer. This emphasises the look that is being written about. The style for the photo is a generic studio set up, with the white background and multi light setup to fully expose the model with a fill light. On the text driven page, we have an introduction to the piece and the model in this instance. This piece of text uses a serif typeface which is very traditional and suggests quality and class which is what this magazine is selling and priding itself for. What is interesting is that the title of the piece and the introduction take up half of the page meaning that a bulk of the text takes up the other half. This creates a ying and yang style but ultimately works really well. The sheer differentiation between size and volume breaks up the page well and feels balanced despite the amount of text. This also features a good use of white space which is common in the fashion magazine genre. The main section of text is broken up into two large columns and flows well around the page.

In this example, I liked how the text flowed around the image on the right page, It also meant that it created a circular pattern for the individual pieces of text meaning the reader could start at any of the sections and make their way around in any order, giving the reader some freedom and creating flow for the text and the article on the subject. On the left hand page, I liked the use of typography, I liked how the words overlapped and how it worked over the top of an image, it's rare that text will be layered on top of the photo as that's where generally the emphasis is driven. However despite this it doesn't take away attention to the imagery but works around the area's that aren't as important.

For this example I liked how the imagery overlapped over two pages but the text wraps around it. Despite not being in English, I believe that it works well and compliments the imagery in terms of the use of colour and the differentiation in font size and weight. The photography is nice also, I like the studio setup with the soft lighting. As well as this I like how the subjects are interacting between each other and the expression that is being presented.

Through the genre, typography and the usage of it is really exciting as it's experimental and ultimately helps reflect the obscurity and tone of the article and the piece it is showing. On this on, I like how the magazine overlaps text for the title of the piece and differentiates colour to help contrast the overlapping text. As well as this, the text continues behind the image cutting off the 'x'. This ultimately helps draw attention the overall importance of the imagery of the piece and the model. What also looks good on this example is that despite there not being too much text, it is still cramped into a small section of a single page in two columns. This again draws the viewer towards the image and also throws the composition of the whole two pages around creating a dysfunctional pattern of viewing.

I liked this once for many reasons. I firstly liked the photography of the subject, it's a very strong and intimidating photo and I feel it captures the subject well in presenting the overall look. I liked harsh light hitting the subject through the centre, it shows professionalism and a clean but corporate approach. What I thought was different was the coloured background. Magazines tend to stick to white, for both aesthetic and print cost reasons but I liked how the colour scheme of the page reflected the look of the model and creates a uniform look for the whole piece. The title is very clear and differentiates itself well from the main part of the articles text. It goes for a three column text layout which works well to deliver the length of the article.