# LOFFICEL100: Fashion history through our century of iconic covers
In honor of our centennial celebrations, we showcase the history of fashion with our 100-year archive of stunning covers.
One of the biggest highlights of a fashion magazine has always been the cover, which reflects the entirety of the issue in one image.
A mysterious alchemy of glossy photography, with an inspired style and graphic design that somehow captures the spirit of the times perfectly, a magazine cover is both timeless and an accurate reflection of current events.
In its 100 years of publication, L'Officiel has produced more than 1,000 covers which, when viewed together, constitute a crash course not only on fashion history, but also on our times.
As each decade develops its own stylistic personality - drawing inspiration from trends from previous cycles while constantly seeking novelty, and always reflecting changing social attitudes - the covers of L'Officiel , issue after issue, provide a framework that allows us to understand the nature of the fashion system, the evolution of trends and the society itself.
From its beginnings as a chronicler of the flourishing fashion industry in Paris, to its current position at the center of culture, art, fame and design in the world, L'Officiel has always took the pulse of the present while anticipating the future with enthusiasm.
Now, we invite you to discover our very subjective selection of our favorite covers through the decades.
JULY 1921
On 20th July 1921, L'Officiel de la Couture et de la Mode launched its very first issue. The simplicity and sophistication of the original cover sums up the magazine's origins as a professional publication, created with the sole purpose of protecting and promoting French fashion - and especially French elegance - without betraying its secrets.
This same design appears on the first three issues of the magazine and features a simple red medallion depicting a couple walking through a lush park, presumably in the fashion capital. The mention "Organe de Propagande et de défense de toutes les Industries de la Nouveauté", inscribed in black letters on the cover, underlines the importance of fashion for French industry and commerce.
Although the original cover was quickly usurped by more glamorous iterations, L'Officiel became the official voice of French fashion.
APRIL 1926
Taking advantage of the freedom and effervescence that reigned in post-war Paris in the 1920s, the first decade that L'Officiel witnessed was a moment of cultural revolution.
Modernity was the word on everyone's lips, and women's fashion reflected an avant-garde and increasingly liberated attitude to life and style. This April 1926 cover, taken by photographer Madame d'Ora , perfectly illustrates the pre-war trend for oriental-inspired styles made popular by Paul Poiret and Jeanne Paquin, paired with the trend after -war for ease and movement.
The set, designed bybJ. Suzanne Talbot, is named after the Roman military commander Titus and the model here looks ready to conquer Paris in her black silk velvet dress and helmet-inspired scarf with golden details and embroidery.
At once mysterious, inviting and luxurious, this cover from L'Officiel is one of many that has captured the endless possibilities of this exciting new era of fashion.
APRIL 1931
In the 1930s, magazine covers drew heavily on the artistic movements of the time, starting with 1920s art deco and softening to female illustration at the end of the decade.
This April 1931 cover is decidedly modernist, celebrating both the art form and the movement's taste for constant change. For the logo, the name of L'Officiel is illustrated by P. Covillot, who provided numerous borders for the covers of L'Officiel throughout the decade.
Geometric block shapes stack up in letters, standing out from the page to resemble a physical statue placed next to the mannequin on the cover. Symbol of the new obsession of the French for baths and seaside vacations at this time, the socialite Mademoiselle Rosine Drean is photographed by Madame d'Ora , one of the magazine's favorites, and wears a swimsuit in a playful pose.
This leg-revealing look is unusual in an era characterized by French elegance, but it is the forerunner of today's well-established bath blanket. The illustration of Covillot blurred the lines betweenfashion and art, transforming the magazine cover into a modernist work that pushes the boundaries.
OCTOBER 1947
The evolution of L'Officiel covers during the 1940s pays homage to one of the most trying, but also the most revolutionary moments in the history of fashion.
The last decade relied primarily on illustrated covers, the years of WWII were characterized by the soft and subtle designs of Italian artist Léon Benigni. Towards the end of the decade, however, fashion enthusiasts the world over were yearning for what seemed like a bygone era of luxurious fantasies offered by French couture.
Illustrator René Gruau responded to this desire by strikingly illustrating the cover of the 1947 winter collections issue of L'Officiel, which featured a Christian Dior fur coat designed in the house's hyper-feminine New Look silhouette.
As a longtime friend and collaborator of Monsieur Dior, Gruau made sure that all eyes were on this iconic creation. By placing the coat on a bright red flat background and highlighting the design with a delicate black outline, Gruau made Dior's creation jump from the page to the reader's imagination, marking a return to exuberant designs, in the true tradition of Parisian couture.
SEPTEMBER 1953
Throughout the 1950s, the covers of L'Officiel were systematic, targeted and recall the roots of the magazine, which was aimed at professionals.
While previous decades focused on artistic direction and reflected the cultural moment, the 1950s let couture designs speak for themselves. This September 1953 cover, photographed by Studio Pottier , shows a model wearing a Christian Dior coat, at the height of the golden age of couture.
If it is strange today that a model on the cover is anonymous, before the rise of celebrities and top models, the magazine was entirely devoted to fashion. During this decade, it was common to feature a model posing elegantly in front of an understated studio backdrop, wearing a Lanvin dress or Balenciaga cape, fully highlighting the designer's work. For the fall of 1953, a symmetrical and intentionally minimalist art direction draws the eye directly to Dior's design. The complementary styling ensures that X, literally, marks the sewing treasure featured on this blanket.
OCTOBER 1968
While the youthful earthquake of the 1960s turned the fashion world upside down with innovative creations of Pierre Cardin and André Courrèges, this era of unstoppable originality also extended to the covers of L'Officiel.
The traditional covers of the 1950s, with a focus on couture, were replaced by bright, inventive photographs depicting a new era in fashion, in which dressing for yourself was of the utmost importance.
This decade brought new photographic perspectives to the magazine, as shown in this October 1968 issue photographed by Roland Bianchin, who experimented with new layouts and unconventional angles. The model is pictured in a jersey ensemble by Yves Saint Laurent, who at the time, was rapidly moving from being a young fashion prodigy to that of a fashion icon.
Infused with bright colors and a sense of playfulness, the blankets seen throughout the '60s brought a sense of fun back into fashion.
FEBRUARY 1974
While the cover of a celebrity became a mainstay of magazines at the start of the new millennium, the first celebrity fashion cover of L'Officiel took place in February 1974.
Two symbols of French pop culture then meet - the most Parisian of Britons, Jane Birkin, is pictured for the cover of the magazine by JL Guégan. Unlike in previous decades, the cover didn't focus on the clothes Birkin wore - a Nina Ricci ensemble you don't really see - but on the personality of Birkin who greeted the magazine's reader in issue 605.
The portrait of Guégan captured the free essence of Birkin, which rejected the elegance of couture fashion touted by L'Officiel in decades past, to move closer to the more laid-back nature of ready-to-wear. The cover is extremely personal, showcasing her natural features and expertly tousled hairstyle, a marked departure from Parisian fashion, but a signature of Jane Birkin. The 1970s brought fashion to relax and live a bit, and the gypsy Birkin was the quintessential covergirl of that decade.
DECEMBER 1980
The ultra-glamorous portraits featured on the covers of L'Officiel throughout the 1980s evoked fashion's unreserved adherence to the golden extravagance of the time. Bold silhouettes, bold colors and very defined make-up reflected these years of unprecedented economic growth, in which women were increasingly independent and in control of their own identities and futures.
Designers like Claude Montana and Thierry Mugler experimented with exaggerated shapes that set the trend for tailored suits and structured shoulders that notoriously defined the decade. For the cover photo of L'Officiel from December 1980, taken by Rodolphe Haussaire, this force and severity are skillfully expressed by the ferocious gaze of the model, under which one can read a simple declaration: "The Fantastic".
Fantastic, indeed, was the unique hair creation and the daring dress, both from Montana's Spring /Summer 1981 collection. As evidenced by these powerful cover images, the 1980s covergirl has become a force to be reckoned with, prompting readers to take new fashion risks.
FEBRUARY 1993
The fashion of the 1990s is synonymous with the supermodels. The 777th issue, covered by Tyra Banks and photographed by Carlo della Chies, perfectly sums up the playful and glamorous attitude of this decade.
Unlike a normal cover star, the supermodel personified fashion, combining a face with the latest trends and an intangible je ne sais quoi spirit of well-dressed women. Banks and her contemporaries Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington have covered countless issues of L'Officiel, and their iconic image sparked intrigue, unlike the celebrity cover, resulting to an era that was once again all about clothing.
For the February 1993 cover, Banks was dressed head-to-toe in Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, bearing a number of the brand's signatures that peaked in popularity around that time, such as tweed over tweed, sailor trousers, two-tone boots and, in true 1990s spirit, a chain belt with logo.
Not only does this cover embody fashion in its entirety, but it also defines the revered iconography of '90s haute couture that has spanned the decade.
MARCH 2005
In the 2000s, top models were replaced by fashionable celebrities and fashionable It girls to cover L'Officiel. A decade marked by the meteoric rise of celebrities and reality TV, the early 2000s saw an increased interest in the private lives of movie stars, pop singers and socialites.
After starring in the film Lost in Translation by Sofia Coppola has, which earned an Oscar, Scarlett Johansson is the epitome of the star-in-the-making on this 2005 cover photo taken by David Ferrua. She wears Agent Provocateur lingerie, which she covers subtly with a silk trench coat by Christian Dior by John Galliano, and her style reflects the overt sex appeal of the decade.
The other stars of the 2000s are Vanessa Paradis, Uma Thurman, Lindsay Lohan and Marion Cotillard. Fame was redefined in the early 2000s, but what remains certain is that pop culture's infatuation with all things celebrity has become one of the most enduring elements of this decade.
SETEMBER 2016
Fashion and culture are mirror images of each other, which mutually evolve over time. As fairness and representation gained momentum throughout the 2010s, fashion struggled to shed its exclusive, Eurocentric image in favor of diverse models, designers and voices.
The September 2016 issue of L'Officiel focused on black beauty, in line with cultural movements that have centered black voices and challenged racism in institutions of education, culture, art and beyond. The cover, photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, features models and icons Iman, Ciara, Ajak Deng, Maria Borges, Anais Mali, Grace Boi, Riley Montana and Adesuwa Aighewi, all dressed in Dior Haute Couture and styled with an element of royalty, thus enshrining the important contributions of black women to the fashion industry.
The cast and style of this cover recognize that fashion is not just an aesthetic, but a tool for changing values through representation. In the 2010s, fashion was political, and the fashion magazine was a powerful platform for presenting diverse voices and celebrating previously unseen perspectives.
You can discover more of L'Officiel's archive and the history of fashion in our L'Officiel "House of Dreams" digital museum now at www.lofficiel100.com.
