Question: What makes you stop in your tracks when passing your local newsstand? Is it a magazine featuring the social media It girl of the moment? A certain actress (or actor) promoting their latest Hollywood movie? Or a cover endorsing one of your favorite fashion models? Sometimes, despite a beloved cover model and the magazine’s best efforts, things can go drastically wrong. And sometimes, all the pieces come together to create cover magic. Here, we take a look back at the covers our discerning forum members ranked as the best — and worst — over the past 12 months, with some surprising results.
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Year In Review: The Best & Worst Magazine Covers of 2017
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HIT: Vogue Japan March 2017 Irina Shayk by Luigi & Iango
She may not be your favorite model, but there's no denying Irina Shayk serves good face whenever she's in front of a camera. The Russian beauty thrilled our forum members with her cover of Vogue Japan's March issue, wearing Bottega Veneta in the flawless, beauty-focused image.
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MISS: Vogue Italia February 2017 Madonna by Steven Klein
Members of our forums simply weren't here for Vogue Italia's final issue under Franca Sozzani, who tragically passed away in December 2016. For what should have been a celebration of her wonderful work editing the magazine over the years, we got Madonna photographed by Steven Klein for the umpteenth time and a trio of garish and overdone covers.
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HIT: UK Vogue March 2017 Gigi Hadid by Mario Testino
The British edition of Vogue got us excited for summer with its gorgeous March cover featuring the "unstoppable" Gigi Hadid (who snagged seven Vogue covers in 2017). Photographed by Mario Testino, Gigi played the role of bronzed goddess perfectly, wearing a plunging sky-blue Fendi dress in the shot.
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MISS: Harper's Bazaar May 2017 Kendall Jenner by Camilla Akrans
Kendall Jenner's cover of Harper's Bazaar came under scrutiny from our forum members earlier this year in the midst of the publication's milestone 150th anniversary. Kendall resembled a 60s housewife in the newsstand cover image shot by Camilla Akrans with the whole shoot inspired by the work of Richard Avedon. According to our forums, the shot was just a little too much of everything.
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HIT: Vogue April 2017 Selena Gomez by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
Leave it up to photographic duo Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott to give Selena Gomez a sultry makeover to remember as she made her debut as a U.S. Vogue cover girl. We gave the magazine major kudos for the sexy shot of Selena on a Malibu beach for the April 2017 issue.
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MISS: Porter Summer Escape 2017 Doutzen Kroes and Imaan Hammam by Vincent van de Wijngaard
More often than not, Porter produces groundbreaking covers featuring images most other publications would only dream to use. But for its Summer Escape edition in May, the magazine let standards slip with an underwhelming and cliché African shoot starring Doutzen Kroes and Imaan Hammam.
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HIT: Allure April 2017 Dilone, Imaan Hammam and Aamito Lagum by Patrick Demarchelier
Sometimes all we crave are models on a cover and Allure provided us with three for its monumental April issue celebrating diversity. Shot by Patrick Demarchelier, Dilone, Imaan Hammam and Aamito Lagum looked sensational on the already iconic cover.
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MISS: Vogue Japan August 2017 by Luca and Alessandro Morelli
Vogue Japan's downright hideous cover for August proves that more isn't always more. The magazine took the multi-model concept to a whole new level with a total of 67 (yes, seriously) different women wearing an array of Dolce & Gabbana outfits, shot by Luca and Alessandro Morelli. Let's hope we never see a cover like this again.
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HIT: Vogue Paris June/July 2017 Gisele Bündchen by Mario Testino
In December 2016, the media caught Gisele Bündchen on location in Rio posing for photographer Mario Testino. We waited in suspense to see where the images would land and were delighted when they surfaced in the June/July issue of Vogue Paris. Gisele looked sensational as she basked in the sunshine, posing up a storm for the magazine's unconventional summer cover.
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MISS: UK Vogue September 2017 Nora Attal, Edie Campbell, Jean Campbell, Kate Moss and Stella Tennant by Mario Testino
What should have been a celebratory swan song for departing editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman, British Vogue's September cover fell flat. Not even the presence of Kate Moss, Stella Tennant, Edie Campbell, Jean Campbell or Nora Attal could save Mario Testino's uninspired photography.
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HIT: Vogue Arabia June 2017 Halima Aden by Greg Kadel
Halima Aden on Vogue Arabia sent shock waves through the industry and our forums. The magazine made Halima the first-ever Hijab-wearing cover girl as she starred on a pair of covers, captured as if backstage at a fashion shoot by photographer Greg Kadel.
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MISS: Vogue Germany September 2017 Claudia Schiffer by Giampaolo Sgura
Halloween came a month early at the newsstand with Vogue Germany's hair-raising September offering. Looking like a (very fashionable) Bride of Frankenstein, Claudia Schiffer's luscious blond locks were styled into a mass of frizzy curls as she wore an unflattering Valentino getup. Our forum members gave the cover a resounding thumbs down.
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HIT: Vogue Italia July 2017 Grace Elizabeth by Steven Meisel
According to our forum members, Steven Meisel always delivers the goods and he did just that with Vogue Italia's July cover. Model Grace Elizabeth (in Louis Vuitton) channeled a Hollywood movie star from the 50s in the glamorous and vintage-inspired cover photo.
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MISS: ELLE September 2017 Alicia Vikander by David Bellemere
The September issues were fairly unremarkable this year and, for what is considered to be the most important month on the fashion calendar, ELLE's September cover was no different. Alicia Vikander failed to excite and photographer David Bellemere wasn't much help, delivering a rather sterile and depressing cover image.
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HIT: Vogue Spain November 2017 Raquel Zimmermann by Christian MacDonald
Vogue Spain had an instant hit on its hands with its November installment starring a sophisticated and stunning Raquel Zimmermann. Ticking all the boxes with a simple, effortless image — complete with a minimal amount of text — our forum members couldn't stop raving about this cover.
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MISS: Vogue Turkey October 2017 Natasha Poly by Blommers & Schumm
Our sympathies were with Natasha Poly as Vogue Turkey's dreadful October cover came to light. A determined Natasha tried her best to push through the highly questionable styling.
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HIT: WSJ. Magazine November 2017 Reese Witherspoon by Cass Bird
WSJ. Magazine is up there with the best and the magazine kept up its high standards with a beautiful and serene Reese Witherspoon cover for November. Photographed by Cass Bird, the actress looked as lovely as ever, captured outdoors on what appeared to be a late afternoon at the beach, bundling up in a thick Burberry knit.
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MISS: InStyle November 2017 Chrissy Teigen by Carter Smith
Where do we start? InStyle and the entire team behind the November cover shoot did Chrissy Teigen a major disservice with this one. To add insult to injury, the overdone post-production left Chrissy looking nothing like her usual self.
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HIT: UK Vogue December 2017 Adwoa Aboah by Steven Meisel
Yet another Steven Meisel hit arrived in the form of Edward Enninful's debut cover as editor-in-chief of British Vogue. Thankfully, he made Adwoa Aboah his first cover girl for December, who looked absolutely divine ushering in the magazine's bold and exciting new look.
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MISS: Vogue Arabia November 2017 Rihanna by Greg Kadel
Rihanna and Vogue are usually a match made in heaven, but somehow Rihanna's covers of Vogue Arabia failed to hit the mark for November. Participating in a Nefertiti-inspired cover story, the outcome felt a little dated, forced and low-budget.
