The Face - September 1984
The September 1984 issue of The Face (No. 53) captured the cultural heat of the moment with Prince on the cover, celebrating his global breakthrough with Purple Rain in a three-page feature that framed him as the defining pop innovator of the era. Alongside this were profiles of other key figures reshaping music and style, including Nile Rodgers, whose production work was transforming funk and pop, and Malcolm McLaren, still a restless provocateur in the post-punk landscape. The magazine also featured a striking two-page photo spread on the cult icon Divine, a profile of bestselling novelist Jackie Collins, and a substantial seven-page travel and photo essay titled Holidays in Hell, which added a darker, more documentary edge to the issue. Fashion and style content included appearances by Colin Firth and Tristan Oliver, reinforcing the magazine’s reputation for blending emerging cultural icons with established stars, making this issue a vivid snapshot of the mid-1980s’ interplay between music, art, fashion, and pop culture.
This issue is part of Kieran Madden's Book Collection that Tomorrow Publications will be showcasing for the next two months. Kieran Madden is a Graphic Designer and Design Director with a career spanning over 25 years working in Australia and New York for leading design studios, ad agencies and global brands.