Georgiana Angus

MASTHEAD

The mast head on CLASH follows a strict guideline throughout all the editions published in recent years. It is always block white and bold, placed dead in the centre, and usually overlays the the Image. This makes it extremely prominent and eye-catching and thus brands the page. As It overlays the Image, it connotes the idea that it is not truly about the Image and the looks, but more about the words and the content of the magazine and the music. Despite this, CLASH still puts a lot of time and effort in the image, but we will get to that later. The masthead has a very simplistic font in serif. This suggests to us that it is a simple magazine that serves the three functions it advertises, MUSIC / FASHION / FILM, and doesn't try to divert from that focus, so you know what you are getting.

IMAGE

The Image on this cover is a very beautifully coloured and designed photo. CLASH magazine has a knack for creating gorgeous covers yet keeping them simple and too the point so that you are not diverted away from the music but can still appreciate the aesthetic beauty behind it. This edition of the magazine is the "American dream edition" and has the caption for the singer, "Ready to bloom again". The photo captures the fuzzy feel and atmosphere of a dream, whilst at the same time using colours similar to that of a new bloom. Doing this makes the picture feel warm and welcoming, much like the idea of summer and flowers, but also by extension of the American dream as the image radiates a sense of happiness. The colours of blue, red, and green are washed out slightly by an orange hue which we immediately associate with a warm summer afternoon. 

Lana is laying on the grass with her eyed closed and looking rather majestic. Having her eyes shut also further enforces the sense of a dream and of a warm afternoon laying in the sun. It again makes us think of summer, and as the main cover line is about blooming and flowers, making it summer like makes you feel like think of all the colours of plants and flowers, colours that were captured in the photo and her clothes. You could argue that Lana is the flower, about to bloom into life. This is as she appears almost engulfed by the fur around her that it's like she is growing out of it. This again links back to the cover line of that Lana is about to bloom again.

COVER LINES

There is one cover line on the entire photo, the rest is just a list of Musicians who are featured in the magazine. This follows with the rest of the house style CLASH has going for them, which is very simplistic and minimalist. It again reinforces the idea that the people who read CLASH don't need to be bought with flashy cover lines as the main theme is it is more about the music and less about the industry and advertisement around it. Even the main cover line does not appear showy or tempting. It merely states how Lana is blooming again. This factors together heavily stress the idea that the magazine is only hear to serve one purpose, and that is to provide reader knowledge on music, fashion, and film.