TOAST Feature Analysis

 

Often, in feature pages, rather than including a plain background, the main image is the background. I feel as though this would be good for my own magazine, ensuring focus on my photography, which, for me, if an important factor in success. Toast has used an image of something that directly relates to the subject of the article; it is an interview with a director. This would be especially good in the context of fashion, focusing more on the imagery rather than the article itself, seeing as my own product will be targeted on students, interested in fashion. They want to know how to dress, they want to be told. That is precisely what I will do.

 

In terms of the colour palette, the feature is quite dark, dingy, and dull. This makes the shocks of colour really stand out and draw the eyes in to these particular parts, suggesting that they are perhaps more important than the rest. The questions are in red, as to separate them from the answers, and add more excitement to such a dark, monochrome piece. The name of the person who is being interviewed is also in red, 'Jon Crooks', as to drum the name into the readers head. I often find myself forgetting the names of those who I read about in magazines, as there is so much to take in, but his name has been emphasised to the point where it is actually quite difficult to forget it. The logo for 'Dogbite' has been incorporated, for the reasoning of promoting his new company and introducing it to the student readers. The other imagery on the page has been bordered with film, relating to the subject and making the magazine look somewhat artsy. 

This is far too dark to be a style model for my fashion magazine, as it needs to be bright, happy and remind the reader of feelings of happiness. Though, I do like the way in which the questions have been singled out from the interview with a shocking red, so this is definitely something to think about incorporating into my own magazine if I end up including an interview, though I am not sure whether or not this is something that I want to focus on within my work. I would rather make the piece solely about fashion.

TOAST Contents Analysis

In terms of the layout of this contents page, the actual lexis 'contents' is not an aspect that stands out a lot, but it has been laid over a dark grey background, primarily for the readers to know precisely what the page consists of, giving it space to be emphasised. It is easy to read, which appeal to students, especially if they are not particularly intelligent or have dyslexia. The page has been split diagonally in order to separate the actual contents of the magazine and the thanks that are being given to the students .who involved themselves in the process of creation. The top of this split is white, conforming to the text on the grey bar and not overcrowding this section with colour, especially when there are images which are filled with various different colours; the colour palette of the magazine could be too much to take in all at once. The bottom half, however, is orange. A colour of which is bright, friendly, warm, and welcoming. I feel as though is is quite a homely colour as well, which means that it could remind .the students who read it of their own homes, reigniting old memories and ensuring that they look forward to visiting. It is good for those who aren't particularly happy, reminding them of what they have back home; if the magazine reminds them of something happy, they  are quite likely to pick it up again, as they would want to feel the feelings regularly. There are photography is strips lined horizontally across the top of the page; I have never seen something like this before. Usually, multiple .images are incorporated in a way that is far less, perhaps, formal. This is an uncommon convention of a magazine's contents page, suggesting to me that 'Toast' likes to be unique and will not conform to theories or other magazine's ways. They like to bring new ideas to the table, as to try things that are different. To be unique is what every individual wants, a stereotype that is common with university students. Above this, in the same layout, are different categories, as to give a header and explain what .each image about, avoiding any confusion of the readers. The first one is fashion, a suggestion that this could be the most important aspect of this  particular issue. After that is food, appealing to the vast majority of students, as they are seen to adore food, but often cannot afford it. A lot of students do not have to worry about their weight at their age due to fast metabolisms, so food is definitely an appropriate subject for the producers to incorporate. In the top right, they have included logo's in white, as to promote businesses in the area of Cornwall, which is almost necessary, as this would be how they get funded, so they can distribute the magazine for free. The page numbers are in orange, both to match the background of the part that thanks the contributors, and to separate them from the dark text explaining what each page is. Otherwise, this would be difficult and confusing to read. 

The 'Contirbutors' section suggests that the contents page for Toast actually focuses more on the contributors rather than the content of the magazine; the producers want to allow credit to be prominent  within this page, as it is a free magazine and they feel as though the creators deserve credit. Pictures of each member of the team have been incorporated to, again, allow credit to shine through for each individual that is part of Toast, where it is due. As the team is small, in comparison to magazines that are successfully on the shelves in the majority of newsagents, an overabundance of space is not necessary for this section, though I feel as though they have actually made the most of the space they have, and milked it, using more than, perhaps, they actually need. The pictures have been circled, relating back to the cover, which has featured a woman with an orange cirlce laid over the top. The images are in black and white, conveying the magazine as somewhat 'hipster' and unique, which is what a lot of students consider themselves to be, or at least this is a very common label. Credit to the fahion designers, photographers, and film makers has also been incorporated.

TOAST Cover Analysis

Toast is a regional magazine based in Cornwall, focusing on student lifestyle. I felt as though it would be appropriate to analyse due to the fact that I, myself, will be producing a regional magazine, 

The target audience has been made very clear by the producers of the magazine, as they have incorporated into the front cover is 'your complete student lifestyle guide', being very direct in addressing its audience, and reaching out to these particular people, letting them know that they are the ones of whom should be picking up this magazine and reading it. The target audience are of both genders, male and females, although I personally believe that there might be a slight primary target audience of females, as a female is featured on the cover, which would ordinarily attract other females, unless she was sexualised, which she is not. Laura Mulvey in The Male Gaze states that all women are portrayed in the media for the viewing pleasure of men, which is most definitely not the case in this situation, as the model has not been sexualised in the slightest. Although, something that goes against what I just said is the female having male-like hair, perhaps appealing to a secondary target audience of males. As it is targeted towards students, the age of the audience is obvious. It is directed at people from the ages of 16-21, as this is the age of those in both college/sixth form and university. 

The mid shot profile image on the front of the cover is unusual, as usually the shot would not be in profile, rather face on. This is the producers of the magazine attempting to portray how they are unique and different, the reasoning being that it is targeted towards a crowd of mostly teenagers who do not want to find normality, they each want to be seen as different and their own person due to their non-conformity; this is also why the image is in black and white. Black and white images are seen to be different, soft yet edgy. They are these days related to a label, 'hipster'. This is someone who does not follow the crowd, purposely doing things to go against what the mainstream crowd is doing, much like an 'indie' person. The woman is not a star vehicle, not has her own story, and therefore is unimportant in the eyes of the producer. You can tell that this is true because they layered a yellow circle over her face, which is another uncommon convention incorporated to attract the particular target audience that they have targeted. It is to draw attention away from the subject, as they are trying to get the masthead of the magazine out into the world in order to be recognised and more successful. She is screaming, and to me this has various different connotations which could relate to different people and they way in which they live their lives. One connotation I thought of was that she is wild, and as they must represent their target audience in a way that will attract them, they have portrayed them as wild to relate to their social lives, going out all of the time and not particularly having worries or cares, as they do not have major responsibilities. The other connotation is that she is screaming out of anger, pain, sadness. A lot of teenagers in this particular social group have been linked with depression,  which is common in this age group due to the spiralling of hormones, and they have perhaps been able to reach out to their audience by relating to their personal lives and how they feeling inside. As they might not be coping very well with the pressure of student life, this magazine is reaching out to them, and inside probably has advice on how it is that they would be able to cope with these pressures. Another aspect of which would not be considered to be normal is the outrageous hair cut, it is very edgy and again, unique. 

The hashtag #toastcornwall ensures the students targeted know that the magazine is on twitter, which is a social networking site that is considered to be generally 'cool' and is popular amongst this age group. It also shows how the magazine is up-to-date and familiar with the technological advances of 2013. Another site which uses hashtags and is even more popular amongst the labelled audience is Tumblr, so the magazine easily relates to their interests and what they probably spend most of their time on. The lexis 'FREE' has been incorporated as the producers are aware that people will take anything if it is free, and it is especially good for students as the majority of them are not in a good position financially; they do not have a disposable income and therefore cannot afford the luxuries of magazines. Funding for the magazine comes from the advertisements included on the inside, as local businesses are willing to pay for adverts they know will reach local people, especially businesses such as nightclubs, as they are aware that the target audience of the magazine will be interested in the club; they hold the stereotype of enjoying clubbing and being wild. So the advertorial is being fed directly to the correct audience, for what would be a small amount of money to the businesses, and the magazine is being funded, therefore have the money required to print the magazines and give them out for free. 

In terms of typography, the design team have used a white font, allowing the text to contrast harshly against the black hair of the model. They have used this on the banner at the bottom of the cover, 'free' and '#toastcornwall. They have also been capitalized, as to put emphasis on the text that is perhaps not as  prominent as other text on the cover. Cut out of an orange low-opacity circle is the masthead 'Toast', as is the tag line 'your complete student lifestyle guide'. The masthead is slightly elegant and in italics to portray sophistication. It is not in the top 1/8 of the cover, because it would not be stacked on a shelf, as it is a free magazine and would not be for sale. 

Cosmopolitan Feature Analysis

Cosmopolitan's feature article spreads across two double pages, as the star vehicle is important and requires a lot of attention to make it worth while for her. The graphology has been used in such a way that Cosmo is able to ensure it appeals to the specific target audience chosen and sell an abundance of magazine. Kelly Osbourne is a fashion icon, and therefore suitable to be featured in the magazine; although the article is not really about fashion, it doesn't need to be. The audience want to know about her life, they want to know the secrets to success and what she has been through in order to overcome any bumps in the road, they want to relate to these aspects of her life and allow themselves to become like her. The purpose of this text is to inform the reader of Osbourne's life, and entertain them. Though the primary target audience is females from the ages of 18-34, the audience widens up to welcome in the fan base of Kelly Osbourne, no matter what age or gender, as they would be interested in purchasing the magazine if she is in it. 

Some of the headline has been typed in capitals, which is a feature of the majority of articles, 'Be YOURSELF, YOU CAN'T BE anyone else.' The capitals are to emphasize particular words, and to emphasize a point to the reader, and though they are trying to fit in and act as though they are the star vehicle, Osbourne is trying to convince them to appreciate who they are and not to make attempts to imitate other beings, as they cannot truly change who they are. This direct address to the reader makes them feel as though it is personal, that Kelly is speaking to them and only them, no one else. It also makes the audience feel as though she understands each individual, caring about how they live their lives. The capitals also excite the readers, especially if they are big fans of the star vehicle. Personally, I really like the use of large quotation marks, as they have made it quite obvious to the audience that Kelly, the star, has said this, and they are saying 'look, these words have come from her mouth, not ours, because we know that you will listen to her'. They are in pink, correlating with the background behind Osbourne, and acting feminine with the purple from the telephone and her hair. Naturally, they have thought to use feminine colours to represent a feminine woman, and appeal to the feminine audience of which they have targeted, as they must appeal to the people. Three different fonts have been used within the headline, one reason is because different parts of it needed to be separated, to stand out more. The capitalized lexis is not as big as the normal lexis, as they are in a way trying to balance out the differences, yet still ensure that they are obvious. Linking back to the colour palette, the font included is very feminine, suggesting that Cosmopolitan either want to reinforce stereotypes that fall upon women, such as them enjoying elegant, feminine colours and fonts, or these truly to attract women and make them purchase magazines. Either way, they sell an abundance of magazines, so they are clearly doing it right. 

'Finally beating my addiction' suggests that Osgerby's 1998 theory applies to this particular article, even if this is not conceived as a negative representation by the youth culture. He says “We do not have to search too hard to find negative representations of youth in postwar Britain. Crime, violence and sexual license have been recurring themes in the media’s treatment of youth culture, the degeneracy of the youth depiction as indicative of a steady disintegration of the UK’s social fabric”. Kelly Osbourne suffered with a drug addiction, and though it makes an interesting read, it is a negative representation of her when she was youthful. 

In terms of typography, the main body of the text is jet black, harshly contrasting with the pure white background. The reasoning for this is to ensure that each of their customers are able to read the text with ease and not find it troubling to do so, as if they were unable to read a magazine they had purchased, it would be a waste of both their time and money, and they would not purchase the magazine again. A lot of ladies in the target audience, particularly the older ones, would need to wear glasses; as age progresses their eyesight worsens. Directly at the beginning of the article is the 'I', typed in the exact same font of the headline and is the same size. This is a typical feature of articles, and can be found in almost every one. It draws attention to the start of the article, enticing the audience into reading it. The 'I' also guide the reader directly to the beginning of the article, allowing them to easily navigate the magazine, ensuring ease and no confusion. The subheading are in bold, numbered and in pink, again allowing easily navigation, and breaking up the text so that it does not look as daunting to the reader; it is unlikely that they would find a block of text purely made up of words and no thought on layout appealing, as that would be the sort of layout of a book, and people who read magazines are stereotyped not to read literature. 

The main image is a common convention of every article. This allows focus of the subject and purpose of the article, through the use of star vehicles. It is beside the article itself, for the purpose of presenting WHO the article is about, Kelly Osbourne, before presenting WHAT the article is about, her comeback. This allows recognition for the star, and anyone who recognises her and enjoys her as a person will automatically feel an obligation to read the article. There is a slight comical element to the central image, as she is making a face which would not be suitable for a solemn photograph, implying to the audience that Kelly is not only entertaining, but a comical person herself. The mid shot of Osbourne has an atmosphere that reminds me of the filters on instagram, an implication that the magazine is in touch with technology, familiar with it and are very aware that their audience are too. They want to reach out to their audience with familiarity. They have used a warm colour palette, as to imitate positive emotions due to the nature of the article and how she has overcome many things. As Cosmo is predominantly a fashion magazine, fashion has inevitably been incorporated into this page in the form of Kelly's new style. They are conveying how she is now a fashion icon, and outfits that, effectively, they approve of. Thus, persuading the readers to go out and buy items of clothing that are similar to her own style, especially seeing as they have included the pricing of each outfit and where it is from. A family picture is there as a reminder that she comes from a very famous family and had to grow up in the spotlight, almost as to compensate for her drug use, giving a reason as to why she needed help. Columns, as a typical aspect of articles, are present to ensure the article does  not look like a daunting string of words, but rather easy to read, which would widen their audience, as people who, perhaps, are not particularly good at reading will not feel as intimidated by the text. There is a clear gap between each paragraph, through the use of headings, which breaks the text up. 

As I have decided upon a vintage theme for my own article, this particular article would probably not be appropriate int arms of style, as it is very fun and bold. I do, however, really enjoy the use of quotation marks and the way in which the producers of the text have sized them, so that is definitely an aspect I can think about incorporating into my own feature article. 

Cosmopolitan Contents Analysis

It is clear to see what the primary target audience for Cosmo is, due to the fact that whencetargeting audiences, stereotypes are used to widen the variety of readers. Rather than catering to individual women’s wants and needs, the general stereotype that all females like pink, fashion, makeup and sex has been applied to this page. And as the contents page only features those of white ethnicity, this is also the primary race targeted. The white female wearing the nude dress is a representation of these white females, or at the very least what they aspire to be. I have realize that a necessary factor to ensuring success within my own magazine would be to represent my target audience to an extent in order to attract the correct specified audience. The social grade of Cosmopolitan’s readers is A-C2, as it is classy enough for the likes of  an A and B grade social audience demographic, with their disposable income to spend on a fashion magazine. It ranges down to C2, as in a way, it gives this class something to aspire to.

Surprisingly, the magazines’ masthead has not been incorporated into the contents page as a title. This is quite uncommon in the magazine industry, as on the vast majority of contents pages you will find the masthead used within the cover. Instead of this, the lexis ‘December’ has been used. Not even ‘contents’, as the producers have presumed that their audience is far too intelligent and educated to need the obvious pointed out. ‘December’ is in a black font, contrasting harshly with a white background in order for it to stand above the rest of the text. It is simplistic, yet elegantly feminine; its curves almost imitating the way in which the female body moves. There is obvious reasoning behind the decision to incorporate a fancy, feminine font into the contents page as a sort of masthead, to appeal to the target audience. They need something that is going to represent them in the way in which they aspire to be portrayed: elegant and classy.

In terms of imagery, the magazine succeeds in fulfilling its purpose of attracting the correct target audience. The main image is stereotypically of a model, a perfect portrayal of the fashion world. I have noticed on social networking sites that young females, around the ages of 13-20, often place their hand upon their head in the manner of which the model is placing her hand, almost as to imitate models due to their desire and aspiration to be just like them. The long sleeves on the mid-shot are a portrayal of how it is winter, but suggest to the reader that although it might be freezing outside, they can still have fun partying, as nothing can stop them. In general, fashion photography is serious, and most targeted towards such a high demographic is full of elegance, as to portray their aspirations. The medium close-up of the male and female in bed has been incorporated to ensure that the audience do not think that they are solely about professionalism and money, but also about having a good time and a general optimistic outlook on life. It entices the readers into wanting to indulge themselves in the article, particularly in consideration of the fact that the most prominent audience is single women, at the median age of 31, where their sex lives are said to die down more. The pictures also connote how this is the stereotypical ideology concerning female views towards themselves; they wish to be like this, and think that if they buy the magazine, they can get an insight to how.  As the female is on top, pinning the male down, I believe that this image is a connotation of how the magazine wants females to be more powerful, and not allow men to control them. Jewelry, baubles and sex are also featured in the contents, almost as a statement made by the magazine to convey how they are not purely about fashion, but are bring forward so much more than this.  Each of the images are referred to an article, all have a number telling the audience which page to find them on, ensuring that the readers are able to swiftly find what they want from the magazine with ease and no difficulty.

The pictures from the feature article have not been included in the contents, which is a portrayal of how Cosmo is not solely about promoting their feature article, but would rather allow focus from the audience to spread across more than one aspect of the magazine, as these are just as important to them. It is almost standard for a magazine to incorporate some sort of imagery relating to the feature article on a contents page, so Cosmo have represented themselves as non-conformist. A lot of makeup imagery is on this page in order to demonstrate to the audience that by purchasing the magazine, they are able to easily take on the same aesthetics as the models. Fashion and beauty go hand in hand, and most fashion magazines do feature makeup, as makeup almost has a fashion of its own. The image of foundation is very similar in terms of colouring to the dress that the model is wearing in the picture beside it, linking the model and foundation together, further conveying to the audience how they can be just as beautiful as the model.

Typographically, the font and colour palette is successful in attracting and representing the specific target audience chosen to pitch this particular magazine at. They have ensured the text is suitable for the target audience and their interests; females interested in fashion are going to want something classy and stylish, hence the fancy typography for ‘December’, and standard black font that seems to be used in every fashion magazine for the majority of the writing. Capitals, such as ‘LIVE BIG & GO FOR IT’ shout out to the audience, grasping their attention for different sections. This is blue, and is a header, so stands above the majority of text and out to the reader. Through both choice of lexis and typography, ‘LOVE, SEX & SUCCESS’ stands out to the reader, who is stereotyped to take any opportunity to succeed in this economical crisis. It is in blue to ensure the readers see it above other features, this works especially well as the majority of text on the contents page is in black. The page numbers have been separated from the lexis through the pink colour to ensure they do not blend together.

Directly at the top of the page is ‘December’, ensuring this is the first piece of typography that the reader can see, as often eyes scan from the top to the bottom of the page, and the reader must immediately know what is going on with the page.  Though it is not direct in telling the audience that it is a contents page, it does not need to be, as ‘December’ itself signifies the intentions and purpose of the page, almost saying to the reader ‘this is what is in the December issue’. This is almost a mandatory feature that should be included, as the magazine must ensure that the readers understand where each page is and what they are about. Above this is ‘2012’, as it is a long-running magazine, so there are a lot of December issues, this just makes sure that the issues are not confused, especially for collectors. It is a lot smaller and in pink, which separates it from the black of ‘December’, ensuring both are easy to read. The picture of the shoe curves around the image of foundation, relating back to when I speculated about how the curves in the typography imitated the curves of a woman, linking a stereotypical woman’s aspirations to have a slender, hourglass figure; it almost subconsciously conveys to the reader that the magazine is able to assist them in their quest to find said figure. Under the masthead is the main image, the first aspect of the text that draws the audience in, and so it is vital that this is placed in such a way that the features surrounding will be seen next. It also connotes that the image represents the masthead and target audience, or what they aspire to be. The layout of the imagery is rather fun and bold, and they have clearly avoided being formal, which is clear to see as the imagery overlaps in an enjoyable manner. There is a description directly below each image to ensure that the audience knows which article and picture are related. Just above the image of the man and woman is a kiss, effectively linking the imagery, suggesting to the reader that their ‘lippy’ will assist them in getting sex. Columns have been incorporated as they are both a standard feature of magazines, and easy to navigate. This is what the audience are familiar with, so the readers recognise this feature, though it is laid out differently in different magazines. 

To conclude, I believe that this particular contents page is rather sophisticated, yet fun and bold. It is precisely what I want from a contents page, and I believe that this would be a good style model to base my own contents page around. I admire the use of headings, this is something I would love to do on my own page. Also, the imagery all seems to correlate in colours, allowing the season to shine through as a portrayal of their festivity. 

Cosmopolitan Cover Analysis

Though Cosmopolitan is not a regional magazine, I feel as though it is necessary to ensure that I have thoroughly analysed fashion magazines to ensure I know all that is necessary to produce a successful product of this genre myself. Cosmopolitan is a magazine that I actually purchase and enjoy, allowing familiarity with the product to guide this analysis. The purpose of the magazine cover is to portray women in an optimistic, uplifting manner; allowing an outlook full of power on females. In terms of the masthead, 'Cosmopolitan', they have been very clever in choosing a word of which connotes diversity, welcoming all races and a variety of different people into their audience. Though, they primarily target white women, they have ensured that any secondary audiences feel welcome; maximising potential audience, therefore money. This cover targets people of white origin, as the female used in a positive manner is white; this would not primarily attract people of other diversities, as they cannot relate to the cover star. The social grade is A-C2, as the audience need to have a disposable income to indulge in luxuries such as this magazine. The feature represents the target audience in a positive way, of which they are pleased with and feel as though  the magazine represents them correctly; therefore the features are able to attract the correct audience demographic. It is clear to see what the primary target audience for Cosmo is, due to the fact that whence targeting audiences, stereotypes are used to widen the variety of readers. Rather than catering to individual women’s wants and needs, the general stereotype that all females like pink, fashion, makeup and sex has been applied to this page. 

Usually, the masthead is located in the top 1/8 of the cover, but this is just over 1/7 of the page, presumably because it is quite a lengthy word, so they would not want to squash the title up. It does not make that much of difference, only it means that there is slightly less of a chance of the masthead actually being seen on shelves that are stacked with a lot of magazines, especially in newsagents/ newsstands, where often the masthead is the only thing that can be seen unless the magazine is at the front of the display. 

A Cosmopolitan is also a cocktail made with vodka, cranberry juice, an orange-flavored liqueur, and lime juice; often consumed by elegant ladies who are of a high class. An aspect that also suggests high class is the percentage of people who attended/graduated college (62.6%), so it is unlikely that these people would have jobs which are not high paid or do not bring a lot of class to their lifestyles. After researching and gathering information from the Cosmopolitan media kit, I discovered that the most prominent audience who purchased the magazine is of the age group of 18-34. This is quite a wide range of age, so I looked at the median age of the audience, and found that it is 31 years old, meaning that the magazine will predominantly target this age group whence in the process and creation of the magazine. 

The table above helps me to understand the reasoning for just how much sex is the primary topic for Cosmopolitan. They have taken advantage of the fact that the majority of their audience (approx 62%) are single or not involved with anyone. It is almost as though they are trying to ignite thoughts of sexual relationships in order for the audience to, perhaps, crave sex, therefore feel as though they need the latest advice to impress males; resulting in them purchasing the magazine. 'Love, sex, break-ups and bad behavior', clearly they have attempted to appeal to those of the audience who have had to deal with break-ups, and want them to make themselves feel better with 'bad behavior'.
The other 38% are married, which connotes how they might not be particularly active, and they seek advice on how to re-ingnite their sex lives.

The yellow dress has been used as mise-en-scene in order to portray the fashion choices and appearance of the people who enjoy this genre. Through this, a large number of the audience will see themselves in the magazine and what they desire, and so they will purchase it. The cover, in a way, mimics a sunset, as the colour palette is full of warm yellows and oranges, conveying the season to the reader and effectively getting them excited about it. Often with magazines that use the masthead to head the magazine like so, they will overlap the picture so it anchors the title, allowing attention to be focused on the subject of the magazine, as the magazine itself must already be quite well known to use this technique. Due to the fact that this magazine is respected and high up in the magazine industry, it can afford to splash out in terms of its feature article. Isla Fisher is the star vehicle in the article, very appropriate seeing as she is most well-known for playing the protagonist in 'Confessions of a Shopaholic,' a film predominantly about fashion and its role in the magazine industry. She is a fashion icon, and so the magazine would appeal to the audience who are looking for fashion to effectively copy. The image chosen for the cover is not the usual shot type that would be used, it is a mid-shot, whereas magazines commonly include medium-close-ups as to focus on the star vehicle. My presumption is that the producers not only wanted the focus on Isla, but wanted to focus on the dress, as it is a fashion magazine. Because she is hunched over there is some cleavage is visible. Mulvey's theory 'The Male Gaze' states that women in the media are sexualised, and only put there for the viewing pleasure of men.

Typical concerning layout, the main image of the female has nothing interfering with the face. This ensures that the readers know exactly who it is, and that the model can easily be viewed, rather than the face being covered by writing. The barcode is horizontal and magazines commonly have this feature located to the right; Cosmopolitan has conformed to this common convention. Text lines the side of her arm, again not interfering with the model too much. I noticed that the lexis 'You're beautiful' draws the eye of the viewer towards the models' curves, conveying to potential readers that if they purchase the magazine, this is what they could be. 

In conclusion, I feel as though this magazine cover would be a brilliant style model for my own magazine, as I believe that it contains features which would both be more than suitable to adapt and incorporate into my cover. Though I will obviously not be able to hire a real star vehicle, I could ensure my feature is more article-based rather than person-based. The elegance and happiness portrayed through Isla is something that I would like to imitate, as Bentley said, 'the creative process is the rearranging of the old and making of the new'.