The holiday season is here. This time of the year calls upon glitz, glamour, sparkle, and pure unapologetic splendor. On the very rare occasion, a major source of style inspo for sparkle season can often be found via the covers of our favorite fashion glossies. Feeling festive, we’re reflecting back to unwrap our top 5 most festive fashion magazine covers of all time – from spectacular cover images lensed by master photographer Steven Meisel to uncovering a forgotten favorite deep within the Harper’s Bazaar archives.
Scroll further for theFashionSpot’s picks of the most festive and most dazzling magazine covers that have ever graced the newsstand:
#5 Vogue Italia December 2004 with Karen Elson by Steven Meisel:
While this cover may not exactly scream Christmas from the treetops, there’s no denying the cover shot oozes a certain holiday quality. Karen Elson posed for Steven Meisel and the duo achieved a romantically dark yet glamorous mood, as if Karen has just returned home from a fabulous New Year’s party and now sits alone reflecting on the handsome stranger she met. Meisel shot the redheaded British beauty wearing a black velvet Ralph Lauren gown, with Karen’s hair fashioned into old-Hollywood waves adding drama and charm to Italian Vogue‘s December 2024 cover.
#4 UK Vogue December 2007 with Sienna Miller by Nick Knight:
Nick Knight has created some overwhelmingly gorgeous British Vogue covers – most becoming instantly iconic. The magazine’s December 2007 cover may not be deemed iconic as of yet, but we certainly remember this particular cover shining bright like a diamond on the newsstand during the festive period of 2007. Sienna Miller showcased a stunning metallic gown by Dolce & Gabbana, looking ready for the party season ahead, posing alongside a quirky prop. The silver metallic fonts added pizazz once viewed in real life and we’ll be hunting out our copies today to get us in the festive spirit!
#3 Vogue Paris December 2001/January 2002 with Kate Moss by Mario Testino:
This cover just screams Christmas from the onset. Kate Moss graced the last double-issue of 2001 for French Vogue with Mario Testino capturing everyone’s favorite British supermodel with a set of holiday fairy lights wrapped around her head – with wonderful results! The cover, in theory, sounds rather cheesy (but aren’t holidays supposed to be cheesy?) yet Testino, Carine Roitfeld and Kate pulled the concept off perfectly. Holidays but make it fashion and we 100% approve.
#2 Vogue Russia December 2008 with Naomi Campbell by Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott:
Yet another cover that screams of the holiday season. The December 2008 cover of Vogue Russia took a more luxurious approach this time around. The magazine tapped Naomi Campbell as its cover star. Editor Aliona Doletskaya enlisted the creative twosome Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott to photograph the sitting. The pair opted to shoot Naomi draped in a luxurious white fur, that cascaded around her structured face. We’d say this cover is pretty much right on the money for December.
#1 Harper’s Bazaar December 1992 with Kate Moss by Patrick Demarchelier:
A golden oldie, a forgotten favorite and a clear winner. Kate Moss wows us on the December 1992 issue of American Harper’s Bazaar. Photographed by Patrick Demarchelier, a then 18-year-old Kate posed wearing an extravagant red Christian Dior haute couture gown. The British modeling icon’s hair and makeup was done to the nines, while holding a Christmas snow globe. Simple, effective, and completely understated. We ask the current team of Bazaar to please take note. This is how a festive fashion magazine cover is truly done!
This article was updated on 24/12/2024.
