Descripción

The first ever issue of The Face appeared back in 1980, establishing itself as the original style magazine. It relaunched in 2019 after a 15 year hiatus, and announced its closure with a sudden Instagram post last week. A closure this sudden has certainly felt abrupt, particularly given the recent launch of the magazine’s Chinese arm and the lack of explanation—it’s an announcement that has been met with an outcry of grief as well as a sense of confusion. And with no mention of its demise in the issue, clearly nobody on the edit team knew what was coming.

Following a reshuffling of the editorial masthead that saw longstanding editor-in-chief Matthew Whitehouse step down after the previous edition, managing editor Jessica Heron-Langton sits at the helm of this final issue. The likes of electropop musician Sophia Stel and singer-songwriter Robyn are cover stars—shot by long-time contributors David Sims and Juergen Teller, respectively.

The issue opens with the usual columns directing readers towards fresh talent to know about and listen to, starring Scouse rapper Esdeekid and low fi lowcaps American duo ‘ear’. Elsewhere, a trip to Clacton in Essex—Nigel Farage’s constituency—and an account of his rise into mainstream politics penned by his 2024 Labour opposition continues the magazine’s history of political coverage, while an interview with actress Naomi Watts and her daughter Kai, and a candid conversation with Tracey Emin maintain the celebrity quotient.

On the Journal
As the National Portrait Gallery’s 2025 survey of photography from The Face opened to ecstatic reviews, the founder/editor Nick Logan and first art director Neville Brody met for a rare live interview. We’re excited to share a recording of their conversation.