Amidst the glossy publications of Condé Nast, the bi-annual issues of LOVE Magazine always stood out with an edge on the shelves of Condé Nast Worldwide News. Launched by Katie Grand in 2009, in a social and media landscape which now feels ‘a million miles away,’ LOVE entered the world with a bang.
The first issue launched with a nude Beth Ditto, accessorised with a bright orange bob, photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. In Grand’s words,
“We didn’t think about making a statement or being controversial – it was a gut instinct of loving Beth and her music and wanting to take strong, sexy pictures of her.”
Whilst perhaps controversy and attention weren’t at the core of LOVE’s initial operations, throughout the years, LOVE never ceased to capture the attention of fashion lovers throughout the world. This ‘gut instinct,’ and the relationships Grand fostered with industry creatives, propelled LOVE into one of the most renowned, and adored, fashion publications globally.
Collaborators and cover stars varied far and wide – models, musicians, actors, footballers and even Muppets became LOVE cover stars, often becoming staples of the bi-annuals pages. LOVE nurtured emerging talent from all areas, almost becoming a ‘yellow pages’ directory of names and faces to know.
We could never quite predict which direction the next issue of LOVE would go. One issue could combine fashion legend Miuccia Prada with reality tv megastar Kim Kardashian, the next could mix pop sensation Justin Bieber with iconic supermodel Kate Moss. LOVE was always at the forefront of ‘the moment,’ whether this be in fashion or culture – indeed, it could be argued that the pages of LOVE always stood confidently at the intersection of the two.
‘The moment,’ in 2020 of course, lead to the creation of the LOVE Diaries. From COVID-19 to the Black Lives Matter protests, Grand and her team sought to listen to contributors and ‘give them the space they deserved.’ Speaking further, Grand wrote
“#lovediaries was not really a fashion magazine, it was a book of pictures and words that reflected this year’s chaos, soul-searching, heartbreak and – although sometimes it was hard to see – positivity and hope. This issue is the most important magazine I have ever produced. It is the one I am most proud of, it is the one that means the most; it is the one that I can’t improve on.The world has changed, and I have changed, and what is important is now so clear. Telling beautiful and important stories will never change. But it’s time for something new, it’s time for something different.”
And so, the LOVE Diaries became the final issues under the editorial direction of Katie Grand and her team. We are so excited to be able to offer the archive we can, documenting the collaborations and creations of LOVE from 2009 – 2020. You can find anniversary issues, REMIX issues, and every iconic shoot from the team over the years, all the way up until the LOVE Diaries.
You can read more of Katie Grands words on her tenure at LOVE here, and can browse our LOVE archive here.