Obligatory LOVE post

There's nothing more I dislike than people just slagging things off for the sake of it, or the complete opposite - claiming to love something just to jump on the bandwagon. So I guess I'm not too sure which category this post and my opinion fall into. I'll be the first to admit that I don't like LOVE magazine, although I'll also be the first to admit I didn't quite read every page of the Beth Ditto attention-grabbing debut – mainly because every other page was an advert. The second issue I did read in its entirety.

Long have I been a fan of Katie Grand’s work - as I don’t think anyone can deny that during the 90s it was iconic to say the least – however I’m of the opinion that Pop is actually thriving since Dasha Zhukova took the helm, and well LOVE has just failed to make an impression on me – yet. I was divided over the Beth Ditto cover as whilst I’m a feminist and huge champion of Beth Ditto (if only there were more women like her), I’m not sure I was completely comfortable about her bold image being used to sell magazines. Whilst I’m entirely sure Ditto can stand up for herself, something about it just sat uneasily with me and I couldn’t help but feel she was being exploited.

Imagery throughout courtesy of LOVE.

Now on the 3rd issue, ‘Fashion Icon’, LOVE is aiming to grab yet more headlines by sticking more naked bodies on the cover. Unlike last time they’re not attempting to champion the ‘average’ woman, instead choosing eight of the most beautiful and waxed women known to man, for us to objectify*. The fact that they’ve bothered to include each of the supermodels stats next to their naked airbrushed image, is just a bit crass. I feel it’s highly unnecessary and just cheap – if I wanted to know their stats I’d check with their model agencies.

Speaking of the issue in question editor-in-chief Katie Grand says: "We did this to show how much they differed physically from one another, which is why we also printed their measurements."

I’m hoping you’ll agree with me in that this is a great example of hypocritical, moronically charged hype that people seem to be lapping up! For me this bullshit is disappointing as quite frankly I expect more. Actually writing this now I’m annoyed with myself as whatever LOVE’s stupid plan, its working as I’m sitting here giving it column inches. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to express an opinion these days without causing mass offence or inadvertently publicizing something bad... Oh the woes of a blogger!

*The eight models are: Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lara Stone, Daria Werbowy, Natalia Vodianova, Kristen McMenamy, Amber Valletta and Jeneil Williams.

All 'Fashion Icon' covers shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot.