Nick Logan and Neville Brody on Creating a Genre-Defining Magazine in the Post-Punk ’80s
At the beginning of London Fashion Week on the 20th of February, I heard from the founder of The Face, Nick Logan, and esteemed art director, Neville Brody.
Speaking to friends, old colleagues, the press, and aspiring writers, Nick and Neville preached about the art of creative freedom and ‘art for art’s sake’, a philosophy that led to a successful magazine that marked a cultural shift of the post-punk era.
Their inspiring and nostalgic reflections set the stage perfectly for the launch of the highly anticipated The Face Magazine: Culture Shift exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery, an immersive and visual journey through the magazine’s revolutionary impact on fashion and culture.
In a world overwhelmed by the immediacy of social media and superficial content, The Face remains a breath of fresh air, a timeless relic of a time when art and media were crafted with depth, meaning, and passion. As we continue to lose that tactile connection to content, magazines like The Face remind us of what true engagement with culture feels like.
Living in London offers the privilege of being just a few tube stops away from a place of endless inspiration. I always gravitate towards the National Portrait Gallery. So, when I saw the event featuring Nick Logan, Neville Brody, and Kathryn Flett, I knew that my lunch break would be longer that day.
Walking into the room felt like stepping into a time capsule. The chairs were arranged like a secondary school assembly, but the atmosphere was alive with the energy of people who had shaped the creative landscape of the ’80s. I settled into my seat behind the reserved section, notebook in hand, ready to take in every word.
Kathryn Flett, who’s carved out her own impressive career, began by introducing the panel. A few moments later, a tall figure with grey shoulder-length hair plopped down beside me, knocking into me just enough to send my pen tumbling to the floor. As I fumbled to retrieve it, the conversation was already in full swing.
What followed was a riveting discussion led by Nick and Neville as they reminisced about the early days of The Face. It quickly became clear that this wasn’t just a talk; it was a reunion. An audience full of creative minds, many of whom had worked with the magazine in its pioneering days, joined in with their own stories and insights.
Jamie Morgan, sitting right next to me (see earlier; tall guy that made me drop my pen), was the first to jump in, recalling the unique and often unconventional ways photographers collaborated with art directors at The Face.
Neville, ever the iconoclast, remarked on how today’s media landscape had shifted: “It is no longer art for art’s sake,” he said, acknowledging the commercial pressures that now dominate the industry. The Face, however, was the antithesis of this. It was a magazine that refused to conform to the established norms. It was about defying expectations, not chasing them.
I’ll admit, walking into the event, I felt out of place. The crowd was filled with industry veterans, many of whom had a hand in shaping the very culture The Face helped define. As the youngest person in the room, without the fashion credentials of my peers, I could’ve easily felt intimidated. But as Nick and Neville shared the stories of their early hustle, including using their own family savings to fund the magazine, something shifted. The once larger-than-life figures sitting before me became accessible, relatable even.
What stood out was the raw, unfiltered passion that drove them. The struggle to establish a brand identity in a post-punk world. The days were spent in a damp, decrepit apartment on Berwick Street, with cat urine and mouldy carpets, all while Nick had a vision for a new cultural movement. It was a time when Soho, the heart of London’s creative renaissance, was the epicentre of a revolutionary new spirit, with The Face standing at the crossroads of fashion and music.
Nick’s mission was simple: to create a magazine that he wanted to read, one that would resonate with a generation, capturing the pulse of the moment. And against all odds, The Face became exactly that, shaping culture, provoking thought, and challenging conventions.
The exhibition on display was nothing short of awe-inspiring. A vast journey through the evolution of the magazine, it showcased the risks they took, the boundaries they pushed, and the incredible visual experimentation that eventually became their trademark. It was a tribute to the unsung heroes behind the scenes, the photographers, the writers, the creatives who all contributed to making The Face a cultural touchstone.
As Nick famously said, “If you build it, they will come.” And come they did, not just once, but with unwavering loyalty, cementing The Face as more than a magazine, but a symbol of an era. An era that, in many ways, The Face helped to define.
The new exhibit, ‘The Face Magazine: Culture Shift,’ is open until the 18th of May 2025.
BEYOND THE WORD 