The 16 Best Magazine Covers From Black-Owned Media
My idea of a fashion magazine has evolved since flipping through the pages of Vibe and Complex Magazines in the magazine aisle of Tops Friendly Markets while my Dad grocery shopped. Today that traditional thin-papered glossy has either stuttered its operations completely, shifted to digital-only content, or decreased its publishing frequency for print to focus on digital content.
These shifts made room for new media, including beautiful coffee table-style fashion magazines made from quality paper and filled with original photography, media groups with iconic subsidiaries, and digital focus outlets born from editors who left conventional print magazines. These different media platforms have transformed the world of publishing content, but one thing remains true for all of them, the most powerful tool a magazine wield is the coveted spot on its covers!
It's the premier space for magazines to introduce the point of view to readers by tapping into creativity, fashion, art, and photography. As the world lifted Covid masks and vaccination mandates, the creatives who work on these sets contributed to some of the best magazine covers we've seen in years. And out of the best, the cream of that crop are the covers from black-owned media that presented top-tier fashion, glam, and talent.
Check out the best magazine covers from black-owned media.
Flowerovlove by Lauren Maccabee,
Blanc Magazine | Issue 17
Rosalie Ndour by Sean Waltrous,
UBIKWIST | Issue 14
Kendrick Lamar by David Nana Opoku Ansah,
CITIZEN MAGAZINE | Issue 002
Vince Staples by David Alekhuogie,
JUSTSMILE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 2
Dave East by J.Monroe,
The Quintessential Gentleman | 2022 STYLE ISSUE
Julia Lang by Tatiana Katkova & Michael,
REVERIE PAGE | MAGAZINE ISSUE 3
Miguel by Ollie Ali,
PAUSE MAGAZINE | SEPTEMBER 2022 DIGITAL COVER
Kenya Barris for
LEVEL MAGAZINE | FALL 2O22
DJ Heat, Tahir “Mr. Legacy” Murray, Darren Brand, & Desmond A. Wiggan jr. by Eye Sun Photography,
Cassius Life | Homecoming Cover
Marsai Martin by JD Barnes,
HELLO BEAUTIFUL | THE HOLIDAY ISSUE
Rich Mnisi by Zander Opperman,
FGUK MAGAZINE
Kofi Siriboe and Bianca Lawson by Keith Major,
EBONY MAGAZINE | August 2022
Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, and Adrienne Warren by Lelanie Foster,
ESSENCE MAGAZINE | DIGITAL COVER
Malcolm Mays by Ammar Thomas,
KOLOR MAGAZINE | September digital COVER
Muni Long by Tony Bowen,
UPSCALE MAGAZINE | August/September 2022 issue
Camryn Jones by Irvin Rivera,