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Yes, there was a time where one would go outside, go into an actual store and buy glossy paper magazines to get our weekly dose of celebrity gossip, fashion tips, love quizzes and the infamous heartthrob tearsheet posters.

There is a foot tall pile of US Weekly, Harper's Bazaar, People, Tiger Beat, Nylon, Teen Vogue, Ok! and Star magazines in my room. I treasured them with my life! I remember how much my dad hated them, I mean with good reason. Where I am from there weren’t any magazines of that kind so when we traveled abroad I made sure to bring back every single magazine I could get my hands on, always paying overweight. Totally worth it.

Now, getting access to any of those publications is not a problem. Just download their app, boom, you are in. Something that if you really think about it is completely insane, I mean just a few years ago fashion and consumerism as a conversation was really just one sided. Meaning that whatever magazines wrote was sacred, no discussion. Literally no discussion as it was a one way conversation, now we get to not only interact with magazine editors but are sort of the editors ourselves. I am saying this as someone who is doing just that.

Okay, so with social media basically we all are a part of how fashion is discussed and consumed nowadays. Still, like any other business, fashion is monopolized by the big conglomerates who still hold the reins. Dictating who is cover worthy, what designers should be talked about, who can shoot, who can style blah, blah, blah.

What has happened is that power is being centralized and because we love to have sheep behavior continue to support them. You might be familiar with Condé Nast, the company that produces most of the worlds leading print and digital magazines since 1909 including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Architectural Digest and The New Yorker.

Sure it’s not all bad as this publications have carved a path for fashion, beauty and consumerism never before seen. Shaping the way we look at art, beauty and the relationship clothes have with us. As we well know, fashion isn’t just about beauty or self expression. It’s about everything. No really, everything!

The way we present ourselves to the world, the way we spend our money it’s about fitting in, it’s about self exploration, it’s about societal expectations, it’s about norms, class etc. Again, fashion is everything. Something Helen Gurley Brown understood back in the 60s when she founded alongside Hearst company Cosmopolitan. A publication dedicated to women who where navigating sex at a time where it wasn’t all that allowed. Now, a fashion, sex, and dating advice magazine that broke the rules as to what we read.

So yeah, the last two centuries have seen the birth of many of our favorite magazines including Vogue (1892), Elle (1945), Harper's Bazaar (1867), W (1972) or Grazia (1938). All major publications today, landing a cover or a feature at any of them really sets anyone's careers off. They also are the most important medium between culture and consumer, fashion magazines essentially are a representation of society so through artistic direction they narrate what is happening. For example Esquire’s famous 1968 The Passion of Muhammad Ali cover, Glamour featuring their first Black model, Katiti Kironde, the same year, People Magazine’s tribute to Diana in 1997 edition, a pregnant Demi Moore for Vanity Fair and the iconic September Issues from American Vogue.

As time goes by and technology takes over, fashion magazine covers have become works of art. Created and curated by stylists, editors, photographers, set decorators, digital artists bringing to life visions of otherworldly beauty and fantasy.

Here are some of my all time favorite covers.

The influence fashion magazines have is undeniable, so the influence editors and creative directors possess is even greater. Today we have Edward Enninful, Ana Wintour, Anna dello Russo, Carlos Nazario, Kira Pollack, Ferdinando Verderi and Claudia Candano to name a few of the creative minds behind the 13 billion dollar empire of fashion publications.

Apart from the well established magazines we have many mor e options to choose from. Making the conversations surrounding the fashion industry that much more diverse and overall exiting. Presenting the bi-annual publications you are going to want to buy in physical format for how gorgeous they are.

Katie Grand is the ultimate stylist, creative director and director of fashions coolest publications.

The Love Magazine is creative director Katie Grand’s baby, a bi-annual publication dedicated to creativity, artistry and fashion. Responsible for the highly coveted annual Love advent calendar. A magazine that really pushes creativity with its unconventional covers that dives deep into telling stories pertinent to music, art, film, behind the scenes of fashion. As for the moment Grand has left the magazine and the pic locations are at a halt. A visually pleasing magazine made for does who seek creativity and visual stimulation featuring fashions biggest names and up and comers.

Another bi-annual publication founded by Grand is Britain's Pop Magazine. This is the true “cool kid” of magazines as every edition is curated with a fresh, fun, artistic vision. Predominating colors, digital design and experimental fashion and makeup.

Dazed, a bi-monthly publication, founded 28 years ago with the mission to reframe international style culture. With a nag for superb photography portraiture.