The Face was a magazine started in May 1980 by Nick Logan out of his publishing house Wagadon. Logan had previously created titles such as Smash Hits, and had been an editor at the New Musical Express in the 1970s during one of its most successful periods. The magazine, often referred to as the "80s fashion bible", was influential in championing a number of fashion music and style trends, whilst keeping a finger on the pulse of youth culture for over two decades; its best selling period was in the mid-1990s when editor Richard Benson brought in a younger team that included art director Lee Swillingham. While Benson ensured the magazine reflected the UK’s revitalized art and music scene, Swillingham changed the visual direction of the magazine to showcase new photography. It was during this time that the work of fashion photographers Inez Van Lamsweerde, Steven Klein, David LaChapelle, Norbert Schoerner, Glen Luchford, Craig McDean and Elaine Constantine was first published.