“Culture Shift” Revisits the Radical Legacy of a British Magazine’s Boundary-Pushing Photos

The Dark Knight Returns by Sean Ellis, styled by Isabella Blow, August 1998.

A group of male models dressed in full suits of medieval-style armor pose dramatically in a dark, cinematic photo staged to resemble a battle scene, referencing the 1981 film Excalibur and styled by Isabella Blow for The Face.

“The Face Magazine: Culture Shift” is on view at The National Portrait Gallery in London through May 18, 2025.

“Culture Shift” Revisits the Radical Legacy of a British Magazine’s Boundary-Pushing Photos