Danica Thrall Presents the Lingerie Issue

Danica Thrall takes the lead on a themed lingerie issue, one of the most dependable formats in glamour publishing.

Themed issues were a staple of the men's magazine calendar. A swimwear special in early summer, a readers' favourites round-up at the year's end, and somewhere in between, a lingerie issue. The appeal for editors was simple: a single theme gave the art department a clear brief, gave the cover a strong line, and gave readers a reason to pick up that week or month in particular.

Fronting the issue

A "presents" billing meant more than a cover slot. The model chosen to front a themed issue typically opened it, with her own feature setting the tone for the pages that followed. Danica Thrall was the face of this one, and her set would have established the look of the whole edition: the palette, the settings and the overall mood.

Lingerie shoots of this kind were usually closer to fashion photography than to the bright studio sets of a typical weekly feature. Styling did much of the work. Fabric, colour and lighting were chosen with care, and interiors such as hotel suites, dressing rooms or period houses were popular backdrops, because they suited the subject and added a sense of occasion.

A format that lasted

The lingerie issue outlived many of the magazines that ran it. As print titles closed during the 2010s, the themed special was one of the formats that carried over most naturally to online galleries and annual round-ups.

The original photographs remain the property of their publisher and are not reproduced here.

More: Calendars & lists