The Coolest Magazine Covers of February 2014

Thanks to Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue, February has become the most anticipated month of all for most guys out there. Much to the world's surprise, Barbie made the cover wrap of this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, sparking a whole lot of debate from some concerned parents and outraged women. Regardless, the concept behind this particular Sports Illustrated cover is clever in that it connects the history of real-life models with Barbie's story.

Other magazines like Holland Herald also incorporated unconventional mediums into their covers, depicting common household objects and metalwork. On the other hand, magazines like Lucky Peach employed mostly illustration. All in all, it was a month of originality and bold moves. Check out the Coolest Magazine Covers of February 2014.

RELATED: The Coolest Magazine Covers of January 2014
RELATED: The Coolest Magazine Covers of October 2013

Illustrator: Seven Minutes

It seems magazine covers consisting of simple sketches and illustrations are making a comeback in an industry often dominated by photography. Good offers a refreshing change in this cover, portraying products with colorful drawings and tiny captions scrawled alongside them.

Photographer: Sharif Hamza

Although Lupita Nyong'o does indeed look stunning on the February issue of Dazed & Confused, we selected this cover not only for the way Sharif Hamza has photographed the 12 Years a Slave actress but largely for the bold, contrasting colors of her clothing against the backdrop. The blocks of color behind Nyong'o and the sharp lines in the cover call to mind one of Piet Mondrian's iconic paintings.

Cover designer: Genis Carreras

The latest cover of New Philosopher balances a rather profound question "Are we happy yet?" with a rather light-hearted illustration of a smiley face against a yellow background. Overlapping the smiling illustration is another circle, which actually portrays a frowning face when the magazine is flipped around. Presented with these two images, readers may feel even more perplexed as to the answer to the magazine's initial question, which was probably what the editors intended to happen. The cover's basic colors and simple images serve as a an easy segue into a much deeper topic.

Photographer: Ralph Gibson

The 2014 World Cup is just months away, and GUP, a European magazine dedicated to photography, has decided to examine Brazil through a different lens. "As we slowly pull ourselves out of the darkness of another European winter, one country is already dominating the first half of 2014: all eyes are on Brazil, for obvious reasons," the issue's description reads. "But let's look beyond the pitch, towards another view on the country."

The cover of a boy, who's covered his face with a soccer ball, serves as an enigmatic teaser for the photos inside. Unfortunately, though there are four covers available, readers can't request a specific cover. All four are pretty dope, but this cheeky cover was our favorite.

Creative director: Jeannine Saba

While this issue of the foreign affairs magazine Diplomat may contain pieces on heavy topics like education, it still has a pretty visually appealing cover. Consisting of a repeated pattern of markers, scribbles, and geometric shapes, the fluorescent colors give this issue entitled the "Spring Education Guide 2014" a retro, throwback feel.

Design director: Adam Fulrath
Art director: Anthony Huggins

Perhaps it's our penchant for Patrick Hernandez's neon creations that attracts us to this cover of Time Out London. The fluorescent pink lights form the shape of a piggy bank surrounded in gold coins, a likeness which perfectly illustrates the cover's "Cheap Eats" headline and subtext, "The best places to pig out for less than a tenner." Though it's pretty straight forward, the neon lights make this cover pop.

Photographer: J.M. Presas
Art director: Rodrigo Sánchez

La Luna de Metrópoli, the weekly supplement of Spanish newspaper El Mundo, is known for its innovative covers which incorporate a range of mediums. For the latest issue of Metrópoli, the cover depicts the magazine's logo using pieces of various shaped steel, linking the letters together with metal screws. Beneath the title of the magazine is a representation of a gun, also created out of metal. All in all, the magazine looks pretty stark yet striking nonetheless.

Photographer: David Sims

Miley Cyrus had a lot of people talkin' in 2013. First, there was the twerking, and then there were the controversial photo shoots with Terry Richardson. After stripping down for Uncle Terry on multiple occasions last year, the Bangerz songstress has recently toned down her image, appearing solemn and fully clothed in Marc Jacobs' Spring 2014 ads. Likewise, Miley looks rather looks rather subdued and modest on the cover of LOVE magazine's Spring/Summer 2014 issue, too. Instead, the weight of the cover falls on the publication's multicolored, dripping logo, and Miley looks pale and soft in comparison. It's a sophisticated look for the usually aggressive, devil-may-care pop star. On the other hand, the paint drizzling from the "LOVE" logo also makes it a memorable cover.

Art director: Robb Rice

The latest issue of AwardsLine is evidence that images can sometimes speak more than words. The cover appropriately reads "Up for grabs?", as the articles inside speculate whether an animated film would take home an award for Best Picture sometime in the near future. Besides the bold text, Mickey Mouse's iconic gloved hand juts out from the bottom right hand corner, clutching a shiny Oscar. There's something particularly astounding about this cover that movie stills and photos don't have.

Creative director: Christopher Hercik
Art director: Ed Truscio
Photo editor: Steve Fine

While Kate Upton may not have been too happy with this Sports Illustrated cover wrap, we applaud the brains behind the magazine for taking an unconventional approach. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the magazine's swimsuit edition, they featured Barbie on 1,000 copies of the issue.

Instead of real-life models in skimpy bikinis, Barbie stands proud and unapologetic in a new and improved version of the iconic black and white swimsuit she wore when first introduced to the world in 1959. While some critics argued that featuring the ultra slender, leggy Barbie on an SI cover might send the wrong message to adolescent girls, Mattel has spoken out, too. According to the toy company, this is simply the brand's way of celebrating supermodels like Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum, who "launched their careers in a swimsuit," just like Barbie. In other words, times have changed, and girls do whatever they want.

Here's an image of the actual SI cover:

Art director: Walter Green

Two of the greatest things in life come together on the cover of Lucky Peach's latest issue. The quarterly food journal explores street food in its most recent publication, and the art director cleverly included a touch of street art in the cover. It features a hodgepodge of colorful dripping ice-cream cones, milkshakes, sausages, and street food stands against the backdrop of a gray brick wall. It goes without saying that any magazine about food makes for a good read (or drool), but this vibrant cover in particular makes Lucky Peach extra inviting.

Photographer: Inez & Vinoodh

Though Kate Upton was not the featured model on this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, her cover for V magazine embodied the same unapologetic message that Barbie did. The black and white cover of this month's V magazine has Upton posing suggestively in a denim top and jeans. Shot by renowned photographers Inez and Vinoodh, a relatively clothed Upton is displayed on the first layer of the publication's cover. When readers remove the cover's top film, however, a skimpier version of Upton appears. Instead of a low-cut blouse, the model wears only a bikini. Despite the image's risqué nature, neither Upton nor the magazine seem to care. Instead, the magazine poses the question "Why can't Kate Upton keep her clothes on" brazenly, as if it were a sort of tongue-in-cheek riddle. Just like Barbie and women everywhere, Upton can do whatever she wants, or so the cover seems to say.

Photographer: Steven Klein

2013 was a big year for Kanye West, who broke all the rules of the mainstream media with the release of Yeezus, his elaborate tour, and a string of heated interviews, all which sparked much debate. While Kanye is no stranger to controversy, he seems to settle the score in the February issue of Interview magazine. Not only do readers observe an even-tempered and introspective side of Yeezy in his interview with Steve McQueen, but they also see a red-faced, fire-breathing Kanye on the cover, photographed by Steven Klein. Though the burning rapper looks hostile, his intense expression also conveys passion and determination.

Illustrator: Tomer Hanuka

Tom Hanuka's first ever cover for The New Yorker reminds readers that there is something whimsical about a winter storm, even when it has filled the streets with snow and ice. For Hanuka, there's something "inherently nostalgic" about snow, especially how it blankets the present and conjures up memories of the past. Inspired by a short story he read in the New Yorker a few years ago, Hanuka beautifully rendered two lovers in a hotel room for the publication. The image evokes a sense of calmness and warmth even amidst these dreary winter months.