THE fashion bible Vogue turns one hundred years old this Thursday.

The magazine first published in the UK in September 1916 - in the midst of the Great War, with Ireland in rebellion, and women still to gain the vote.

Over the next century, it has shaped haut couture for women from Glasgow to London and Belfast to Cardiff. It has also helped shape the views and values of generations.

It's had more than a hand in influencing British culture - by introducing superstar models and challenging ideas of taste. In the 1920s, contributors included modernist writer Virginia Woolf and Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World, while nowadays it’s the photographers and the fashion icons who hold sway.

Names like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell are known across the world thanks to the magazine. But fashion is not the only realm over which Vogue looms large. The global stature of British music is also an important part of its legacy - with many rock stars gracing the cover.

While Vogue has pushed boundaries for women, it can also be somewhat status quo, however - royals have frequently appeared, with Princess Diana and Kate Middleton featuring on some of the most talked-about Vogue covers of the past century.

Vogue has launched the careers of many a photographer - who themselves have gone on to help shape culture - with Mario Testino and Nick Knight two men who owe their fame to the magazine.

Given the phenomenon started in 1916, here we look at 16 of the most iconic Vogue covers of the last century. They tell the story not only of a changing nation, but of the changing nature of womanhood.

1 This rather quaint first ever issue of British Vogue was published in September 1916. It's a far cry from the covers we've come accustomed to - featuring a marionette puppet theatre rather than a rock star or a supermodel. Things were different back then, we suppose.

2 This edition from 1932 feels a little more like the Vogue we've come to know - though its art deco feel is certainly of the time. This issue boasts the first photograph in the history of Vogue. Previously, only illustrations had been used. The vivid colours, youthful model and fashionable attire would set a precedent for future Vogue covers

3 Again, we are in unusual territory here for Vogue readers today - but the cover image does reflect the magazines influence in the art world. This issue from 1944 has the first still life cover for Vogue. An article inside the magazine described the difficulties faced by Vogue’s Paris office during the German occupation. The art and the journalism reflect the political and artistic culture of the time.

4 It's 1966 so you might be surprised to find that Donyale Luna, a model from Detroit, is the first woman of ethnic origin to grace the cover of Vogue. Luna never fully disclosed her heritage, but she was said to have roots in Mexico, Indonesia, Ireland and Africa. The bold patterns and chunky jewellery sum up the tastes of the time.

5 In 1967, Twiggy was at the height of her career, and a global celebrity - so unsurprisingly, she makes her appearance here as Vogue's cover-star for the first time. Also on the cover, there is mention of two other icons of the 60s: Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Vogue was always on the money when it came to the zeitgeist of an era.

6 In July 1970, Austrian actor Helmut Berger becomes the first man on the cover of Vogue. He was joined by his girlfriend the actor and model Marisa Berenson. You may ask yourself, 'who are these people?', but we can assure you they were the It-Guy and It-Girl of their day.

7 It's 1981, it's Britain, so who else could be on the cover of Vogue than Lady Diana Spencer. It may seem a rather unremarkable image of a woman who went on to be the most photographed human being on Earth, but in this August edition (shot by royal favourite Lord Snowdon) she became Vogue’s cover girl for the first time, ahead of her wedding to Prince Charles. She also appeared on the cover of Vogue’s Princess Diana memorial edition in 1997.

8 In December 1987, another famous face appears on the cover of Vogue for the first time: Naomi Campbell. She would go on to be a cover girl for Vogue eight times in her career. The most recent issue to feature Campbell was the August 2002 edition.

9 Bono, the lead singer of U2, makes his first appearance on Vogue’s cover in December 1992. He was also the first male musician to take the star cover spot. The shoot took place after the release of U2’s album Achtung Baby, when Bono and his band seemed invincible.

10 In January 1993, photographer Mario Testino made the cover of Vogue for the first time, with this shot of supermodel Christy Turlington. Testino is one of Vogue’s most prolific photographers, with 51 covers to his name. He also created the famous January 2002 cover which featured 10 British models wearing Union flag garb.

11 Vogue creates another superstar. Kate Moss, one of the best known British models of all time, made her Vogue debut in March 1993. Check the cover line as well - London Style, London Girls. Moss traded on that theme for years as the ultimate hip city chic. Get the London look, anyone?

12 Robbie Williams became the first male star to get naked on the cover of Vogue, in October 2000. He and Gisele’s half-mast union flag undies caused quite a ruckus. Other male stars to feature on Vogue’s cover include Elton John and Manolo Blahnik.

13 It's January 2002, Blair is in Downing Street and hasn't yet invaded Iraq, so the only thing people were talking about was 'Cool Britannia'. Vogue got in on the act by putting this cast of women done up in Union Jacks on the front (some you'' remember, some you won't): Stella Tennant, Erin O'Connor, Naomi Campbell, Rosemary Ferguson, Cecilia Chancellor (and baby Lucas), Jacquetta Wheeler, Liberty Ross, Elizabeth Jagger and Jade Parfitt.

14 This May 2003 edition perhaps sums up what we think of a modern Vogue cover today. It's got Moss, it's got a Bowie reference, and it is packed with stars. A classic.

15 One of Alexandra Shulman’s personal favourites during her editorship of Vogue, this 2007 cover is the first to show women of different ages. Now an annual staple, these issues celebrate style across the generations, and show the nation's changing view of women ageing.

16 Royal time again. Yet another first for Vogue, and now it’s Kate Middleton who’s on the cover. And although they are bit early for their own party, Vogue used the cover of their June edition to mark its own 100th birthday 'celebrating the faces and fashions of a century'.