Thanks for sharing with us Tigerrouge, I love being able to see the different options!
There's been a couple of times now (last year's documentary with Kate's cover, Amber's July cover and now this) where they've sent out a very classic cover shot, the obviously commercial viable choice, with a bad attempt at a more interesting cover.
The full length is beautiful but it's not a cover image. I'm sure there will have been a shot from that set where she at least makes eye contact. It's like they just want to stroke their own egos and prove themselves right by pitting an expected, traditional choice against any old image with the Vogue logo plonked on top. More often than not I bet their average reader would pick the safer of the two, Vogue UK has newsstand success for a reason: they know what will sell.
It's really a self-fulfilling prophecy - give the reader an option with exactly what they want and an option that is a poor attempt at something different...I wonder which one the readers will choose? (sarcasm intended)
That tactic has worked here, at least it has on me: I much prefer Option 1 and while I do think that Option 1 is a beautiful cover, if they'd put together a better version of Option 2 then that would have been my pick. Who knows which one they'll go with, at this point I don't really care I just can't wait to see the new team's vision.