Letter From the Editor
relatively young age, it will be interesting
to see where she goes next, but given her irresistible combination
of talent and honesty, I am confident that she will only continue to
flourish and grow.
Elsewhere, much of our March issue is dedicated to breaking
down the biggest narratives to come out of the spring 2020
collections. There are ornate and intricately worked pieces that
reference the Edwardian era, but in reality the takeaway here
is a romantic look that makes inventive use of lace and ruffles, and
classics—blazers, little black dresses, trenches—twisted to give
them a new lease on life.
Perhaps the biggest story to emerge was the welcome and
much-needed shift to thinking about how much we really need to
be adding to our wardrobes now, as we all consider the bigger cost
of our clothes beyond mere price tags. Given the climate that we
literally find ourselves in, that has only taken on greater urgency.
I was interested to read what Demna Gvasalia, the creative director
of Balenciaga, had to say on the subject in Nathan Heller’s profile
of him, as Demna is an intriguing and provocative talent who has
always given serious thought about how his work plays out in the
bigger picture. While there’s no denying that there’s still a lot of joy
to be had from buying oneself something new, the fashion in this
issue is focused on clothes that you will enjoy for many years to
come. We have our part to play in shifting the conversation about
how much we actually need in our lives.
This is just one of the ways that the industry is currently
reordering itself. I also urge you to read a story that our Beauty
Director, Celia Ellenberg, commissioned from the writer RawiyaKameir, who looks at the rise of creatives of color behind the scenes
of runway shows and photo shoots. I’ve been happy to see that
in the last few years the shows have featured a far greater inclusivity
than they once did—though I would still like to see more body
positivity than we’ve seen thus far. Nevertheless, the young women
working as models tell only part of the story. The industry
needs systemic change at every level to arrive at a place that reflects
the world we all live in, and it needs to afford opportunities to
everyone to make that happen. Rawiya’s essay is an indication
that things are definitely changing.
Lastly, I’d like to say how much the fashion world will miss Ed
Filipowski, who passed away just as we were finishing this issue.
Ed was a kind and reassuring presence in an industry that is
oftentimes mercurial and fickle in its affections. He was a wonderful
advocate for new talent, enormously generous in his encouragement,
a steadfast presence to those who’d already arrived, and unstinting
in his loyalty (his advice to John Galliano when he was going through
his darkest hour was invaluable). I knew that side of Ed well, but
sometimes our work conversations would veer to our mutual love of
the theater—what’d we seen, what we’d loved the most—and I will
miss those talks as much as his invaluable professional insights. I am
quite sure I am not alone in saying that.