The Daily Front Row

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FEBRUARY 10–11, 2018

KATE LANPHEAR KRISTINA O’NEILL ALEXI LUBOMIRSKI STELLA BUGBEE GARAGE @ VICE

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HE SAID, SHE SAID

NINA GARCIA & STEPHEN GAN REVEAL THEIR PLANS FOR FASHION DOMINATION




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MAGICMoments

15 YEARS OF CHIC!

On Tuesday night, THE DAILY FRONT ROW and MAYBELLINE NEW YORK toasted the magazine’s 15th anniversary at John Meadow’s new location of Scarpetta at The James NY NoMad. Chicsters like cover star Grace Elizabeth, Stefano Tonchi, Nina Agdal, Hailey Baldwin, and Oscar de la Renta’s Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim enjoyed a divine tasting menu of Italian specialties while toasting fashion’s favorite magazine with LIFEWTR and Peroni. The afterparty raged away downstairs at The Seville. Here's to another 15 years of Daily deliciousness! PHOTOGRAPHY BY HANNAH TURNER-HARTS & CAROLINE FISS

Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim

SWEET TALK!

WITH FERNANDO GARCIA AND LAURA KIM

Grace Elizabeth, “Karl,” and “Anna”

Do you remember your first Daily mention? FERNANDO GARCIA: Yes! We were starting to beg people to come see our line, Monse. One of the first people I called was Eddie [Roche], and he helped us by inviting us to all these chic events and exclusive gatherings. I got to network and meet some exciting people. And here we are! Why does The Daily have such impact? GARCIA: It keeps everyone in the know. It’s quite beautifully edited, and it’s a lot more pleasurable to look at than an Instagram feed. LAURA KIM: Everyone reads The Daily! GARCIA: A lot of other print [magazines] are dropped to grab The Daily. It feels nice, the glossiness of it. What were you doing in 2003? KIM: I was 21 and interning at Oscar. GARCIA: I was about to graduate high school!

Francisco Lachowski and Jessiann Gravel Beland Brandusa Niro and Stefano Tonchi

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Hailey Baldwin and RJ King

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Stephen Gan


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YOU THANK N FOR A ABLE GETT UNFOR NER! DIN

Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs

“IT COVERS FASHION BUT IT’S WITTY, IT’S UNPREDICTABLE, IT’S AMUSING, IT’S TAKEN SERIOUSLY BUT IT DOESN’T TAKE THINGS SERIOUSLY. THE DAILY IS FUN AND INFORMATIVE. I LOVE THE DAILY!” —Dennis Basso

Dennis Basso and Rena Kirdar Sindi

John Meadow

DANCING QUEENS! WITH CARLY CUSHNIE AND MICHELLE OCHS

Nina Agdal

“I LOVE THESE FABULOUS DAILY PARTIES! THE DAILY IS AN ICONIC FASHION MAGAZINE. IT HAS EVERYTHING YOU NEED— THERE’S FASHION, THERE’S GOSSIP, THERE’S NEWS!”

Andrew Saffir, Daniel Benedict, and Eddie Roche

What do you love about The Daily? CARLY CUSHNIE: You always ask the best questions backstage. And you keep us on our toes! When were you first in The Daily? MICHELLE OCHS: We were featured for our pole-dancing. A reporter and photographer followed us to a class. It was a lot of pages, a lot of nakedness. Were you any good? CUSHNIE: It’s not easy! OCHS: We definitely earned a new appreciation for the art. What’s your go-to Italian dish? OCHS: My brother used to be a chef here at Scarpetta, so I can tell you that the tomato basil spaghetti is incredible. “Chefanie” Stephanie Nass

—Nina Agdal

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“THE DAILY REALLY IS THE DEFINITIVE FASHION WEEK STORY STORY, FROM SOUP TO NUTS. I MEAN, THIS INDUSTRY’S IN INDU NUTS, AND THE DAILY REFLECTS THAT IN SUCH A NICE, NICE HAPPY WAY!” —FERN MALLIS

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Grace Elizabeth

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Larry Milstein Jill Serra Wilde and Charles Manning

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“THE DAILY HAS SUCH A SPECIAL PLACE IN FASHION. IT’S ABOUT THE JOY OF FASHION AND THE BEHIND THE SCENES OF FASHION. IT’S SOMETHING YOU REALLY CAN’T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE.” —Sebastian Faena

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Stefano Tonchi

SCENE

Ashley Graham

Top types hit Cipriani Wall Street for the amfAR Gala New York to honor, among others, Stefano Tonchi. • This just in! Major congratulations to longtime Daily fave Wes Gordon, the new creative director of Carolina Herrera. Gordon has spent the past 11 months at the house, and he was handpicked by Mrs. H herself to continue her splendid legacy. We predict greatness ahead!

Hailey Baldwin

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Elsa Hosk

THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT GEORGE WAYNE

Heidi Klum and Ellen von Unwerth

Adrien Brody and Sienna Miller

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George and Wayne are actually my two middle names!

I was the first writer in the world to whom the ’90s supermodel Bridget Hall revealed that Leonardo DiCaprio popped her virginity when she was 17 years old.

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You can read that fact and so many other celebrity facts when you log on to amazon.com and order my new book, Anyone Who’s Anyone, The Astonishing Celebrity Interviews, 1987–2017 [HarperCollins]. Buy my book! Now!

Hailey Clauson

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I treat myself to oxtail stew and rum punch at Negril Village at least once a week.

Sistine Stallone and Larsen Thompson

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I first met RuPaul, Lady Bunny, Michael Stipe and R.E.M., and Fred Schneider and The B-52’s when we were finding our way on the college campus of the University of Georgia in Athens.

SHOE E OF O THE DAILY Stuart Weitzman’s EVENTUALLY. Get your priorities straight—the EVENTUALLY mules are what to wear now. These sophisticated satin slides are accentuated by a low-cut vamp and an angled stiletto heel. Go from office to after-hours in an asymmetrical top and split-cuff trousers. $435, stuartweitzman.com

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Rachel Brosnahan

Coco Rocha

I am so anal—I take at least three showers a day!

I have a fabulous champagne cocktail creation named after me [The GW Mimsy] on the bar menu of the hip boîte Omar’s La Ranita. Make sure to order it when you crash the Alexander Wang after-party there this Saturday night! Shhhhhh!

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My Instagram handle is @georgewayneqa! Clearly no one knows that or I would have more followers!

PROMOTION

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I am the most miserable human being on this planet if I don’t get eight hours of sleep every night!

Brandusa Niro

Editor in Chief, CEO

“Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” by Michael Ausiello. Heartbreaking and hilarious.

Deputy Editor Eddie Roche Executive Editor Ashley Baker WHAT Managing Editor ARE YOU Tangie Silva “Raising Trump,” READING? by Ivana Creative Director Trump. Highly “Women Who Run Jill Serra Wilde recommend! With the Wolves,” Digital Director by Clarissa “The Bear and Pinkola Estés Charles Manning the Nightingale,” Associate Editor by Katherine Sydney Sadick Arden Contributing Editors Alexandra Ilyashov, Paige Reddinger Contributing Photo Editor Hannah Turner-Harts Contributing Art Director John Sheppard Contributing Designers Eric Perry, Nick Mrozowski Contributing Photographers Giorgio Niro, William Jess Laird Contributing Copy Editor Joseph Manghise Imaging Specialists Neal Clayton, George Maier

Mark Tevis

Chief Revenue Officer

Luxury Account Director Betsy Jones Fashion Publishing Director Monica Forman “Eleanor Oliphant Publishing Consultant Is Completely Jill Carvajal Fine,” by Gail Honeyman Director of Marketing & Special Events I’m waiting for Amanda Dilauro Kylie Jenner’s baby’s biography, but until that drops, “Postcards From the Edge,” by Carrie Fisher!

“Two Turns From Zero,” by Stacey Griffith. It doesn’t get better than SG, the SoulCycle OG!

“Helter Skelter,” by Vincent Bugliosi. Love me some true crime!

Digital Director Daniel Chivu Publishing Associate CJ Obediente Manufacturing Operations Michael Esposito, Amy Taylor

GETTY IMAGES The Official Photo Agency of The Daily Front Row

The Daily Front Row is a Daily Front Row Inc. publication. Copyright 2018. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Requests for reprints must be submitted in writing to: The Daily, Attn: Tangie Silva, 250 West 57th Street, Ste. 301, New York, NY 10107.

ON THE COVER Nina Garcia and Stephen Gan, photographed by Ben Hassett.

G E T T Y I M A G E S ( 1 0 ) ; C O U R T E S Y B FA ( 2 ) ; A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y

Wes Gordon

“The Perfect Nanny,” a genius French noir by Leïla Slimani, who won the Prix Goncourt.



JEREMY SCOTT

“JEREMY IS THE T S SWEETE ART E H T E E W S E.” R E H T OUT k ar —Soo Joo P

Giovanni Morelli and Solange

SCENE

Jeremy Scott kicked off show season at Spring Studios with a Gigi-rific display of futuristic fashion, bare midriffs, and Cardi B. • Stuart Weitzman unveiled its creative director Giovanni Morelli’s FW ’18 with an ultra-chic affair at The Pool.

WITH GIOVANNI MORELLI

How are you adjusting to life in New York?

I do like Tutto il Giorno on Franklin Street.

Wearing sunglasses at a fashion show is very Anna Wintour!

We love that you follow us on Instagram! We always appreciate your likes!

STUART WEITZMAN

MOVING AND SHAKING! I’m always back-and-forth. It’s such an easy flight. It was better for the kids to be close to family, and I work a lot in Europe. We even shot Wonder Woman there! What was that like?

WITH HANNAH HANNAH FERGU ON FERGUSON

You’re going to be on the new E! show Model Squad! What’s the scoop?

So exciting! The crew was made up of 300 tough women. We’d be in the gym working out together, and I was one of the least muscular ones. My son came to visit the set, and when he saw me in costume, it was everything to him. I’m now the coolest mom! Were you disappointed that it didn’t score a Best Picture Oscar nomination?

It’s a docuseries following eight models. It shows what it’s like to be in the industry. Okay! Did you have any on-camera meltdowns?

I cried several times. I’m an emotional person. How do you feel about seeing yourself on TV?

I hate the sound of my voice!

Your mom [Yolanda Hadid] always gives us a like when we post about you and Bella!

She’s our biggest fan. You’ve worked with Jeremy Scott since the beginning.

WITH DOUTZEN KROE K KROES S I opened my first show for

We didn’t know you were living in Amsterdam full-time now!

REALITY ITY BITES!

Yeah? Maybe I give you that vibe, but I was trying to give you a chic ’60s vibe!

Of course! I love following you guys. You put up great stuff.

Doutzen Kroes

It’s naturally chic, and not too uptown or too downtown!

Camilla Belle and Jamie Chung

Yes. I also thought [director] Patty Jenkins deserved more than she got. She had the vision for making the film.

him. I’ll always support Jeremy. I love him.

Coco Rocha, Geordon Nicol, and Leigh Lezark

The Daily just turned 15!

That’s so great! Happy 15th! I love you guys so much! What were you doing in 2003?

I was in third grade, I had braces, and I wore Paul Frank! Remember those monkey shirts? My shirt even had a monkey with braces on it!

MOON STRUCK! TRUCK!

WITH JEREMY MY S M SCOTT COTT Any interest in space travel?

I’ve honestly thought about that a lot. I get scared that I would be lonely on the moon. If I knew I could get back safely, I’d go. But you can’t text your friends. Wouldn’t that freak you out? Yes! And the cell service would probably be terrible!

Probably, but it’s pretty bad in the hills in L.A.!

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WITH CARDI B

WITH GIGI HADID H

Why did you pick The Pool?

Jessica Clements, Hannah Ferguson, and Devon Windsor

THROWING SHADE! HADE!

TOTAL LOVEFEST! OVEFEST

I moved in May from Milan. I live in Tribeca, and I like it. I felt immediately at home here. I already have my favorite places and a social life, which is good! Where’s the best place to get Italian food in the city?

Cardi B

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At Freds at Barneys New York Downtown, chicsters like Caroline Vreeland (above right) gathered to toast the launch of HOOCH BLACK, a members-only club and concierge that puts exclusive access to travel perks, high-end dining, cocktail experiences, and sought-after events into the palm of your hand via the HOOCH app.

BAUBLE OF THE DAILY Misahara’s Time Collection Bracelets in 18k rose gold, white diamonds, and rainbow moonstones. Collection starting at $5,000, misahara.com and (212) 371-7050. PROMOTION

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PARTY PEOPLE

JEREMY SCOTT Jeremy Scott

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Jeremy Scott is something of a space case, and we mean that in the most flattering terms. His otherworldly take on Fall included silver moon boots, patchwork fur, and mosaic-y separates—all Instagram-friendly, of course. Plus! Gigi, Stella, Grace, Jasmine, Romee...

F I R ST V I EW ( 8 ) ; G E T T Y I M AG ES ( 6 ) ; JAC K I E L E E /CO U RT ESY J U I CY CO U T U R E ( 6 )

On the first day of Fashion Week, designers embraced the “more is more” mantra. Cases in point: Jeremy Scott, Tom Ford, and Juicy Couture newbie Jamie Mizrahi.


TOM FORD Lovers of unapologetic glamour, spiced up with un peu de drame, need look no further. The ’80s-era Beverly Hills look is definitely back! Trot out some sharpshouldered power suiting, gonzo patchwork, and unabashed animalier, and prepare to be talked about.

JUICY COUTURE New creative director Jamie Mizrahi could have easily gone nostalgic for the tracksuit era, but non! Instead, she looked to the ’70s, and its quasi-loungewear, quasidisco sensibilities. Smart. This mix of everyday looks and statement makers is a recipe for commercial—and critical!—success.

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RAISING E FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


G ELLE

What happens when two of fashion media’s most seasoned powerhouses finally join forces? We’re about to find out. Elle’s new power duo—editor-in-chief Nina Garcia and creative director Stephen Gan— reveal their plans for media domination. BY EDDIE ROCHE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BEN HASSETT

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TEAMWork

“I’M A PURIST, AND I FEEL LIKE EVERY DAY OF MY LIFE IS DEDICATED TO CREATING THE PERFECT IMAGE. MEDIOCRITY IS MY GREATEST FEAR.”—STEPHEN GAN How long have you known each other? Nina Garcia: Intimately? Not so long, but a good 15 years, at least. Stephen Gan: We’ve seen each other sitting front row at shows during Fashion Week for many years, and we’ve exchanged pleasantries, but we didn’t really know each other. There’s been mutual respect and admiration. It’s a really good foundation. How did this partnership come together? Garcia: The matchmaker was the Marc Jacobs show last September. We were seated next to each other and started making small talk. He was talking about photographers, and said that if I needed any ideas, that he was happy to help. All of a sudden, the lightbulb went off. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Stephen would be the creative director?” Stephen, why was it an attractive opportunity for you? Gan: Because it was a challenge. The more I thought about Elle, the more I thought about its possibilities. I spent a lot of nights reading up on its history. I had

THE NEW LOOK Angelina Jolie appears on the cover of Elle’s March issue; fashion images from the magazine.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

no idea it was such an institution. It felt like a sleeping dragon. About once a day, someone will ask me why I went to Elle, and I’ll tell the story about its founder, Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, who started a magazine after the [Second World] War that was the first to do color photography. Nina told me that we want to speak to the millennials, and there’s so much power in this generation of young women who are ready to embrace fashion. Nina’s honesty, her openness, and her willingness to rewrite the formula of how things are done…that is so necessary right now. What’s your Elle going to look like? Garcia: What’s interesting about Elle is the strong DNA. Most people will agree it’s positive, bold, colorful, inclusive, and healthy. We’re going to be amplifying that vision. Gan: I agree. We’re working with a brand that has so much reach, and has been, in the past, a vehicle for discovering new things. How we capture that, and how it will appear on the page, that remains to be seen. It’s early days. I’ve just come off my first

couple of shoots. Colors and positivity are needed in fashion right now—everybody wants to see images of glamour and joy. [Talking to you about the future of Elle] is like describing food that hasn’t been served yet—it’s very difficult! When will your first issues come out? Garcia: March will look different, but it will be a year of firsts. You’ll be seeing many firsts this year. By the fall, there will be a strong presence of both Stephen and myself. As you two get to know each other, we thought we’d ask you some classic Proust questions to speed up the honeymoon period. Here we go! What are your greatest fears? Garcia: Missing a shipping deadline. That keeps me up at night. Gan: I’m a purist, and I feel like every day of my life is dedicated to creating the perfect image. Mediocrity is my greatest fear. What’s your idea of perfect happiness? Gan: The perfect marriage between the perfect images that speak to millions in print, digital, and social media. Once in awhile, you come across an image that will work on all platforms. Where would you most like to live? Garcia: I love where I live now, but I often fantasize about living in Rio, surrounded by water, beautiful beaches, and wonderful music. It doesn’t get better. Nina, what is your most treasured possession? Garcia: Right now, my Oribe dry shampoo! I’m into practicality. Gan: My eyesight! My vision is everything. What are your most marked characteristics? Garcia: My South American roots.


G E T T Y I M A G E S ( 2 ) ; A D R I A N G A U T/ C O U R T E S Y E L L E M A G A Z I N E ( 1 ) ; E V E R E T T C O L L E C T I O N ( 1 ) ; J U L I E N C O U D E R T/ C O U R T E S Y E L L E M A G A Z I N E ( 1 ) ; A N D R E S K U D A C K I / C O U R T E S Y E L L E M A G A Z I N E ( 1 )

Gan: I have a reputation for being a workhorse and going from one shoot to the next. What do you consider your greatest achievements? Garcia: Having my family and my work complement each other so well. Gan: On certain days, when I walk down 57th Street, I think I’ve found a place in this city. Who are your favorite writers? Garcia: Gabriel García Márquez and Roald Dahl. Gan: I don’t have any favorite writers, but I love reading interviews. I was just talking to my team this morning about how great it is to read a good interview. I love it when celebrities interview each other for a cover story. Who are your heroes in real life? Garcia: All those women who have come out lately to share their [#MeToo] stories are pretty heroic. Gan: Karl Lagerfeld. He’s just so wise and so fair. He can be snappy sometimes and sharp, and then flip around and say just the kindest thing. He’s got a great way of communicating. He’ll always be a hero to me. What is your greatest regret? Garcia: Not learning more languages. Gan: When you send an issue to the printer, I wonder, “Did we do our best or not?” Every couple of days, I have regrets about not reaching the artistic peak that I wanted. What’s your motto? Garcia: Teamwork makes dream work. Gan: I don’t really have one, but it would be along the lines of never giving up on creativity and pushing the wheels of fashion forward, but that’s not really a motto. Those are my goals to live by. ß

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THINGS YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT

ELLE!

THE FIRST ISSUE OF ELLE WAS PUBLISHED IN 1945.

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Hélène Gordon-Lazareff, the magazine’s founder, fled Russia to escape the Bolshevik Revolution, studied ethnography at the Sorbonne, and launched her journalism career by writing a children’s page for France-Soir under the name “tante Juliette.”

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Today, Elle publishes 46 editions around the world.

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ELLE U.S. WAS LAUNCHED IN 1985.

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ElleGirl!, a teen version of the magazine, was published in the U.S. from 2001 to 2006.

Hearst acquired Elle in 2011.

JEAN-DOMINIQUE BAUBY, ONE OF FRENCH ELLE’S STORIED EDITORS, WROTE THE MEMOIR THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY, WHICH WAS EVENTUALLY MADE INTO A FILM BY JULIAN SCHNABEL.

E. Jean Carroll, mastermind of the advice column “Ask E. Jean," lives in a cabin in the Wawayanda Mountains outside Warwick, New York.

At 92 years old, Cicely Tyson was the oldest woman to cover Elle (November 2017).

Elle Woods, the protagonist of Legally Blonde, was named after the magazine. The book was written by Amanda Brown, who professed to spend her time at Stanford Law School reading copies of Elle.

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HOMECOMINGQueen

KATE THE GREAT

Welcome back to women’s magazines! How long has it been? I’ve lost count! I’ve had really strange moments of déjà vu when I come up the escalator here, especially during the first couple of weeks I was back. It’s kind of like when you visit your junior high school after you’re all grown up. It’s been great! All the stars really aligned. I had had other discussions, but in terms of brand DNA, nothing else really resonated with me in the same way as Marie Claire did. It just spoke to the things I believe in. And that DNA is… First and foremost, it’s always been a book that empowers women. It’s kind of like the world we live in has just caught up with it. Everything that we’re doing, whether it’s fashion or tech or anything else, is seen through that lens. We need some joy and fun, but we also need to talk about hard things. All FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

those subjects can coexist here, just as they do in people. This book has never shied away from sharing women’s struggles and victories, and exploring what the world is like for women. I want to be a part of continuing to tell those stories. What was your first day at Marie Claire like? It was trial by fire. My first day was Marie Claire’s annual Power Trip, a conference in San Francisco, and 100 women are flown from New York on a jet piloted by a woman. It was an incredible trip, because I was really immersed in the brand on my very first day. We were announcing it around the time that the plane was landing, and so [editor in chief] Anne [Fulenwider] and [publisher] Nancy [Berger] were the only people on the plane who knew about my appointment. It was the most awkward flight, because I was talking to amazing and powerful women who worked across

When Elle and T veteran Kate Lanphear became the editor in chief of Maxim in 2015, the fashion world was shocked. But after trying out the top of the masthead, consulting at Google, and dipping her toes into photography, she has returned to Hearst as creative director of Marie Claire. This role, Lanphear finds, suits her perfectly. BY PAIGE REDDINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM JESS LAIRD

SHE’S GOT THE LOOK Lanphear’s original approach to dressing has made her a streetstyle favorite.


You don’t have an Instagram. Is there pressure for you to have one now? [Laughs] Even taking this picture for this feature…I really prefer to be on the other side of the camera, talking to the photographer. The street-style photos of me happened by accident. I was wearing T-shirts and jeans every day, so that was definitely not planned. But the world has changed. I’ve started taking pictures and doing some photography myself, though, so I’m always looking for a creative outlet. Right now, I’m just focusing on the magazine rather than myself. Will we see any of your photography in Marie Claire? I hope not, for everyone’s sake! [Laughs] It’s just a hobby. Are you bringing on new search engine during the presidential photographers? debates, the Olympics, and other We have all new photographers. We cultural events, and they wanted to have Zackery Michael, Sacha Maric, see how it would work around Fashion Erik Madigan Heck, and then I found Week. So I was brought on to build this amazing woman in Amsterdam, it out and get people on board. It’s Carlijn Jacobs, who shot two stories easy to work with the Oscars or the in our March issue. They’re all Olympics, but it’s a very different thing fairly new names, which was really when you have an inundated fashion important to me. I wanted whomever calendar in multiple cities. The fashion we were collaborating with creatively audience is also super engaged, so it’s to also be part of the process of a really good test market. So we were what we’re building. We’ll land on working on how the technology would something, and these people will help respond to the industry, and how we shape the vision. I’ve always loved could amend it going forward. But stories that have a narrative, so it was I also worked on the fashion launch really about who could deliver on that of Google’s Art & Culture platform. and tell those stories. I’m sure you’ve seen everyone’s art What can we expect from some of portrait on social media from this arm the well stories? of Google. We have a Couture Shapes story shot Prior to Maxim, you worked by Carlijn, which features readyunder Nina Garcia at Elle. What to-wear that’s done in overblown is it like stepping into her former couture shapes with hints of role at Marie Claire? sportswear. She also did a beauty It’s huge! Difficult, obviously, because story. For that one, I was super I have a huge respect for her, and I wrapped up in old Laura Ashley learned a lot from her in the time that ads. We also have a great story that I worked with her at Elle. I want to do Zackery Michael shot in the East a great job, and I have big shoes to fill. Village, and we shot all white clothing What did you learn from Nina? in another feature. I wanted the well Nina is very decisive and is really able to feel fresh—like a palate cleanser. to articulate why she makes decisions. I was in the headspace of escapism. I learned a lot about communication. Sometimes, you just want to go and Now, I communicate Anne’s vision to live on a farm upstate and check out! those in my department so that it’s Who’s your new front-row crew? a streamlined, decisive framework, We just hired J. Errico as our fashion where everyone is armed to make the director. J.’s fashion pedigree and his best decisions. TALENT SHOW Marie Claire is dynamic experience in pop culture What is it like seeing her at the known for photographing talent through the lens of directional are a perfect addition to Marie Claire. helm of your old alma mater? fashion. And we also hired Julia Gall as our I’m curious to see. There’s so much accessories director [from Interview] exciting change going on right now earlier in the year. She has hit the at media brands. The whole industry ground running from day one and has is trying to move and pivot and so many ideas and such amazing energy. understand what’s next. It’s about how quickly you Okay, on to the lightening round: Last great can affect change with these huge clunky machines movie you saw? or businesses. There’s new energy, but also no one Am I allowed to say Frozen? [Laughs] I also love The has all the answers, and I think everyone has been Disaster Artist. paralyzed by fear for a little while, and now there’s a Last book you read? new sense of recklessness that I quite love. Have you thought about what it’s going to be like I always read Dostoyevsky. It’s the Catholic girl in me. Favorite item in your closet? back in the social media spotlight? My Equipment pajamas. I’ve also been known to wear I have not.… [Laughs] I haven’t gotten that far! I’m just thinking about the March issue! If I thought about them to the office. And how many motorcycle jackets do you own? it, it would terrify me. Before this, I was going to The entire bottom rail in my closet is all biker jackets. the shows for Google, but not in the same capacity. I have a vintage one that I love so much, I’ve had to Things have changed so much since that stuff have the arm fixed by a tailor six times. ß started, but you just have to evolve with it.

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“I’VE FINALLY FOUND MY PLACE. I’VE BEEN BLESSED TO DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS, BUT I MISSED CREATING CONTENT AND HAVING MY FINGERPRINT ON SOMETHING.” industries, trying to explain exactly what I was doing without revealing my new role. How did you manage that? I said, “I’m in transition.” [Laughs] But once we got to California, I was able to let the cat out of the bag. Who was the most interesting person you met? Bozoma [Saint John] from Uber, hands down. It’s a challenging time for that company, and it’s fascinating to see how she is rising to the occasion. She’s such a force. But I was super impressed by this group of women, and it was amazing to see what happens when everyone lets down their guard. I didn’t know anyone in that room beforehand, but suddenly, it felt like we were sisters. We are all just trying to do the best we can, and learning from each other about how we do it. What were your initial talks with Anne like? I’m really impressed by her. She’s so open and so real. She’s kind and doesn’t have a guard up, and she’s super smart. Our conversations feel very genuine. Did you know her prior to those conversations? I didn’t know her beforehand. We probably had some passing conversations out in the market, but we didn’t really know each other. We have a lot of friends in common, though, which I think is why we were connected. It’s been a real joy getting to know her. You’ve been a style director, a stylist, a consultant, and an editor in chief. What is it like taking on the role of creative director after touching so many sides of the business? I’ve finally found my place. I’ve been blessed to do all kinds of things, but I missed creating content and having my fingerprint on something. I’m definitely using all the things that I’ve learned from those different roles, and I certainly have an appreciation for what Anne has on her plate, and the decisions she has to make. I really think about how I can be the best partner to her. Taking the editor-in-chief role at Maxim was a big risk for you. What did you learn from it? The insight into the role of an editor in chief was astounding. I grew and learned so much. I probably learned more in that condensed period of time than in all the years before it. It felt good to take a risk. What was the hardest part about being an EIC? Being spread so thin. Creating content is only 10 percent of the job. You’re balancing a marketing team, an advertising team, a digital team, digital initiatives, and social media. You’re essentially running a business. You have to be able to keep a handle on all that while keeping the business afloat and keep it pointed in the right direction. I have a whole new appreciation for editors in chief, and certainly the ones I’ve worked for. What did you do post-Maxim? All kinds of freelancing and consulting, and then I really got into working on bigger projects with Google. They were trying out great new technology to evolve the

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ANNIVERSARYParty

THE JOURNAL -IST It’s been five years since Kristina O’Neill unveiled her first issue of WSJ., and the mag is simultaneously celebrating another big milestone— its 10th anniversary. O’Neill fills us in on her successful tenure at The Wall Street Journal’s very chic sister pub.

Kristina O’Neill on the job.

BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM JESS LAIRD What are some highlights from your stint at WSJ. so far? Five years flew by! I remember putting the first one together like it was yesterday. A lot of the franchises and visual language we launched in my first issue are still going strong today. It’s exciting to see a lot of things really calcify and click. Also, I’m really grateful that I’ve had the time to put a lot of long-lead, big ideas into play and see them through. Our March cover is Oprah Winfrey, and that’s an idea that went on our cover bucket list many, many, many years ago. How did you snag Oprah? The timing just aligned—I keep saying, “Forget 2020—2018 is Oprah’s year.” She embodies power, success, empathy, being self-made, all the things that our culture is hungry for, and all that the WSJ. reader wants. We work with an amazing celebrity/ entertainment bookings director, Andrea Oliveri, at Special Projects Media; she and I have always had FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

similar tastes about celebrity when we do celebrity. The luxury we have at WSJ. is that we don’t have to put a celebrity on the cover every month, so when we do, we really want to make sure they embody the messaging we’re trying to tap into. I’m sure there were a lot of prayers and e-mails that went into getting Oprah [Laughs], but the stars aligned. Having her on our March issue is meaningful because it’s a fashion issue, and I think the fashion industry really respects and admires Oprah. It was exciting to work with [photographer] Mario Sorrenti and [stylist] George Cortina on the shoot to really transform Oprah into the powerful goddess she is. When you started this role, you talked about freedom of working on a title with a lot less history than where you were before, at Harper’s Bazaar. How has that panned out? To be clear, The Wall Street Journal is an institution. It’s 128 years old—that’s an amazing statement in

and of itself, because the trust factor is there. It’s this packaging for us to exist in. But the magazine itself is only 10 years old, and it got off to kind of a slow start. It was only four issues per year when it launched, and it slowly increased and increased. When I took over, it was the first year WSJ. published 12 issues. It’s not like you’re up against these historical dictates that magazine or fashion fans expected; there was no visual language we had to subscribe to. I felt like we had the freedom to work with a whole new regime of writers and photographers. But, that said, a lot of our creative direction came from how the newspaper looks. How so? We use some of the same fonts the paper uses, called Exchange, and we introduced the “What’s News” front-of-book section, which is a cheeky play on the “What’s News” column that’s on the front page of the paper every day. So there are things where we played


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to our history. But because we didn’t have the same style dictates that shadow other magazines through their existence, I feel really blessed to have come in almost from scratch, but with a knowing look at the newspaper’s identity. What other luxuries does WSJ. enjoy by not being beholden to newsstand sales? The luxury is truly in the cover choices. I love that, across an entire year, we can kind of tick all the buckets that we know our readers are interested in, and the things we stand for. Obviously, there’s fashion and celebrity, but it’s also art, culture, tech, sports, music, design, architecture. There’s an awesome freedom in that. You’re not thinking, “Okay, it’s our turn to have blank celebrity,” and waiting in this round robin for your cover with the biggest newsstand mover of the moment. We can decide to put Oprah on the cover one month, and a chair or a penguin on the cover after that. That’s what’s really special about WSJ.—we’re able to introduce an element of surprise each month. What’s the biggest risk you’ve taken during your time at WSJ.? I sort of live on intuition, trust my gut, and follow my instincts, so I don’t know if I would ever consider that to be risky. We’ve certainly put some surprises on the cover—when we featured James Corden, it was his first major magazine cover. Inez and Vinoodh shot him, we covered him in fake tattoos, and he joked that he’d been influenced by Harry Styles’ tats, and then James and Harry had a whole Twitter exchange about that. How has the role of an EIC changed during your five years in that capacity? Certainly at WSJ., the newsstand metric isn’t as meaningful as it once was. The industry as a whole is relooking at how you measure your success—if it’s not just newsstand, there are other ways to know if your readers are engaged and enthralled by the content you’re publishing. For us, we’re thrilled that the weekends we’re out [the paper] sees a bump [in subscribers]; subscription conversion is another thing we look at. When our articles can convert people who’ve come in through a magazine channel, and then convert to Wall Street Journal subscribers, that’s a thrilling number to see go up and up. That’s a way I know, “Oh, we made a really smart choice, and I’m so happy we did X story.” Obviously, engagement on social is really important. To see our numbers rise steadily over the years, whether it’s Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook. Events are another measure—everyone wants to have a touchpoint with content creators. How have events become an increasingly more important part of the equation? For us, launching the D.LUXE conference in October was hugely gratifying, and an amazing opportunity to bring the people we put in our pages monthly to a stage, to have conversations—we Facebook Live-d it, too, and numbers were huge, especially when Jared Leto was onstage. Also to see the community around our content—people wanted to stop and talk to Cindy Crawford or Scooter Braun. Also, our Innovator Awards event continues to be massively rewarding; it really showcases the intersectionality of what we do. It’s not an echo-chamber event; it’s not fashion people talking to fashion people. You have the best chef in the world with an Oscar-winning actress, a Grammy-winning musician, a designer—to these people together, striking deals and making plans, that’s a payoff not just for us, but for them as well. Has WSJ.’s readership expanded during your time there in any surprising ways? Anecdotally, yes. We know our social engagement profile is probably the opposite of the demographic

“WE CAN DECIDE TO PUT OPRAH ON THE COVER ONE MONTH, AND A CHAIR OR A PENGUIN ON THE COVER AFTER THAT.” breakout of The Wall Street Journal’s. We’re definitely engaging with a younger, equally female and male audience at WSJ. Seeing the fashion community really get behind what we’re doing, and deeper commitments from all the big, core fashion brands in terms of advertising is another major marker of success. Our September fashion issue was our biggest issue, ever, which was really exciting. We also see audiences that didn’t really know what to expect from WSJ. come on board—the entertainment industry, too. Celebrities who didn’t really think of WSJ. as a “must-do” cover are really seeing the halo of being a part of WSJ. You were able to touch on various topics while you were at Bazaar, but has the scope been even wider at WSJ.? Definitely. Design is a personal passion point for me—our readers are affluent people, and they’re always looking for the newest architect or hot interior designer. Food is fun; I think we’ve seen celebrity chefs rise and rise in culture in the past five to 10 years. Tech is also the biggest area where we’re been able to explore the tech space in a very WSJ. way. Having [designer] Jony Ive on our cover was a real triumph; we did him in a way that most magazines covering tech wouldn’t do, tapping into this really interesting, philosophical side of Jony. I also love how we cover fashion here; not having 15 fashion stories in the well really focuses the one or two that we end up doing. That messaging is really important—cutting through all the noise, and distilling it down. It’s also interesting to have fashion in the context of culture, and not the other way around. Could you ever imagine leaving print altogether and taking on a purely digital role? I think we’re all watching the media industry evolve KRISTINA’S CREW O’Neill with Magnus Berger, creative director of WSJ., as well as her partner in life, along with Cass Bird and Carolyn Murphy at WSJ.’s 2017 Innovator Awards.

rapidly around us. For now, I’m sort of focused on getting the April issue out. [Laughs] But in terms of a long-term plan, digital will obviously become ever more important. Seeing print evolve within that context is exciting right now. We’re refreshing our digital platform later this year, and considering how magazine thinking can exist offline is something I’m fascinated by. I don’t know where this will take me, but I’m obviously open and I love learning. Does your tween daughter read print magazines, and do you encourage her to do so, to keep print alive and all? Yeah, she’s very proud of her mom, and she loves it when the magazine comes home. But she’s 11, so I don’t know if she’s really devouring it. It’s fascinating to see her content consumption—she’s on YouTube, Snapchat, Instagram. There aren’t many magazines targeting her; she gets Time for Kids, and reading and being absorbed in culture is where a love of print stems from, and I hope she’ll get there. Right now, she’s still reading her books for school! [Laughs] You spent time as a style editor at some beloved local titles—New York and Time Out New York— early in your career. How was that, and is it at all relevant to WSJ.? I found it thrilling to be at a weekly. You didn’t have time to overthink, and aspects of that apply to what we’re doing here. We work one, three, six, and 12 months out, so we’re always working ahead, and from working at a weekly, I learned that you can’t start from scratch every Thursday after your section ships. You have to always be thinking short, medium, and long term. In college, you had a part-time gig as Candace Bushnell’s assistant. Do tell! Working for Candace was amazing. She was at the height of Sex and the City, and she was writing her column, the book had just come out, but it hadn’t yet been turned into a series. She was in the initial meetings with Darren Star; they were spitballing ideas with Sarah Jessica Parker. Candace was such a creative, clever woman, and I learned so much from working with her. Candace’s ear for dialogue was so unique—she’d come home with a cocktail napkin, or pockets full of crumpled-up cocktail napkins, scribbled with things she’d heard that night—some outrageous thing someone said to her at a dinner party—and I’d type them up as dialogue runs. Candace also wrote every single day. It wasn’t like, “Oh, my column’s due, what am I going to write this week?” She really honed her craft in a way I respected. ß FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


GEARShift

GARAGE’S NEW WAVE

THEY’VE GOT DRIVE Brian Phillips (left) and Mark Guiducci.

Mainstream mags are struggling, but ultra-targeted indie fashion books are experiencing something of a renaissance. Case in point: Garage, the art and fashion biannual founded by Dasha Zhukova that was acquired by Vice Media in 2016. New editor in chief Mark Guiducci and creative director Brian Phillips fill us in on their grand plans. BY PAIGE REDDINGER PHOTOGRAPHY BY HELEN ERIKSSON Mark, how did you end up at Garage? Mark Guiducci: It was the middle of August and I got a call out of the blue from Dasha [Zhukova]. I had been at Vogue for five years, most recently as the arts editor, and I was happy there, but by the end of August, I made my decision, and then I went straight to Europe to see the collections. Brian [Phillips] and I launched the website on October 13, and three days before that, we photographed 41 New Yorkers who comprised what we called the “Garage Band.” It was our way of announcing the site was live, but also that we are doing this from New York. Before, the magazine had been produced in London, but it’s still an international magazine. Why did you team up with Brian, who has a background in branding and PR, as opposed to a traditional print editor? Guiducci: We were friendly, and I had known the work he had done for Kenzo and some of his other clients. I always knew how smart he was, and that he had his hands in art as much as in fashion. That was the most important thing. Brian, why did you take on the project? Brian Phillips: Magazines were the reason I got into this business in the first place. I’ve worked with

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many great editors and creative directors from the other side, and I’ve always been a huge admirer of publishing, and independent publishing, specifically. It took me a few minutes to digest what Mark was proposing, but I immediately jumped at the chance to work with Mark and Garage. Dasha’s concept was really prescient in terms of the merger of creative disciplines and bringing them into conversation with one another. I’ve always tried to do that through my work. What’s the plan for digital? Phillips: I’m super excited to surprise everybody with what is possible in the medium of video content. Guiducci: The title has been owned by Vice Media for some time, but the website only launched in October, and it’s only going to continue to ramp up in terms of what we do—not just in the number of stories that we produce, but also how we use that network to twist the medium or make mediums meet for the first time. When Dasha launched the magazine, there was still some skepticism about the idea of fashion and art collaborating, and sometimes those collaborations often looked like they were superficial. But Dasha found ways to make it meaningful, so when

we were thinking about what we wanted to do, that was something we always came back to—the root of the first few issues and the genesis of the magazine. What is Dasha’s level of involvement now that Garage is part of Vice Media? Guiducci: We speak every day. Dasha’s in New York now, and she cares very much. But she hasn’t said no to anything. She’s been super open and supportive of everything that we want to do. You’ve enlisted fine artists to photograph the fashion. Anyone we know? Phillips: I’m really proud that there are going to be names that you’ve never seen before in fashion magazines…and maybe even some art magazines. Guiducci: Juxtaposed with names that you’ve definitely heard of. Phillips: Laurel Nakadate is a fine-artist photographer who has never worked with fashion before, but we love her work and wanted to challenge her with this opportunity. She did an incredible story with an amazing new stylist, Matt Holmes, whose work is exciting as well. We invited Susan Meiselas, an acclaimed photojournalist who has worked with Magnum and been exhibited at The Whitney and


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other museums, to revisit a body of work that she had done 25 years ago called Pandora’s Box. For Garage, she explored BDSM culture and what has changed or stayed the same, photographing relationships between real doms and subs. Guiducci: [Laughs] There’s not really another way to say it. Phillips: [Laughs] But we said to her, “This is an inspiring body of work to us as fans of photography, would you reconsider this through a fashion lens?” That was an idea from Stella Greenspan, our fashion editor-at-large, so we put them together. Guiducci: We’re always making sure that there’s more going on than just a fashion story. Were there any stories that each of you felt personally attached to? Guiducci: Even though Brian was the engine behind it, I’m really proud of Hedi Slimane’s pictures. Hedi did a portfolio of 13 Los Angeles artists, and they are not the typical ones you see at all the big L.A. events. It’s a group of people that we really believe in. I personally would want to go see their studios and collect their art myself. I’m really excited to have these portraits out in the world. Phillips: We’re also not just introducing new artists, but also new fashion designers and photographers. Guiducci: Flo Ngala, a young photographer here in New York in her early twenties, is a good example of that. We sent her clothes and she shot them on her rooftop, as she does in her own fine-art practice. Her pictures were definitely some of our favorites. Phillips: We see Garage as a platform for voices that aren’t necessarily in the mainstream. What was the concept for the Spring cover? Guiducci: When we began putting the print issue together in October, we knew that the most obvious theme is New York and Americana, not only because it’s the first issue that’s being produced here, but it’s also something that’s radiating from the top down in culture. For obvious reasons, Americana is being redefined every 10 minutes. So we wanted to choose an iconic New York artist to inspire us, and Andy Warhol seemed to be at the top of the list. At first you might think, “Warhol? How many times have we seen Warhol?” But he’s so relevant right now—not only is Raf [Simons] doing so much with the Warhol Foundation at Calvin Klein, and The Whitney is staging the first Warhol retrospective organized by an American institution in three decades, but also, the president is a Warholian figure of the first order. We started there and rediscovered Warhol’s Polaroids of himself in drag, and thought about who could really go there. We decided to ask Amy Adams, who said yes, enthusiastically. I couldn’t believe the alacrity with which she accepted. She was game in a big way. Who photographed the cover? Guiducci: Inez & Vinoodh, and it was styled by Mel Ottenberg. Phillips: [Amy] is without a doubt one of the best actresses of this generation. Being able to watch her inhabit these iconic characters like Warhol, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, and Debbie Harry was incredible. The dexterity in terms of transforming her demeanor, facial expressions, and voice as she was getting into character with hair and makeup was remarkable. Inez & Vinoodh also photographed her on the same type of Polaroid camera that Warhol himself used. It had a lightbulb that you plug in. It was different from what a normal magazine would do. Even the preciousness of the project with the Polaroids themselves, which are so ephemeral, capture that sort of instantaneous satisfaction. It’s almost like a rebuttal to our digital moment,

“WE’RE ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT THERE’S MORE GOING ON THAN JUST A FASHION STORY.”

ART STARS A look at Garage’s Issue 14, the first under the leadership of Mark Guiducci and Brian Phillips, which features Amy Adams as Andy Warhol, among other pop icons.

because these Polaroids are artifacts of that day. They’re raw and obviously, unretouched. Guiducci: In the interview, I discuss with Amy about how so many actresses just want to look pretty and she said, “Well, how boring is that?” Phillips: I think seeing her performing for the camera and stretching herself is inspiring. She really takes her craft seriously. How difficult was it to curate all these giant projects in just four months? Guiducci: We worked through Christmas… Phillips: …and we’re not afraid to ask people to do challenging things. Guiducci: Even at Vogue, I asked people to do insane things all of the time. Always just ask! But we’re excited to have six months to produce the next issue. [Laughs] What’s next, then? Guiducci: As we progress, the magazine will continue to be the purest form of Garage and the thing that we get to be so proud of, but ultimately, we’re a digital brand that has a biannual magazine. My job day-to-day, especially now that the issue has shipped, is to run the website. The digital will be the driving force going forward. We publish five stories a day at the moment, and it’s a mix of art and fashion, of course, but then there will be a heavy design element and ways to think about what the Garage point of view is on food and entertainment. We’ll be doing stories about film, television, and theater. What’s your philosophy about driving digital content? Guiducci: I don’t want to build a beast that has to be fed with rubbish, but I think there are ways to talk about what’s going on in a timely, relevant way without having to stoop down into the gutter. I know that sounds like I’m trying to have it both ways, but basically our editorial standpoint is the same for our print magazine as it is for our digital. And in addition to the print and digital publications, the third wing of our editorial strategy is about bringing Garage to life, whether that is a performance or an exhibition or an [augmented reality] installation or even some kind of travel experience. Phillips: My job is to bring exciting creators who can do original work for the digital platform. We’re going to be ambitious in the people we engage for digital projects. We’re talking about amazing video artists and incredible photographers that are doing things just for gargage.vice.com. It could also be tentpole projects with filmmakers and documentarians. Guiducci: Since the beginning, Garage has always had an element of technology in it. One of the 2014 covers was of a Jeff Koons sculpture of Cara Delevingne, but it was an augmented reality sculpture that you could see come to life. It’s really important to Dasha that we harness what Vice has to offer in that regard to push the medium forward. So when we’re talking to artists or creators, that’s always at the forefront of the conversation. Brian, how will you balance running your agencies, Black Frame and Framework, while working on Garage? Phillips: I have an amazing team at Black Frame, and when I set up Framework, our creative and content division, it was with an eye to be able to do more things that were purely from a creative standpoint. They’re completely separate from each other, and run by different teams. I’m the only crossover there. But I’m sort of relentless in the things I like to do, and I’m good at time management. It’s just a day-by-day thing, seeing how much you can add without going bananas. So far, so good. ß FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


IMAGEMaker

“TIMES ARE CHANGING FAST, AND THE OLD ORDER IS GOING TO SEEM OUT OF TOUCH VERY,VERY QUICKLY.”

Alexi Lubomirski has long been revered as one of the fashion world’s most in-demand photographers. Now, thanks to his engagement pictures of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, he’s a global sensation. THE DAILY sat down with the charismatic real-life prince. BY EDDIE ROCHE PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEPHAN ALESSI

PRINCE CHAR

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MING


W GETTY IMAGES (1); ALL OTHERS COURTESY ALEXI LUBOMIRSKI

FASHION FORWARD Lubomirski’s inventive style infuses fashion and lifestyle portraits with rich context. A few recent examples (clockwise from left): Liya Kebede in Rizzoli’s Philip Treacy book; Lily Aldridge in Harper’s Bazaar Arabia; His Royal Highness Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement photo; Londone Myers in Harper’s Bazaar.

hat’s your backstory? I have a Polish/French father and a Peruvian/ English mother. I was born in London, raised in Botswana, and then moved around from Paris to Oxford to London and then ended up working for Mario [Testino]. Then I ended up in New York. It was only supposed to be for two years, and I ended up waking up one morning with a wife and kids. Now, I’ve been here for a decade! So let’s talk about everything in between! [Laughs] I think we’re good! I didn’t get everything I need! Where did your interest in photography begin? My stepfather had a camera and would take lots of pictures of us in Botswana, which always fascinated me. He got me a camera when I was 11, and I started taking photos of my brothers and sisters. I was hooked! How did you learn your craft? I went to University of Brighton [in England] and was in line to be a men’s fashion designer. I became friends with one of the fine-arts painters. My designs went from sharp tailored suits to feather boas and crop tops. My teacher told me that I created a niche for myself, and I was going to be the next Jean-Paul Gaultier, but design wasn’t for me. I looked at my work, put it into a drawer, and went into the photography lab and said, “You said I had a good eye. Teach me!” What did you do after university? I was an ambitious little monkey. I knocked on everybody’s door to ask people in the industry for advice. When I was completely downtrodden, [CLM agency founder] Camilla Lowther took pity on me and laughed at my work because there was a sense of humor about it. She didn’t think I was ready to be a photographer, but she knew Mario Testino was looking for an assistant. Two weeks later, I got the job. What did you learn from him? People skills. I was always a people watcher, because I was super quiet at school. I learned about how people behave with each other on set. Mario taught me to know when you had the shot and not labor over it. What did you do after your time assisting? One of my fashion fairy godmothers was Katie Grand. When I did my first test, I showed her the Polaroids and she put them in The Face magazine. It was my first published shoot. She booked me for a few more shoots and then Glenda Bailey called me one day and said we need to reshoot a cover in two days’ time, and we did it.

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IMAGEMaker Did you ever model? For six months! That’s missing from your official bio! It was so inconsequential! Somebody said I could make some money modeling, so Boss Models took me on. After six months, I realized that [achieving success] was going to take a long time, and I didn’t have the patience. I think I shot two or three jobs. One was a poster for an AIDS charity, and one was a spread in a teeny-bop girls magazine. I didn’t get paid for either of them. I think I lost money in the end. Let’s talk about some of your work. Whose idea was it shoot Angelina Jolie with cheetahs for Harper’s Bazaar? I think that came from her camp. It was an incredible experience, because I flew two hours outside the capital city of Namibia, and there was nothing—I felt like I was flying over Mars. You could walk for days and still end up in the desert! The three cheetahs we shot were raised by the people on the reserve. They were used to being around people—it was bizarre. I was trying to get the right shot for the cover, and there was a cheetah licking my leg! You’ve worked with Julia Roberts on several occasions. We seem to get on! She’s so laid back and cool on set. The vibe is so relaxed. When she flashes that smile, everybody in the room goes, “Aww!” One of my friends said he didn’t realize I made it until he saw I shot Julia Roberts. She’s been in our lives for so long. How did you end up shooting Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement photos? I’m only allowed to say what I said in my Instagram post, which is that it was a massive honor to shoot them. I felt very lucky to be a firsthand witness to their affection and be able to document it. Once the photos were released, you became a person of interest. Was that surprising? I presumed that I would get some press out of it, given that I was credited for the photos. I was so happy with the shots—the black and white close-up was such a departure, and not what people expected, so it sparked interest. It was humbling that my work was received so well. How did your friends respond to that moment? [Laughs] They were angry that I hadn’t told them that I was doing it! The day before I shot it, I lied to them all and told them I was doing a shoot with a celebrity for an Asian magazine. We discovered that you are also a prince yourself! My parents divorced when I was young, but my dad would write me letters and they would always be addressed to Alexi Lubomirski, and one day, a letter came addressed to HSH Prince Alexi Lubomirski. I showed it to my mom and she said, "I guess he wants you to know now!" When you are an 11-yearold boy and someone tells you you’re a prince, it’s fireworks! I was quickly doused by my mother, who said, “There’s nothing left—no palace, no money, no art, no armies.” My reaction was, “What’s the point of the title?” My wise, wonderful mother said that if you want to be a prince in today’s world, you have to be a prince in your heart and through actions. I didn’t take that on board that day because I was too disillusioned, but it stuck with me and was the impetus for the book I wrote for my sons, Princely Advice for a Happy Life. I rebelled against the title thing, because my father would tell me about it and it was this moral obligation to pass it on to his son.

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It was way too confusing for me. It wasn’t until I was in my thirties that I came around. It’s important to know where you come from. If I was to teach my sons about it, I didn’t want it to be a burden. I wanted to use it as a benchmark or standard for them to live up to. All those cliché characteristics of what a prince is: charitable, chivalrous, he protects the weak…which is essentially being a good guy. How has fatherhood changed you? I have a very addictive personality, and I’m very gung ho about everything. If I party, I’m the best partier. Thank God my kids came along! I really delve into that side of things. It’s the best high you can get. I’m an overachiever, so when I’m at home, as soon as I wake up in the morning, I want to make breakfast, take them to school, and get them dressed. I travel, so when I come back, I want to be a 100-percent handson dad. I taught them to meditate. It’s so cool! What are your passions outside of photography? I’m a hermit! I call it the Gatsby effect. New York THE LOOK OF LUBOMIRSKI Alexi’s photography often conveys a sense of intimacy, whether it’s between his subjects themselves or existing between his model and the viewer.


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is this huge party, but you can stay inside and watch it from the window. New Yorkers are such a big inspiration to me. If I’m not working, I’m concentrating on my family. When the kids are in bed, I work on my projects. Veganism is a big part of my life. One of the other projects that I work on is my YouTube channel. I try to educate and share knowledge and pull back the curtain a bit. What are your future career ambitions? Right now, at the same time as continuing to build a career, I want to try and use whatever influence or following I have to inspire positive change and raise awareness for issues. Working in this industry is a huge blessing. We get to create, travel, meet fascinating people, and influence tastes by what we create. However, this blessing should not come at the cost to others. There’s a responsibility to make this industry the best version of itself that it can be. What changes would you like to see? We need to do away with fur and exotic skins, and constantly address the diversity issue. It should be tackled every month, in every magazine and campaign, where we ask ourselves if we are representing a balanced outlook. We should also continue to create greener shoots and make environmentally conscious clothing. No more emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in the workplace! We should all want to get to the end of our careers and be able to look back and say we made the right choices where it mattered and stood on the right side of the fence. Times are changing fast, and the old order is going to seem out of touch very, very quickly. Let’s make the right changes, move with the times, see beautiful results, and still enjoy the hell out of our jobs. ß

“I WANT TO TRY AND USE WHATEVER INFLUENCE OR FOLLOWING I HAVE TO INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE AND RAISE AWARENESS FOR ISSUES. WORKING IN THIS INDUSTRY IS A HUGE BLESSING.”

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


CUTAbove

SUDDENLY STELLA Under the leadership of Stella Bugbee, NEW YORK’s fashion vertical has evolved into a standalone brand that covers a dizzying array of topics that impact women’s lives. Meet the maestro of The Cut! BY ASHLEY BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM JESS LAIRD

When you arrived at The Cut, it was essentially a fashion blog. Did you always envision creating a complete women’s magazine? It was actually what I was hired to do, and we’ve really worked up to it. By no means do I think it’s done, or that it has achieved what it could achieve. There’s lots of room for improvement and ambition, and more thoroughly exploring what a women’s publication could be. What did you see happening in women’s magazines at the time, and how did you go about creating something that felt unique, or as a counterpoint to all of that? For one thing, we had the advantage of speed, expediency, and the ability to iterate on our side. When something didn’t work, we just moved on and tried something else. We weren’t operating under the legacy assumption that things were difficult to change, or you couldn’t just abandon something. We were able to capitalize on everything that was great about the Internet, but bring to it the standards of editing and expectations of a legacy print publication. There were a lot of really excellent women’s blogs, but they didn’t have the support system to create original content at the level that New York magazine did, for example. Could you make a magazine that was just as good as any legacy print women’s magazine, or better, online? Of course you could, you just need the resources and the expectation. A lot of what I wanted to do was change the standard of what was expected. Many publishers have scaled back on content creation, but The Cut is still posting upward of 35 stories a day. On a good day! What’s the thinking behind that frequency? We increased staff and resources tremendously. We haven’t slowed our roll on aggregated news at all, but we’ve been able to increase the resources we put toward original content. I would venture to say that the amount of


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content we do in one week—good, original content— is probably greater than most women’s magazines do in a month. The biggest problem for those of us who read and love The Cut is finding time to read all of it! [Laughs] I have that problem! Do you read every post? I used to, but that’s impossible now. I definitely look at the site a lot, and prioritize in terms of what features get shown on the homepage and where to put our big energy. And I will read every feature, and weigh in on pieces that will go through multiple drafts or are taking six months to make. The 2016 presidential election has been reenergizing from many journalists and publications. How has it affected the way that you think and do business? There’s no question that Trump was really good for traffic for everybody, everywhere. He was great for content—as for actual quality of content, it’s debatable [Laughs]. It’s been interesting, in the postelection year, to see what resonates with people, and be balanced. Every month, a new thing breaks that feels like it usurps the last thing we were obsessed with. #MeToo has taken a toll on everyone’s energy levels and emotional states. Perhaps it was great for traffic, but not so much for psychic energy and our wellbeing. [Laughs] How did you get Cathy Horyn on board? Cathy Horyn has been one of the great pleasures of my life to work with. It’s encouraging to see a person who wrote for a traditional place be able to adapt so smoothly to the Internet and the voice [of The Cut]. We were able to convince her to come work with us after she left The New York Times, and in some ways, I think we gave her a lot of freedom that she hadn’t had before—both linguistically, but also topically. She can write as she pleases. Editing her is such a joy. Truly—my entire working life, she’s been one of my top-five experiences. How do you tackle Fashion Week? We used to cover it as though it was a political campaign, with 60 or 70 posts a day, but it seems like the appetite for that level of coverage has waned. Probably because people know everything there is to know about Fashion Week now [Laughs]—in part, because of that coverage we did early on. You told The Coveteur, “The core of The Cut is about ambitious women.” Ambitious in what way? Every way. You want the best for yourself, and you’re going to try to get it. I won’t name names, but there are other publications that talk about fashion and women’s lives that make certain assumptions about them—money, income, family.… We sort of assume that our reader is a self-made person who has high standards for herself and expectations for her future and her life, and she’s going to go about getting them, without any help, probably. Last summer, you were promoted to president and editor in chief of The Cut. What does that part of your role entail? I think it was just a formal recognition that in today’s media landscape, a lot of the editorial decisions are bound up in business decisions, and that I was already functioning in that role a lot. This was just

FASHION PERSONALITIES The Cut’s visual language includes elements of both style and storytelling.

kind of a recognition that to edit and to publish are closer than ever. I think that they have been historically. It enabled me to have more of a say in the direction that we push the whole project. When brands come to you for custom content, what are they looking for The Cut to deliver? Ideally, they want us to share what we know about our readers, and the insight and connection that we’ve built with them, to tell their brand story in a way that our readers will want to know about. I know a great deal about who my reader is, and how she might want to receive information. I can also understand what the brand’s goals are, and I can advise them accurately and meaningfully about how to reach the woman they’re trying to reach, in a way that she will be receptive to, and that will hopefully tell their story the way it needs to be told. Do you feel optimistic, pessimistic, or neutral about the business landscape? There’s a lot of fear out there. Make us feel better! That’s a tall order. [Laughs] I am, in general, a very optimistic person. You would find me hard-pressed to be super pessimistic about any of this. A lot of the fashion and media world are operating on protocols that no longer work for the landscape that we’re in, and that’s a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. People need to be comfortable with letting those things go. And when we get to that point, places like The Cut will be well-positioned to adapt with them. Moving on to juicy stuff, are there any sex diaries that you’ve received but decided not to publish? Tons. If they’re very, very boring, we definitely won’t run them. [Laughs] I read that you wake up extremely early and cook three meals for your family. Seriously? You’re making the rest of us look bad! A lot of the time, yeah—but that’s because I like cooking; it’s not a competitive sport. [Laughs] It doesn’t mean I’m making a pot roast every night—

it’s pretty simple food. Some people go to church, some people exercise more than I do. I like to cook! Do you ever need to go on a digital detox? I unplug, emotionally, on the weekends. I’m pretty active on social media, but I don’t find that taxing. I find it to be fun, but that’s me. What I need to do sometimes is slow down in order to have longer thoughts. It’s not so much about digital or analog; it’s giving myself some space to formulate creative ideas, which I need quiet space for. But I can do that in a concentrated way on a 45-minute subway ride. Good thing the subway is now breaking down every three seconds—that must be great for you! [Laughs] I find that to be very useful time. It’s been a year of upheaval in the media. So many editors out, so many editors in. Your name was floated for many major positions. What’s unique about this gig? There’s no place like it. I love it here. I see it as a place of pure potential, and it hasn’t disappointed me yet. I love these people, and I love [New York editor in chief] Adam Moss. I have a great time making this project, and I feel incredibly supported by the people who fund it. So far, it feels like there’s more to be done. I’ve invested a lot of time and energy into seeing this project through. ß FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


DAILYMale

WHERE THERE’S A WILL… Will Welch is the consummate Gentleman: He’s spent more than a decade in various roles at the Condé Nast glossy and even served as launch EIC of GQ Style. Now, Welch is expanding his reach at GQ proper. Over eggs at The Odeon, he fills us in. BY ALEXANDRA ILYASHOV PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM JESS LAIRD How’d you feel when you first found out about your promotion to creative director? It didn’t come out of the blue, and there were no balloons and confetti. [Laughs] An ongoing series of conversations led to this. I’ve been thinking a lot about the political, cultural, and economic environment we live in, and the ever-changing relationship between celebrities and magazines. The only constant right now is upheaval and change, so I feel like the only way to succeed is to fully embrace that. It’s what we’ve been trying to do since this role officially started, right after the holidays. FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

You’re quite the Condé lifer. I started at GQ in 2007, after working at Fader, a downtown music magazine, for four and a half years; I thought of myself as a music guy. Then, a friend at GQ—Adam Rapoport—called me about an opening. I thought, “What do I know about GQ?” It was on a Friday—I remember that I was out apartmenthunting—and I woke up on a Saturday knowing I wanted the job. I was hired to work on lifestyle stuff, but because of my music background, I quickly started doing music coverage and booking talent, too. I became editor of GQ Style in 2015, and for the past two years, I’ve been having the time of my life, work-wise. How has the GQ reader’s relationship with fashion changed over time? When I joined GQ in 2007, we were telling men how a suit should fit; what shirt to wear with what tie; get out of your baggy jeans; don’t wear squaretoed shoes; you don’t need a giant watch to seem


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successful. Really basic stuff. Now, there are edgier, more open-minded ideas about fashion. We’re deep in a lawless era of men’s style. In an increasingly freelance economy, “salary men” like myself are few and far between—most of the people I spend my days working with are freelance, like photographers, writers, and stylists. We’re seeing this with WeWork and the shared-economy culture. So this fashion moment, and broader culture moment, completely make sense. How has your own relationship with fashion evolved over the years? I grew up in Atlanta, around a preppy environment— it’s Polo country—and listening to hip-hop, which became a dominant cultural force, and then a fashion influence. I also discovered the Grateful Dead. So my touchstones are Ralph Lauren, the Grateful Dead, and Outkast. Growing up listening to the Grateful Dead versus growing up listening to punk rock, like a lot of my friends from New York—both of which are antiestablishment and super rebellious—yields very different aesthetics and vibes. I developed a uniform; I wore, and often still wear, black Levi’s, a black T-shirt or sweatshirt, and a black trucker jacket. Why did the already style-fluent GQ reader need GQ Style? Men are underserved editorially, especially in terms of fashion and lifestyle, as well as interior design. There are a million shelter magazines out there, but none of them are made for the stylish man. With the rise of the menswear movement, including on the Internet, we felt like we could create a quarterly on expensive, super beautiful paper, for men whose tastes had become really advanced. Ten years ago, that audience didn’t exist—there would’ve been 11 people reading. [Laughs] Was GQ Style designed to address or nab Details’ readership when it folded? It can’t be an accident that Details closed and GQ Style launched in the same announcement. That said, I spent zero time thinking about Details and its audience in the creation of GQ Style. Any recent GQ Style stories you’re especially proud of? We went to [beloved Nigerian musician] Fela Kuti’s shrine in Nigeria to shoot a fashion story. Our fashion director, Mobolaji Dawodu, is Nigerian, and he dressed them in traditional Nigerian garments with designer coats. We’ve also had an awesome time working with recognizable names and faces, but in a different way, like the Brad Pitt cover. How did that come together? I had the idea right after the election. Instead of joining the chorus of people arguing and throwing rocks at each other, I thought, how can we find something about America that we can all agree on? I’ve always loved the photographer Ryan McGinley, and thought it’d be so incredible to do one of Ryan’s road trips through national parks. [GQ’s senior entertainment editor] Dana Mathews thought we should take this to Brad Pitt. It was a reaction to the moment culturally. I think it was political, in my way—a bigger kind of statement, yet one that felt appropriate for a men’s fashion magazine. It was a collaborative process. Tell us about the good, the bad, and the ugly of celeb wrangling. We’re in the business of working with celebrities, and I try to resist this dynamic where the magazine is trying to milk the celebrity for as much content as possible, and meanwhile, the celebrity’s publicist is trying to minimize, to get their cover story by doing as

SQUAD GOALS Welch at a GQ cocktail party in Milan with ( from left) Donatella Versace, Adut Akech, and 2 Chainz.

“THE ONLY CONSTANT RIGHT NOW IS UPHEAVAL AND CHANGE, SO I FEEL LIKE THE ONLY WAY TO SUCCEED IS TO FULLY EMBRACE THAT.” little as possible. You end up in interactions that are at odds, even though the goals are the same—to make something beautiful, for the [talent] to look great, for us to have a compelling story. Tug of war, politics, weird vibes—that’s the enemy of a successful photo shoot. My approach is to bring an open mind and collaborative spirit to the situation. It’s about keeping the energy good, but being clear and direct about what everybody’s needs and interests are. What’s your rapport like with [GQ editor-inchief] Jim Nelson? One of the things I love about working with Jim is that he’s antsy, in a good way. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had franchises that were coming along, growing, loved by our readers, successful business for the magazine, and he’d say, “I think it’s time to change that up,” and we’d tear it up and build it from scratch, or tear it up and create something else entirely. That impulse has always been there in Jim’s GQ, and I’ve tried to really embrace that, push it forward, and get everybody on board. How about with your predecessor, Jim Moore? When I was style editor, before GQ Style, Jim Moore was in charge of the fashion, and I was in charge of editorializing the fashion, so we really worked hand in hand. Jim has been the architect of the GQ look, which is a powerful thing, for 30 years. He’s been a spiritual mentor to me in terms of work. I learned work ethic, the meaning of creating an incredibly broad but consistent body of work that matters, and everything it takes to make a great shoot from Jim. His sensibility is to be super prepared, and

then, you can be flexible in the moment. The level of preparation is unlike anything I’ve encountered— researching the subject, doing an incredible amount of due diligence in terms of the clothing, and really being a stalwart in terms of the need for a fitting ahead of time. Jim Moore is never winging it, even in the most impossible of circumstances. I’m super dedicated to being the liaison for his creativedirector-at-large position, and making it super fulfilling to him, and a continuation of his body of work at GQ. What has kept you in one place for more than a decade? I’ve watched my peers while I was growing up, or younger people, get antsy in jobs and maybe somebody offers them a job at a shinier title but it is a lateral move. Or you just want change to have change. But I have seen a lot of people jump around, and a lot of times it’s gotten them great titles and raises, yet now, going on 15 years [professionally], some of my peers don’t have much to show for it, other than climbing a ladder. It’s all interesting experience, but it’s like, what can you point to and say, “Here’s my work”? In my work, I’ve taken a lot of risks. Are you feeling the weight of doing two full-time jobs at once? There’s a workload difference, but it’s not a huge shift structurally day to day. A big part of my career maturation has been learning how to prioritize efficiently. Your in-box and phone are totally passive things. They don’t care what your priorities are— other people’s needs just slide in. If you give into the chronological, date-received role of your in-box, you’re in a reactive mode. I come into the office knowing what my priorities are, and try to keep those priorities, regardless of other things being slotted in. It doesn’t always work. How much do you deal with the digital side of things? This year, we’ve integrated GQ, GQ Style, gq.com— it’s all one. There are hurdles, in terms of different cadences [for print and digital] and staffers’ metabolisms. Some staffers have an idea, put it on the Internet, which just comes completely naturally to them; other people are more about working the process and perfecting. But the more everybody works on both, the more it becomes a seamless process. We all have to have clear tasks and things we own, but the more it can be one conversation we’re communicating, the betterpositioned we are. How do you feel about working in print in 2018—do you ever get anxious? Absolutely. I was in the waiting room at my doctor’s office recently, and there were magazines everywhere—seven people were in the waiting room, and all seven of us were on our phones, surrounded by magazines. Including me, and I work at a magazine! I had e-mails to send. That used to be a captive audience. I’m not blind to that stuff, but to me personally, print is still really exciting, and I think we’re doing a good job of adjusting to this new environment, working with social, video, web, and experiences. I’m sure it was exciting to have a role like the one I have now, 20 years ago, when money was falling from the sky and streets were paved with gold, but this is such an exciting challenge, to be in the heart of the flux. As a print magazine, at this point if you’re not trying new things and realizing that business as usual or the status quo is not exciting, and not the solution GQ needs—to me, that’s very clear. So I’ve just been going for it. ß FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


NOVELTalent Yes, Hanya Yanagihara is among the most brilliant novelists of our time, but we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s discuss how this mag-world veteran is creating a brave, new T as its editor in chief! BY ASHLEY BAKER

T'S NEW LOOK The cover of the new Women’s Fashion issue highlights the work of Judy Chicago, photographed by Collier Schorr.

HAVEN’T YOU MET HANYA?

What coaxed our favorite contemporary novelist to return to magazine publishing? I’ve been a magazine editor for almost 20 years, and the book writing has been a side hustle in certain ways. You don’t spend 20 years clawing your way up the masthead to turn down the one job you want. I was lucky to be able to take a gap year in 2015, but this [opportunity] was really the only thing that brought me back to magazines. Many of us here at the magazine feel terrifically fortunate. It’s one of the few books—and maybe it’s the only book—left in town where you have the resources, the autonomy, the independence, the authority, and the imprimatur of the company behind it, and you get to do what you want. And you don’t have to worry about newsstand [sales]. That privilege is so, so rare. It’s really the only title I wanted to ever do. When you got the job, you posted that you’d be working with “the smartest, chicest, strangest staff in town.” Why so strange? You’re not going to make a Condé salary here, and you’re going to abide by Times standards and ethics. The editors here aren’t here for the swag or the perks—they’re here because they get to do unusual work on their own terms. There’s a lot of porousness FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

and prevented me from making my own mistakes. It’s really because of them that this magazine is still coming out! What are the qualities that make someone an inherently interesting subject for T? The only people we cover are people we admire— someone who has, in some fundamental way, changed the field or the culture. I don’t want to spend real estate making fun of someone or disparaging them. It’s precious space, and we don’t really have room for that. Plenty of other people do it, and they do it very entertainingly. It’s also about recording what feels urgent in the culture—recording hidden moments you don’t hear about. What this magazine has always been good at, from Stefano [Tonchi]’s days all the way up through Deborah [Needleman]’s days, has been taking a moment, between departments here, unlike almost any explaining why it’s relevant, and how it happened. other luxury magazine I’ve ever worked at. One of The #MeToo movement has been such a the things that makes me uniquely lucky is that watershed moment in American culture. How I’ve worked with almost everyone here before, and has that influenced the conversations you’ve these are the people I would been having at T? have hired had I started my I’d worked for Deborah, and I own magazine or had I had to loved Deborah’s book, but it re-staff. The amount of help was very much a book for the and grace and trust that they’ve Obama years, by which I mean given me has saved me. I came that it didn’t have to engage in, and I told David Farber, our directly with the culture in the men’s style editor, and Malina way that you have to now. It Gilchrist, our women’s style did, sometimes, but now, if you director, “I really don’t know pretend that fashion or design anything. You’re going to have or literature or art is divorced to really teach me.” And they from politics or contemporary have, with such patience and society—and it never has faith. I was able to rely on been—you look terrifically them for everything, and not provincial. Every form of just them—Nadia Vellam, our art is grappling with what it photo director, and especially, means to live in this current Minju Pak, our managing editor, political reality. If the magazine have been so helpful. At every doesn’t do that as well, then it VISION ACCOMPLISHED Henry Taylor step of the way, big and small, does become a meaningless created an exclusive portrait of Jay-Z for T’s December 3, 2017 issue. they’ve helped and bolstered enterprise, a magazine full of


C O U R T E S Y A D R I A N L O U R I E / E V E N I N G S TA N D A R D/ E Y E V I N E ( 1 ) ; A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y

pretty things, and that’s never what this book has was an extraordinary experience. I also discovered been about. We stay in our lane; no one here is Peter that my stamina is poor. I came back and I was sick Baker or Michael Schmidt, we’re not going to be able for maybe a month. The fashion department seemed to comment on the White House’s goings-on or on perfectly fine, but I was really dragging by the end, legislation—but we can talk about how the culture but I loved it, and people were nice to my face, which is responding to it, even if it’s in oblique ways. But is frankly all I care about. the book still has to be beautiful, it still has to feel Any highlights? luxurious, it still has to “feel expensive,” as our I got to meet Rei Kawakubo, and I was told that she creative director always says. smiled. I didn’t really see that, but I was told she was A year into the Trump administration, do you very happy, which was an honor. Especially in the feel like we’ve become more provincial? age of Instagram, you forget how great it is to see American culture is naturally provincial, because these shows live. It’s like a play that opens for one it’s so inward. You kind of cannot help it, in this night on Broadway, then closes. It’s that sensation, particular moment, to look inward and to be interior. again and again and again. The thought and the One of the things that living in New York does is to showmanship that goes into not just the clothes, make you feel that the world is coming to you. You but the presentation itself…you can’t help but feel begin to think that you don’t have to leave. More and honored to be there. I know this sounds romantic, more, in this political moment, Americans should but I thought, the second I start feeling jaded about be traveling, in whatever way they can afford, and I this is the second I know I’ve been doing it too long. know that that’s not a reality for everyone. But for Of course, the other fun part is complaining, and those of us for whom it is a reality, it’s essential. You grousing, and commiserating, but that’s also a part see, immediately, how much America affects the of the theater of it. rest of the world—how much they’re responding For The Greats issue, you chose to write about to us. That’s something that this book can also do. Dries van Noten. Why? One of the things I talked about when I was applying My mother is a great seamstress—when we lived in for this job is that I want the book to feel more truly New York when I was a child, she had a children’s line international. It’s always done great coverage of Italy that she sold at Bloomingdale’s. She has always loved and France, because that is where a disproportionate Dries van Noten, and she loved his colors, she loved amount of design and fashion continues to come his patterns, she loved his references, the drape of from, which is remarkable and a story in and of itself. his clothes. I came of age knowing of him, and very But there are also stylish and interesting and artistic few other people. One of the things I was able to lives being lived in Japan, in Iran, in Brazil, in Northern slowly articulate is he’s one of the few designers who Europe, in Eastern Africa.… have such a holistic vision, from the way he lives to Where did you travel during your gap year? the way his stores look, to the way his clothes are, A lot of it was repeat—Morocco, to the way his garden is…you can look Spain, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Bali, at any aspect of his life and it makes REQUIRED READING! Sumbawa, Cambodia, Burma...I’d only sense within the larger universe of what Yanagihara has been to Northern Africa before, so I went he creates. As someone who is trying to earned an to Tanzania, and to Australia and New make a holistic creative vision, I deeply international reputation as a Zealand. I think I spent two weeks in admire someone who can and has made masterful novelist. New York, in total. There is nothing more such a universe that makes complete useful for an editor or anyone interested logical sense and is completely his. It's in writing or seeing or editing than being one of the things that I appreciate even in a constant state of discomfort or more, in fact, after publishing [my novel] vulnerability, which you are, naturally, A Little Life, because you understand that when you travel, even if you travel in a as an artist—roughly, reductively—you cosseted way. can either have riches or freedom. He’s Presumably you’re traveling less one of the few people who has made a frequently? successful business while never having to I’m traveling a lot more to Europe. I hadn’t concede. As someone who really values been to France or Italy in years, and it’s my independence on the page and values been lovely to get to be back, but it means my right to make the decisions that I I get to go to Asia a lot less, unfortunately. want to make, creatively, I deeply admire What are your thoughts on Fashion someone who is able to ride out the hard Week? parts of owning a business through sheer I did all of New York, Milan, and Paris. The belief in the consistency of his vision. And splendor of it, and the excess of it, and I love the clothes. the seriousness of it—I mean, I loved it. It T is so serious, but it’s also infused

with a sense of humor. You’ve had cats, you’ve had Bread Face…what do you find funny? I don’t think the magazine is funny. I don’t think that’s a problem, being serious. Having said that, I want us to be serious and admiring but at the same time, irreverent. The digital side is a furtherance of the conversation that happens in the book, but it tends to be a little more loose-limbed. Could you ever see T as a digital-only property? Any magazine could, in theory, be a digital-only property. One of the things that I talk to Isabel Wilkinson, our digital director, and our staff in general about is that something really has to earn its place in the particular media it lives in. What I don’t want to do online, for example, is a 350-word write-up on a store opening. The same goes for the book—we have to think of a way to illustrate a story that could only be illustrated in print, with the luxury of big space and air around the photo. Every single magazine editor says this, but [print] has to feel like an experience. On the other hand, we do want to start conceiving more stories that are holistically planned. The Jay-Z story was an extraordinary but good example of that. We knew from the start that we were going to have the interview in-book, that it was going to live online, that there was going to be a full-length video and Instagram teasers—so no matter what channel you came to the story from, you’d have a slightly different experience that together, when you looked at the puzzle, would form a whole. But you wouldn’t need to necessarily do that—you could encounter it purely as a 35-minute documentary, and that would be satisfying. I hope what you’ll see is a greater conversation among the platforms, with the magazine leading, always. In your editor’s letter in a recent issue of The Greats, you wrote that planning for the 2018 edition would start in January. True? The meeting is on Friday at 3 p.m.! [Laughs] Everyone’s been invited, and they’re told that they must bring a list. Are you writing another novel at night? No. At night, I’m working on the treatment for the screenplay of the series of A Little Life. Who knows what will happen—it could never sell. I always say that in book publishing, people are constantly telling you, “This is never going to work. This is going to be a disaster.” And they’re usually right. And then in Hollywood, they’re saying, “This is definitely going to work. This is going to be great.” And often it just never happens. So who knows? Have you encountered some superfans of your fiction amongst the fashion crowd? Yes, and it’s been really sweet. It’s always a compliment when people read your work. It’s particularly thrilling when you’re being told this and you’re wearing their dress. ß FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M


FACEOff

RASHIDA JONES V. RADHIKA JONES

The masses are prone to confuse the somewhat obscure Vanity Fair editrix with the established Hollywood force. Ensure that you never make the same mistake!

RASHIDA

RADHIKA

AGE

AGE

41

44 (as of November ’17)

This Account is Private

SOCIAL STUDIES

SOCIAL STUDIES

IG bio reads “Editorial director, books, at the NYT. Writer, doctor, obsessive rereader”; has 117 followers as of press time

Has 1.1 million IG followers, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Lena Dunham, and Angela Missoni

EXTRACURRICULARS Modeling, philanthropy

ALMA MATER

BA from Harvard University

EXTRACURRICULARS Tetris

ALMA MATER

MUSIC CRED Her dad is Quincy f**king Jones

MUSIC CRED

Her dad, singer and guitarist Robert L. Jones, was a fixture on the Cambridge, MA, folk scene in the ’50s and ’60s

BIG BREAK

BIG BREAK

Sitting at Graydon’s desk

Starred on The Office

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

LITERARY CRED

Wrote about Syria for Vanity Fair

Pursued by every hot guy in Hollywood

LITERARY CRED

RELATIONSHIP STATUS

Frequently described as “bookish”

Married with child

FASHION CRED

Super tight with Carol and Humberto

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

FASHION CRED

Made critter tights a thing

G E T T Y I M A G E S ( 7 ) ; PAT R I C K M C M U L L A N . C O M ( 2 ) ; S H U T T E R S TO C K ( 2 ) ; A L L OT H E R S C O U R T E S Y

BA from Harvard University, PhD from Columbia University


We don’t just obsessively study the fashion world. We rock it, too. LIM grads are tireless workers, fashion-biz devotees, creative powerhouses. They’ve been taught by expert faculty, brought excellence to several internships with top companies, and adopted mentors from some of the most powerful and influential networks in the industry. Our students turn real experiences into real careers. When LIM grads enter the workforce, it’s with a confidence that distinguishes them from their peers.

FIND OUT MORE AT LIMCOLLEGE.EDU/BEYOND

ALLISON TRACEY '19 Fashion Merchandising


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