EDITOR’S NOTE
FASHION’S NEW YEAR is signalled not only by the arrival of the latest collections but also by a pervasive mood of reflection and reinvention. Even before I formally knew anything about fashion, I knew that the start of the school year gave me an unmissable opportunity to present as the person I was meant to be—changed, transformed, better. (Cut to a shot of me wearing a pink shawl-neck sweater-dress and my signature black beret.)
But this year, for the first time, September feels less like a call for a glow-up and more like an ear-piercing klaxon for an urgent and complete reset—a do-over coupled with the recognition that we are living through a momentous time in which unacceptable realities about human rights, racism, the environment, misogyny and the consequences of disposable consumerism must be grappled with. Stories are being shared that cannot be ignored.
Our cover star Jessie Reyez doesn’t shy away from speaking her truth. In fact, the Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter recently made an impassioned plea on national television, calling on top music executives to address the lack of diversity in their companies. It was scary, she admits, but necessary: “I don’t want to waste the power I have.”
For true change to happen, action must follow intention. In “The Future Is Now” (page 70), we meet young Canadian activists who are fighting for justice, equality and the brighter future they deserve. Eighteen-year-old Savi Gellatly-Ladd’s passion for climate justice led her to become a vocal advocate for the cause long before she felt “ready” to speak up. “When I first became involved, I was intimidated by other organizers and language that wasn’t familiar to me—but that’s how I grew as an activist,” she says.
Young women often ask me (once, at events; these days, by sliding into my DMs) how to best find their voice, be it creatively or professionally. I always have the same answer, and it echoes Gellatly-Ladd’s sentiment: The only way you will find your voice is by using it—as often and as loudly as you can.