Editor’sLETTER
“What did you do as a child that made the hours pass like minutes? Herein lies the key to your earthly pursuits,” said Carl Jung. As I write this on the day the Prime Minister announced the third MCO, the weeks pass like days like hours like minutes ... fleeting moments ... as we stay patiently at home waiting for the Covid-19 war to end, and the world to somehow heal. In between Zoom meetings, recalibrating magazine production, following fast-moving news, and hosting #BAZAARTalks on IG Live, there are pockets for philosophy to get me stoically through the day, and such tenuous times. This return to self, rooted in this poignant Jungian quote, has unlocked deeper and newer passions. Personally, I’ve started an online MoMA course in photography and contemporary art; cooked far more Ottolenghi recipes and Asian meals than I ever have; finally learned how to bake bread; and mastered the Brazilian beach tennis of Frescobol in my living room. Along with this, deeper meditation to move the spirit forward into a brighter, stronger realm. This issue was put together remarkably in isolation, via remote; my first in all my 20 years in publishing. At first I couldn’t fathom that working in a world of paper and ink, hands-on craftsmanship from styling fashion shoots to interacting with beauty, and ultimately with printing machinery, we could make this possible. But here’s the May issue. There’s technology to thank, and of course this is temporary, but it’s pushed us into thinking—and knowing—that anything is possible. The spirit of innovation, as well as amazing teamwork, is invigorating. As fashion, with every single industry, is going through a system rewiring, this period for magazine brands is daunting but also exciting, especially the acceleration into digital. Overnight, I’m hosting four IG Live #BAZAARTalks sessions a week on @harpersbazaarmy, which could be the new norm. Communication is also changing significantly. We are aware that as the world evolves, so are we as individuals and consumers. Our needs and priorities are first focused on health and well-being, with that our perceptions of luxury and fashion have altered. We want to be engaged by effects and experiences of real value, with emotional intelligence, brand values, and respect for the world. At the same time, while our “borderless world” has become somewhat bordered again, we’re forming into smaller communities, where in this issue we spotlight three Malaysian creatives discovering new interests during the lockdown in ‘Out of Office’ (page 54) and spend 24 Hours with Celest Thoi (page 34), who has been tirelessly producing PPE wear for our hospitals with Melinda Looi, president of MODA. Then, read my exclusive interview with Jean-Christophe Babin, Group CEO of Bvlgari, on their magnanimous efforts to support the global fight, while sharing insights on the future of luxury (page 46). For Harper’s BAZAAR, we are also evolving into the “future” with all this in view, giving you more fashion for your mind and heart, journalism in tune with the times and our lives, and a thoughtful reading experience. Silvia Venturini Fendi, who invites us to her organic farm outside of Rome (page 86), where she spends the weekend “opening up paths in the woods, following the river and finding mysteries from the past”, shows us the way forward, as we “move out” into the “new world”. Let’s begin real living again ...
JNatasha Kraal @harpersbazaarmy