EDITOR’S LETTER

Editor-in-Chief Farrah Storr on not being afraid to change your path and start over

“WE MUST TRUST that WE’LL FIND OUR WAY… OR OUR WAY WILL FIND US”

We had a different cover planned for you this month. Totally different, in fact. But then life does what it always does and threw a giant fork in the road, meaning we had to rethink the path we had all laid out. Did we stick with our original plan? Or did we trust our gut and pursue the opportunity that presented itself before us? In the end, we did the latter, deciding to photograph and interview one of Hollywood’s most private stars – Katie Holmes (on page 126).

Holmes has long fascinated the public, her every move (and outfit) scrutinised. Why her, more than any other, you may ask. It’s hard to say, exactly. But a large part of her appeal rests with the fact she has consistently swerved the track of high-octane celebrity mapped out for her, instead choosing to carve out a quieter path for herself and her family. Her decision to take the celebrity road less travelled is, I suspect, why she continues to intrigue and draw admiration.

Diverging from your original direction of travel is a recurring theme in this issue. And rightly so. After all, ‘how do I find my way in life?’ is a question many of us have asked ourselves. (And we should continue to ask ourselves throughout our lives, for our ‘way’ changes as we age.)

Of course there are some who are lucky enough to have a genuine calling in life; those whose beacon of purpose is so strong that their path is clearly marked throughout the years. But, for the rest of us, we must simply trust that we will find our way… or our way will eventually find us. And, when it does, we must be ready to follow its lead.

Having the strength to change course is what unites many of the individuals we feature in this month’s ELLE. Paco Rabanne’s Julien Dossena – one of the most exciting design talents in the industry right now (page 61) – trained to become an artist before the fashion world came knocking. And fellow designer Alice Temperley (page 21O) could easily have stayed on her family’s cider farm in Somerset, rather than veering off course to create her eponymous label. (Now, of course, she has a life that allows her time at the farm and time in the studio.)

But perhaps this month’s most intriguing story is the tale of Garance Doré. As many of you will remember, Doré was one of the original street-style photographers and influencers; a position that, over time, afforded her a life of opportunity, status and material wealth. Why then, at the height of her success, did she decide to take a different bend in the road? To find out, I implore you to read her very candid interview on page 1O2. This is the December issue of ELLE, for those who understand that the road less travelled is usually the one that leads to the greatest rewards.