HOPE AND GLORY
In a world where the turbulence brought about by bellicose politicians has created a mood of uncertainty, there is consolation to be had from the knowledge that at least some things remain unchanged. And though a sense of constancy might seem at odds with fashion – which often arises out of a state of flux – our latest issue features the most beautiful looks from the new collections, set against truly timeless British landscapes and locations.
These epic stories reveal the shared passions of the people who together create Bazaar : for example, Agata Pospieszynska’s paganistic shoot on page 180. Our fashion director, Avril Mair, is Scottish, as is our bookings director Megan McCluskie – and I spend as much time as possible in the Highlands – so when Avril suggested shooting within the magical setting of an ancient stone circle in Aberdeenshire, we were all equally stirred by the idea. Thanks to Agata and everyone else in the team (including the stylist Charlie Harrington and the model Elise Crombez), who braved wild winds at dawn to capture the mysterious light of sunrise, our story has a truly spirited feel.
It is no coincidence that we are similarly committed to exploring the idea of what Britishness might mean, in a contemporary multicultural society, whether seen through the prism of fashion, film or art. Take our cover star, Sienna Miller: born in New York, but a Londoner since the age of one, and seen by many as a quintessential English rose (albeit with a rebellious bohemian sensibility), the actress has recently returned to Manhattan for work, while also bringing up her young daughter there. Meanwhile, Charlotte Rampling – a legendary British actress who was first photographed for Harper’s Bazaar 50 years ago, when she was presented as the
embodiment of Swinging London – went on to become a muse to European directors. Needless to say, we were thrilled to be given the chance to collaborate once again with Rampling, who chose to be photographed at the Louvre, and has contributed a powerful memoir to this issue, reflecting on love, loss and life after death (page 224).
The unique opportunity to shoot at Henry Moore’s sculpture studio proved equally inspiring, and came about thanks to my interview with Christopher Bailey, whose creative leadership at Burberry is closely linked to his love of British art and the wild Yorkshire moorland of his childhood (page 240). When he told me about his admiration of Moore’s work – an artist who was born in the Yorkshire town of Castleford (a place that has strong ties with Burberry, as the home of its trench-coat manufacturing) – it felt important to find a way of reflecting these connections between the contours of sculpture, clothing and landscape.
Elsewhere in this issue, we have a paean to the power of a woman in red; a preview of the glorious reopening of Tate St Ives; a guide to the best of British hotels in our awardwinning travel section; and a piece on the great female poet Emily Dickinson, whose words have been running through my mind throughout the making of this issue:
Hope is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words – And never stops – at all –