EDITOR’S LETTER
There is no getting away from the fact that 2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for everyone. From those on the frontlines trying to keep us all safe to decimated creative, hospitality and travel industries to those who experienced a second lockdown in Victoria and separation as state borders closed, the pandemic has wreaked havoc in unexpected and far-reaching ways.
For us here at Vogue Living, we’ve tried to offer a place of refuge and escape from the COVID-19 storm by curating issues featuring the very best of the world’s design talent and interiors. It’s a privilege to be able to do this but the ability to create this magazine stems from the simple notion of home, of being lucky enough to have a place to call one’s own. And this year in particular, we’ve all been turning to our homes for comfort and respite, and discovering there’s a special quality as to why a home feels like home.
So, in this last issue for 2020, we’re finishing the year by celebrating the magic of the everyday. As Michelle Ogundehin states in her opening essay (page 31), “we started to fix ourselves by fixing our surrounding environments, realising that far from being frivolous, home-making is fundamental to our wellbeing.”
We turn the focus on some of the magical elements life has to offer. There’s the heartwarming delight of children in our ‘Full of Wonder’ story (page 44) — that’s my daughter Francesca playing dress-ups in Gucci for the shoot. There’s also the captivating power of art to weave stories, stir souls, and provoke thought with our feature on contemporary First Nations artists (page 60).
The creative force behind our cover story, interior designer and serial renovator Athena Calderone (page 51) also talks us through the art of creating a home. “When one seemingly singular choice leads you to the next and suddenly you have this wonderful, cohesive space — it’s pure magic.” She is describing how to make a home feel just right by design. Our houses are more than just a place to stash our belongings — this year they have become offices, classrooms, nurseries, at-home cafes and restaurants with backyard parks. And spending an increased amount of time in our homes has also shown that they are vital, valuable spaces that should reflect and nurture our own selves.
I hope this issue inspires you to uncover the magic in your home.