My first outreach to Lilly Singh for a FASHION cover was in January 2020.
Her publicist and I discussed a spring shoot, and then when COVID hit, we agreed on moving the story to the fall. As the COVID jitters grew, we started looking at spring 2021, and now here I sit putting the final touches on our April issue with Singh (finally!) on the cover. The saying “Better late than never” has never been more apt—especially given that the Ontario-born and -bred comedian is now into her second season of A Little Late With Lilly Singh.
The show that has given the long-standing late-night formula a refresh has gotten its own makeover. Rather than commanding the proceedings from behind a desk, Singh now sits cross-legged on a sofa in a real living room. She has switched out the suits for sweats and baggy shirts à la Billie Eilish. And her lingo has a slang-filled street vibe. The result is quirky and casual, and Singh’s wit and imagination carry the segments. And as she tells fashion news director Odessa Paloma Parker in “Candid Camera” (page 64), she is proud to be bringing a point of view to the airwaves that she herself, as a brown and bi person, never experienced watching late-night TV.
Singh’s skill at the art of conversation gave us a great jumping-off point for this issue. We started crafting stories under the broad theme of “art,” which led us in some interesting directions. Contributor Isabel B. Slone found three Canadian brands putting original paintings and photography on apparel and paying the artists. Her piece, “Art Class” (page 26), also includes a wheelchair user whose habit of decorating her chair turned into a business. Dublin-based Izzy Wheels now collaborates with artists around the world, including Montreal’s Callen Schaub. In “Wild Life” (page 56), beauty director Natasha Boateng (formerly Bruno) speaks to Euphoria star Hunter Schafer about experimenting with glue-on “piercings” and how she uses eyeliner on her face in much the same way as she draws in a sketchbook. And creative and fashion director George Antonopoulos assembled a brilliant team for
“Gallery View” (page 74) and told them to let loose. The hair, makeup and nail artistry in this story is as captivating as the clothes and is superbly captured by photographer Natasha Gerschon.
We’ve also got the results of FASHION’s #BeautyForAll Awards (page 45): the best beauty and grooming products chosen from more than 300 entries by a jury of experts and members of the FASHION team. You’re sure to find something new and fabulous to put in regular rotation, as I have. (Hello, Saje Sleep Well body butter!)
Finally, don’t miss Patricia Ritacca’s moving essay about receiving her second cancer diagnosis and then, shortly after, planning what to wear for her funeral. “Life Force” (page 88) is an insightful piece about one woman’s close relationship with her body and her even tighter bond with the fashions that provide her with escape, solace and identity. It’s a reminder that strength can be found in many places—even in a pair of vintage Pierre Cardin pumps.