Editor’s Note
A new year is as good a reason as any for a new perspective.
When we began thinking about our first issue of 2021—a giddying prospect after such a dismal year—i had one request, and that was to tell stories that might give our readers some insight into how they can begin this year with a renewed sense of purpose.
I’ve read several counter-intuitive articles over the last year claiming that office productivity has not been adversely affected by the shift to remote work, and surveys that indicate many employees in big cities would, in fact, prefer not to go back to their former cubicles once it’s safe to again. That might be true, but I think what still easily gets lost when working from home is a true feeling of motivation. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that we need to believe in the “why” of what we do in order to have any sort of sustainable future.
Veronica Chou sensed this long before many people in the fashion industry became aware of the critical importance of sustainability. The lessons she learnt growing up around the grungy apparel factories of China and the glamorous showrooms of New York City designers (her father, Silas Chou, was an investor behind the rise of Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors) made her look at consumption differently, as shown by her new eco-conscious and size-inclusive venture Everybody & Everyone. In this month’s cover story, she discusses her own journey to sustainability and why it is so important for consumers to rethink their approach to their own closets, starting right now.
Throughout this issue you will find similarly motivating stories from subjects including the fashion designer Paul Smith, whose new foundation seeks to impart his wisdom to a younger generation; and the video artist Tony Oursler, who reconnected with his own creativity while preparing for a new exhibition in Taiwan. Lifestyle editor Coco Marett explores a fascinating trend, likely fuelled by the pandemic, of people around the world who are venturing into ancient spiritualities and rituals, including witchcraft, and the results are not as loopy as you might think. In “A New Way to Well”, Marett also interviews three experts—suzanne Santos, co-founder of Aesop; Shi Heng Yi, a Shaolin master; and Sonia Samtani, a hypnotherapist—about the possibilities of living well through unconventional ways.
It’s a new year, and hopefully one that will see a return to normality in so many aspects of our lives, no matter where we make our offices. I have only one resolution, and that is to keep moving forward.