it’s the most wonderful time of the year
“I JUST DON’T feel the Christmas spirit” – for the past five years or so, every time Thanksgiving rolls around, like clockwork, I become one of those people who bemoan the lack of seasonal spice in the air. I’m not sure what I was looking for. More tinsel? Possibly. The scent of gingerbread wafting in the air as I walk through malls and stroll along avenues bedecked with lights? Perhaps. A few more Santa Claus grottoes and groups of children sitting in the round listening to stories? Not unlikely.
Because of this quest, my search for the festive spirit has been something akin to the Star of Bethlehem for this issue. We’ve put together a fashion shoot inspired by Yuletide blooms. Lest you find that there are fewer Santas to whisper your wishes to this year, we’ve tracked down two of those for you as well. And we have an interview with partywear designer extraordinaire Han Chong of Self-Portrait whose iconic dresses will keep you strictly off the naughty list and squarely in the nice. There’s a gift guide that Tama Lung has helped put together solving some of our #legend100’s toughest holiday gifting conundrums. Stephenie Gee has also contributed stories on the best places for Christmas dinner as well as some other seasonal fare for those who might celebrate something else or not celebrate the season altogether!
It’s also a special issue because in addition to securing breakout Korean girl group aespa for our main cover, we also managed to track down William Chang, a notoriously media-shy creative genius and the production designer for this year’s K11 Night exhibition The Love of Couture: Artisanship in Fashion Beyond Time, for an exclusive shoot and interview as our inside cover.
All of this has been in the pipeline since early November, ready for me to review after I came back from my first holiday since December 2019. Only, I became severely ill. And of course, it was in the complete absence of any holly or tinsel or wreaths or trees or candles and stuck in bed that I finally felt the spirit of the season.
As I was unable to go into the office and work, Tama our copy editor, Steph our features writer, Carol our senior art director and Tony our head of sales stepped in to bring this issue to life. And while I hope what we’ve worked hard on brings cheer, this team has taught me to step into December with gratitude and to appreciate a work family that generously gave their support when the going got tough. This issue is, in essence, every seasonal good feeling in concentrate. It’s one I’ll remember fondly for a long time, and I hope it brings you the same sense of warmth and joy that it brings me.