Letter from the Editor
ten years ago, Instagram did not exist. Lifestyle media platforms were only just beginning to launch websites. We certainly didn’t have a website yet (that would come later, in 2011). Facebook was roughly five years old. Twitter was only three years old, and most people didn’t know what to use it for. Blogging was a hobby rather than a revenue stream.
Ten years ago, I arrived in Cape Town, having freshly returned from the US to the continent of my birth. With a lot of persistence (and assistance), I was able to build my own network. There’s tremendous power in networks, as the adage indicates, but once you’re in the door you’ve got to consistently prove you deserve a space at the table. I’ve been fortunate to be able to do the same, and for me this issue marks seven and a half years at GQ, and also marks two years since taking over as editor-in-chief.
So many things about how we produce content, and even the economics of media brands, has changed – but the one thing that hasn’t is the art of storytelling.
Perhaps my favourite description of
GQ came from Tony Parsons, a longtime contributor to British GQ. He said GQ should be a mirror and a window. It is both a reflection of the reader’s life – and a portal to the world he wants. The great thing about GQ’S predecessor, Apparel Arts (which started as a guide to fabrics and trends, published in the early 1930s) was that it enabled its group of insiders to illustrate, to contextualise, to educate, and yes, to sell, not just the latest trends and movements in fashion, and gentlemanly etiquette, but to sell a lifestyle – through storytelling.
Social media’s the same today, where every platform, and at this rate, probably also your next fridge, either has or will have some kind
of story function. It still messes with my mind that Twitter’s most popular methods of message sharing is via threads. But it’s because people love a great story. Not only does storytelling tie our traditional industry with new outlets, but it’s also how we spark the conversations that drive our culture forward.
This month, we explore several examples of the power of storytelling, and of owning your story – through conversations with the likes of SA filmmaker Jonathan Sidego (p58), who translates hedge-fund language into things we can understand; the women who founded the Middle East’s first all-female supercar club (p74); or our cover star Seth Rogen (p66), who’s discovered a newfound power in being authentically himself, no matter the playing field.
I’m incredibly proud to be at the helm of one of the only platforms in Africa which has the power to connect so many unique individuals. As we continue in our mission to be equal parts a mirror and a window, I’d encourage you not to let anything stop you from working towards that next chapter – and for securing your own spot at the table.