EDITOR’S LETTER
Do you believe in magic? I do, although my belief has evolved since childhood, when I was firmly convinced that the wild woods of Narnia lay on the other side of our bedroom wardrobe in a small flat in central London; and that Aslan the lion would protect my sister and me from the evil White Witch, if ever she were to materialise out of the shadows as we slept. My own sons, in turn, grew up imbued with the epic chronicles that inspired Game of Thrones, as did some of my colleagues; which is why the opportunity to create a cover story with one of its most compelling heroines, Sophie Turner, was such a thrilling prospect. Our aim was not to do a pastiche, with digital dragons and swords, but rather to summon a true sense of the unexpected; for this is a key element in the mysterious alchemy of Harper’s Bazaar. Or to quote one of my favourite poets, Mary Oliver, who died earlier this year:
‘…I want to think again of dangerous and noble things.
I want to be light and frolicsome.
I want to be improbable beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings…’
A primal desire to fly – whether blessed by wings or soaring free in one’s dreams – remains within us, even as we grow older, and seems integral to creativity, as well as those transformative moments of miraculous joy. But as is evident in the great and enduring narratives that speak of fantasy, mingled with fear (from Beowulf to The Lord of the Rings), when we undertake the perilous journey of life, we will inevitably encounter the pain of loss and grief, alongside the joy of loving and being loved. Out of these experiences come resilience and courage; and the discovery that even if one chapter ends in failure, our story continues.
Cynics may feel that such powerful emotions have no place in the world of fashion; but they would be wrong, as becomes clear when one considers the career of Karl Lagerfeld (or indeed, Coco Chanel, in whose footsteps he followed). I was fortunate to have known Karl for more than two decades, and his immense influence on me as a writer and editor will continue to shape my thoughts, and those of many others, long after his death. Karl was a mentor, maestro and magician of fashion, yet also an immensely talented illustrator, photographer and publisher. He loved reading, building up a library of 300,000 volumes; and as a consequence, his mind brimmed with ideas that arose, light as feathers, from the pages of the books that surrounded him.
Even at the age of 85, right up until the day he died in February, Karl carried on working, not as an act of duty or drudgery, but because he loved the creative process. His imagination was boundless; his ambition vast; his curiosity unending. We mourn him, while also remembering him; and as such, his playful spirit may continue to let fashion take flight, borne on the wings of desire.