Free thinkers

One of my greatest pleasures, each month, is the crafting of this Editor’s letter. It’s a privilege not only to feel able to talk to you, the Bazaar reader, directly, but also to have the enjoyment of diving into the issue and unearthing the theme that, often without us planning it, runs like a golden thread throughout its pages.

In this case, I find it’s one of self-acceptance, of refusal to bow down to an externally imposed stereotype. And so Italy’s queen of fashion Donatella Versace tells us, in an exclusive interview on page 178, how much she dislikes the misconception ‘that when Gianni was alive, I didn’t work. That I was just around, in my high heels, blonde hair, just someone to look at. That I didn’t have any specific role. I heard that so many times.’ This is in spite of the extraordinary success of the brand under her aegis – last year, it made over $1 billion in annual sales.

Meanwhile, our cover star Keira Knightley sits down to a plate of crispy pig’s ears and unburdens herself to Helena Lee about her challenging role in the new film The Boston Strangler, her struggles to reconcile her career with her family life, and her own fear of ageing. ‘Change is always tricky. We’re taught that it’s bad. How are we, culturally, meant to age?’ she asks.

I would urge her to turn to page 190, where the answer is provided, beautifully, by Anna Murphy, whose decision to abandon the pursuit of physical perfection paradoxically led her to the results she always longed for. I find it inspiring – I hope you feel the same.