| ONE of the most rewarding things that has happened to me during my career at Vogue is watching the crowds at our exhibition currently showing at the National Portrait Gallery. So many people have approached me as they walk around to say how much they admire the work, with many noting that it illustrates how fashion is a filter for the culture of the time, and not simply about the clothes. A powerful point demonstrated on the walls of the NPG is how the definition of beauty and style has changed throughout the decades. From the androgynous flappers of the Twenties to the womanly postwar and Fifties models of aristocratic hauteur to the once again tomboyish girls of the Sixties, boomeranging into the glamazons of the Eighties, we come to the present day, where a new androgyny is stalking fashion. And, of course, that reflects our current ideas about gender identity and equality. In "A Walk in the Park" (page 192), Jamie Hawkesworth photographs Sophia Friesen (above right) alongside Stav Strashko (above left) and Maarten Convens. The way the masculine and feminine converge both in the clothes and the models is intriguing and faintly challenging, echoing a fresh direction in our definition of what appeals and attracts. As much as fashion, Vogue has always been about talent, and Hannah Nathanson has compiled a story on the young blood now working in British theatre ("Major Players", page 121). Interestingly, although we live in an age of digital information and so much of our time is spent staring at screens, theatre is thriving. Taking part in a live experience is treasured more than ever, and this round-up proves that throughout the field a new generation is continuing the tradition of wonderful drama for which we are famous. The same applies to the ballet, and at Vogue we were all delighted when two of its most exciting current stars, Sergei Polunin and Natalia Osipova, agreed to be photographed together for the magazine ("Physical Attraction", page 218). The duo - a couple in their professional and personal lives - have all the intensity and physical brilliance that is needed to reach the very top of their profession. And, as Sarah Crompton's interview shows, the passion between the two is not confined to the stage. Finally, don't miss the opportunity to join us at this year's Vogue Festival, a 100th birthday party on Kensington Gardens' East Albert Lawns and at the Royal Geographical Society. Once again we have a line-up of exceptional speakers and masses of entertaining treats, meaning that every moment of the weekend of May 21 and 22 will demonstrate the diversity and impact of fashion today. |
