In this time
by Emanuele Farneti
A couple – her in a silk chemise, him nude. A poster to unroll. A painting by Caravaggio, a bar in the heart of Rome, three kisses. A woman writing with lipstick on the mirror: perseverance furthers. An elevator, a model, the pizza delivery guy. A restaurant in Paris – at the table in the kitchen. The season’s most sought-after top model. The world’s most famous top model. A hitherto unknown top model. A top model who grew up in a refugee camp. The queen of social media, but unrecognisable. Three women on the beach dressed in black. A smiling girl in July 2017, a smiling girl in July 2018.
Twelve issues (plus one), making an equal number of chapters in a story. In fact, exactly a year ago we embarked on the challenge of this new Vogue Italia. And although 12 months are nothing for drawing conclusions, they’re enough to make me feel obliged to say at least a couple of thank-yous. I’m grateful to the editorial staff and the company, who have believed in this challenge. And I’m grateful to our readers, who continue to grow in number on all our digital platforms, while also giving us incredible support on newsstands, where the magazine’s buoyancy has exceeded all expectations.
Standing still is one thing a magazine cannot do today, because the surrounding landscape changes too quickly. Fashion brands pursue a future that lies beyond their habitual boundaries, with collaborations that would have been unthinkable a few months ago. In just hours, web sentiment can radically twist commercial as well as political scenarios, with effects that are visible to all.
So of course a magazine like Vogue Italia can and must change, having founded 50 years of success on its ability to interpret and anticipate society’s transformations. We’ve been doing this in these recent months, and we’ll continue to do so because the journey has just begun.
Another thing a magazine cannot do today is suffer from deafness, shutting itself in its own world under the illusion of being self-sufficient. Accordingly, in these first 12 months our most worthwhile time has been spent listening to what our community of readers has to say about our work – the sound advice and fair criticisms. In this time we’ve organised encounters and opened our doors (also literally when possible).
Not everything can or must please everyone. Notably, not a single cover has failed to spark debate, sometimes anger, other times excitement. (It’s a safe bet that this month will be no exception, as nobody can be left indifferent to the 16-year-old Kaia Gerber – between those who believe she’s already the new star of fashion, and others who would rather see a girl her age focusing on studies and enjoying life.) It is the strength of this name: Vogue Italia. It is the legacy of attention that traditionally accompanies the magazine’s choices. Our readers’ time is a rare and extremely precious commodity, and we work every day to respect it.
