In the early autumn of each year, I host a lunch at Vogue House to meet the finalists of our Talent Contest. Since its launch in 1951, this annual initiative has sought to discover the most promising new writing talent and, as of 2018, photographers, too. Nine entrants made the 2019 final – five writers and four image-makers – all of whom were aged 25 or under and passionately engaged with making sense of the world around them.
Meeting the finalists is an experience that I always enjoy, and this time was no exception. How refreshing it was to spend a couple of hours talking with those just starting out in their chosen fields. As is often the way with creatives, and certainly young ones, I was struck by how – despite being unafraid to tackle personal or political subjects through the prism of fashion – this gifted generation seems to be living somewhere between positivity and panic.
Some days, it can feel like we all live there. As the din of national and international politics increases, the world can feel more serious by the minute – divided, uncertain, draining. As my thoughts turned to Vogue’s first edition of a new decade, this uncertain state was much on my mind. Ultimately, I knew that I wanted the January issue of 2020 to be woven through with a concept all too easy to forget amid the noise: hope.
Within the pages, you will find our Bright Young Things portfolio, a roll-call of the most exciting faces set to shape the years ahead. Much as Louise Brooks, Louis Armstrong or F Scott Fitzgerald became shorthand for the 1920s, expect actors including Indya Moore and Austin Butler, musicians such as Little Simz and Sophie, artist Jadé Fadojutimi, writer Jia Tolentino and all those who star in this shoot to become synonymous with the 2020s.
Reading their stories, I feel instantly more positive. Whether it’s the new collective of London-based fashion talents redrawing the rules of artistic collaboration, or the British-Asian actor Himesh Patel working at a time when his ethnicity is no longer a barrier to being cast in a wide range of roles, I am excited for the changes that we are beginning to see all around us. Even writing down “the ’20s”, it’s impossible not to feel a little bit of a thrill. Is there a past decade more famous for its glamour, drama and style?
That said, I’d suggest that our aspirations are a little more nuanced than they were a hundred years ago. If the 1920s were a hardscrabble time when luxury was a straightforward concept to covet, in the 2020s we find ourselves in a different place, mindful of the world we all inhabit. In Waste Not, photographed by Craig McDean, contributing fashion director Kate Phelan offers a new-meets-old way of dressing for the future. Mixing archive and vintage from as far back as 35 years ago with exquisite new pieces commissioned from deadstock, as well as elements from the current season, it is a thoughtful template for what a more sustainable notion of luxury can look like.
As, indeed, is this month’s cover. To herald a new decade, Taylor Swift fronts Vogue wearing archive Chanel – and looks effortlessly, endlessly modern in the process. Taylor, as anyone lucky enough to spend time with her will know, is one of the most positive, forward-thinking people you could ever wish to meet, and a dream cover star for this moment in time. Welcome to the ’20s!
The January issue of British Vogue is out on newsstands on 6 December.
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