“At its most noble, every aspect of culture – be that film, music, literature, art or fashion – is a mirror of its time, a lasting testimony to the moment in which it was created,” writes editor-in-chief Susannah Frankel of the vision at the core of AnOther Magazine’s Spring/Summer 2023 issue. While every creative work can be seen to reflect the era it belongs to, this will never be a perfect reflection of reality, but “rather a refraction, an edit, a fusion of the interior lives of the creatives behind any work”. Our newest issue casts light onto the trailblazing talents of today and discovers how, through their craft, they project into the future.
1. Cate Blanchett is enigmatic as renowned conductor Lydia Tár – the controversial character at the heart of Todd Field’s polarising film of the same name. Blanchett unpacks the complexity of her role in a thought-provoking conversation with the acclaimed American writer Maggie Nelson that grants both pause for reflection, while the actor’s larger-than-life persona is captured by Harley Weir and styled by Robbie Spencer.
2. “It was so metafictional I feel weird talking about it,” says rising cinema star Diego Calva of his role as Manny Torres – an immigrant striving to make it in 1920s Hollywood – in Damien Chazelle’s period comedy Babylon, where he shared the spotlight with Oscar winners Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt. Speaking to Hannah Lack, he discusses growing up in Mexico City, his love of film and how dreams and reality became one during his abrupt rise to stardom.
3. South Londoner, rapper and singer-songwriter Shygirl looks at her practice as a means of disrupting outdated preconceptions about womanhood and music. Having carved her own path in the creative industry, she is determined to be heard. Photographed by Charlotte Wales and styled by Nell Kalonji, Shygirl talks to legendary artist Björk about their shared love of literature and at-home DJing as well as their collaboration on two tracks this year – the second of which is released this spring.
4. Boundary-breaking musician and producer Yves Tumor is a chameleon. Spanning glam rock, punk, R&B, soul and psychedelia, their artistic production is as eclectic as their multiple visual identities. In conversation with artist and filmmaker Kembra Pfahler, the shapeshifting talent reflects on their body as a vehicle for self-expression, the highs and lows of stage performance, and why they think their ever-evolving practice should always defy definition. The musician’s otherworldly personality is captured by Joshua Woods in collaboration with Ellie Grace Cumming.
5. Last November, the announcement that Raf Simons’ eponymous label would shut down following his Spring/Summer 2023 show shocked the fashion world. Susannah Frankel and Alexander Fury explore the bittersweet melancholia of this watershed moment with him, looking at the ground-breaking legacy of his brand and the universe he has built around it. Simons’ final collection is immortalised by his chosen family and trusted collaborators: photographer Willy Vanderperre, stylist Olivier Rizzo and model Julia Nobis.
6. Shalom Harlow has served as a muse for some of the greatest maitre couturiers of all time, including the great Yves Saint Laurent. Her relationship with that house contines, and here, Harlow is photographed in Anthony Vaccarello’s latest collection by Senta Simond and styled by Agata Belcen. As creative director Alessandro Michele steps down from the helm of Gucci we celebrate his final collection and fiercely romantic vision – photographed by Viviane Sassen and styled by Katie Shillingford. Benjamin A Huseby and Serhat Işik, co-founders of the independent fashion label GmbH and newly appointed creative directors of Italian heritage brand Trussardi, talk to Emma Hope Allwood about fusing their love of Berlin’s techno scene and passions for sustainability and inclusivity – the Spring/Summer 2023 collections from both brands are photographed by Thue Nørgaard and styled by Katie Shillingford.
7. Explore the very best of the Spring/Summer 2023 season, captured by some of today’s most revolutionary image-makers and fashion talent – including Jet Swan and Rebecca Perlmutar, Jack Day and Ai Kamoshita, Larissa Hofmann and Akeem Smith, Frida Orupabo and Raphael Hirsch, Bibi Borthwick and Katie Shillingford, David Luraschi and Imruh Asha, Cruz Valdez and Kyle Luu, and Alessio Bolzoni and Jordan Duddy.
8. Tap into the innovative visions of three designers currently rewriting the rules of fashion: New York’s Willy Chavarria, founder and creative director of his eponymous label, wants his designs to embody “what the world could look like” in a more inclusive society – his work is a call to arms. As AZ Factory’s latest “amigo” (the name used to describe the house’s guest designer programme), German designer Lutz Huelle takes on the transformative legacy of founder Alber Elbaz, translating the value of generosity into creations that cement the past, present and future of the iconic Maison. Courrèges’ creative director Nicolas Di Felice draws on his love of music to bring people closer together, “open the fashion world up” and make its resonance even wider. Their creations are photographed by Sebastian Lager and styled by Chloe Grace Press.
Then take a tour through the backstory of award-winning Luar designer Raul Lopez, as captured by Cruz Valdez and styled by Kyle Luu; and leaf through the inspirations of today's leading creatives in our AnOther Thing I Wanted to Tell You section, including those of Shirin Neshat, Tschabalala Self, Ibby Njoya and Emma Cline.
9. Fashion designer Martine Rose guest-edits our Document section. An insightful look into her wide-ranging inspirations, the collection of words and pictures woven together by Rose is emblematic of the multiplicity of perspectives she’s known to reflect in her work. From David Bowie, Marcel Duchamp and Mark E Smith to Carissa Véliz, Eula Biss and Frantz Fanon, the designer’s curation is a compelling collage and celebration of dignity, humour and grace.
10. Our Art Project this season celebrates the decades-long artistic career of both Japanese photographer Daido Moriyama and fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. In a dynamic collaboration with Y-3 Atelier (the Y in the name is for Yohji), Moriyama lends his attentive gaze to its latest collection. In his first ever Zoom interview, Yamamoto talks to Susannah Frankel about the second world war and how anger has fuelled his extraordinary designs. While the American writer Katie Kitamura delves into the archives of Moriyama’s oeuvre, exploring his documentation of life in contemporary Tokyo.
The Spring/Summer 2023 issue of AnOther Magazine is on sale internationally now. Buy a copy here.