EDITOR'S LETTER

From Anya Taylor-Joy to Brandon Maxwell, How We Chose the Brightest New Talents in Film, Fashion and Culture

In his editor’s letter for W‘s April issue, Stefano Tonchi reflects on the new generation of rule-breaking talents, from Dane DeHaan to designer Heron Preston.


Dane DeHaan - Great Dane - April 2017
Photograph by Craig McDean. Styled by Max Pearmain.

These days, when everything seems to move faster than ever, it’s hard to keep apace with the news. Last October, when we celebrated our first-ever his-and-hers issue, fashion brands like Burberry, Tom Ford, and Gucci were starting to show their men’s and women’s collections simultaneously, upending a fashion calendar that still separates the girls from the boys.

Just six months later, coed collections have practically become the norm. The change came about, in part, as an effort to present a unified message to customers, but I believe it is also a reaction to the times. The most interesting collections right now are the ones that blur the lines not just between genders but also between generations and races. As reactionary politicians attempt to close borders, fashion is making a point of opening them by celebrating diversity and tolerance.

Anya Taylor-Joy is a Goddess in Haute Couture

Anya Taylor-Joy wears a Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Valentino Haute Couture gown; Messika Paris earrings and ring.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Armani Privé cape and dress; Tia Mazza veil. Beauty note: Prep for a plunging neckline with Chantecaille Rose de Mai Body Oil.

Chanel Haute Couture dress and feather bolero; Chanel Fine Jewelry earrings; Fabergé ring.

Dior Haute Couture dress.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Givenchy Haute Couture dress; Giampiero Bodino earrings.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful.

Atelier Versace dress and sandals; Messika Paris earrings and bracelets; Boucheron ring.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Elie Saab Haute Couture gown; Buccellati earrings.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Ulyana Sergeenko coat and 
dress; Buccellati earrings. 
Beauty note: Dress eyes with Givenchy Liner Vinyl 
in Black Blue Ink.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Cadolle briefs; Tia Mazza tulle and veil; (from left) Philip Treacy London flower headpiece; Ellen Christine Couture flower headpiece; Philip Treacy London hat; Bijou Van Ness feather comb; Patricia Underwood plume; Bulgari ring; Tiffany & Co. bracelet.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Maison Margiela Artisanal Designed by John Galliano gown, headpiece, and boots.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful

Maison Margiela Artisanal Designed by John Galliano coat, hat, and boots.

Photographs by Paolo Roversi, Styled by Edward Enninful; Hair by Eugene Souleiman for Wella Professionals at Streeters; makeup by Val Garland at Streeters; manicure by Anatole Rainey at B Agency. Set design by Jean-Hugues de Chatillon. Produced by Blanche Stagnara for Prodn at Art and Commerce; digital technician: Matteo Miani; photography assistants: Jeremy Massa, Margherita Muriti, Chiara Vittorini; fashion assistants: Dena Giannini, Courtney Sostello, Winnie Rielly, India Leclery; hair assistant: Alfred Sackett; makeup assistant: Joey Choy.

Valentino Haute Couture dress. Beauty: Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude in Soft Beige, Statement Brow Defining Gel in Deep Brown, Eye Shadow Trio in Not So Nude, Lasting Impression Mascara in Lasting Black, Ceramide Cream Blush in Nectar, Eight Hour Cream Lip Sheer Tint in Blush.

Photograph by Paolo Roversi. Styled by Edward Enninful. Hair by Eugene Souleiman for Wella Professionals at Streeters; makeup by Val Garland at Streeters; manicure by Anatole Rainey at B Agency. Set design by Jean-Hugues de Chatillon.
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Take, for example, the designer Brandon Maxwell, who is featured in “Shine Bright.” Maxwell is intent on making glamorous dressing an option for all women. “The most important thing for me…is that when a young girl in the middle of nowhere comes across an image of my collection on social media, she sees someone like herself. Not just African-American, but also Indian, Asian, Hispanic,” he says. This emphasis on inclusiveness is clearly a priority also for Ethan James Green, a young photographer whose work appears for the first time in the pages of W with “Supreme Court,” a fashion story with a truly contemporary cast of characters. Meanwhile, Heron Preston, featured in the men’s side of this issue (“Mr. Clean”), is building one of the buzziest new labels around—nominally for men, but also appealing to women—by promoting sustainability and even partnering with the New York City Department of Sanitation.

The Best Young Designers to Watch in 2017

Joan Smalls, in a Brandon Maxwell gown; Van Cleef & Arpels brooch and watch; Roger Vivier shoes.

Photograph by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Clare Byrne. Hair by Marki Shkreli for Marki Haircare at Streeters; makeup by Jen Myles; Set design (for portfolio) by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents

Brandon Maxwell, with the model Joan Smalls, who wears a jumpsuit from his spring collection; Van Cleef & Arpels earrings, necklace, and bracelet.

Photograph by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Clare Byrne. Hair by Marki Shkreli for Marki Haircare at Streeters; makeup by Jen Myles; Set design (for portfolio) by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents

Models wearing pieces from Molly Goddard’s spring collection; Mansur Gavriel shoes.

Photograph by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design (for portfolio) by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents

Molly Goddard (far right), with a model wearing pieces from her spring collection.

Photograph by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design (for portfolio) by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents

Model Aymeline Valade in pieces from Antonin Tron’s spring collection; Jimmy Choo shoes.

Photograph by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design (for portfolio) by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents.

Antonin Tron, with the model Aymeline Valade in pieces from his spring collection; Jimmy Choo shoes.

Photograph by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design (for portfolio) by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents.

A model sporting a look from Heron Preston’s fall 2017 collection. Nike sneakers; Preston’s own jewelry.

Photographs by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents.

The designer Heron Preston (left) and models in looks from his fall 2017 collection. Nike sneakers; Preston’s own jewelry.

Photographs by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents.

Heron Preston and a model sporting looks from his fall 2017 collection. Manolo Blahnik sandals; Preston’s own jewelry.

Photographs by Charlotte Wales; Styled by Charlotte Collet; Hair by Christian Eberhard at Julian Watson Agency; makeup by Christine Corbel at Management + Artists. Set design by Georgina Pragnell at Webber Represents.
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April is also the month when we take a chance, introducing the next generation of talented people whose names you should know. Case in point: Anya Taylor-Joy, who started making waves a couple of years ago with her role as a tormented teenager in the period movie The Witch. After her stellar performance in Split, M. Night Shyamalan’s recent hit thriller, it’s certain we will be hearing a lot more about her. “Pure Joy,” photographed by Paolo Roversi, is the actress’s first foray into the rarefied world of haute couture, and a welcome break from the intense characters she has embodied. Dane DeHaan, our male cover star, is someone whose career we have been tracking for longer; he’s already had several attention-grabbing roles and even stints as the face of Prada. But he, too, is at a pivotal moment. Thanks to his starring role in Luc Besson’s science-fiction thriller Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, DeHaan is entering the big leagues (“Great Dane”). Both of these young actors remind me of classic silver-screen stars: They approach their work with a drive and seriousness that is rare today.

I felt that same sense of purpose and respect for the past in all the up-and-comers in the worlds of fashion, art, design, film, beauty, and music profiled in “Heads Above the Rest.” The talented young men and women we discovered work in wildly different ways, but they acknowledge their mentors and those who paved the way for them. They are also invariably optimistic about the future, and confident that they will prevail over any obstacles in their path. At this moment in time, that’s a very powerful message indeed.

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