August 2013: Letter from the editor

Summer 2013: Letter from the editor
Photography by Vanessa Heins; Hair and makeup by Sheri Stroh for Plutino Group; Shot on location at the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto

“I’m in fashion rehab,”our runway photographer Peter Stigter often jokes as he recuperates from his gruelling tour of duty shooting the season’s shows. Many of Stigter’s photos appear in our fall preview (“Front Row,” page 34), which highlights the season’s greatest runway moments.

But rehab is no laughing matter, especially at age 18. That’s when FASHION cover girl Demi Lovato (“Demi Goddess,” page 100) took a break from her television and singing careers to deal with, among other things, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder.
Making health a priority has paid off. Lovato’s recently released fourth album has gone platinum in Canada. And coming clean with fans has earned her admiration—and her own ridiculous schedule. Before our shoot in Los Angeles with photographer Chris Nicholls and fashion editor-at-large Zeina Esmail, she had clocked 50 flight hours in 30 days.

Performers and runway photographers aren’t alone in criss-crossing the skies for work.
Mississauga-born model Alyssah Ali, who is now based in New York, was picked up at 4:15 a.m. to fly in for our “Ferocity” story on page 88. But fog, inquisitive customs agents and a cab driver with a bad sense of direction made Ali three hours late for the shoot. By the time things wrapped at 11 p.m., what was supposed to be a sunny urban story had turned dark and moody—a spectacular save by photographer Moo and contributing stylist George Antonopoulos.

You might not think the revamp of a beauty cream would be a great read. But then Clinique’s Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is no ordinary unguent. In “Safe Keeping” (page 62), beauty editor Sarah Daniel chronicles the challenge of updating this butter-hued icon without altering its colour and texture. After eight frustrating years: mission accomplished.

Thankfully, putting this issue together took far less time. And no rehab! Please let us know what you think of our efforts at [email protected].

More Style