“Is she a writer too, ma?"

"No, honey. She's a lady who has lived life instead of writing about it.” 
― Sonia Sanchez 

The big moments are often the hardest to write about. It is one minute to midnight, the night before we send this to print, and I’ve managed barely a sentence.  

This however,  being our 100th issue, is supposed to conjure much to say. A celebration of our independence and self-determination over all this time, the pages are packed with the kind of forward energy that speaks to limitless human potential. 

In many ways though, this issue looks back at all the others and as much as we tried to be future focused, it was impossible not to delve into the archive while creating it. The past has a noble way of informing what is to come and certainly, as we lifted old issues from our piles, memories came leaking out, oozing the scent of our experience at the time and holding within their pages – not just nicely arranged words and images imagined and meticulously planned before their realisation – but a catalogue of personal tales of love, heartbreak, resentments, possibilities, transformations, learnings, loss and revolutions for us all. 

It takes a lot of guts to make a magazine. I see it every day as the team around me push themselves to their outer extremities, all the while managing to keep it real and reminding themselves this kind of creation is also a great privilege. Sure, the pages within can appear no more than conduit for ideas and moods but they also represent a moment in time, a place in our history that will serve as a documentation of the very culture we are living now and every day to come.   

We dedicate this issue to those in our future.  

To those who know their real power is not manifested until tested and to anyone who wants to live a bigger life. 

As it turns out, some things write themselves. 

To learn about our cover star Julia Nobis, read more about this industry icon through our model profile. Experience the 100th issue in its entirety this May, available on newsstands from May 19 and through our online shop. Find a stockist near you.

PHOTOGRAPHER Mia Rankin
FASHION Charlotte Agnew
MODEL Julia Nobis @ Priscillas Models
HAIR Tina Outen @ Streeters Agency
MAKEUP Asami Matsuda @ Artlist Paris-New York
PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANTS Grady Corbitt and Dylan Garcia
STYLIST’S ASSISTANTS Jasmin Morales and Madison Bauman
Special thanks to Ace Hotel New York and The Soho Grand