As an editor, my attention tends to focus on the future: What stories are we publishing today, tomorrow, three months from now? Our mission is to capture the zeitgeist and help Vanity Fair readers stay ahead of the curve, so we’re always thinking about what’s next, whether that’s the presidential election or Prince Harry’s memoir.
But as we take a moment to relax and reflect over the holidays, I’m reminded of some of our signature stories from the year that’s passed. A great story can have a long and rewarding afterlife. I’m delighted to share a few that have stuck with me this year, which show our range from politics to fashion to Hollywood—just a handful of the many pieces and projects we’re proud to have published. I hope you’ll consider them, especially if you missed them the first time around.
First a dose of style and beauty, fitting for the season: Leah Faye Cooper visited Dior’s stunning new Paris museum, and Keziah Weir spoke with Gabriela Hearst, creative director of Chloé, about her ambition to inflect fashion with nuclear fusion—prescient in every way. On the political front, James Pogue wrote a definitive group portrait of the New Right, a pseudo-intellectual movement evolving along with Trumpism. May Jeong reported from Atlanta on the families mourning the victims of the 2021 spa shootings, and, in so doing, explored a facet of her own family history.
Devin Gordon, in Texas to profile the avant-garde musician Grimes, broke the news of her latest production: a second baby with Elon Musk. Tressie McMillan Cottom paid tribute to a new generation of Black country singers in Nashville. Joe Pompeo went ice fishing with a newly retired (but not really) Rachel Maddow; Chris Heath went for a drive with F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton; and Olivia Wilde gave Julie Miller the inside story on Don’t Worry Darling. And Erin Vanderhoof and Katie Nicholl covered a hugely eventful year for the British monarchy in our new podcast, DYNASTY.
I hope you’ll read, listen to, and enjoy this excellent work, and explore the rest of what Vanity Fair has to offer. More to come in 2023!
Yours,
Radhika Jones
Editor in Chief, Vanity Fair
