January 31, 2017 |
RIP RICHARD NICOLL
15.9.77 – 21.10.16
Writing this editor’s letter has taken a lot of soul searching, contemplation and sadness.
Trying to pinpoint one singular moment through which to celebrate this special man has been impossible. His irreverence, his strength, his honesty in an industry that often shies away from reality was refreshing. He always approached every situation with grace and elegance. He focused on creating dreams, creating fantasy steeped in the reality of the women he dressed.
His sudden death on October 21 was shocking. The sense of helplessness left me feeling baffled at how someone so young, vital and brilliant could no longer be with us. It genuinely felt like an unjust theft. He had so much to look forward to, so much still to do with his life. The gut-wrenching sadness of the realisation that we were never going to see each other again, to miss his sense of fun, his mischief, his laughter, his creativity – these are things that will be missed by everyone who knew and loved him. I feel blessed that we shared so much creativity together, and to have worked so closely with him is a time I will cherish. It was filled with constant laughter, questioning, growth and understanding of his wonderful process, his influence and his hunger to constantly push himself further. His collections challenged the predictable vision of beauty, and created an effortless dialogue of the feminine/masculine juxtaposition – a consistent thread that existed as the DNA in everything he created.
But more than this for me, what I will miss is his kindness, his compassion, his humanity – Richard’s laughter and his fierce loyalty as a friend. We love and miss you madly.
Now all we can do is remember you often and always with love, and as the beautiful Rori Thompson, a dear and treasured friend, put it, “Sharon would have said, ‘Press the up button’ high into those bright blue skies.”
Sophia Neophitou
Editor-in-Chief, 10 Magazine
Photograph thanks to Anthony Campbell
