10 Turns 20: Rouguy Faye Wears Valentino Couture On The First Cover of Issue 65, Read The Editor’s Letter

“Who could have believed or imagined just six months ago that our world would have changed so dramatically, as Covid-19 swept the globe, claiming thousands of lives? The sudden brutal losses of loved ones marked a moment when all our lives changed forever, in the blink of an eye.

My personal Covid-19 journey involved being hospitalised for nine weeks, four of which I spent on a ventilator. I barely survived the whole ordeal. This, as you can imagine, has changed me forever and has brought into focus the things that really matter. Primarily my beautiful, precious, cherished family – both the one I was born into and my chosen family, who have brought me back from the darkness with their constant love and support.

The journey really did sharpen my focus on how I wanted to celebrate so much of my world with this 20-year anniversary issue. This was, for me, an opportunity to celebrate the people whose creativity, loyalty, love, conviction and endless belief have allowed me to continue to be lucky enough to create a world of pure creativity.

Thanks to all my amazing collaborators. This issue has been challenging in so many ways, but ultimately creativity has prevailed. At the heart of the issue, produced in lockdown and during social distancing, we asked artists to create work with their families. Arvida Byström enlisted her whole extended family – mother, father, grandmother, brother and dogs. Tierney Gearon’s self-portraits are with her extended family in Malibu, California. Long-term 10 family collaborator Hannelore Knuts worked on a story for the issue in her home in Antwerp with her beautiful boy Angelo.

There are of course so many other special stories, from Vanina Sorrenti’s Polaroid series of her own extended family and friends, as well as Francesca Sorrenti’s beautiful poem and photo diary of her life and family from the ages of 3 to 70. Finally and most importantly, there is our 60-page portrait series that really is a celebration of my beautiful 10 family, past and present. I will be thankful for and indebted to them for eternity. Thank you to every single person for their love and support, belief and creativity throughout our 20-year journey. Truly, without them, none of my glorious, wondrous dreams would ever have been possible. I am forever grateful to my beautiful 10 family. This issue really is a celebration of them.”