Do you remember the first issue of i-D you ever bought? How did it make you feel? Holding my first copy in my hands as a student in the early noughties was the start of a love affair that has brought me up to the present day. For myself, like so many others, i-D offered a new way of looking at the world. Jam-packed with people, personalities and ideas, it was international, enlightening, thought provoking and sometimes so downright bonkers it totally blew my mind! 35 years since it launched, i-D continues to inspire in that same unique way.
Not only did Terry and Tricia Jones change the fashion landscape, they created a legacy to inspire future generations of talent. From the smile and the wink logo — surely the best piece of graphic design in magazine history? — to the ad hoc approach to commissioning talent, there’s something incredibly special about i-D that people want to be part of. Terry and Tricia may have retired two years ago, selling i-D to Vice Media — where it has entered an exciting new chapter as a digital-first media brand — but the warmth and family spirit they installed still flows through everything i-D does. With new recruits passing through the magazine’s doors each year, Terry’s “academy of talent” continues to thrive, and for budding photographers, stylists, make-up artists and writers, there is still no better publication at which to cut your teeth. And for that, Terry, we are truly thankful.
To mark i-D’s 35-year history, we bring you what the magazine does best: a celebration of people, personalities and ideas from across the globe. It was our great pleasure to work with British photographer Alasdair McLellan, a much loved friend of i-D’s, who also started his career at the magazine, to shoot the entire issue from front to back. Al’s dedication, determination and outstanding talent for capturing the natural beauty in his subjects has ensured this issue is a true collector’s edition. These are the people inspiring us, whose names you need to know, and others who you know and love already, who continue to create trailblazing work year after year. There is something for everyone, from i-D born and bred supermodels Kate Moss, Stella Tennant, Jourdan Dunn, Lara Stone and Freja Beha, to hot new faces Anna Ewers, Binx and Natalie Westling, actors Ezra Miller and Ellar Coltrane, pop star Grimes, to the one and only Amanda Harlech and John Waters, who inspired this season’s Miu Miu collection.
Teamwork makes the dream work at i-D, and we wouldn’t be anything without the hard work and talent of our contributors. We interview the photographers, stylists, writers, hair stylists, make-up artists and editors whose vision has helped shape i-D into the world’s leading fashion platform it is today. We also invited eleven of our favorite designers to create a bespoke limited edition cover, from Karl Lagerfeld, Raf Simons, Phoebe Philo, Vivienne Westwood, Riccardo Tisci, Alexander Wang, Christopher Kane, J.W. Anderson, Jeremy Scott, Palace and Supreme.
Be quick and pick yours up from Dover Street Market today! To close, we hand over to the man himself, i-D founder Terry Jones, to chat original inspiration, and how he continues to be excited by the breadth of talent coming out of the industry today. Happy birthday i-D!
Buy the issue or subscribe to i-D here.
