How do you mark (albeit, due to the pandemic, a little belatedly) the 40th anniversary of the greatest fashion magazine ever made? First, you spend a long time collating a book with Rizzoli New York that celebrates your significant cultural milestones — encounters with Sade and Raf Simons, Justin Bieber and Miuccia Prada, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell. You call it Wink and Smile, after the expression that graces every one of the nearly-500 covers you’ve had thus far. Then, when all is ready, you gather some of those names, as well as the legends who shot and styled them, and throw parties great enough to match what you’ve created.
As we put it on launch day: “The book features a mix of original photographed spreads from the magazine, reprinted text pieces, archival imagery, covers, and new essays exploring both the history of i-D and the wider cultural contexts of the era it was created in — across 40 years and over 500 cover winks. It reinforces the magazine’s one defining message: that fashion should be inclusive, fun, diverse, and always original.”
This week, in honour of i-D WINK AND SMILE: The First Forty Years, we threw a launch party and dinner at Dover Street Market London, hosted by editor-in-chief Alastair McKimm and attended by team i-D and some very special guests. Former i-D Fashion Director, current British Vogue legend Edward Enninful turned up, alongside Kate Moss, Guido Palau, Juergen Teller, Alasdair McLellan, Simone Rocha, Blondey McCoy, Mert Alas, Jamie Morgan, Supriya Lele and Jermaine Francis.
Then, last night, we headed to Kachette to party, inviting Tiffany Calver and Crash Tracy to DJ. Headie One dropped by too, delivering a killer live set. Alongside them, guests included Lucien Clarke, Adesuwa Aighewi, Pa Salieu, Iris Law, Bucky Betty and Joanna Kuchta. Guests drank El Rayo Tequila and Minuty Rosé.
Gutted to have missed it? Fret not, we have all of the pictures from a week’s worth of i-D shindigs here. Check them out.