{"id":30193,"date":"2022-11-28T15:11:38","date_gmt":"2022-11-28T11:11:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?post_type=articles&p=30193"},"modified":"2022-11-28T15:41:21","modified_gmt":"2022-11-28T11:41:21","slug":"once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/","title":{"rendered":"Editor’s Letter: We, The Storytellers…"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
\"\"
CREATIVE DIRECTION:\u00a0\u00a0MARNE SCHWARTZ<\/strong>\u00a0PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY:\u00a0KRISTIAN SCHULLER<\/strong>\u00a0PHOTOGRAPHIC CREATIVE DIRECTION:\u00a0PEGGY SCHULLER<\/strong>\u00a0FASHION DIRECTION:\u00a0ANNA CASTAN<\/strong>\u00a0HAIR:\u00a0JEAN LUC AMARIN<\/strong>\u00a0MAKEUP:\u00a0GABRIELLE THEURER<\/strong>\u00a0EXECUTIVE PRODUCER:\u00a0JEAN-MARC MONDELET<\/strong>\u00a0MODEL:\u00a0MARIE LOU GOMIS \/ THE CLAW<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An encouraging paradox of our post-pandemic times is despite the relentless forward momentum of our lives, as a society, we\u2019ve discovered a renewed appreciation of the past \u2013 not as misty-eyed nostalgia but as an invaluable roadmap for our future generations.<\/p>\n

Yet even the past is subjective, with historians\u2019 biases and interpretations resulting in differing views of what we were taught to believe to be true. Inquisitive minds are now questioning our most revered and respected institutions and looking beyond what\u2019s always been presented as facts about countries who may have lacked the rights, resources and reach to tell their own stories, leading to the democratisation of history \u2013 a movement to revise the content and context of events led by the communities themselves rather than presenting a view of events from a western perspective.<\/p>\n

The Middle East is leading this new enlightenment. \u201cNYU Abu Dhabi has rethought the mapping of the world, declares Maya Allison, founding Executive Director of the Art Gallery at NYU Abu Dhabi. \u201cSo the history department isn\u2019t organised around continents, it\u2019s organised around ocean systems. If you think of the Atlantic, suddenly you are looking at the history of trade, including the slave trade, migration from Europe and the UK, and also the founding \u2013 or the colonising \u2013 of the Americas. So it changes how you think about something you think you already know. They are really trying to rethink a university curriculum, decentred from the west basically, which is incredibly important, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fight back has begun. Internationally, the decolonisation of museums is picking up pace with The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles surrendering a group of Greek terracotta sculptures known as Orpheus and the Sirens, estimated to date from the fourth century B.C. believed to have been illegally excavated and taken out of Italy, and London\u2019s Horniman Museum and Gardens returning 72 artefacts including several sculptures known as Benin bronzes to the Nigerian government that were acquired by force during a British military invasion in 1897. \u201cDecolonisation is not simply the relocation of a statue or an object; it is a long-term process that seeks to recognise the integral role of empire in museums \u2013 from their creation to the present day,\u201d explains the Museums Association. \u201cDecolonisation requires a reappraisal of our institutions and their history and an effort to address colonial structures and approaches to all areas of museum work.\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, the region is way ahead of its global peers in putting this into practice. \u201cLouvre Abu Dhabi is also trying to rethink how you present an exhibition narrative, so it is semi-chronological but by form and by function rather than by region,\u201d reveals Maya Allison. Now we have a chance to rethink the blueprint of what we do and, in a way, make right the wrongs of the past \u2013 or at least working towards setting it back on balance a little bit more. That is the opportunity here that really has drawn some of the greatest minds, in my opinion, to work on these questions.<\/p>\n

Thus as history has taught us, taking control of the archives means taking control of the narrative, something that luxury brands are coming to realise. \u201cPutting a stronger emphasis on the archive means learning about who we are,\u201d observes Bulgari\u2019s Brand and Heritage Curator Lucia Boscaini. The work began by prising open boxes and rereading dusty magazine interviews. \u201cWe found treasures that were in our basement and nobody knew were there!\u201d she admits.<\/p>\n

As the former Senior Director of Global Brand Marketing at Bulgari, Lucia\u2019s created a communication strategy that includes exhibitions, books and artist collaborations. She reflects, \u201cHeritage for us is not just paying tribute to the past, but rather a way to let everyone understand what Bulgari stands for \u2013 the identity of this brand, beyond the latest launch, the latest event, the latest beautiful store that is opening, because everything is consistently bound to this identity. That\u2019s the mission, and that\u2019s definitely something that I\u2019m very privileged to be part of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lucia has acknowledged a truth most editors know all too well. As chroniclers of the zeitgeist, it\u2019s an extraordinary honour to inform, inspire, challenge, push boundaries, and help shape our world views. Yet it\u2019s also important to place value on our own contribution, so for the 85th anniversary of the birth of our founding Italian edition, in 2023 \u2013 in the role of International Heritage Director \u2013 I\u2019ll be exploring the archives in Milan to discover the origins of the GRAZIA legacy to help blaze our trail into the future.<\/p>\n

Because as the past has shown all too often, if you don\u2019t share your stories, somebody else will. Your next chapter starts here\u2026<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

ALISON TAY<\/strong>
\n@THESTYLEEDITOR<\/a>
\nALISON.TAY@ITP.COM<\/p>\n

This Editor\u2019s Letter is published in the fourth edition of GRAZIA Middle East. Click here<\/strong><\/a> to discover more from ONCE UPON A TIME.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":217,"featured_media":29154,"template":"","format":"standard","categories":[260,35],"yoast_head":"\nEditor's Letter: We The Storytellers...<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A letter from GRAZIA's Editor-in-Chief, Alison Tay, introducing GRAZIA 04: Once Upon A Time\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Editor's Letter: We, The Storytellers...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A letter from GRAZIA's Editor-in-Chief, Alison Tay, introducing GRAZIA 04: Once Upon A Time\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Grazia Middle East\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-11-28T11:41:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/10\/KRISTIAN_SCHULLER_GRAZIA_GAULTIER_2022_09_15_RGB_PT1.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1125\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/\",\"name\":\"Editor's Letter: We The Storytellers...\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-28T11:11:38+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-28T11:41:21+00:00\",\"description\":\"A letter from GRAZIA's Editor-in-Chief, Alison Tay, introducing GRAZIA 04: Once Upon A Time\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Editor’s Letter: We, The Storytellers…\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/\",\"name\":\"Grazia Middle East\",\"description\":\"Grazia's Middle East Site\",\"alternateName\":\"Grazia ME\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Editor's Letter: We The Storytellers...","description":"A letter from GRAZIA's Editor-in-Chief, Alison Tay, introducing GRAZIA 04: Once Upon A Time","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Editor's Letter: We, The Storytellers...","og_description":"A letter from GRAZIA's Editor-in-Chief, Alison Tay, introducing GRAZIA 04: Once Upon A Time","og_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/","og_site_name":"Grazia Middle East","article_modified_time":"2022-11-28T11:41:21+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1125,"height":1500,"url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/16\/2022\/10\/KRISTIAN_SCHULLER_GRAZIA_GAULTIER_2022_09_15_RGB_PT1.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/","name":"Editor's Letter: We The Storytellers...","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-11-28T11:11:38+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-28T11:41:21+00:00","description":"A letter from GRAZIA's Editor-in-Chief, Alison Tay, introducing GRAZIA 04: Once Upon A Time","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/articles\/once-upon-a-time-editors-letter-we-the-storytellers\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Editor’s Letter: We, The Storytellers…"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/#website","url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/","name":"Grazia Middle East","description":"Grazia's Middle East Site","alternateName":"Grazia ME","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Grazia Middle East","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles\/30193"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/articles"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/articles"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30193"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/me\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30193"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}