This article is published in number 1 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until January 5, 2021
On Monday 8 October 2018, on a sunny day that seems to be still at the end of August, Fedele Usai, CEO of Condé Nast Italia, invites me to lunch. I think you want to ask me for an interview for the newspaper I work for. Instead, surprisingly, while we are drinking coffee, he begins: «You want to become the new director of Vanity Fair? ” He catches me off guard, as I will understand he likes to do.
I, politely and a little confused, say no, that is not the right role for me. “You will soon learn that when I speak it is better to listen to me,” he cuts short without letting me finish the sentence. I am a bit stunned. But then, when he starts to tell me about the project, what it has in mind, the evolution, the innovations, the risks, the courage, I just have to do one thing, just one: say yes.
Thursday 27 February 2020. The world is sinking into the pandemic and yet it is not yet so clear to everyone. Before the Italian lockdown, which will take place on 9 March, Fedele organizes smartworking for the company and talks about the need to change the editorial line of the newspaper. “When times get tough, the only way to react is to dream even bigger.” This is how the most special issues are born: the one dedicated to Milan (#IosonoMilano), the one with a doctor on the cover (we were the first in the world), the one with the tricolor torn (by Francesco Vezzoli), the one with a mural made of night, in full lockdown in Paris (created by the artist JR). And again: the pink flamingos on the cover of the number signed by Paolo Sorrentino, the concert organized with the most famous singers in Italy to raise funds for show business workers. I stop here, because this page would not be enough to remember everything.
Friday 11 December 2020. It’s afternoon, I’m in the car and I’m moving from the editorial office to the set of a new cover. In the parking lot of the photo studios, I get a call via Zoom from Anna Wintour. I apologize for answering you in the car and explain that I am moving for work. She smiles, apologizes in turn (we’ve talked a lot in recent weeks) and tells me if I want to become the new European Editorial Director of Vanity Fair. This time I say yes, without a doubt.
After such a difficult and incredible year, after the departure of Fedele Usai who decided to leave Condé Nast to embark on new adventures, after all that I, you, all have been through in these months, once again I can’t stop thinking to the phrase “when times get tough, the only way to react is to dream even bigger”. I could have written an editorial on the very complicated quibbles of the last Dpcm, on the new English variant of the virus, on vaccines, on the uncertainty of the Christmas holidays or on the sense of defeat that this cursed pandemic continues to return us.
But no, I choose to talk to you about the strength of dreams, the need, the duty to face changes and the desire to never give up. «Because life cannot and must not stop. Because life should be “surfed” like the waves of the sea », recommends Miriam Leone in the interview you find on page 22. I can only agree with her. And I am even more convinced (I will always be grateful to you for letting me know, Faithful) that when the waves of destiny get bigger, dreams must become bigger too.
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Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
