AFTER MARTIN MARGIELA, YOHJI YAMAMOTO, HAIDER ACKERMANN
AND JUN TAKAHASHI/UNDERCOVER ...

N°5, a mythical number in the fashion world if ever there was one. For A Magazine #5, we have invited our first female guest curator: Martine Sitbon. From its very cover it radiates a woman’s point of view, the choice to be both seductive and witty.
Martine is the perfect mix of Lewis Carroll’s fantasy and Blondie’s energy, and that is exactly what we have tried to bring to this issue.

The darker side of the world of children and dolls has always fascinated Martine, so when she discovered the work of Henry Darger ten years ago it was love at first sight.
We were overwhelmed when Annette Messager, an artist Martine is very fond of, agreed to be part of this project and generously contributed images from her Casino installation.
Whilst working on this section she also crossed the path of Jim Dine and Paul McCarthy, another two artists who have allowed themselves to be inspired by the figure of Pinocchio.

Music too is a theme that is very important to Martine. She was the very first to collaborate with Frédéric Sanchez who has since become one of the most influential sound illustrators of his time. In this issue he talks freely about his personal approach.
Mick Rock’s images have always had a strong influence on Martine’s vision. Here you will find how perfectly in tune they are with her own view on fashion.

Fashion, of course, is Martine’s discipline of choice. Very early in her career she had the good fortune to meet Marc Ascoli, a real master of fashion iconography. They have been together long enough to have this kind of exceptional symbiosis in which she expresses herself in three dimensions as he does in two.

I find the inspiring fashion story that was made especially for this magazine truly exceptional because it expresses a sense of freedom, a sense of beauty that nowadays is very rarely seen in fashion magazines.
You can sense the pure pleasure shared between a great photographer, an inspiring model, a sensitive make-up artist and the talented art director who brings all of their energy together.
And all of this topped by the proverbial cherry on the cake – magic Nick Knight’s enticing cover.

But that’s probably enough explanation for now. Please enjoy and discover this issue that we conceived with the talent and support of a Dream Team.

Nathalie Ours
Editor in Chief