The latest issue of Glass, with the theme of Change, is available now

THE theme of this issue is Change, which means a multitude of things to each one of us. In my case, I find change challenging and scary. But change is a natural part of life – and one that can’t be avoided, however much one may delude oneself. Someone once told me that the stream you put your feet into is never the same and, in the same way, life is like this – a constant state of flux.

Glass covers (from top left to bottom centre): Lindsey Wixson, Anna Cleveland, Issa Lish, Londone Myers, Ysaunny Brito, Maartje Verhoef, Karen Gillan.

I chose the theme “change” for my first issue as Editor-in-Chief as we at Glass are changing. Nicola Kavanagh, who co-founded the publication in 2009 as the first Editor-in-Chief, is moving up to become Editorial Director, and I, Online Editor since December 2012, am now taking over the reins of the print edition. This new role is a daunting prospect but I know I needed to accept this challenge in order to grow. This has led me to the topic of change.

Glass Men covers (from left to right): Will Chalker, Luke Jhona

The original Editor is a hard act to follow. Nicola is an impressive, thoughtful, creative, dynamic and highly capable woman whose talents and strengths belie her youth. I hope I can develop and build on the wonderful platform she and the team, especially the Creative Director Tet Yap (who does so much behind the scenes to keep the magazine running), have worked to achieve over the last seven years.

Internationally, as well as here at home in the UK, we are in times of great change. Those changes seem to be for the worse, especially if one gets one’s news from social media. We tend to disproportionately romanticise the past and dismiss the present, reserving a particularly gloomy prognosis for the future. Perhaps this is a human tendency.

Glass Men interviews actor Michael Angarano

Our attention is drawn by the tragic, lurid, gross and appalling – all amplified by the 24-hour unending news cycles and the noise online. But running in parallel, quietly, conscientiously and tirelessly are NGOS, government bodies, international organisations, charities and individuals, who strive to improve the world.

Glass interviews actor Karen Gillan

In 2016 the World Bank reported that the rate of extreme poverty globally had fallen from 37 per cent in 1990 to about 10 per cent. And according to the Food and Agriculture Organization, in 2015 the rate of global undernourishment dropped from 18.6 per cent to 10.9 per cent. In a recent article in The Economist, it was also noted that, “In 1820, 94% of humanity subsisted on less than $2 a day in modern money. That fell to 37 per cent in 1990 and less than 10 per cent in 2015.” At the end of that year,UNESCO published a report on the status of global education which demonstrated that since 2000 the number of children around the world without access to education had almost halved, from 100 million to 57 million.

This is change, positive change. Of course none of this excellent news made headlines.

Glass Men introduces rising talents from The Royal Ballet

I started writing this note the afternoon before the abominable act of terrorism in Manchester on May 22 at a concert whose audience – and now victims, the murdered and the maimed – were mainly very young girls, simply enjoying themselves. This abhorrent crime is particularly heartless and spiteful.

Glass Beauty by Beauty Director Kim Brown and photographed by Alyssa Boni using Chanel

The horror, shock, tragedy and destruction one human can cause is beyond belief. This is the dark side of change. How does one ever find reconciliation after this kind of act? I don’t have any grand solution but I believe it is the small things, the recognition of our common humanity through nature, love and art that change the world for the better of us all.

Gucci Pre-fall ’17 collection preview photographed by Hugh Lippe

The creative spirit flourishes in times of hardship. Whatever negatives the internet and the digital age have created, it hasnevertheless broken down communication hierarchies so that it is possible for everyone’s voice to be heard and for more people to connect with one other.

Glass meets model Lindsey Wixson

It is for us to remove our attention from these disturbing and distorting distractions, and focus on what changes the world for the better. For us at Glass, my talented and dedicated colleagues try to contribute to positive change by creating this publication which showcases the best of human endeavour.