The language of longevity: fashion, the beauty economy and science

In an age when we measure everything in terms of speed, the real revolution lies in restoring value to the experience, because living longer means, above all, having more time to become the person we want to be. This view is shared by one of the leading experts on longevity, Sarah Harper, director of the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing. She is one of the key figures featured in the new issue of HTSI, on newsstands from Friday 18 September, which, through surveys, features and interviews, explores the major challenges of the present day, from sustainability to the durability of the new luxury, from the knowledge economy to wellness management.

This issue features a host of personalities. Meryll Rogge, creative director at Marni, maps out a geography of creativity, where ethics and aesthetics speak the same language. The designer-artist Bubu Ogisi breaks down the hierarchy that separates the fashion designer from the artisan and campaigns for the African continent to cease being merely a source of raw materials or decorative motifs and, instead, to preserve ancient knowledge at risk, as well as the manual skills of weavers, dyers, embroiderers, and craftsmen working with metal, leather and glass. The performer, cellist and singer Kelsey Lu explains how ‘slowness can seem like an act of rebellion when everything around you demands speed’ and weaves a dialogue between fashion and music, art and cinema.

Movement director Pat Boguslawski discusses his work, which straddles directing, choreography and psychology, whilst photographer Chen Man explores the precision of portraiture as a form of meditation. Collector Silvia Fiorucci tells Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo about her Società delle Api. Sophie Vann Guillon, at the helm of the historic Swiss cosmetics house Valmont, explains her vision of skincare as ‘a transformative journey towards a destination that continues to change over time’. Adele Schipani explains how the new leadership in the beauty industry is now being driven by women who are reshaping the market’s values and direction.

On the eve of Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks, the latest issue of HTSI – published in conjunction with *Il Sole 24 Ore* – naturally includes a round-up of this season’s fashion trends and a special feature on watches, as well as the Milan event that will open immediately after the fashion weeks: the Watch Art Grand Exhibition.