The appointments further bolster, say the publishers, i-D’s ambition to be creative, innovative and inclusive. Adesuwa Aighewi, Gray Sorrenti, Hazel Ong, and Paloma Elsesser will become Contributing Editors, reporting to McKimm, providing expert opinion and creating exclusive content for i-D on the industry in which they have grown-up and flourished.
Alastair McKimm, Editor-in-Chief of i-D: “I am so proud to announce i-D’s new team of contributing editors. Adesuwa, Gray, Hazel, and Paloma are all rising stars in their chosen fields and all genuinely speak to i-D’s core values of creativity, innovation and inclusivity. I’ve been fortunate enough to know and work with them all for a considerable amount of time and their enthusiasm for the brand and the creative industry we work in extremely inspiring. They have already imputed so much to the renaissance of i-D, which I’m excited to present in September.”
Adesuwa Aighewi represents, says i-D, the epitome of a new generation of models who seek to vocalize the deep layers of culture, history, and societal impact embodied by the fashion industry. Of Chinese, Nigerian, and Thai descent, she initially entered the modelling world with an intention to earn money for a NASA internship but soon, campaigns for Alexander Wang, Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Dior, Marc Jacobs, Vera Wang, and Versace became part of her repertoire. As notable global brands gradually became significant supporting forces behind her career, Adesuwa decided to utilize the new relationships cultivated within this field to amplify other pertinent issues. Since 2017, she has penned think pieces for The Guardian on diversity issues within fashion, directed short films for LOVE magazine, and works on preserving African culture and promoting its legacy to the world.
Photographer and director Gray Sorrenti is a rising star at the intersection of fashion, portraiture, reportage photography and film-making. As the daughter of renowned fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti and artist mother, Mary Frey, it is perhaps not surprising that the 18 year old has picked up a camera. Over the last two years, she’s risen through the industry, shooting campaigns for Saint Laurent and Loewe, and editorials for Vogue Homme international, Document and i-D. She describes her work as being about creating “a sincere image and a true connection” and is best known for her raw portrayal life as teen in New York City, through the images she captures of her friends.
Toronto-based Hazel Ong is a longtime member of the i-D family. The stylist and creative director first cut her teeth assisting i-D’s Fashion Director Simon Foxton and has since risen to co-style Drake on his “The Boy Meets World” tour alongside contributing to Billboard, The Fader and Complex, and has working with brands like Nike, Prada and Stone Island. She continues to work at the intersection of fashion and music, providing creative and styling direction for up and coming artists, brands and publications in her native Canada and beyond. Hazel will be using her visual and cultural interest and knowledge to contribute to areas of i-D including music, fashion and special projects
Meanwhile, London born, Los Angeles bred model and former i-D cover star Paloma Elsesser, will be hosting a monthly i-D TV show called “The Squeeze” as well as conducting interviews and essays for the print editions and digital. Elsesser got her break in fashion after being hand-selected by beauty maven Pat McGrath. She has since become a leading voice in the fashion industry as an outspoken advocate for body acceptance and mental health awareness and has starred in major brand campaigns for Fenty Beauty, Glossier, Nike and H&M. Most recently, Elsesser has served as a muse for Eckhaus Latta, Adam Selman and Miaou, and has graced the covers of British Vogue and i-D. In 2019, she was appointed a coveted spot in the selection committee for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Elsesser will be based in New York.
