Editor's Letter | The April Issue
3 min. read | Editorial
Mount Adams pictured from my seat aboard an Alaska Airlines flight. We were placed alone in a row, with an entire row before and behind us, in order to maintain social distancing.
As I write this, I have just witnessed a rare sight. Both Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, crested by clouds before the looming infinity, bursting with their intense and desaturated highlights after a thick snowfall blanketed their massive peaks, appearing from my aloof position as something bordering upon attainability. As if I could reach out and scoop the clouds themselves into a ball of compressed snow. Or impress my hands upon a summit that I did not earn. The severity of it all seems tame, yet it’s due only to the safety of my perspective.
Statistically, few people summit either peak compared to the number of people on Earth today. And even fewer that make the attempt, do not return. A cold utilitarian might say it’s an insignificant number. But to the families of those impacted by the loss of loved ones, even one death is too many.
Amidst the now blazing pandemic of COVID-19 caused by exposure to the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, we have all gained perspective. According to experts, the “r-naught” (r0, or number representing the spread of a disease) sits at about 2.3* meaning that for every one person infected, they will likely go on to infect 2.3 people. A number that sounds small until you add travel and time. And what begins as a small outbreak quickly threatens the entire planet, with some projected death tolls, in a best-case scenario, in the tens or hundreds of thousands of people. And not merely the elderly or immune-compromised. This pandemic seems to impact infants and young adults as well.
The impact on the fashion industry has been severe. As of this writing, Chinese manufacturers have announced they are returning to work after successfully adhering to mandatory quarantines. And while the supply chain resumes, the economic impact is far-reaching, with consumers facing near depression-era unemployment levels. And for the business owners unable to secure grants or SBA loans, bankruptcy.
Yet as dark as everything seems, there is a light that burns even brighter. Fashion professionals around the world have shifted their focus to manufacturing goods including respirators, face masks, and other forms of Personal Protective Equipment so desperately needed by Health Care Professionals around the world. Here in the Northwest, we’ve seen countless acts of kindness and generosity in support of the many HCPs whose lives are endangered every 18-hour workday.
While much of Seattle remains shut down, our interconnectedness remains stronger than ever. Digital experiences and tele-communications result in everything from business meetings and presentations, to enlightening and wonderfully distracting forms of entertainment. If you haven’t been on TikTok, there’s no better time than the present.
The April Issue began as something altogether different. While much of the production was completed before Governor Jay Inslee issued the “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, the entire copy has been rewritten to reflect our present circumstances. Some featured editorials were canceled due to the order. Yet some marvelous things have arisen completely unexpectedly.
It is with sincerest gratitude that we humbly present this issue for your consideration. And ask that you reach out to the artists and businesses represented herein, and the many who are not, if not to purchase goods and services, then to issue words of encouragement and kindness to see us all through these uncertain times. The April Issue is presented without sponsorship and without advertisements—just stories from our community created by the talented artists represented herein.
Fashion is that rarest of industries that can reshape our view of what can be if we believe the best in each other and work toward equitable solutions that elevate every hand that touches the garments we wear everyday. We are still here. We are still strong. And together, we can make a difference.
Nordstrom will attempt to do business as usual as soon as possible. However, small businesses will not be able to. Nor should they. And consumers will not spend the money they don't have on things they don't need. So the return to First Principles is more vital now than ever.
What should Seattle's fashion community look like in the months to come? I have an idea. But ideas have no value. Actions have value. Products have value. Services have value. And most valuable of all—our relationships and how we treat one another in times of crisis.
We will never forget how we were treated in our time of need.
The time for slow fashion is now.
And the need for utility has never been more clear.
Your job, dear Creative Professional, is to show us a vision of the future that unites us. That builds bridges. That solves real-world problems. And that gives us a medium to achieve the catharsis we all desperately need.
Now is the time. What will your next steps be?
— A.M.
Mount Rainier captured moments before Mount Adams.
Editor’s Note: A shorter version of this letter appeared in The April Issue and an expanded version is reprinted here.
*Some leading epidemiologists now rate SARS-CoV-2 r0 as high as 5.7, though the final results of the transmission of the disease cannot be known for some time.
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