This issue’s release date marks my two-year anniversary with ESSENCE. When I began, I was confident that this moment—the next chapter in ESSENCE’s legacy—would happen much sooner. I admit I was naive in believing that I knew exactly what this cultural institution truly needed to move into its next phase, before I’d even gotten through the door, settled in and listened to its walls.
As a former fashion editor, I can relate it to the feeling you get when an old trend—let’s say, ’90s hip-hop fashion—makes a resurgence in pop culture; and because you’ve lived through it, you know exactly what size to look for in a vintage Vanson jacket. But you quickly realize that the trend now has a new figure leading the charge; they are 30 years your junior; and they actually want to wear their leather jacket three sizes too big, because “proportions matter.” Your old ways will always be reinvented to become something new, even to you.
Now it’s time we turn the page by introducing the new chapter of our visual identity. We’ve coined it “Future, Nostalgia,” to describe the merger of our heritage ethos with a modern-day design direction. When considering where we wanted to go with this creative refresh—not to be mistaken for a rebrand—we first needed to look at our current state of efficacy. I loved what came from our cover shoots when I leafed through archived issues in search of inspiration. There was also a positive sentiment around our approach to original photography. In the spirit of ESSENCE’s first-ever Editorial Director, Gordon Parks, that visual direction—bright-eyed, with wide smiles of Black joy on full display—has been a constant guiding light. Additionally, as you can see by the cover of this issue you’re holding, we have a deep fondness for the original ESSENCE logo. We call it the legacy logo. It’s not a new logo, but it’s not necessarily “old,” either. It’s legacy. It symbolizes our all-up intent behind this refresh: Ensuring that ESSENCE remains the destination for Black creativity to thrive and is the visual source for our culture as we look to the future—while holding close the pieces of our history that keep us powerful and honest.
To help us reinforce that commitment to Black creativity, we are excited to have arguably the most talented Black creative in the world grace this cover. I’m equally grateful to have photographer Andre D. Wagner’s lens on Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and her mother, Ms. Tina, for our cover story, which speaks to the legacy of Black hair. I’ve been a fan of Wagner’s work for some time, watching his star rise. As a 2022 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellow, Wagner is, of course, similar in spirit in his work. To have him be a part of this issue reinforces our intent to uplift the history of the brand. Not every photographer can capture a feeling, but Wagner does it effortlessly—and I am eternally thankful.
I’d like to highlight some other updates that you’ll see in this issue. We’ve introduced a new set of fonts, Rizoma and Clarendon. There are also updated layouts that highlight the original art commissioned by the many creatives involved in this book. A special shout out to our design studio—the real MVPs of this entire refresh. Without their collective vision and input, this new visual identity—and the thoughtfulness behind it— would not be. Thank you, team!
Now it’s time to get back to work. The updates to the print magazine are just phase one of this refresh. Catch you on the Internet for what’s next—and be reminded, what is old will always become new again.
With love,
Corey Stokes
SVP, Creative
IG: @coreytstokes