Editor’s Letter
Issue 05 SS13

When it comes to magazine covers, there has often been a huge divide in opinion between model and celebrity cover stars. While the most ardent fashion fan would prefer to see a real industry name gracing the cover, there is a lot to be said for the mass appeal of the celebrity.

That said, as a magazine, Ponystep has always been drawn towards the notion of the 'anti-celebrity' - the famous being that seems a somehow less obvious choice. The celebrity that dumbfounds the average Daily Mail reader. Take, for example, Elvira, Dame Edna and, to a lesser extent, Donatella Versace. All have graced our cover and all have baffled and delighted our readers in equal measure.

While cover stars may often prove my to be a personal indulgence on my part, I do occasionally question the celebrity:fashion ratio. We are, after all, a fashion magazine - published and distributed as such. While celebrities serve to be both incredible press fodder - charming and charismatic in interviews and, in most cases, a rather marvellous sample-size clothes horse, they often lack that special something that models bring to an image.

What that is, exactly, may be hard to define, but it's something we recognised with this issue and felt it necessary to acknowledge. For that reason, it felt right that the covers of Ponystep No.5 should feature professional models. The notable exception is Joe Dallesandro, the legend who pioneered the role of the male celebrity pin-up, turned the tables on the 1960s and 1970s Hollywood starlets and easily outsexed every one of his Factory counterparts. Little Joe proves he's still got what it takes to turn heads. Forty years on, the familiar glinting eyes, lustrous hair and brooding nonchalance continue to emphasise his undiluted sexual appeal. At 66, Joe Dallesandro is as enigmatic as he has ever been.

But I digress. Back to Ponystep Issue 5 and our fantasic model covers. In truth, we have always had such fantastic support from all the model agencies in London and this time around it felt appropriate to give them some credit. While our covers feature some of the industry's most exciting new modelling talent, we like to think that the features in Issue 5 reflect a magazine continuing to make the same waves as it always has done. Whether that be shooting LA's notorious poster girl Angelyne or Brooklyn's underground 'freestylers', the concept of balancing strong fashion with offbeat celebrity is key to defining our approach. In fact, it has come to be the integral DNA of the Ponystep brand.

This issue sees many of our regular contributors returning to the fold. To list them all individually would make for a rather boring ed's letter and - while friends may argue the contrary - boring is not my thing. What makes this job particularly exciting, however, is the opportunity to work with new teams for the first time. Notably, Robbie Fimmano and Heathermary Jackson, Bryan Adams and Bea Akerlund, Manuela Pavesi and Moreno Galetti, Johan Sandberg and Jack Borkett, Iain McKell and Kimi O'Neill, and Stefan Zschernitz and Toby Grimditch - all bringing a unique and fresh approach to their respective stories.

The model/celebrity debate will run and run. It's the age-old argument of Art vs Commerce. A fashion model feels somehow more highbrow, while celebrity confirms mass-media coverage that hopefully translates to sales. And then there is Kate Moss who somehow transcends either category! Personally, I feel inclined to celebrate both model and celebrity, and carry on regardless. For years, the concept of fashion and celebrity have always gone hand in hand; happily coexisting - one integral to the other and vice versa. I think it works rather nicely - exactly as it does in our magazines!

-Richard Mortimer, London May 2013