Welcome, dear reader, to the first ever issue of Everly magazine! Bienvenue! Benvenuta! Thank you for supporting a small business in these crazy, unusual times.
Everly is a love letter to style, travel, arts and life. It’s about what ignites us, compels us and things that can take us to our happy place.
Yes, I admit I have a strong affinity to France and Italy. That’s why you’ll find sprinklings of their magic in the stories that follow, but you’ll also see some homegrown (Australian) tales and content from other corners of the globe.
The original idea for this magazine was planted while travelling on a train between Milan and Paris in late 2019. Looking back, it feels like that was a completely different world then to the one we all inhabit now.
It’s taken months to see Everly come to life and really take shape. Along the way I’ve learnt a lot, encountered obstacles and dusted myself off. Sure, the question has come up many times: ‘Will anybody want to buy a new magazine, given the MASSIVE changes in the world right now due to COVID-19?’ Well, the answer I kept coming back to was YES. I think we all need some good news, an escape and a reminder of the amazing and beautiful world that’s waiting for us on the other side of all this.
For this issue, I was fortunate to interview the super talented artist eL Seed. He made an interesting point about art in the current pandemic climate. eL Seed believes art is not a luxury, but rather a necessity and something we all need to get through tough times. This made perfect sense when I heard it! People around the world have been finding comfort in TV, movies, music, books, writing, painting, poetry, dance, photography, crafting, cooking, gardening and the list goes on. Art still matters to people, because it’s about expression, creativity, opening yourself up and connecting with others.
I’m beyond thrilled to have Aussie photographer and life coach Carla Coulson as Everly’s first cover story! The Paris-based creative talks about the power of YES and how life-changing it can be. Carla is a prime example of adopting a YES attitude and her backstory is fascinating. We first met seven years ago when I lived in Paris, and I’ve loved following her photos, wisdom and positivity ever since.
I feel particularly lucky to have had the chance to interview multi-hyphenate Tim Minchin about his upcoming album. And I’d like to give a special shout-out to all our Issue 1 interviewees, as well as Abraham de Souza for sharing his beautiful dance photography. (Hats off to you Abe for juggling your creative outlets, while also working on the frontline!)
Now that Everly is out there in the universe, I hope the following pages will lift your spirits, encourage some daydreaming and remind you of the good in the world. While it’s also available in a digital version, I feel nothing beats being able to hold a magazine in your hands. It’s tactile, bendable and it gives your eyes a break from the screens.
But no matter how you’re reading Everly, I just want to say merci beaucoup – it really means the world to have you here along for the ride! If all goes well, hopefully there’ll be more issues in the future. Thank you, dear reader, for supporting this love letter to style, travel, arts and life. If we’ve learnt one thing in recent times, it’s that the world needs a lot of love right now.
Lesley xo
Editor & Founder