Editing // SUITCASE Vol. 28, The Cities Issue

For the autumn 2019 edition of SUITCASE Magazine I chose the theme of "Cities" not only because city breaks are popular at that time of year, but as an ode to the way in which they afford us the greatest glimpse of our shared humanity. I decided to focus on lesser-explored destinations such as Athens, Uzbekistan and Warsaw rather than classic city-break destinations such as Paris or London. As I explain in my Editor's Letter, "The way we talk about cities is akin to how we describe our lovers – we give them pet names, write songs to serenade them with, and map out our lives through the years we spend in them. Some are mistakes we never wish to revisit, some are brief, full-throttle affairs, and others are lifelong romances. They can be decadent or they can be disappointing, but they are rarely dull or leave us untouched". As Print Editor-in-Chief I single-handedly conceptualised, commissioned and edited all content, as well as collaborating with travel partners to produce trips, managing the budget and production timelines, and working with the design, digital and advertising teams on production, promotion and commercial strategy. Highlights included: - Our cover story travelling through the Silk Road cities of Tashkent, Bukhara and Samarkand in Uzbekistan - An essay on the experience of traversing cities over the world as a black woman - Interior designer Sophie Ashby and her partner, fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, on their honeymoon through Japan's megacities and rural towns - A trippy meditation on what a city break to New York might look like in 2029 - An insight into shoe designer Christian Louboutin's holiday home in Lisbon - An immersion into the Karbala pilgrimage in Iraq penned by adventurer Leon McCarron and shot by photojournalist Emily Garthwaite - Practical guides and long-form articles covering Athens, Chicago, Istanbul and Warsaw