i-D taps four new contributors ahead of Alastair McKimm’s first edition

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Aug 1, 2019

Following the arrival of Alastair McKimm as new global editor-in-chief, i-D Magazine has made four senior editorial appointments as part of its bid to be creative, innovative and inclusive.

Adesuwa Aighewi, Gray Sorrenti, Hazel Ong, and Paloma Elsesser will become contributing editors, creating exclusive content for the magazine on the industry in which they have grown-up and flourished.

Alastair McKimm, who was announced i-D’s new editor-in-chief in May and is currently working on his first edition, said: “I am so proud to announce i-D’s new team of contributing editors. Adesuwa, Gray, Hazel, and Paloma are all rising stars in their chosen fields and all genuinely speak to i-D’s core values of creativity, innovation and inclusivity. 

Of Chinese, Nigerian, and Thai descent, model Adesuwa Aighewi represents a new generation of models “who seek to vocalize the deep layers of culture, history, and societal impact embodied by the fashion industry,” i-D said.

She is joined by photographer and director Gray Sorrenti - the daughter of renowned fashion photographer Mario Sorrenti. Over the last two years she has risen through the industry, and despite her tender age (she is 18) she already has several campaigns and editorials under her belt for the likes of Saint Laurent and Loewe.

Toronto-based Hazel Ong is a longtime member of the i-D family. She is a stylist and creative director who began her career assisting i-D’s legendary fashion director Simon Foxton before rising to co-style Drake on his ‘The Boy Meets World’ tour. She also has worked with Nike, Prada and Stone Island.

Finally, London-born, Los Angeles-bred model Paloma Elsesser will host a monthly i-D TV show called “The Squeeze” and conduct interviews and essays for the magazine’s print and digital editions. She has become an outspoken advocate for body acceptance and mental health awareness, and starred in major brand campaigns for Fenty Beauty, Glossier, Nike and H&M. This year, she was also appointed to the selection committee for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.