Introducing 10 Magazine USA Issue 04 – Music, Talent, Creative – Read The Editor’s Letter

We have a new government in America, and when the world feels like it’s spinning out of control, I like to turn to Britney, bitch. Her words of wisdom? “Keep on dancing ’til the world ends.” So, while I wouldn’t necessarily take life advice from Ms. Spears, I do believe in keeping the music loud and the vibes high.

When Sophia called me for one of our signature lol chats—whether it’s for work, meetings, rants, or just to laugh at something completely ridiculous—we ended up reminiscing about the songs of summer, the best food we ate, and of course, the eternal questions: Who’s hot? Who’s not? And WHO invited her on that yacht?! Somewhere amid all that, the idea for this music issue was born.

Was Club Tropicana playing in the background? Maybe. Had I just returned from a weekend in Ibiza for a friend’s birthday? Absolutely. Honestly, who better to bring you a music issue than me? My playlists are an Eighties divorcée’s dream: power ballads, Carly Simon, and disco hits for days. A music issue, indeed!

Fresh from last September’s Gucci show in Milan, I became obsessed with Kelsey Lu—her music, her style, her everything. Her shoot by Thibault-Théodore? It’s one of my all-time favorites since we launched. For its Métiers d’art show, Chanel took us to Hangzhou, which is where Fish Zhang and Hyunji Shin paid homage to the legendary Anita Mui for 10 USA. Dior Makeup’s creative and image director, Peter Philips, has worked his magic once again for us, this time with the Japanese actress Yuko Araki in our beauty section.

Can you even have a music issue in 2025 without a K-pop band? I think not. Meet KiiiKiii, the newest girl group from Starship Entertainment, mentored by none other than Yujin from IVE (who also features in this issue). Megastardom? Oh, it’s happening. Then there’s Ama, who oozes charm in Louis Vuitton’s Takashi Murakami re-edition. Fun fact: Back in the day, Ama

used to crash on my couch. Now she’s gracing the cover of our magazine. My heart!

Elsewhere, the writer John Ortved introduces us to 10 tastemakers shaping NYC, from a gallerist in Chinatown to an opera virtuoso. And speaking of icons, Mark Ronson gives us a peek at his favorite timepieces (a music issue needs the ultimate producer/DJ). Then there’s my jewelry hero, Stellene Volandes, editor-in-chief of Town & Country, curating a collection of must-have pieces for those looking to start their jewelry journey. Adnan Qiblawi takes us inside America’s underground club scene—New York, Chicago, and, yes, Buffalo— where community is everything. Meanwhile, Sarah Cristobal sits down with the Paris-based publicist David Siwicki, the quiet force behind young designers like Ellen Hodakova Larsson, who recently won the LVMH Prize.

Fashion has always been about finding creative refuge, and no one understands this obsession better than Diana Tsui, our resident Comme des Garçons aficionado. She introduces us to Fashion Tribes—including a couple who bonded over Rick Owens on Instagram, an Issey Miyake devotee who stashes Pleats Please in their couch, and a woman with an actual Schiaparelli museum in her home.

The soundtrack when putting this issue together? Absolute chaos. Special thanks to our interns, Pénélope and Amelia, for blessing us with their love of Sabrina Carpenter, and to Diana for her deep knowledge of K-pop (let’s forget we attempted those APT. dance moves).

We also say a bittersweet farewell to Iman—our number one since day one. Fashion associate, transport editor, packing guru, food coordinator, everything. Now she’s off to become an artist, and we can’t wait to feature her work in Ten Gallery.

Finally, Wilkommen to Toby, Marie, and Veronika— our newest members of the 10 family, 10 Deutsch! The party keeps growing. So turn it up. Dance it out. And welcome to the music issue!