I spend a lot of time browsing the magazine section of grocers and book stores. It’s part of the industry to know what and whom the major powerhouse publishers are putting on the covers. And last month, I noticed, but I didn’t appreciate the trend until one of our contributors pitched his month’s story idea: September’s fashion magazines featured many, many more ethnic – let’s be specific here: black – faces than ever in modern publishing. My intuition said, in three staccato words: This. Is. Important. Intrigued, I charged Stanley with doing to the research, which I recommend that you read in his month’s feature “Black Cover Girl Faces Shake Up September.” This being our Fashion Issue, October is our month to celebrate the trends that will take us into 2019. From New York to London to Milan to Paris, the powerhouses, as well as the break-out designers, have been put to the test. Kerby Jean-Raymond, creative director of Pyer Moss (left), has been lauded for his collections many times over. This year, his show makes our Top Five “Others” List. Ralph Lauren, an American design icon, celebrated 50 years of fashion in true form. With a guest list of stars and VIPs to make us swoon, he reminds us of what a statesman looks like, how one acts, and with whom one interacts. Fashion these days isn’t limited to the runways. Street style has become the subject of every major fashion blogger, columnist and editor. To that extent, we combed the streets of London for street-style inspiration to round out our coverage. With Milan Fashion Week still in high gear and Paris Fashion Week yet to come, we will be branching out to social media to cover these shows and collections over the next two weeks. When I tasked wine contributor Cezar to pair a wine article with our fashion issue, he took me literally and within a week, I was a fast-study on fashionable wine, or has he’s described it, “in-wine.” These wines are trendy, rare, unique, biodynamic, natural and viti-cultural. Having read his story, I feel much more confident in my ability to express the finer characteristics of a Valdiguié, a Mencia, or a Tannat. Of course, I wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to try them, so we headed to High Treason in San Francisco, which serves several of them . While it’s always hip to be in-the-know and I felt super-trendy sipping “in-wine”, Cezar put it so aptly, “What remains is a person’s integrity of taste and loyalty to what gives us pleasure that enriches our lives.” Home fashion makes a splash this month in our technology section with 11 must-have smart items for tech-orating. From a Wifi-enabled oven you can control from your phone to the most beautiful device charger we’ve ever seen, these items are the perfect “treat yourself” or a lovely gift for someone special. Headed strongly into our second year of publishing, you might notice some new names in our staff listing. We are so pleased to be adding global representation in major cities. Now, from wherever you’re reading this, there is a Polo Lifestyles contributor or representative even closer than you think.
Best, Josh Jakobitz