March 2013: Letter from the editor
While waiting for MiuMiu’s Spring 2013 show in Paris to begin, I looked around the room at the fashion editors, bloggers and front-row starlets and began to feel that anything goes. Flats and four-inch heels. Plain, boxy tops and crazy printed blazers. Mirrored minis and mid-calf pleated skirts. All were present and accounted for.
Then Miuccia Prada’s models emerged in denim pencil skirts, matching coats and needle-nose pumps, adding ’50s polish to the ’60s mod and ’90s grunge that had already hit the Spring 2013 runways. I leaned over to my seatmate and remarked, “You really can wear anything now.”
“Yes,” he agreed, “as long as you have style.”
Ah, yes. The one crucial ingredient that makes all the difference. The key to developing your style is following your instincts. You won’t catch me in a bare midriff, even though I’d bet my Birkin this will be a blockbuster summer trend. But while I would never think of myself as a grunge girl, I can’t wait to give a plaid chiffon shirt and distressed denim a shot. And as you can see, ruffles (at least this large Aquilano.Rimondi one!) have already stolen my heart.
There’s a difference, though, between finding your style and being stuck in a groove that worked for you 20 years ago. The key to that is staying current. Our fashion and beauty trend reports (pages 62 and 96) will do an excellent job of inspiring you to update your look.
Two of the women featured in this issue have definite takes on personal style. Hailee Steinfeld admitted to micromanaging her red carpet choices when she sat down with features editor Elio Iannacci in Los Angeles (“Teenage Dream,” page 144). And Canadian Kirsten Owen is an original grunge-era model, though FASHION contributing stylist George Antonopoulos cast her in his all-white story, “The Artist” (page 148).
We also highlight clashing prints in our fashion spread “Busy Bodies” (page 135), to illustrate just how diverse your fashion choices are this spring. There are candy-foil metallics, organza veiling, 3-D florals... something for every taste, for sure. We look forward to hearing which trends you love best at letters@fashionmagazine.com.
Bernadette Morra is the former editor-in-chief of FASHION magazine. She has been covering the Canadian and international fashion scenes for more than 30 years, first at The Toronto Star, then at FASHION. Over her long career Bernadette has interviewed many fashion world legends including Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford and Gianni Versace.