Letter From The Editor

Don’t you love it when you see a man or woman who has great style? And by “style” I don’t simply mean clothing or a fabulous haircut.  True style is fluid and evident in everything a person may say or do. True style transcends trend because it’s rooted in personal choice.  True style is an expression of how we see ourselves, and it’s a statement of how we’d like to be perceived as others.

Every issue of Wiles Magazine is of course special to me; but our annual “Style Issue” is one of my favorites because style encompasses so much of who we are as people: our identity and sense of self, our aspirations and our boundless curiosity and creativity.

In this 2012 edition of the “Style Issue,” we’re proud to once again bring you our comprehensive coverage of LA Fashion Weekend, Style Week and Concept in our in-depth “Fashion Week at your Fingertips” editorial spread. Our “Cine-Style” feature offers a look at some of the most stylish characters to ever grace the silver screen and the costume designers who clothed them.

Our “Arts & Entertainment” section includes highlights from the 12th Annual Hollywood Black Film Festival as well as a look at a documentary about the iconic former Fashion Editor of Harper’s Bazaar and Vogue, the late Diana Vreeland.  Known not simply as “a fashion editor,” Mrs. Vreeland is credited as being “the first Fashion Editor;” and her sense of adventure and delight in culture beyond fashion are an inspiration to the generations of editors, including myself, who currently walk the path she paved.

Single ladies will gain valuable relationship insight in this month’s “What He Wants” column as Drew Allen offers his list of the “5 Style Essentials” that every woman should own. And our “Life & Leisure” section will provide a tasty eggplant recipe and a travel recommendation to one of the world’s most stylish cities.

Speaking of travel, we’ll revisit the glory of this summer’s London Olympic Games in this month’s “Mr. Right” as we showcase red-hot, uber-talented Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake.   We’ll learn more about the man behind the medals and his mission to use his celebrity to help end poverty in his homeland and around the world.

Lastly, our visually stunning cover story on the gorgeous and gifted singer/actress and fashion designer Christina Milian is one you won’t want to miss.

I once read a quote by Edna Woolman Chase – the former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Magazine – in which she said, “Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.”  At a time when materialism and superficiality seem to reign supreme, the notion of possessing something valuable that actually can’t be bought seems as old-fashioned as, well, a woman having “feminine wiles.” But if you dare to look beneath the surface, you’ll see the truth: every woman does have wiles; and true style is something that shines through – no matter what you have on.