WOMEN'S FALL ISSUE 2013

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T's fall Women's Fashion issue is all about the ladies: Rooney Mara's visceral performances in complex films (David Amsden gets to her core), Victoria Beckham's injection of chic sophistication into her ready-to-wear line, and this century's greatest botanical artist's stunning, otherworldly creations. Suzy Menkes investigates where the fashion industry has broken down and why it's so impossible to get our hands on a retail coat in winter, while Howie Kahn immerses us in the sights and smells of Shanghai's exploding culinary scene. You will also find photographs of where modern writers work and where the Milanese designers of Dimore Studio live. Plus, the photographer Glen Luchford captures the season's bold, graphic prints amid the cacophony of New York City; Amy Schumer and Aerin Lauder test-drive a snood; the artist Ranee Palone Flynn shares the process behind shooting total strangers; and velvet returns to its place atop the high-fashion throne. Read more from the issue >>

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HIGHLIGHTS

Clockwise from top left: Hedi Slimane, Beck, Doug Aitken, Cameron Silver, Greg Chait, China Chow, Laura Owens, Tom Ford, Laura and Kate Mulleavy.

On the Verge | Los Angeles, Where the Wild Things Are

By AARON GELL

The City of Angels has long been the butt of many a fashion joke. But maybe there’s magic in being the totally odd outsider.

Céline top, $5,500; (212) 535-3703. Comme des Garçons shorts, $320; (212) 604-9200.

This Is Rooney Mara

By DAVID AMSDEN

Aloof, icy, playful, curious, remote, opaque, funny, shy, distant, nice, impenetrable, guarded, unreadable. Rooney Mara happens to be all of these things.

Beckham, in her own Balenciaga jacket, at her offices in Battersea, south London.

Victoria Beckham, Working Girl

By SARAH LYALL

Five years after she shocked the fashion world by unveiling an elegant collection of beautifully made dresses, Beckham has established herself as a powerful force in the industry.

Clockwise from top left: Nicole de la Marge shot by Peter Knapp for The Sunday Times Magazine, 1966; Harlé at her agency, in her Paris apartment, circa 1968; the model turned actress Anna Karina in Paris in 1959; Amanda Lear’s comp card at the Catherine Harlé agency; Katoucha shot by Irving Penn for Vogue, 1988; the British singer Marianne Faithfull in France, 1965.

Legacy | A History of Picture-Perfect Icons at DNA

By JESSICA LUSTIG

For the family-run DNA agency, models should be timeless icons rather than anonymous faces — and it’s been championing this idea for over half a century.

Profile in Style | The Wilder Side of Jason Wu

By MICKEY RAPKIN

The designer has staked his reputation on designing polite, ladylike clothes for Hollywood good girls and the first lady. But he’s finally ready to stop playing safe.

Diners at Ultraviolet during a “picnic,” with an AstroTurf-covered table and projections of an early-spring meadow on the walls.

Shanghai Surprise

By HOWIE KAHN

With sights, sounds, scents and a secret location, chef Paul Pairet’s immersive dining experience could be the next great leap in culinary evolution.

Craig McDean and Tabitha Simmons atop Huayna Picchu mountain overlooking Machu Picchu.

Travel Diary | Tabitha Simmons Finds Romance in the Andes

By MAURA EGAN

Dazzled by traditional craftsmanship and a riot of colors during a trip to Peru’s Machu Picchu, the shoe designer takes inspiration for her latest resort collection.

A 1963 fashion photograph at the Paris Opera by William Klein.

Sign of the Times | The New Speed of Fashion

By SUZY MENKES

The industry is broken in more ways than one: runway shows don’t match retail expectations; designers can’t keep up with demand; and customers can’t buy a coat in winter. So who’s to blame?

Michael Kors top, $7,500, and skirt, $1,995; michaelkors.com; Tom Binns necklaces, $1,215 (top) and $1,150; tombinnsdesign.com.

Urban Fabric

By T MAGAZINE

Bold graphic prints work well with the city’s perennial favorite color — black.

The designers Britt Moran (seated) and Emiliano Salci in one of their apartment’s two sitting rooms. A 1960s Verner Panton pendant, luxurious armchairs covered in Jim Thompson fabric and an 18th-century distressed fabric sampler, hung from the wall, add to the room’s charms.

A Fine Balance

By TOM DELAVAN

The Dimore Studio designers Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci have pioneered a uniquely modern aesthetic through a subtle mixture of historical periods and a painterly palette.