THE Notebook

A year ago, fashion was practically vibrating with anticipation. Creative directors were changing houses at a pace usually reserved for celebrity relationships, and every appointment promised a bold new chapter. Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace. The industry's biggest names were getting new creative identities, and the collective excitement was enormous. We were promised reinvention, renewed relevance, and enough fresh perspectives to keep fashion interesting for year

Alessandro Michele's Spring/Summer 2027 collection was extravagant, eccentric and gloriously uninterested in being sensible. I loved every minute of it. I'd wear every single thing. Somewhere between the enormous bows, the improbable color combinations and the sort of eveningwear that requires both confidence and a reasonably wide doorway, I realized how much I was enjoying Valentino. Not politely admiring it. Not appreciating the craftsmanship while mentally calculating whic

Personal style has become remarkably easy to buy. Pick an identity, search the appropriate keywords, add the approved pieces to your cart and, assuming overnight delivery is available, you can wake up tomorrow as an entirely different woman. Perhaps you're feeling quiet luxury. You'll need an oatmeal-colored knit, an aggressively understated handbag and something vaguely equestrian. Maybe you're having an office siren week, in which case apparently you require narrow glasses