Letter from the Editor: Fall is the Loveliest Season

If you're like me, you likely have a collection of favorite quotes and sayings. Whether physical-framed and hung on my office walls-or simply stored in my memory, I come back to these thoughts and sayings often, for inspiration, for motivation, for reminiscing. One of my favorite quotes is from a fella named William Cullen Bryant, whose poetry I'm wholly unfamiliar with, save for this line: "Autumn … the year's last, loveliest smile."

I adore this (from his poem "Indian Summer") because, quite frankly, I've always adored fall. Yes, it's when I celebrate my birthday-30 this year!-but it's also when the days, though shorter, grow increasingly pleasant. For me, it's when life seems to begin anew, despite the fact that all the gorgeousness of summer is fading away. And, naturally, it's my favorite season for which to dress.

We combined the best of fall-the outfits and those beautiful golden hues-when shooting this issue's fashion, which you'll find on page 84. Though our model, stylists, art director and photographer ended the day with dozens of bug bites, it was worth it; the team perfectly captured that dreamy quality of the season, a vibe that's wholly unlike any other time of year.

Of course, this issue has a lot more than awesome duds. In true Capital Style fashion, it's also packed with heaps of inspiration, courtesy some of the coolest ladies in the city. On page 58, you'll read our conversation with Shelley Meyer, who's even more empowering than I thought she'd be. Then there's Hannah Powell (her story's on page 64), who's fighting to change the way we educate our kids. And the women featured in our Instagram collaboration (find it on page 92) inspire me for plenty of reasons beyond their impeccable taste; they're kind, smart and were totally up to the challenge of an off-the-grid fashion shoot.

And then there's Lauren Cunningham, the 10-year-old who rocked me with her bravery and compassion-and who may have been my favorite interviewee of the year. (Read her story on page 48.) As we head into the new season, I'll be thinking about Lauren-and reminding myself to savor every moment of beautiful, wonderful fall. I encourage you to do the same.