Ed Letter: Feb/Mar 2014

Editor in Chief Megan Portorreal at John Paul Ataker Showroom in NYC
It is no secret that I’m not a big fan of February.  Setting aside the unmistakable lure of Valentine’s Day and the countdown to my birthday on March 2 (same as my celebrity crush, Chris Martin of Coldplay), February is easily the coldest, snowiest month for us in the New York City area. In fact, while typing this, a blizzard rages outside—one that will probably keep everyone indoors for at least two days. But, of course, the press doesn’t stop for snow, and neither does New York Fashion Week—perhaps the biggest thing I look forward to in February.
The first time I attended an event for NYFW, I didn’t know what to expect. The venue—an elegant lounge equipped with fish tank walls, red carpets, and live music—was so packed it was difficult to turn in a circle without knocking someone’s glass. The models for the fashion show strut to and fro on a small walkway through the crowd, so close, in fact, that their long gowns brushed the shoes of the onlookers and everyone was caught in the photoflash.
This year, to kick of NYFW, I attended the John Paul Ataker Press and Media Event for their Fall/Winter 2014 collection at their showroom in NYC. The intimate setting reminded me a bit of the first NYFW event I mentioned above, except this time, people (Melike Ayan and John Paul Ataker President Kerime Ataker, in particular) were handing me cocktails and appetizers, business cards, and fabrics to feel. A small group of my staff and I walked the perimeter of the showroom, pulling out every dress or jumper that caught our eyes, and chatted with the gorgeous models who tried on choice dresses for us to photograph. I can honestly say our entire staff left the showroom that night dreaming of where we could wear at least one of those dresses someday.
That’s where our February/March issue comes into the picture. For this issue, feeling incredibly inspired by NYFW, we’ve gathered our favorite fashion collections, from Anu Raina’s new Spring/Summer 2014 collection (which has us dreaming of warmer weather) to KORET’s new collection of statement purses. We’ve also brought on board photographer Augusto Frascatani, who captured ten different collections from Rome Fashion Week and brought these elegant looks a little closer to home.
In addition to these gorgeous new collections, we’ve chatted with some great talent in the entertainment industry, beginning with our not one, but two beautiful cover girls, Vanessa Marano from ABC Family’s hit television show Switched at Birth and Ksenia Solo from Lost Girl. If you aren’t familiar with these actresses yet, I guarantee that soon you will be.
Here’s to ending this long winter with a bang. Spring, we are ready!

MEGAN PORTORREAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Got questions or comments about the new issue? Send an e-mail to [email protected] or tweet her @meganportorreal for the fastest response! She is also on Pinterest, Instagram, and Tumblr.
Ed Letter: Feb/Mar 2014 was originally published in the Feb/Mar 2014 issue of Cliché Magazine