My favorite look I wore this summer wasn’t the powder-blue vintage dress I panic-ordered on the RealReal to relaunch our beauty vertical at Cannes Lions or the olive-green peekaboo Hanifa maxi I wore onstage to interview Tracee Ellis Ross at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival. No, it was the white lamé mask and jumpsuit complemented by a silver saber that I wore in a sweaty, non-air-conditioned Upper East Side gym on a random Wednesday.
When I was growing up in Wisconsin, the only fencing I saw was Lindsay Lohan facing off against herself in The Parent Trap. But part of what has kept me going as an editor is following my curiosity instead of staying behind my phone and consuming whatever other people find interesting. My friends and I call it “joy building.”
Last summer, it was on a trapeze at Pier 40 (yes, I got the idea from watching that episode of Sex and the City). This summer, it was fencing — which turned out to be much more fun than I’d imagined. Even though I went by myself and my opponents were complete strangers, we stabbed each other (lightly) and laughed. I was totally present, focused on my footwork instead of the endless scroll of my feed. Before I knew it, the lesson was over and I was already plotting my return to the piste. When we try something new, we get the chance to surprise ourselves. And what better way to do that — or work out your 2025 angst — than by parrying an attack?
September is all about the new: a time to experiment with what to try next and what to leave behind. This has always been the biggest month for fashion magazines, but for me — and this third stand-alone print issue of The Cut — the goal is bigger than traffic. It’s an opportunity to catch up and connect with you, IRL and uninterrupted. In short, it’s The Cut making it out of the group chat. First (because subtlety has never been our thing), we’re bringing you four stunning covers starring Hollywood favorites Sarah Paulson and Andrew Garfield; model and trailblazer Vivian Wilson; and the women of the Cyrus family, doing their first joint cover and interview. Plus there’s Eat Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert sharing her most heart-breaking love story yet and an intimate look at what Gazan women are holding on to in the aftermath of an extended conflict. And we’re introducing Personals, a newsletter exploring dating and relationships that may even get you a date.
Add to all this a sharply reported feature on the booming cosmetic procedure designed to make everyone look not a day over 35, and a deep dive into the Selena Gomez–backed mental-health start-up, Wondermind, as well as playful astrological advice (because I know you read your daily horoscope by Madame Clairevoyant), beauty and styling ideas that inspire you to experiment, and a brutally honest look at what straight men really think about dating women right now (I will be racing to that comments section). These stories are made for you to have opinions on, wrestle with, and return to.
As we were closing these pages in August, my group chats lit up with commentary when other magazines began unveiling their September issues. All that chatter only made me prouder of the work we’ve done here. At The Cut, we don’t separate fashion from the world around it. Style is political. Style is personal. And this issue proves a fashion story can be both culturally urgent and impossibly chic. What you’ll find on these pages isn’t just glossy — it’s intentional. It’s layered. It’s an invitation to look deeper and linger.
See you in the comments.
From left: On Andrew Garfield: MIU MIU Jacket and Pants, at miumiu.com. Photo: Anton GottlobOn Sarah Paulson: BALENCIAGA HAUTE COUTURE Open-Neck Jacket and Apron Skirt in Bright-Red Wool and Wrist Gloves in Black Technical Jersey, at couture.balenciaga.com. BVLGARI High Jewelry Serpenti Necklace, at bulgari.com. Photo: MAR+VIN
From top: On Andrew Garfield: MIU MIU Jacket and Pants, at miumiu.com. Photo: Anton GottlobOn Sarah Paulson: BALENCIAGA HAUTE COUTURE Open-Neck Jacket…
From top: On Andrew Garfield: MIU MIU Jacket and Pants, at miumiu.com. Photo: Anton GottlobOn Sarah Paulson: BALENCIAGA HAUTE COUTURE Open-Neck Jacket and Apron Skirt in Bright-Red Wool and Wrist Gloves in Black Technical Jersey, at couture.balenciaga.com. BVLGARI High Jewelry Serpenti Necklace, at bulgari.com. Photo: MAR+VIN
From left: On Brandi Cyrus: DIOR Dress, available at boutiques. On Miley Cyrus: PRADA Shirt and Dress (worn as skirt), at prada.com. On Noah Cyrus: DIOR Dress, available at boutiques. On Tish Cyrus-Purcell: LOEWE Jacket and Pants, at loewe.com. Photo: Szilveszter MakóOn Vivian Wilson: CHANEL Jacket, Pants, Earrings, and Necklace, available at boutiques. COU COU INTIMATES Bra, at coucouintimates.com. Photo: Cruz Valdez
From top: On Brandi Cyrus: DIOR Dress, available at boutiques. On Miley Cyrus: PRADA Shirt and Dress (worn as skirt), at prada.com. On Noah Cyrus: DIO…
From top: On Brandi Cyrus: DIOR Dress, available at boutiques. On Miley Cyrus: PRADA Shirt and Dress (worn as skirt), at prada.com. On Noah Cyrus: DIOR Dress, available at boutiques. On Tish Cyrus-Purcell: LOEWE Jacket and Pants, at loewe.com. Photo: Szilveszter MakóOn Vivian Wilson: CHANEL Jacket, Pants, Earrings, and Necklace, available at boutiques. COU COU INTIMATES Bra, at coucouintimates.com. Photo: Cruz Valdez
