LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
From logo tees to suggestive knit hats, women’s rights have been front and center in the news this year. We’ve been celebrating girl power since 2012, when Philadelphia Style launched its Women of Influence feature in our Late Spring edition. Equal parts style and substance, it was our chance to recognize women who were having a moment in Philadelphia. And all kinds of women meant all kinds of moments. Now in its fifth year, we’ve talked to CEOS, finance gurus, fitness mavens, and philanthropists. There have been newscasters, government officials, and nationally recognized chefs. The cover stars have been just as impressive, from NBC’S veteran reporter Andrea Mitchell to It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Kaitlin Olson. Tamron Hall, formerly of NBC’S Today show, cohosted an afternoon tea with us in 2015. On paper, their ages, backgrounds, professions, experiences, and paths to success couldn’t have been more different. But what has always linked the dozens of women we’ve interviewed for this feature is their unwavering ambition and shared mission to make Philadelphia a better place. They are influencers in every sense of the word.
This issue’s cover star, Patti Labelle, has been having a moment that’s lasted for five decades. We caught up with the mega-talented multihyphenate to talk about her new album and what’s ahead in 2017. At 73 years young, the singer has never looked better. In the pantheon of famous Philadelphians, Labelle certainly ranks among the top--especially for continuing to call Philly home when the siren songs of New York or LA could have lured her away years ago.
This year’s Women of Influence shoot was held at one of my favorite city locations, the gorgeous Ritz-carlton, Philadelphia. Steeped in history and covered in marble, it’s like stepping inside a Roman temple that just happens to have a luxury hotel inside. Coincidentally, our shoot date also happened to be International Women’s Day, March 8. Here at Philadelphia Style, I’d like to think that we are toasting to phenomenal women not just for one day or in one issue but all year long. We still have so many stories left to tell.