LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Granduca, the luxury Italian-style hotel nestled in West Lake Hills. While talking to each of them, I was struck by how fearless they were, especially in terms of taking that next, sometimes unexpected step in their careers. Lisa MatulisThomajan closed her beloved bakery, Delish, to focus on real estate and restaurants. Lowe left her job in finance to focus exclusively on lifestyle blogging and travel. Kate Hersch took the leap from home accessories (her whimsical cocktail napkins are my go-to hostess gift) to designing shirtdresses. That fearlessness inspired me as I worked on this issue, Austin Way’s first as a full-on Modern Luxury title. As I wrote in my previous editor’s note, Modern Luxury acquired all of GreenGale Publishing (formerly Niche Media), including this magazine, in April. We are now part of the largest local luxury media company in the country, which is pretty exciting for a publication that launched only three years ago—our first issue hit stands in September 2014. Happy birthday to us! As you go through the pages, you will notice the new departments and features we’ve embraced as part of Modern Luxury’s fresh approach to editorial content. I’m excited to offer readers stories about travel and other subjects we haven’t covered very deeply before. And, of course, I’m especially glad we’re doing it in the fall, the season of change and clean slates. My student days are well (well) behind me, but I still consider this month the time for fresh starts. Forget New Year’s Day and halfbaked resolutions: The new school year dawns with possibilities and the chance for self-reinvention. The question “Who do I want to be?” informs the purchase of every binder and backpack—and, of course, the all-important back-to-school wardrobe. The excitement over fall fashion certainly has its roots in those back-to-school purchases and the promises they held for a better, clearer version of who you wanted to be. For that reason alone, I think September issues are a little bit magical, and the one you’re reading now is no exception. For starters, we feature five amazing Austin women of style who make the most of their personal image—in some cases even turning it into a career. Supermodel Nicole Trunfio, who now lives in Austin with her husband, Grammy-winning Gary Clark Jr., has created a beautiful line of jewelry called Erth. Although she comes to Austin via Australia and many glamorous cities in between, she fits right in as a local. She possesses a certain warmth, strength and accessibility that so many Austin women seem to share. That’s certainly true of the other four women featured, from Mexico City-born Ane Urquiola Lowe to local native Masha Poloskova. I was lucky enough to spend time with these women, as well as the photo and styling team, over a fun three-day photo shoot at Hotel