LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
“I cannot endure to waste anything so precious as autumnal sunshine by staying in the house,” wrote Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1842. If Hawthorne, who was best known for The Scarlet Letter, were still with us today, he may have penned something more along the lines of “put down your phone and step outside.” It’s really that simple: Just unhook yourself from those thin white power cords or digital leashes we are all tied to each day and go do something.
September promises some of the year’s finest weather and those not-too-hot, not-too-cool days should be spent seeing things you haven’t seen before. This month’s arts and culture happenings offer plenty of opportunities to do just that. The Fringe Festival is back for another year, the Barnes Foundation’s Mohamed Bourouissa: Urban Riders continues through Oct. 2, and the Art Museum welcomes back several of Cy Twombly’s celebrated works in its limited-time exhibit, Iliad, through Oct. 8. I’m most looking forward to Opera Philadelphia’s first-ever festival, O17, bringing both old and new productions to unexpected venues around town.
Of course that’s no reason to skip the things you have seen before, like the still-new Museum of the American Revolution. I’ve visited a few times, and was lucky enough to attend the grand opening with keynote speaker former Vice President Joe Biden, and continue to be so impressed with the collection’s artifacts and installations.
Since September is the season most closely associated with change—blame it on the first pangs of seasonal affective disorder from the summer ending or that inescapable feeling of nostalgia thinking back to when you were still in school— it’s only fitting that Philadelphia Style debuts its new format under Modern Luxury. As the country’s largest local luxury media company, Philadelphia Style joins a portfolio of 84 titles in 24 markets. We’ll also be increasing our issue frequency and producing complementary magazines for weddings, home design and social events. Despite the new look and feel, our mission to deliver the most of-themoment lifestyle content in Philadelphia—which now includes a new Travel & Recreation section for adventures beyond the City of Brotherly Love—remains stronger than ever. Philadelphia Style is nearly 20 years old. In that time the magazine has not only survived but thrived amid shifting media and retail landscapes. Joining the Modern Luxury family marks an exciting new chapter in the story of Philadelphia Style. I hope you’ll be reading along.