VANITY FAIR

"I' ve spent my life being EMBARRASSED."

SEPTEMB ft AN 2012 No. 625 TYFAIR.CDIV

FEATURES

294 BEST-DRESSED HALL OF FAME BY AMY FINE COLLINS. The Duchess of Windsor sparked the creation of the International Best-Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1958. This year, a chic quintet of permanent standouts sat for striking portraits. Paintings by David Downton.

300 TITANS OF STYLE BY LAURA JACOBS AND INGRID SISCHY. Spotlight on fashion's grand masters Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani, who have shaped the aesthetic of an era. Photographs by Annie Leibovitz.

304 ROYAL CATWALK BY KATIE NICHOLL. Just more than a year after her wedding, the Duchess of Cambridge already seems to the palace born. That and her impeccable fashion choices—explains why all eyes are on Kate.

311 REBOOTING YSL BY MATT TYRNAUER. Spotlight on Hedi Slimane, who is rebranding Yves Saint Laurent— from Los Angeles. Self-portrait by Hedi Slimane.

312 ANGEL ON HORSEBACK BY EVGENIA PERETZ. Many stars pretend to be unassuming, but Jessica Chastain truly hopes to be ignored. Which might be exactly why she's starring in this month's Lawless, making her Broadway debut, and topping every director's most-wanted list. Photographs by Mario Testino.

320 V.F. PORTRAIT: NATALIE MASSENET BYKATEREARDON. The founder and executive chairman of luxury fashion's online phenom, Net-a-Porter Group, talks luck, laziness, and (silver) linings. Photograph by Annie Leibovitz.

322 THE CANVAS AND THE TRIANGLE BY LESLEY M. M. BLUME. With this fall's auction of what may be Jackson Pollock's last painting, the art world remains split over its authenticity. While the artist, his wife, and the mistress behind the controversy are gone, a tug-of-war lives on.

330 STELLA PERFORMANCE BY LAURA JACOBS. Spotlight on Stella McCartney, cool conscience of the fashion industry. Photograph by Juergen Teller.

333 ALAI AS SWEET BONDAGE BY AMY FINE COLLINS. Spotlight on Azzedine AlaTa, whose sculpting of the female form is part geometry, part alchemy. Photograph by Jean-Paul Goude.

334 LITTLE LORD FLAUNTLEROYS BY NANCY JO SALES. When Mom is supermodel Stephanie Seymour, style is second nature. So, for brothers-about-town Peter and Harry Brant, being teenagers means being fabulous, with fame a familiar game. Photograph by Justin Bishop.

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338 IN THE KINGDOM OF DIOR BY LAURA JACOBS. Spotlight on Raf Simons, who just got the couture plum. Photographs by Paolo Roversi.

342 to FASHION'S MOST ANGRY FELLA BY MERYL GORDON. It's been 15 years since former editor John Fairchild retired from Women's Wear Daily, moving with his wife to the Swiss Alps. Has the legendary fashion tyrant given up his feuds, his meddling, his mojo? Mais non. Photograph by Simon Upton.

353 SAVAGE REAUTY BY VICKI GOLDBERG. Spotlight on Israeli photographer and filmmaker Ori Gersht, whose first retrospective explores the beauty in brutality. Photograph by Jason Bell.

FANFAIR

155 DAYS IN THE LIFE OF THE CULTURE Drummond Money-Coutts mesmerizes Alice B-B with his magic. Reinaldo Herrera on Diana Vreeland's divine documentary; Ray-Ban celebrates a sunny 75th anniversary. John Brodie goes behind the seams at E. Vogel. Janelle Monae freestyles with Lisa Robinson. Matt Tyrnauer explores Marc Newson's designs. Hot Type. Mad Hatters—celebrating fall's most coveted accessory. Men's wear—a rugged new style. Vanessa Grigoriadis spins with SoulCycle. My Stuff—Charlotte Dellal; Tiffany & Co. still sparkles after 175 years. DeLorean's hot wheels; Orvis's custom camper. Private Lives—Tata Harper. Beauty—the bold scents of fall.

COLUMNS

194 OBAMA-RAMA BY JAMES WOLCOTT. Recently, right-wing pundits have been throwing the book—or, rather, a shelf-load of them—at Obama. But their aim gets wilder as their time runs out. Photo illustration by Thomas Allen.

199 WHEELS UP FOR LONDON BY JIM WINDOLF. For his Olympic virtues—and general awesomeness— V.F. nominates Nick Springer, wheelchairRugby champion, to its Hall of Fame. Photograph by Christopher Griffith.

202 CAN THIS WEDDING BE SAVED? BY A. A. GILL. Legalizing gay marriage could be the best thing that ever happened to the heterosexual wedding.

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211 SCENES OF GLAMOUR BY LAORA JACOBS. From Richard Gere's Armani-clad languor in American Gigolo to Diane Keaton's Annie Hall whimsy, a wardrobe check of Hollywood's 25 most fashionable films.

224 THE HIRING OF THE PRESIDENT BY TODD S.PORDOM. Mitt Romney harps on his business credentials, but as past presidents have shown, the corner office and the Oval Office are vastly different places. Illustration by Barry Blitt.

228 BOSS ROVE BY CRAIG ONGER. By the end of the second Bush presidency, Karl Rove was enmeshed in scandal. Four years later, he has engineered a billion-dollar takeover of the G.O.P.—and the Romney campaign. Illustration by Andre Carrilho.

236 THE INTERNATIONAL BEST-DRESSED LIST In 2012, V.F.'s annual lineup is packed with fashion ideas, as a wide receiver, a rapper, a farmer, and several royals share their loves.

268 ICONS OF STYLE BY AMY FINE COLLINS. It takes a certain kind of star—a Marlon Brando or a George Clooney, an Audrey Hepburn or a Nicole Kidman—to fuel the affair between fashion and film.

VANITIES

282 THE THIRL OF IT ALL Christopher Tennant on London vs. New York. George Wayne calls out Carson Daly; Ffamish Robertson makes stilettos manly. Bruce Feirstein maps the Washington mind-set.

ET CETERA

108 EDITOR'S LETTER BANKSTAS IN THE AGE OF MONEY

114 60MINUTES POLL

116 CONTRIRUTORS

126 REHIND THE SCENES PORTRAITS OF THE LADIES

136 OUT TO LUNCH MARTIN AMIS

142 LETTERS LOVE AND HAIGHT

190 FAIRGROUND

358 PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE TERRY GROSS

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