From The Editor
Transcending age and time: It is a concept that fascinates people, including me. I loved the variety of answers from our contributors when they were asked, “What is something that transcends age and time for you?” In the past, we have had magazine issues that focused entirely on young women and others focused on mature women, but in this issue, I wanted to look at what all women have in common, no matter their age, to examine things that transcend age and time, beginning with the obvious enthusiasm and joy of the youngest woman ever to grace our cover.
At age 14, Isabella Rose Taylor is a prodigy. She was recently named to Fast Company’s list of 100 Most Creative People in Business, and her fashions are carried by Nordstrom nationwide. She has garnered national attention from both the business community and fashionistas for her design savvy and entrepreneurial bent. While her clothing is decidedly targeted toward teens, the impetus behind her designs is timeless. Taylor set out to express herself creatively and to share the realization of her vision with other women, no matter what their age.
Having a vision and sharing a passion can be the kind of motivation that transcends age and time. This is also something that our other three Young Women to Watch have manifested in different ways, united by their heartfelt desires to make the world a better place. At a very young age, they understand one of the essential tenets that has proven true since the dawn of time: Having a purpose in life can make all the difference.
One of my favorite quotes regarding aging comes from writer Mary Ann Evans, better known by her pen name, George Eliot, which she used so her work might be taken seriously; it was easier to be published as a man in the 1800s: “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” I confess that I was enthralled by the final episode of Mad Men, and the hope that indeed reinvention and rejuvenation can happen throughout life. The joy of reaching for a dream has no time limit, as evidenced by Rachel Phua’s story on the journey of baby boomers Pam and Frank Ferguson, who are creating the life and the business they always wanted in their second act.
My icon for timeless style and taste has always been Coco Chanel. The woman had grit, ambition and talent. She knew how and when to take a risk and was ahead of her time. I would venture to say every designer that has come after her has been influenced by her ability to perfectly capture a sense of timeless elegance and raw beauty, and translate it to fashion that women can wear confidently. We tasked our in-house stylist, Ashley Hargrove, with putting together modern outfits that would transcend age and time, and she outdid herself. Punctuated by quotes from local style makers and books to reference, this feature will help you develop and solidify your personal timeless style.
I find it interesting that contributor Rachel Merriman found baking and cooking familiar family recipes her answer to things that transcend age and time. Growing up in Georgia, fresh, ripe peaches always signaled the beginning of summer for me. The sight, the feel, the smell and the taste of one of my favorite fruits bring back so many memories that I had to include classic recipes in our Gourmet pages. It is not often that I recommend a cookbook for summer reading, however, in addition to the wonderful recipes, the story of the Masumoto family farm shared in The Perfect Peach shows how family ties and dedication to a family business reach through generations and transcend age and time.
Food, fashion, love, sex, yoga, weddings, summer reads, relationships, finding a calling, making a living, finding your passion and making a difference, information and advice about those topics passed from one woman to another and from one generation to another: It is the connection and the sharing that make these stories transcend time and age. When we plan each issue of Austin Woman, our connection with you, our reader, is always on our minds. Please let me know how we can make that connection transcend time and age. I would love to hear what transcends time and age for you.
Deborah Hamilton-Lynne
Editor-in-Chief
Isabella Rose Taylor photo by Annie Ray. Ashley Hargrove photo by Rudy Arocha. Peach sorbet photo courtesy of The Perfect Peach: Recipes and Stories from the Masumoto Farm by Marcy Nikiko and David Mas Masumoto, copyright 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Penguin Random House Inc. Photography (c) 2013 by Staci Valentin. Deborah Hamilton-Lynne photo by Korey Howell.
George Eliot quotes that transcend time and age
“It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are thoroughly alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger after them.”
“Adventure is not outside a man; it is within.”
“Wear a smile and have friends. Wear a scowl and have wrinkles.”
“The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice.”
“Excellence encourages one about life generally; it shows the spiritual wealth of the world.”
“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”
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