EDITOR'S LETTER

As a child, I awaited galas and formal affairs with great anticipation. Watching my parents prepare to attend them excited me. My father in black tie was urbanely debonair. I'd wait at the bottom of the stairs for my mother to appear—an angel on a cloud of air—to get the full effect of her glittery gowns. Invariably, as she descended I'd exclaim, "You look beautiful!"

We shape shift when we dress up—stand taller, walk more gracefully, exude more confidence. What fuels that assurance is our sense of glamour. Arthur Miller said it perfectly: "Glamour, that trans-human power or aura to attract imitation, is a kind of vessel into which dreams are poured....Glamour is the power to rearrange people's emotions."

It is not a static thing. It manifests itself in ways subtle (Cary Grant's ineffably suave manner), glitzy (the parade of couture and jewels filing down the red carpet at the Academy Awards each year) and even organic (what's more glamorous than a passion flower, or the gardenia tucked behind Billie Holiday's ear as she sings "God Bless the Child"?). So in this issue we toast glamour in many forms (in the case of "Grand Coupes," we do so literally). There's the eye-popping audacity of the aqua-and-lime living room featured in "Speed Zone," the glittery walls and waterfall chandelier of "Dazzle 'em" and the creamy, dreamy suppleness of the renovated home we bring you in "Take Two."

And some news: This will be my last issue at the helm of Westchester Cottages & Gardens. It feels fitting to go out on a glamorous note, since I'm headed toward glamorous waters myself. I am leaving to write a book about the work of designer Geoffrey Bradfield, a man whose style absolutely embodies that particular brand of sophistication and dash. I will continue to write for WC&G, the magazine I still love and helped found (along with the astonishingly creative team here at C&G Publications). Without a doubt, we've created the best design magazine in Westchester. The incoming editor will continue to bring you stunning rooms and products—things we appreciate even more during tough economic times like these for their ability to transport us to a land where everything shimmers and shines.

Jorge S. Arango
Editor
jorge.arango@candgpublications.com