Harper's Bazaar September 2024

TAKING THE LEAD is never easy. Sometimes it’s a choice or even a pursuit. Often, though, it’s a position and a responsibility that has been thrust upon people as a product of a particular time or circumstance or because of who they are or what they do or represent. To be at the vanguard—of a field, of a movement, of a moment—is about much more than leadership in the traditional sense. It’s about the way certain individuals live or embody something we’ve never seen before. It’s about their willingness to be the first and boldly venture into uncharted waters or the unknown. It’s about their conviction and tenacity in the face of backlash or resistance and their drive and determination to break boundaries and create new paradigms and possibilities. It’s…

If you were to stop people on the street and ask them to name a supermodel, chances are they’d say Naomi Campbell. Over the course of a boundary-breaking career, she has cemented her place in the collective consciousness as the ne plus ultra of supermodels. It’s no wonder she is currently the subject of an exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. But don’t mistake it for a retrospective, a sign of someone looking back on a career that was; Naomi is Naomi because she is still walking and working as much as she ever has. For our September Icons issue, Campbell was photographed by Malick Bodian on a rooftop in Paris and styled by our style director at large, Carlos Nazario. Our executive digital director, Lynette Nylander, persevered through…

A legendary musician, songwriter, and producer in his own right, Rodgers helped usher in the disco era with his seminal band, Chic, which he cofounded with bassist Bernard Edwards in 1976 amid the club scene in New York. “Here were all these different people—gay, Black, Asian—partying in complete harmony,” Rodgers says. “I wanted to belong to that community.” After releasing a series of smash hits with Chic, including the of-tsampled “Good Times” and “Le Freak,” Rodgers went on to cowrite Sister Sledge’s 1979 breakout hit “We Are Family” and collaborate in all kinds of groundbreaking ways with the likes of Diana Ross (“I’m Coming Out”), David Bowie (“Let’s Dance”), Madonna (“Like a Virgin”), and, more recently, Daft Punk (“Get Lucky”) and Beyoncé (“Cuff It”). For our Icons issue, Rodgers…

EXPERIENCE A DOUBLE DOSE OF SOUL Groove to the musical stylings of British R&B singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka and former Alabama Shakes frontperson Brittany Howard, who kick off their highly anticipated U.S. tour September 29 in Philadelphia. FILL YOUR DANCE CARD New York City Ballet’s fall season begins on September 17 with a special program featuring works by the company’s cofounding choreographers, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. In the following weeks, catch the NYCB premieres of Lar Lubovitch’s contemporary duet Each in His Own Time and Gianna Reisen’s neoclassical ballet Signs and a world premiere by Caili Quan. FLUFF UP YOUR TRANSITIONAL WARDROBE An oversize faux-fur clutch can add an instant dash of texture and whimsy, as seen at Dries Van Noten, Jil Sander, and Saint Laurent. ENTERTAIN LIKE DOLLY AND…

WHY DON’T YOU…? Add some shine with a GOLD JEWELRY WATCH.…

WHY DON’T YOU…? Balance the silhouette’s softness with a STRUCTURED EAST-WEST BAG.…