A new editor has joined Alex and her team at Élan, Sienna Evans. She moved to NYC after ending her year’s reign as Miss City of New Orleans. She’ll be the new beauty editor, much to the relief of the others who had to contribute to that page of the magazine until an editor could be found. Sienna’s focus will be the body beautiful, something she knows a great deal about. Her emphasis will be on health, nutrition and holistic means of keeping one’s temple looking as good as possible. But don’t get the wrong impression, she plans on including lots of fun, very girly tips too. Latest make-up techniques, the best place to get a non-surgical facelift, the best eyebrow person in the country…well you get the drift.

Alex is very excited about Sienna and considers that her, still very young and vibrant, voice will be a plus for the magazine. Better yet, Sienna hails from New Orleans, the city where Alex spent a great deal of time when she was growing up. Another touch of Cajun spice is just what Élan needs; what with Jadde Lee, Sofia, Suzette and now Sienna, Élan is going to be a real jambalaya of a magazine.

Sienna, in a reception for her at Élan, is dressed in a Cocktail Chic dress of silky lavender that has been overlaid with Black Venice lace. This young, hip look so totally suits her highlighted blond shag and blue eyes. Beaded jewelry, a lavender bag and black heels give even more chic to this ensemble.

Always the epitome of glamour and beauty; from her heyday in the late 50's and 60's right through a new century, Amanda Fairchild never lost her ingrained sense of style. She, raised in the languid gentility of New Orleans, claimed that whatever allure she had, was inherited from generations of Fairchild women. But there was actually more to it than a gene-pool blessing. In fact, in one of the many articles written about her and how she had maintained her attractiveness Amanda was quoted as saying, "Really, what it was and is, is clothes. I loved them so much right from the moment a bright, beautiful ribbon was placed in my baby fine hair that I decided right then and there that I was going to do whatever was necessary to wear pretty dresses. Luckily I came from a family that liked to see their women looking good, so no obstacles were placed in my way. They pretty much let me have a free hand, as long as I didn't ignore my brain. For that is another thing expected of Fairchild women, intelligence. So you could say that all my lovely clothes have kept me looking young and my mind has kept me thinking young. The combination is unbeatable."

More than that, it can lead to a marvelous sense of independence and self. Even when she married Amanda kept her own name. The family liked to say; Amanda had married so well she didn't need to marry often. Indeed, Amanda always considered herself to be the most fortunate of wives.

Her husband, Jay Bobby Renart, scion, of another prominent New Orleans family, was an international businessman who traveled the world before the term globalization had even been coined. Naturally, Amanda went with him, and in time the handsome young couple was more jet and less set. It broke Amanda's heart when, just after their 30th anniversary, he died while on their annual holiday in Biarritz. Blessedly, however, Jay Bobby had left Amanda well provided for and not having to worry where her next dress was coming from; which gave her both the free time and the means to devote herself to other causes dear to her heart.

Aside from civic endeavors and charity work that included historic restoration of the city she loved. Amanda set up a mentoring program for young girls. This came to be her favorite project for she felt that while brains would get you the job, looking nice and speaking civilized English was what was going to get you in the door. These were the same ideals she would instill in her niece Alex, who adored her mother's older sister.

For Alex, Amanda was magical. The young girl came to idolize the aunt who had the biggest closet Alex had ever seen, or could ever imagine. Well it was needed, for Amanda never threw anything out. Every outfit she ever bought, every accessory, every hat, shoe and piece of jewelry was cataloged in books that were arranged in chronological order, along with a picture of the first time she wore an outfit and what accessories she had chosen to go with it, for as she told Alex, "Fashion is cyclical, sooner or later everything comes back into fashion, except for bustles and panniers, of course."

Alex would literally inhale everything her Aunt Amanda had to say about fashion and would spend nearly the entirety of her visits to New Orleans with her Aunt. Between Amanda and Alex's Aunt Haley, on her father's side, Alex received an overview of fashion history and an eye for clothes that few young women are fortunate to have. To this day, Alex credits this informal training as the source of her success as an editor. And it is certainly why she has hired her Aunt Amanda as an adjunct editor of Élan, and why Amanda is featured on a regular basis in the magazine. With her panache and flair for fashion over five decades, Amanda Fairchild has become a legend in the fashion world and something as a Grand Dame in the best of the couture houses. True to form, Amanda laughs when she is reminded of the appellation, "The names that have been and are most important to me are, Dior, Givenchy, Herrara, De la Renta, Cruz and Graf. It's the clothes, it's always the clothes, and maybe, just maybe, a little lift or two somewhere along the way!"

Looks And Luxury suits Amanda Fairchild to an E as in Élan, which her brown herringbone sheath with the high collar is the very essence of. Her brown velvet belt, an accent piece to the suit, has a golden crystal “buckle” that goes beautifully with a brown alpaca shawl that is trimmed with black velvet and a golden crystal. Her wide brimmed, brown straw trimmed with black velvet sits upon a brown French twist and compliments her brown eyes. Heels and hose give a finish to this ensemble but the piece de resistance of Looks And Luxury is her brown, plush fur muff that is embellished with black cord, a lush accessory to a luxury outfit.

Jadde Lee

From the moment she picked up her first ABC building blocks, Jadde Lee knew she wanted to created buildings and homes for people to live and work in. That ambition was to be the focus of her entire life. And when she added an interior design course to her schedule at Yale, there was a click and Jadde knew, not only did she want to be involved in building the structure that housed the interior, she wanted to be involved in the entire process, from the outside in.

After graduating, Jadde Lee did what all young architects do, she served an apprenticeship for a very reputable firm of New York City architects. They, the vanguard of a new perspective in architecture, took a "holistic" approach to creating buildings and also included the Yale approach of considering the exterior and interior in the same concept. As this aesthetic corresponded to Jadde Lee's philosophy she was exceedingly happy in her work environment. More than that, she was thrilled, when after working for them for a time; they recommended her for a solo commission, one that was right up her alley.

Élan magazine needed new offices and they thought Jadde Lee was just the girl to do it. Alex thought so too when she met her, for Jadde Lee was the very essence of calm beauty and style. Her clothes, "just off the runway chic" and her make-up that looked professionally applied, spoke volumes about the person standing before Alex. The conversation they subsequently had confirmed Alex's initial impression, for it was charmingly intelligent and introduced Alex to concepts she'd never thought about before. Alex was also struck by the fact that despite her calm veneer, there was passion in Jadde Lee: regarding the physical appearance of buildings, beauty in one's surroundings and how important the right ambiance was. Strangely, in an odd way Jadde Lee's work was miles away from the fashion world, yet in an equally singular way, it FIT right in. For what Jadde Lee sought to do with buildings and interiors, fashion did with clothes.

Time would prove Alex right; the new Élan offices were exactly perfect! So exactly so that Alex couldn't resist trying to keep Jadde Lee at Élan in some way. No other fashion magazine had an architect on its masthead, and it would be such a coup. But Jadde Lee seemed doubtful. Her schedule was so packed with several new commissions she'd recently accepted. As it was, she hardly had any time for her fiancé Jason and, some time soon she was determined to be spending her time planning a wedding. Besides, while she was great at specs, she was no fashion writer.

But Alex had a counter proposal for those concerns. Jadde Lee wouldn't have to write a column. What Alex was proposing was that Élan do a yearlong photo essay on Jadde Lee's current project. All she'd have to do was caption the photos: why she had chosen this and not that, what she was seeking to accomplish overall, why the water, a fishpond in a building? And so on and so forth. As a final inducement, Alex promised that if Jadde Lee came aboard and joined her team, when she was ready to plan her wedding, the staff at Élan would see to it that hers was the most fantastic wedding anyone ever had.

What could Jadde Lee say? Her next project was a pagoda style office building and grounds for the Asia Society. She was ready to begin which meant that Élan could be there at the start. When they sealed the deal, Alex had an additional request. That as soon as she had time, Jadde Lee redesign Alex's apartment. Laughing, Jadde Lee shook on it.

Flawless Finish Jadde Lee just about says it all. For she’s always flawless but even more so in a goldenrod colored, very fitted strapless gown combined with a teal floral, full length coat that has a midriff closing and a belt bow in back. Her geometric, upswept hairstyle is very here and now, especially decorated as it with chopsticks. Her hair is black, her lips are pink and, most unusually, her eyes are blue. Gold shoes, gold purse, a largely beaded necklace with a clear golden pendant and dangly earrings gives fully articulated Jadde Lee a Flawless Finish.

Sofia Cruz

If anyone was curious as to what attracted Sofia Cruz to fashion, they only had to know what her family life was like as a little girl. Her mother and three sisters thought they were queens and every Saturday night, before going clubbing with their husbands to hear Tito Puente or some other musical favorite, they dressed as if they were. Hair would be curled, perfume sprayed and make-up applied, one sister for the other, as a prelude to stepping into beautifully designed gowns and dresses. Dresses made by Sofia's mom and a rival to those that walked down the runway.

Sofia would sit on her parent's bed and watch, from the first moment the sisters arrived until the four couples walked out the door, laughing, in anticipation of a good time. Sofia wanted to be one of those women. In fact, she grew up to be a beautiful one, lovely enough to be a model. But that wasn't for her; Sofia was too private for that. What she wanted was to look at clothes and talk about them. That is what she and her mother had done nearly every day of her life. But how could one make a living doing that?

The answer came to Sofia on the day when she bought her first issues of Vogue and Elle. Writing was talking, in an indirect way, Sofia told herself, and in those magazines, the subject was fashion. Perfect! That was for her, but how did one get to do it?

The answer came from her guidance counselor who handed Sofia an application to FIT. That piece of paper became the gateway to a career. For at the school she met Alex who, first, arranged for Sofia an internship for Sophia at Madame Magazine, where she was doing one. And when Alex was made editor-in-chief of Élan, it was a no-brainer that she would bring Sofia with her to the new magazine. Alex was heard to say that Sofia had more fashion smarts than experts twice her age, and that Sofia had an "eye". She could spot a trend before it happened and as a consequence, due to her prescience, Élan was always on the cutting edge of fashion reporting.

Lately, Sofia, seeking to broaden her horizons, after a consult with Alex, had taken overthe editorship of Élan Espanol. It was a moment of perfect synchronicity for Sophia. Not only would she be able to continue with the work she loved but she could bring her Latina heritage into play. Even more delightfully she would be based in Spain, a move that would allow her to bring an entirely different flavor to the Élan "label".

At the same time, given that she had recently been appearing on shows like Vive Espana and Entertainment Tonight as a Latina fashion and beauty expert, Sophia was beginning to acquire something of a celebrity status. Alex encouraged this as she felt it would be good exposure for Élan Espanol and help acquaint potential readers with the diverse direction the magazine had taken. That was fine with Sofia as long as it didn't interfere with her real job of being an editor. She loved working at the magazine and if she had her way, she'd do it for 550 years. Alex told Sofia the job was hers for as long as she wanted it, though somehow Alex didn't see her "slaving away" at the magazine for that many years.

Sofia Cruz is a showstopper in her Elegant Sunset gown. The gown burns with the colors of the sky as the sun gives the earth its goodnight kiss. Full length, fitted charmeuse overlaid with burnt orange tulle and organza sunbursts, this gown looks fabulous with her gorgeously wavy hair and brown eyes. Shoes and a matching beaded earrings and necklace set complete this Elegant Sunset ensemble.

Suzette Morgan

Who would have ever thought she'd grow up to be a "domestic goddess"? Certainly not Suzette Morgan, and she certainly wouldn't have used that term to describe her success. It was a term coined by the media and publicists who were always looking for a label to tag someone with. Not that Suzette was ungrateful for the bounty that had come her way; in fact she was deep down grateful for it. And stunned! She never expected her penchant for the domestic arts to turn into an empire.

It all started when she was a young girl and found herself drawn to homemaking; cooking, decorating and all those talents that made a home special. It was an interest she would pursue, once she made a decision to follow her heart and do what pleased her. Art school, where she learned to create her own textiles, design wallpaper and work with porcelain, was a start. Then she went to Paris, where else, and enrolled in the best Cordon Blue School, learning to cook, as she put it, the right way. That philosophy put Suzette Morgan on top, for she believed in doing what people have always done, creating a beautiful home life. The difference with Suzette Morgan is that she strove to do so, with perfection.

She took to heart her grandmother's words, "If you're going to do something either do it right or don't even bother doing it at all." That advice was the building block upon which she built her first business, "Suzette's Crepes", a small catering firm that would become the nexus of her empire.

Because her business was so home based and she was busy designing and presenting her vision, media tie-ins didn't occur to Suzette Morgan until she was offered her first television show. If she thought she was busy before, after that television show aired Suzette Morgan's trajectory was that of a shooting star. And it didn't end there.

For when she was a guest on a talk show, she encountered Alex, who was also a guest. It was a wonderful reunion; for an unknown chapter in the lives of these two women was that they'd been acquainted as children. Their grandmothers were friends, and when Alex visited New Orleans, it was only natural that the two girls would be brought together.

So when they met up again on "It's Only Talk", it was like old home week. Of course, both knew what was happening in the other's lives, family and media took care of that, but they hadn't spoken in years. So delighted were they at this chance encounter that they decided to go out for dinner after the show and catch up.

Seated at the table, Alex, being the conscientious editor she always was, couldn't resist trying to get Suzette Morgan to join the Élan staff, at least on a part time or consulting basis. She, Alex, had been thinking of adding a "home" department to the magazine. And while she knew what type of person she had in mind she hadn't found her until she met up, again, with Suzette Morgan; a fun smart woman, who was an expert at what she did and looked fantastic doing it.

That was Suzette Morgan! However, knowing how busy her old friend was, Alex was pretty sure she'd decline. But you never knew! Which was Alex's response when Suzette Morgan said yes. Alex jumped on it. She wasn't going to give her a second to rethink and change her mind. Suzette Morgan said that she had no intention of doing that. As long as she could call her column, Interiors.

She explained to Alex that if she was going to do it, she didn't want to limit the scope of her column in any way, and she figured Interiors pretty much covered everything she'd want to talk about. Alex totally agreed and suggested they raise a glass of champagne to the new Élan feature, Interiors.

World Class Beauty Suzette Morgan lives up to the name wearing a pink silk dress accented with splashes of yellow, white, green and orange and, is paired with a waist length jacket that has three gold studs. Her pink crystal necklace and matching earrings look great with her red, blunt cut hairstyle and blue /hazel eyes. A straw bag with pink and orange accents, nude stockings and pink and orange strappy heels make it easy to understand why Suzette is considered a World Class Beauty.

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