beauties and a beast.

Byline: Anna Wintour

I first met Susan Train when I was made editor of this magazine. She said to me, "I've outlived three editors, and I'm sure I'll outlive you." I'm pleased to say that she may yet be proved right. Nearly 80, Susan has been a stellar presence at Vogue's Paris office for 56 years and is as glamorous and exacting as ever, which is saying something. I'll never forget going to the Paris collections with Susan for the first time and being amazed by how imposing and superchic she was in her Saint Laurent suits. This impression was only reinforced by her habit, while watching the shows from her front-row seat, of never taking a single note-whereas I, at that time, would furiously scribble away. Afterward, while I would struggle to decipher my notes, Susan could remember every look, top to toe: the fabric, the color, who wore it, and with what accessories.

It's with real delight, then, that we celebrate Susan in this, our annual Age Issue. At the other end of the time spectrum, we shine our spotlight on two young sisters, Chloe and Poppy Delevingne, who are beautiful bohemians of the kind that only Britain seems to produce. In their liveliness and stylishness, they remind me of Plum Sykes and her twin sister, Lucy, a pair of English It girls whom I first met when, as editor of HG, I flew them over and shot them as the Bouvier sisters. I can't help feeling a certain pride at seeing the way they've grown into wonderful motherhood.

It's not only women who change and flourish. Brooks Brothers, a brand long synonymous with preppy, traditional menswear, recently took the step of hiring Thom Browne to bring zip to its offerings for both men and women. Browne has never designed for women before and was a risky hire; but I think he's done a fantastic job, and kudos to Brooks Brothers for having the courage to take a chance on a young, gifted talent (and a winner of the 2005 ...