Fashion and design have become driving forces in contemporary culture. Designers influence not only the way we look and the shape of things around us, but also the way we live and think. What used to be distinct realms -- architecture, fashion, design, art, cinema, music and food -- have now blurred: fashion designers open restaurants and hotels, musicians design fashion collections, artists make Hollywood movies and architects theorize on retail strategies.
More than ever, what we choose to buy, wear, display, experience and live with -- whether it's the stiletto shoes in the store window, the family vacation purchased on the Internet, the watch on our wrist, the car in our garage, the wine for our parties or the blanket in our bedroom -- influences how people look at us. When perception is reality, style, for better or worse, becomes shorthand for who we are.
Stefano Tonchi, The editor of T, The New York Times Style Magazine.
