The Romantic movement that emerged at the turn of the 19th century was, at its core, a rebellion. It pushed back against the cold rationality of the Enlightenment, an era ruled by order, reason, and restraint. In its place, Romanticism embraced intensity, imagination, and individuality, and held the sublime and emotions as truth. It was an age that celebrated contradictions—strength and fragility, ecstasy and melancholy—with the insistence that beauty was not just seen but also felt.

Thus, it was with much intention that we dedicated our September issue to this artistic revolution. Like those artists and thinkers who once broke convention at the altar of heightened sensibilities, we’ve dedicated each page of this issue to the imaginative, the complex, and the beautiful.

No one embodies this better than our cover star, Urassaya “Yaya” Sperbund. Beloved across Asia for her unforgettable screen presence and admired globally as Louis Vuitton’s first Thai Friend of the Brand, the star resists easy categorisation. She exudes confidence with self-deprecating humour and is highly self-aware, yet somewhat oblivious to her fame. From her Hollywood debut to her wedding plans, she navigates through life with intention, always seeking meaning in the roles she takes on and the clothes she wears. Click here to read her thoughts at this pivotal moment in her journey, where she reflects on the importance of sisterhood and the definition of success. “Working every day non-stop—that used to be my idea of success. Now, I’ve realised that success is about the markers in life that make me believe in myself,” she shares.

That same Romantic conviction of emotions and individuality echoes through our “Fall/Winter 2025 Trend Report”. Across 20 pages, we explore the season’s most compelling shifts in style. Ladylike silhouettes return, but with a subversive elegance. Crinolines are reimagined as modern armour with lightness and wit; pearls and gloves shed their primness to become playful tools of rebellion. Power shoulders rise once more, while bold colours, extravagant faux furs, and lavish embellishments deliver unconformist drama in spades.

There’s also “The Big Reset”, which reports on the new creative directors at the world’s most storied fashion houses. From Sarah Burton’s assured new vision at Givenchy to Haider Ackermann’s seductive recalibration of Tom Ford, Jonathan Anderson’s audacious rewriting of Dior codes and Michael Rider’s fresh, democratic take at Celine, we look at not just a changing of the guard but also a redefinition of what legacy means in fashion today.

So take a page out of our book and live with Romantic intensity this September: Embrace contradictions, feel deeply, and let style be more than what you wear. It’s how you exist.