Dear readers,

The aspirational glory of writing for a fashion magazine has been at the forefront of my mind for the majority of my life. I strongly identify as an apologist for the tone-deaf, early-aughts romantic comedies, and the “working-girl-at-a-magazine” trope seen in films like “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” and “13 Going on 30” — essentially the mood board for my life, though ridiculously unrealistic.

As I work towards this goal by writing about fashion whenever I can, September has become a month I always look forward to. Along with the thick September issue of Vogue, the start of September marks the beginning of the fashion industry’s biggest month. Starting with New York Fashion Week, which always makes its presence known in SoHo, September is chock-full of runway shows that continue with subsequent fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris.

It was the fleeting yet impactful nature of NYFW that inspired September’s digital issue of Under the Arch to be centered around fashion. Though there are stories that will throw you into the couture thrills and trend predictions from this season’s runway shows, I also hope you see yourself in one of these pieces. Whether you’re an unabashedly brave microtrend warrior or a lover of unique vintage treasures, this edition of UTA was designed with our readership in mind.

I am not alone in my aforementioned love of rom-coms. Arts Editor Alexa Donovan shares this sentiment as she explains how her favorite writers and characters — and characters that are writers — leap off the page and the screen into her personal style. If Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahniks aren’t quite your style, perhaps you might enjoy the street style seen in “Style on the Square,” a collection of back-to-school outfits reported on by Beauty & Style Editor Annie Emans. This issue wouldn’t have been possible without Annie’s work as our resident style expert, along with everyone who contributed words to this issue. Special thanks are in order to my co-editor Mikaylah Du and Director of Creative & Digital Strategy Krish Dev, who dedicated their incredible multimedia skills to this issue and humored my every whim and musing in all things fashion. 

Though UTA is not a fashion magazine — it is made for the diverse student population, thus transcending a singular category — I could not be happier to be a part of this project. Thank you to the editors for entrusting Mikaylah and I with the responsibility of this magazine. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity. Stay stylish NYU!

— Karina Rower, Under the Arch Editor