Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/907639
letter editor STEVEN VISNEAU, SISTERBROTHER MGMT. 16 A s we close the book on 2017, I'd like to dedicate this issue — and, well, the entire year — to women. I'll state the obvious: Our sex is having a moment, with female empowerment more alive than ever before. I have been lucky to be surrounded by a resoundingly strong group of women — from my dynamite mother and grandmothers, to all of my aunts, cousins, friends, colleagues, and mentors. The subjects of this month's magazine all have the qualities of women I admire: strength, grace, passion, gumption, fearlessness, and, yes, femininity. We start with Whitney Wolfe Herd, the 29-year-old founder of the dating app Bumble, which has quickly snowballed into a friendship incubator and professional-networking platform — all driven by the notion that women should be the first to make the move. I was fortunate to be invited by my friend and PR guru Suzanne Droese to join her and fashion entrepreneur/ influencer Tina Craig in NYC to celebrate Herd's launch of Bumble Bizz, with a party at The Grill (the former Four Seasons Restaurant) co-hosted by the equally dynamic Priyanka Chopra, Kate Hudson, and Karlie Kloss. It was an evening I won't soon forget — I flew back from New York more energized and proud than ever to be a woman. We also spotlight a rather precocious child, the inimitable Stella Wrubel, daughter of DJ Lucy Wrubel and photographer Steve Wrubel. (Her mom, Lucy, is another kick-ass lady whom I admire tremendously.) Stella got the idea years ago, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, to raise money for charity by selling mistletoe during the holidays. Today, Stella continues her tradition, with the help of her friends, raising thousands of dollars for the North Texas Food Bank. Given her ripe age of 12 years old, I can only imagine a bright future when the Stellas of the world are running things. On the home front, PaperCity editor at large Max Trowbridge opens the doors to her modernist abode, giving us a glimpse into her well-appointed personal world, filled with art and objects that are quintessentially Max — smart, fashionable, precise, beautiful, and the tiniest bit whimsical. Contributing editor Billy Fong (a dear friend and confidant to the city's most dynamic gals) profiles one of Dallas' most admired designers, Emily Summers, for this month's She's The Bomb column. During a recent luncheon, I had the pleasure of sitting next to Emily's daughter, Caroline Summers, a top-producing real estate agent with Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty. (Caroline helped encourage her mother to participate in the column, even aiding in the photo selection.) Over a bite at Cafe Pacific, it made my heart sing to talk to Caroline about her relationship with and admiration for her mother. After all, that's where our inherent strength as women comes from — those beautiful, complex mother-daughter bonds. And, finally, we catch up with one of the most glamorous grande dames we've ever met: Llinda Llee Llama, the A-list llama who first checked into the Statler Hilton for a Neiman Marcus Fortnight more than 50 years ago. She was dubbed a Hollywood Llama back then, touring the world, making frequent film cameos and party appearances. Still, she's glamorous as ever — a true lady to admire. Christina Geyer Dallas Editor in Chief christina@papercitymag.com