In her first three years in Congress, @RepKatiePorter has leveled corporate titans and tussled with Republicans and members of her own party alike. She—and her whiteboard—are just getting started. vntyfr.com/WpPnUJ9
Porter, relatively unknown on the national scale when she flipped the 45th, was initially discouraged by the many protocols (official and otherwise) she faced in D.C.
But Porter’s ascent to congressional prominence was anything but certain—or even expected. “I wanted to teach,” she tells V.F., “because teachers changed my life.”
Christian Siriano knows the future of fashion is inclusive, diverse, and, of course, glamourous. The return of red carpets—and Project Runway—proves he's always ahead of the curve. vntyfr.com/RMirRgY
From the start, Siriano's goal was always to make his runways as diverse as possible: “People just didn't realize until later. They're like, ‘Wow, you have so many Black models on the runway.’ I'm like, ‘No, I always have. It's not a new thing.’” vntyfr.com/spRgBT1
Siriano and his team faced a new set of challenges amid COVID-19. In response, he began producing masks—and has shipped nearly two million to date. Still, he feels bigger fashion houses could be doing more—especially regarding racial inequities:
Nothing anchors a time quite like style. For V.F.’s September issue, @LeahFayeC enlisted stylists, critics, and other fashionable friends to look back on the trends that defined the turn of the century: vntyfr.com/AleGSQR
Stylist and designer @MisaHylton reveals @MissyElliott gave her the idea for the jumpsuit @LilKim wore to the 1999 VMAs. “It was such a liberating moment for women,” adds @JuneAmbrose. “It was a Gloria Steinem moment.”
From Britney and Justin to Björk, @RobinGivhan points out that “so-called good style” was no longer the ultimate goal. “The ultimate goal was about being memorable.”
Over the last four years, Florida reshaped the conservative vision of America—but even before Trump, the state transformed the modern right with the frenzied battle over hanging chads in the 2000 election and the ensuing media spectacle. vntyfr.com/DCmFW5i
During his presidency, Trump turned the state into the de facto homeland of the GOP, surrounded by Floridian allies: Congressman Matt Gaetz; Palm Beach-based Laura Ingraham; Boca Grande–based Tucker Carlson, among others.
The pecking order in Palm Beach is defined by loyalty to Trump—or at least public silence on the matter. Those who dare to defy—like Ann Coulter and philanthropist Lois Pope—are swiftly iced out by friends and neighbors. vntyfr.com/aFDkzNf
Jeffrey Epstein’s life was shrouded in mystery, but the source of his wealth—and his power—might be the greatest mystery of all. His relationship with the billionaire retail magnate Leslie Wexner could be the key to unlocking the truth. vntyfr.com/WiPJaKG
Until recently, Epstein’s only publicly named client was Wexner, the founder and CEO of the women’s apparel retailer The Limited, whose global retail empire expanded to include Abercrombie & Fitch, Victoria’s Secret, and Bath & Body Works. vntyfr.com/gc7yiCV
Jeffrey Epstein built his vast sex-trafficking ring throughout the ’90s and early aughts—the same time he worked closely with Wexner. But after Epstein's 2008 conviction, including on a count of soliciting a minor for prostitution, Wexner refused to discuss him.
Bill and Melinda Gates’s divorce instantly became the stuff of tabloid legend—but as rumors of affairs and private investigators start to surface, simple speculation begins to crystalize into a narrative. vntyfr.com/LBxQOcG
According to two people familiar with the situation, someone in Melinda’s circle worked with a private investigator leading up to filing. A spokesperson for Melinda, however, called the claim "completely false.”
While Microsoft has yet to comment on the news, it might get harder to avoid the reports of Bill’s conduct, especially with stories involving inappropriate workplace behavior and NDAs.
Throughout 2020, the theory that COVID-19 leaked from a lab was off-limits, scorned by experts and tainted by Donald Trump’s xenophobia.
But those who dared to fight for transparency say toxic politics and hidden agendas kept us in the dark. vntyfr.com/gNKxaCp
In 2017, a U.S. government moratorium on funding for gain-of-function research—experiments meant to make pathogens more infectious—was lifted. The Wuhan Institute of Virology has received U.S. grant money via an intermediary.
By late 2020, a small group within the State Department was investigating the WIV. Classified intelligence suggested that several researchers conducting gain-of-function experiments on coronavirus samples had fallen ill the autumn before the outbreak was known to have started.