Photographed by Peter Lindbergh1/11Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Dig silver, not gold; iron-ore red, not ironic disco neons.
Diane von Furstenberg rust stretch-silk draped blouse, $245; DVF, NYC. Saundra Messinger necklaces.
Fashion Editor: Tonne Goodman.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh2/11American Beauty
Model Arizona Muse, a child of the Southwest, blooms in the desert like a cactus in the coyote wilderness.
Ralph Lauren Collection suede shawl-collar dress, $4,998; Ralph Lauren Collection, NYC. Lanvin harness with brass buckle. Donna Karan New York sandals.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh3/11This Land Is Your Land
Bare-earth neutrals are a breath of fresh air: bone-white, tan, sand, khaki, camel.
Hermès suede blazer; Hèrmes stores. Carolina Herrera cotton poplin shirt ($690) and woven tea-length skirt ($1,990); Carolina Herrera boutiques. Ralph Lauren Collection belt. Reed Krakoff flats.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh4/11Go West
Parisian fashion carries the perfume of the salon—but American style blows in from the great outdoors. As Georgia O’Keeffe painted abstracts of her plain New Mexico adobe home, Narciso Rodriguez cuts oxblood linen into simple, architectural shapes.
Dress, $2,245; net-a-porter.com. Alexander Wang sandals.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh5/11Fortunate Son
Casual is the American mode. We never stand on ceremony, whether wearing a careless cardigan over a luxe party skirt or letting a post-nap baby (Nikko, Arizona’s son) be both seen and heard.
Oscar de la Renta silk cardigan ($1,190) and leather embroidered skirt ($4,290); Oscar de la Renta boutiques. Saundra Messinger necklace worn as a bracelet.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh6/11Great Plains
Minimalism the nineties way was city-centric and black-obsessed. The new simplicity is brighter, more sporting—as practical as a plein-air painter’s smock.
Céline cotton shirt ($1,000) and leather skirt with tie detail ($3,600); Shirt at A’Maree’s, Newport Beach CA, and skirt at Saks Fifth Avenue stores. Jutta Neumann New York sandals.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh7/11High Noon
Chic in the most common-sense way, stellar daywear like this can be worn for both a business meeting and a sunny Saturday brunch.
Marc Jacobs earth-tone print canvas trench ($980) and leather A-line skirt ($1,700); Marc Jacobs, NYC. Michael Kors leather sandals.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh8/11Spaghetti Western
The home-on-the-range look is a perennially successful American export, as Europeans continue to be fascinated by cowboys and Indians—and their rough-riding gear.
Salvatore Ferragamo suede shirt, $3,990; Salvatore Ferragamo boutiques. Saundra Messinger earrings.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh9/11O Pioneers!
The cross-continental push of settlers forever shaped the American psyche—and Americans’ straight-shooting sense of style.
Michael Kors takes saddle-colored leather and cuts it into a classic American shirtdress, $4,595; select Michael Kors stores. Slane & Slane bracelet.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh10/11'Tis The Gift To Be Simple
’Tis the gift to be free. Modernity, almost by definition, means clothing that’s easy to get into and no-nonsense to wear. And that’s the core value of the American fashion tradition.
Calvin Klein Collection tie-front plunge-neck silk-crepe dress, $4,795; Calvin Klein Collection, NYC.
Photographed by Peter Lindbergh11/11Blue Horizons
Under the endless skyway, a sweep of hard-wearing black canvas is reimagined into a dramatic, glamorous Madame X dress.
Tommy Hilfiger cotton cutout evening dress, $798; Tommy Hilfiger, NYC. Ralph Lauren Collection belt. Slane & Slane cuff.
In this story: hair, Odile Gilbert for Exposure NY; makeup, Stéphane Marais. Produced on location by Ricardo D. Martins for North Six; set design, Colin Donahue.
