Publisher's Notes Winter 2000

Ride to Eternity in Style

I bought a postcard that reads, "Fashion can be bought, style is possessed." In years past I ran across fashion designer
Yves St. Laurent's quote that reads, "Fashions fade, style is eternal." Another notable quote regarding style I like was stated by Evelyn Waugh. It reads, "Properly understood style is not a seductive decoration added to a functional structure; it is the essence of the work of art." And though the interpretation of art is largely subjective, it is the "original," one-of_a- kind or uniquenesses of character that gives something or someone style.

Style is a rare element that few possess. In truth, every headline, sentence or caption that has the word "style" in it, draws me in like a magnet, not only because it is what we've named this magazine - TellurideStyle - but because it stamps the original essence or temperament of the person, place or thing at hand. (I like real and original things.) In essence, those who have style, whether it be in creating art, acting in a movie, competing in an athletic event, producing a festival, skiing, running a business or being a good parent or friend, are those who have tapped into the inner recesses of their spirits and let the "good things" roll-out and paint their demeanors on this canvas of life.

Style is built on confidence and confidence is most often achieved through knowledge, experience and a lot of love and care that accentuates particular attributes. It's a composite of a myriad of elements that create a robust, zestful or special aura. Engendering a "special and comfortable atmosphere" that touches and relates to many is what creates flair; and with that belies the quintessential aspect of Telluride, Colorado's, undaunting style. You could strip Telluride naked of all the new cosmetically aesthetic storefronts and grand edifices; Mother Nature could enact blasphemy by dumping unfathomable amounts of snow, wind and ice on Telluride and the San Juans®; a poor economy could destroy and displace many locals and businesses; and still Telluride's style would endure. It would endure because her core-roots are firmly planted in the unprecedented and unsurpassed setting in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado - the mark of her inner beauty.

Telluride's main draw is that it is a Venus on the face of this earth. She's an apogee, or pinnacle crowning point at which the earth and heavens merge. She's a culminating apex by which nature's most life-sustaining substance - water - begins trickling, then plummeting from Bridal Veil Falls, forming the headwaters of the San Miguel River which ultimately makes its way to the ocean waters. Telluride, from the get-go, is a zenith with natural amulets that can seduce all your senses.

Today, upon Telluride's luxuriously endowed landscape, a traveler will find alluring amenities, activity packages, incredible skiing, vast dining, shopping opportunities and entertainment events that will entice and enthrall. Though Telluride has long been known for her quaint Victorian charms, she has come of age; she is now a four-season, five-starish resort town, that won't forget who and what made her what she is today. Telluride's past is woven into her presence and she's respectful of the trailblazers who put their lives and limbs on the line to help concoct a wonderful spirit of individuality Telluride can only call its own. Her lifeblood is the spirit of the Ute Indians, miners, 1970s crowd, who came here prior to the ski resort opening, and the locals who defend, protect and even recreate upon her. Her atmosphere is one that relishes and promotes the power, heart and soul of each person. She embraces others' uniquenesses and styles as well as her own.

We, at Bush & Associates, hope you enjoy Telluride's treasure chest of original places-to-go and things-to-do. We hope you'll find Telluride's style as genuine and fantastic as we have over the last 15 years.