AGENDA announces the release of its landmark ‘Age of Power’ Collector’s Issue #4, a masterfully curated print edition exploring the evolution of influence across fashion, culture, legacy, and visionary leadership. Edited and published by Kaylene Peoples, a multi-award-winning creative known across music, publishing, and visual/editorial arts, and founder of KL Publishing Group, the issue represents her latest large-scale editorial achievement, continuing the legacy of AGENDA’s landmark editions including Issue 8 “Savage Beauty,” Issue 15 “A Mid-Summer’s Dream,” Collector’s Issue #3 “Changemakers,” and Special Edition #3 “Untraditional Bride.” Peoples was recently named among MSN’s “Top Ten Trailblazing Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2025” (Microsoft), further solidifying her position as a leader in modern media (Link).
“The Age of Power issue reflects not simply triumph or status, but the silent authority that comes from perseverance, integrity, and vision,” says Kaylene Peoples. “It is a study of creators and changemakers who did not merely rise to prominence—they defined it. This issue was built to last.” – Kaylene Peoples
The cover story, ‘Age of Power,’ is authored by Shahada Karim, AGENDA’s Beauty Editor, whose narrative direction establishes the issue’s central perspective, focusing on women over 40 who sustain high markers of health through evidence-based nutrition and consistent fitness practices. The oldest participant providing testimony is in her late 60s and in the best physical condition of her life. The stars of this feature include Shahada Karim, Marie Kazadi, Marcia Burke, Marla Adelman, Synovia Jones, and Jackie Benavente, wearing Kevan Hall gowns and Karim’s athleticwear line, Habibi Sport. Shahada Karim also writes an exclusive product review of HIKOTA, a breakthrough Japanese skincare formulation known for bio-stabilization technology and cellular renewal performance.
“Movement is essential. Nourish the body, stay active, and let the natural release of endorphins guide clarity and purpose. Your body is a gift—don’t take it for granted.” — Shahada Karim
Interviewed by Sheryl Aronson, Walk of Fame inductee Lisa Lu (THE JOY LUCK CLUB, CRAZY RICH ASIANS) reflects on her early career, including her breakout performance opposite James Stewart, and on becoming one of the first Asian actresses to secure leading roles in Hollywood. Across her seven-decade career, she has helped open doors for future generations, using her artistry to advocate for visibility and representation on screen.
“Today, at 98 years old, I embrace the star as a testament to resilience and perseverance. I am deeply honored to stand in support of the next generation of rising Asian actors, whose paths I hope will shine even brighter.” — Lisa Lu
The 2025 Collector’s Issue honors visionaries who transformed fashion through conviction, craftsmanship, and cultural influence. The closing Fashion Archives feature, “A Tribute to the Masters We Lost,” reflects on the legacies of Alber Elbaz, Thierry Mugler, Virgil Abloh, Issey Miyake, Valentin Yudashkin, Roberto Cavalli, Vivienne Westwood, and, finally, Giorgio Armani, whose quiet power and continuing refinement conclude the issue. Kevan Hall appears in an in-depth feature with an exclusive preview of his 2026 Look Book, Bloom, with full fashion reviews included inside the issue. “What unites Bloom is Hall’s unwavering control over detail and proportion. From racer dresses to embroidered gowns, every piece holds its own authority, each one infused with Mediterranean softness yet rooted in disciplined construction.” —AGENDA
The Collector’s Issue also includes an editorial review of celebrity designer and former Project Runway alum EPPERSON, whose Spring/Summer 2026 presentation, ‘The Romance of Self,’ was shown. “Harlem designer EPPERSON frames romance as self-love in his Spring/Summer 2026 collection—a poetic statement of resilience, rooted in community and rendered with ruffles, tiers, and ease.”
Additional features include Kaylene Peoples’ Fashion Talk essays, “Anna Wintour: The End of an Era” and “Silver Foxes: A New Aesthetic — Seniors Ruling the Runway,” which examine how maturity, wisdom, and presence are reclaiming the fashion conversation. These pieces explore aging not as limitation but as cultural leverage, redefining visibility and authority on the runway and beyond. The issue also highlights the influence of fashion icons Iris Apfel and Lyn Slater (Accidental Icon), whose careers exemplify longevity, independence, and style without compromise.
Additional highlights feature Ty-Ron Mayes, Fashion Whisperer columnist and Fashion Editor, whose “STYLE EVOLUTION – From Runway to Real Life” examines fashion’s transition from spectacle to personal expression. His editorial direction includes the feature on supermodel and entrepreneur Lana Ogilvie, photographed by Ezequiel de la Rosa, reflecting the evolution of influence from runway to enterprise—an embodiment of power in motion. The section is further supported by AGENDA’s Haute Off the Rack, as well as John Mayes’s photography exhibition UP CLOSE!, which explores identity through proximity, revealing how image shifts when seen without distance or pretense.
AGENDA welcomes back acclaimed photographer Arun Nevader (former live event photographer and Managing Editor of AGENDA 2007–2015), whose runway work continues to define the pacing and visual strength of fashion coverage across multiple seasons. His photography spans Paris, New York, and Vancouver Fashion Weeks, capturing collections with precision and editorial clarity. Recent highlights include mature model Erin Leigh at Paris Fashion Week walking for Sheng Tang Peony, Patrycja Plesiak, Sabokbar, and The Toé (Maison des Métallos, Paris; photography by Arun Nevader/Getty Images, September 25–26, 2024). Coverage extends to New York Fashion Week Powered by Art Hearts Fashion at The Angel Orensanz Foundation (February 6, 2025), featuring Electric Circus NYC, Bad Sisters, Mr. Triple X, Haus of Harleen, and Matilda Couture, alongside Carlos Pineda, Maribel Julcahuanca, Diana Couture, and Pia Bolte. Also featured is Chandra V’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, Spring Blooms, photographed by Nevader at Vancouver Fashion Week. Each show is presented with full fashion analysis and designer reviews.
Curated by Debbie Lee, the Black Design Collective features include the Upcycle Denim Project 2025—presented at Art Hearts Fashion Los Angeles Spring/Summer 2026—which proved that discarded denim could become a canvas for both artistry and activism. With each stitch, pleat, and patchwork detail, designers transformed pre-loved denim into couture-level garments that tell stories of resilience, culture, and sustainability. “This project isn’t just about fashion,” says TJ Walker. “It’s about reimagining what we already have… creating beauty while honoring the craft.”
Kutula, a standout of the Collective, has dressed politicians, musicians, actors, and families and found its way onto the biggest stage in Hollywood: Marvel’s BLACK PANTHER. Yet for all the sparkle of red carpets and film premieres, Kutula’s heartbeat has always been the same. It is about family. It is about honoring roots. And it is about showing the world what Black excellence looks like when translated through fabric. This interview is insightful and deeply resonant as fans mourned the passing of Chadwick Boseman. “Fashion is not just fabric; it’s culture, identity, memory,” Myumbo said. “Chadwick helped change the imagery of what Black excellence looks like on screen. We’re proud to have played even a small part in that.”
“For Kim Novak’s appearance at the 81st Venice International Film Festival, where she received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, she wore a Kevan Hall matte jersey gown with hand-painted silk organza accents by artist Ellen Forbes. The silhouette and palette reflected the season’s quiet drama,” Hall noted. “Every moment with Kim was a story.”
As discussed in the issue, Novak has spoken of turning to art not as departure, but as survival. Critics note the unguarded honesty of her work . . . so unlike the perfected screen persona of her youth. Following the loss of her husband, Robert Malloy, in 2020, she reflected, “I didn’t want to be Kim Novak, movie star. I wanted to be Kim Novak, alive.” The issue also includes artistic features on Susan Steinbarth (clay and mosaics) and Meryl Toan (oil painting), alongside a career retrospective and an interview with business leader and runway model Dr. Cindy Banton. A special exploration into generational identity is revealed through the Family Search interview.
Also featured is Wise Remedies, authored by Melanie Wise. In “Lost Anatomy: Rediscovering the Body Beyond the Visible,” Wise examines how modern medicine has increasingly disconnected from the body’s natural intelligence, referencing a time when healing was rooted in energy, balance, and generational knowledge. She notes that for centuries, practitioners of traditional herbal medicine, homeopathy, and faith or energy-based healing achieved proven results by understanding the body beyond its physical form. “Long before clinical diagnostics, true healing came from recognizing the body’s innate wisdom and treating the unseen as carefully as the visible,” says Wise.
The ‘Books to Film’ column by Zac Baldwin, examines adaptations that continue to shape cinematic culture, ranging from GONE WITH THE WIND to JAMES BOND, exploring what worked and what didn’t, unknown facts about the conversions, and great reviews of the successful books-to-movies that we all love.
Another highlight features Michael Feinstein, interviewed by Sheryl Aronson, Arting Around, who discusses his approach to songwriting and production, particularly in GERSHWIN COUNTRY. In the album, he revisits the music of George and Ira Gershwin through the voices of country artists such as Dolly Parton, Alison Krauss, Brad Paisley, and Rosanne Cash. The result is not nostalgia, but transformation.
Printed in full bleed, the 200+ page volume sets a new benchmark for independent luxury press. Every spread is designed with archival standards, with a hardcover edition in development for extended distribution. More than a milestone in independent publishing, this issue holds personal significance. The Collector’s Issue also serves as a tribute to Lee L. Peoples (1940–2025), founding Executive Editor at KL Publishing Group, whose editorial structure helped shape the magazine since its transition to print in 2014. Her legacy remains permanently inscribed on the masthead.
“This issue is deeply important to me. My mother, Lee, co-founded both AGENDA and KL Publishing Group. She helped shape this magazine from the very beginning: first as copy editor, proofreader, book reviewer, and writer of the ‘Syntax Me!’ column, and later as a consultant offering invaluable guidance. Though I am deeply saddened by her passing, I’m comforted, knowing her influence lives on in every page. AGENDA would not be what it is today without her.” — Kaylene Peoples
Available now through Amazon worldwide and select retailers, the ‘Age of Power’ Collector’s Issue #4 maintains uncompromising production standards, with a hardcover adaptation currently in development.
“Power begins with meaning. Use language with purpose; speak clearly, think precisely, and let every word carry intent.” — Lee Peoples, Co-Founder of AGENDA
EDITORIAL TEAM & CONTRIBUTORS
• Kaylene Peoples – Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Creative Director, & Senior Fashion Editor & Writer
• Lee L. Peoples (1940–2025) – Co-Founder & Executive Editor
• First Take PR Photography – Front Cover Art Design and Graphics
• Ezequiel de la Rosa, Photographer – Back Cover
• Ash Gupta (Joel Wicecarver Asst.)– Lead Photographer, “Age of Power” Feature
• Shahada Karim – Journalist, Cover Story Author & Beauty Editor
• Ty-Ron Mayes – Columnist & Fashion Editor
• Arun Nevader – Runway Photography Lead
• Debbie Lee – Curator, Black Design Collective Feature
• Melanie Wise – Wellness & Cultural Contributor
• Sheryl Aronson – Columnist & Interviewer
• Zac Baldwin – Literary & Film Review Columnist
The late Lee L. Peoples, co-founder of both AGENDA and KL Publishing Group, consulted on this issue and remained a vital guiding force until her passing.
ABOUT:
KL Publishing Group, founded by multi-award-winning composer, publisher, and creative visionary Kaylene Peoples, is the parent company of AGENDA magazine, VIRTUOSO BASS, SCHMOOZE JAZZ, THE PERFORMING ARTIST, and JAZZ INFLUENCERS. As one of the first independent publishers to successfully deploy full-bleed print capabilities on Amazon, KLPG continues to redefine media innovation across fashion, culture, and music with over 22 titles in development. Peoples was named among MSN’s “Top Ten Trailblazing Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2025.”
Release written by: First Take PR
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