The divine French actress Léa Seydoux is the face of The Gentlewoman’s eighth issue for autumn and winter 2013. Inside, the 28-year-old star of this year’s Palme d’Or-winning Blue Is the Warmest Colour discusses how she managed to cross the famously impervious Euro-Hollywood divide. Léa appears alongside 24 other wonderful women: phenomenal businesswoman Martha Stewart; accessories design genius Katie Hillier; fashion’s greatest dancer Pat Cleveland; the exceptional portrait painter Elizabeth Peyton and phenomenal models Hilary Rhoda and Stella Tennant are just six of them. This edition of the magazine also proffers a variety of personal style uniforms for autumn – from strict skirt-sweater options to one-dress-suits-all solutions. Meanwhile, the current state of the Scottish textile industry and the politics of peeing in public are examined in fascinating essays. All in, it’s a substantial, grown-up issue with intriguing images and frank opinions on every one of its 304 pages.

The Gentlewoman celebrates modern women of style and purpose. Its fabulous biannual magazine offers a fresh and intelligent perspective on fashion that’s focused on personal style – the way women actually look, think and dress. Featuring ambitious journalism and photography of the highest quality, it showcases inspirational women through its distinctive combination of glamour, personality and warmth. These qualities are also at the heart of its website, thegentlewoman.com, a virtual place where real women, real events and real things are enjoyed.