We are tethered to our lives and to each other by stories, those slender causal threads that keep us tautly anchored, secure in our assumptions and aspirations. We (mostly) wake, get dressed, comb our hair, go to work, and respect the rules and laws of family and country. It all makes sense . . . until one day, by an act of fate or will, it just doesn’t. What happens when those tales no longer seem binding? How can we, for better or worse, change the narrative?

This portfolio is dedicated to American women who have done just that: arisen one morning and made a significant change in their lives or the lives of others. Captured by a dozen of our favorite photographers and directors, it is an exploration of the meaning of “transformation” in every sense, from the superficial to the profound. Some of the subjects profiled here have seen their lives enriched by joyous additions (see This Is 40—And Pregnant); others have confronted brutal, unwarranted reversals with ferocious perseverance (see Puerto Rico Se Transforma). There are those who, upon finding themselves at the center of a storm, were forced to forge a new path forward (see In the Eye of the Storm). There are women you may think you know well (see Demi Lovato) and those you will be glad to have met (see The Hair Queens of Chicago).

We don’t believe that change is always good. That said, growth is always interesting, surprising, and meaningful. We celebrate these women and their boundless courage. Prepare to be inspired.