May 2O19 £ 4 .

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The issue

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9 770269 259266

ON THE NEWSSTAND
AND SUBSCRIBER’S COVERS
Jodie Comer wears: dress, socks,
shoes and headband, all Prada.
PHOTOGRAPHS: Mariana
Maltoni. STYLING: Jenny
Kennedy. HAIR: Nao Kawakami
at Saint Luke using R+Co.
MAKE-UP: Celia Burton
at JAQ Management using
Dior Backstage and Dior
Photograph: Mariana Maltoni
Capture Youth. NAILS:
Chisato Yamamoto using
Nars Cosmetics.
ON THE COLLECTOR’S
EDITION COVER
Karl Lagerfeld portrait
by Gill Button
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
C O N T E N T S May 2O19
EDITOR’S LETTER
Anne-Marie Curtis on why
she couldn’t live without
her female friends
THE MOOD:
THELMA AND LOUISE
We’re channelling the on-the-road
style of this iconic duo
1O THINGS
In honour of Earth Day, here’s
your cultural round-up of how
to make a positive impact
STAR STYLE
What’s in the cosmos for your
life and style this month
LOVE LETTER ZOOM: GEOMETRY
The creative director of Sonia LESSONS
Rykiel writes about her mother The key pieces for spring
are anything but ordinary
– get ready for these
shapely accessories
THE KINGDOM OF KARL
A tribute to a true fashion great:
exploring the impact Karl MARKETPL ACE
Lagerfeld had on the industry Safari, surfer or modern-day
punk – three trends, endless
THE NEWS ways to style them
Your monthly fashion update,
featuring statement jackets and
the return of the headband
THE ELLE EDIT:
IN THE PINK
Our pick of the best pieces to
channel the colour of the season
19

ZAWE ASHTON
We meet the actor, director and
writer to find out what’s next
ELLE READS
Our literary editor picks the
books to read this month
THE CONVERSATION:
FIND YOUR
CHEERLEADER
How we can encourage greater
social mobility in the creative
industries – and beyond
C O N T E N T S May 2O19
2O
HAVE YOU MET
MY GIRL FRIENDS?
One writer takes on the
age-old question of whether
men and women really can
be ‘just friends’
ROXANE GAY
Writer, feminist – and
now agony aunt. Here, she
answers some poignant
question posed by some
equally brilliant women
ON… LIKEABILITY
Elizabeth Day explores
the idea that being less
agreeable can actually make
people like you more
A CLASH ACT
Forget rules – SS19 style is
all about mixing things up
SISTER, SISTER
What is sisterhood? And
what does it mean today?
ELLE meets the women
whose bonds are unbreakable
JODIE COMER
The actor and star of
hit TV show Killing Eve
talks with its creator
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
about friendship, fashion
and the roles she’s played
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
TO HAVE AND
TO HOLD
Ethereal, elegant dresses
that will have you dreaming
of summer escapes
PRETTY IN PUNK
Ladylike? Yes. Prim? Not
so much – spring’s take on
feminine is seriously bold
DRAW THE LINE
The SS19 approach to eyeliner:
anything goes. So choose your
tool, be inspired by these looks
and get creative
NEVER HAVE I EVER…
Team ELLE road-tests the
more extreme beauty treatments
they’ve always wanted to try
– with some surprising results
MOOD BOARD
The hottest new product
releases in hair, make-up,
skincare and fragrance
BEAUTY ZOOM
This month, we’re going
starry-eyed for nail art
SOPHIE SAYS
Our beauty director (and fellow
glasses-wearer) talks through
how to make your make-up pop
– even through your lenses
THE SHELFIE:
BEAUTY & THE BEIGE
Creamy, dreamy tonal shades to
flatter any skin tone (and look
great on any shelf)
WELLNESS NEWS
Up your running game with the
kit, clubs and podcasts to get you
through your workout
AFRICA RISING
Gorillas, wilderness, history
and an inspiring culture –
ELLE travels to Rwanda
MEET ME IN…
…Jade Mountain – an
idyllic hilltop hideaway on the
Caribbean island of St Lucia
Photograph: Mariana Maltoni

Sometimes a particular film or television
programme comes along that encapsulates
the mood of that time so perfectly, it resonates
far beyond simple entertainment. Killing Eve
was exactly that. Given that it was penned by
the brilliant Phoebe Waller-Bridge and starred
the inspirational Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer,
it’s fair to say it had ‘hit show’ written all over it
from the get-go. But there was something extra-
special about Jodie’s portrayal of a contract
killer, which catapulted her
from rising star to one of the
most talked-about young
actors working today.
What made Killing Eve
resonate was the friendship
the three women forged
while making the show – so
when it came to choosing
the cover star for our second
Modern Love Issue, which
this year we’ve devoted to
sisterhood, asking Jodie was
a no-brainer. And who better to interview her
than Phoebe herself? Together, they symbolise
what sisterhood means today. As Jodie puts
it, ‘To be on set, not just with these women but
women in particular… it’s just special.’
Photograph: Kai Z Feng
So, why devote an issue to sisterhood? The
friendships and alliances I have formed with
other women over the years, whether that be
in my personal life or in the workplace, have
been key to my happiness, fulfilment and ability
E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
“EVERY WOMAN’S
SUCCESS should
BE an INSPIRATION
TO ANOTHER”
to navigate life’s often unpredictable journey.
I would not be where I am today without the
women who mentored me; who were there
when I needed advice or a shoulder to cry
on, and – crucially – those I could laugh with
(and share a vodka with). The power and
possibility generated when women lift one
another up is at the heart of what ELLE stands for.
On p8O you will find The Conversation
– a series of incredible personal essays from
the likes of novelist Jessica
Andrews, whose moving
piece made me cry when
I first read it, as well as
Leticia Sandoval-Solyom,
a 16-year-old student at
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
School (which was famously
visited by Michelle Obama),
and Tara O’Reilly, who
recently won the Trailblazer
accolade at the Young
Women’s Trust Awards,
which we were proud to be media partners of.
Continuing in the spirit of championing
brilliant women, I love Lena de Casparis’
interview with actor Zawe Ashton on p74.
Zawe spoke about her experience in the
entertainment industry at ELLE Weekender
last year, and was bold, brave and super-
smart. Now she has published a memoir
and is appearing in her highest-profile
role to date, in the Netflix satirical thriller
E L L E Editor’s Letter
– Serena Williams
Velvet Buzzsaw. Over a glass of wine, they
talk about body image, empowerment and
subversive fashion. It’s a must-read.
On the fashion front, we’ve created a
brilliant sisterhood portfolio, which is both
beautiful and inspiring. The shot of sisters Ikram
and Najma Abdi Omar on p1OO is one of
my favourite images we have ever run in the
magazine. We also travelled to Lanzarote
with iconic ELLE photographer Gilles Bensimon
to shoot a sisterhood-inspired fashion story
(p126). I’ve known Gilles for over a decade –
he is one of those people who always makes
me feel better with his wry, clever take on
life, twinkly blue eyes and a sense that you
are in the presence of a true artist.
At the front of the book, meanwhile, you
will find our deputy editor Kenya Hunt’s
moving tribute to Karl Lagerfeld (p38), whose
passing in February marked the true end
of an era in fashion. As creative director of
Chanel and Fendi since 1983 and 1965
respectively, he was a true icon, whose
influence is impossible to overstate. I count
myself very lucky to have met Karl personally
and worked with him during my career. He was
extraordinary in every way and the fashion
world will be a very different place without him.
On that note, I hope you find the issue
as uplifting, inspiring and as fun as we have
found putting it together.
27
 Editor-in-Chief Acting Managing Director
ANNE- MARIE CURTIS JACQUELINE EUWE

Creative Director TOM MEREDITH Managing Director, Beauty JACQUELINE CAVE

Deputy Editor KENYA HUNT Acting Associate Publisher SHARON DAVIES - RIDGEWAY
Acting Deputy Editor ALICE- A ZANIA JARVIS Managing Director Men’s Lifestyle, Health & Fitness ALUN WILLIAMS
Editor-in-Chief’s PA/Editorial Assistant SUZI REZLER Head of Fashion & Luxury LEE BROWN, MILES DUNBAR
with special thanks to SACHA DUBREUIL Fashion & Luxury Account Executive ROSIE CAVE
Watches & Jewellery Director ANNA O’SULLIVAN
FASHION
Watches & Jewellery Manager OLIVIA HORROCKS - BURNS
Acting Fashion Director CAT CALLENDER
Director of Automotive JIM CHAUDRY
Executive Fashion Director KIRST Y DALE
Client Direct Director EMMA BARNES
Fashion Features Editor SAR A MCALPINE
Director of Travel DENISE DEGROOT
Fashion Editor FELICIT Y K AY
Director of Personal Finance PETE CAMMIDGE
Accessories Editor MOLLY HAYLOR
Head of Beauty STEVEN MILES
Fashion Assistants CLEMMIE BROWN, LULU COOPER
Group Agency Director SAR AH TSIRK AS
Fashion Features Assistant HIKMAT MOHAMMED
Head of Luxury, Agency LEE BAILEY, CHARLOT TE HOLL ANDS
Fashion Interns JULIA HARVEY, PETER BEVAN Regional Director DANIELLE SEWELL
Bookings Assistant CLIO COOPER
Business Management LUCY PORTER, JESSICA OWEN
with special thanks to MARINA ANSELL
Head of Classified LEE RIMMER
FEATURES Head of Project Management HAYLEY JACKSON
Associate Editor/Culture Director LENA DE CASPARIS
HEARST MAGA ZINES UK
Features Director HANNAH NATHANSON
President and CEO JAMES WILDMAN
Travel & Lifestyle Director SUSAN WARD DAVIES
Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer CL AIRE BLUNT
Features Assistant BECK Y BURGUM
Chief Strateg y Officer ROBERT FFITCH
ART Chief Agency Officer JANE WOLFSON
Art Director ALBY BAILEY Chief Operations Director CL ARE GORMAN
Art Editor JO BELL Chief People Officer SURINDER SIMMONS
Designer SONIA RUPR AH Executive Editor of Digital Strateg y BETSY FAST
Picture Director CL ARE PENNINGTON Director, PR & Communications EFFIE K ANYUA
Picture Assistant JAMEEL A ELFAKI Director, Hearst Live VICTORIA ARCHBOLD
Managing Director, Hearst Brand Services JUDITH SECOMBE
BEAUT Y Marketing & Circulation Director REID HOLL AND
Beauty Director SOPHIE BERESINER Head of Consumer Sales & Marketing JAMES HILL
Beauty Editor JENNIFER GEORGE Head of Subscription Marketing JUSTINE BOUCHER
Beauty Assistant CHARLOT TE BITMEAD Head of Marketing Promotions AOIBHEANN FOLEY
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Group Managing Editor CONNIE OSBORNE Senior Vice President/Editorial and Brand Director KIM ST CL AIR BODDEN
Finance Business Partner, ELLE STACEY TOMLIN
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Contributing Fashion Editors ANNE CHRISTENSEN, GILLIAN WILKINS, ellearoundtheworld.com
SOL ANGE FR ANKLIN, JOANNA SCHLENZK A , JENNY KENNEDY Chairman & CEO Lagardère Active DENIS OLIVENNES
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 E L L E Guest List

THE IMAGE MAKER

VICTOR
DEMARCHELIER
Photographer Victor Demarchelier has been surrounded by
the fashion industry from a very young age; he spent much
of his childhood on set with his father, Patrick. But he says
he really fell in love with photography ‘as soon as I made
my first print in the darkroom’. Born and raised in New
York, Victor lives with his wife, Heloise, and daughter,
Alice, in Tribeca. He has photographed the likes of Jodie
THE WORDSMITH
Foster, Dakota Fanning and Lana Del Rey, yet ‘I enjoy
each project just as much’. See Victor’s work on page 14O
ELIZABETH DAY
The author and host of podcast How to
Fail with Elizabeth Day grew up in rural
Ireland with her sister, Catherine. When
they were kids, she says Catherine always
‘offered me a bite of her apple. I couldn’t
eat it – I barely had teeth, but it shows how
generous she was’. At university, Elizabeth
found another sister in her best friend
Emma: ‘She has the bonus of being
a psychotherapist, so whenever I need
the wisest (and professionally accredited)
advice, I call her.’ Elizabeth writes about
THE COMIC likeability on page 99

PHOEBE
WALLER-BRIDGE
Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-
Bridge isn’t just close with her older
sister, she works with her, too: Isobel
wrote the music for Fleabag, her other
Words: Hikmat Mohammed. Photographs: Claire Brand, Victor Demarchelier, Seth Hamilton, Getty Images

hit TV show. Phoebe made her acting

debut aged 23 at the Soho Theatre
in the play Roaring Trade. She has
gone on to roles in The Iron Lady, THE VOICE OF NOW
Goodbye Christopher Robin and Solo:
A Star Wars Story. Read her interview JESSICA
with Jodie Comer on page 114 ANDREWS
Author Jessica Andrews lives
in Barcelona with her flatmate,
Nuria and her two cats, Chai
and Tonka. She has written for
THE STYLE GURU The Independent and AnOther,
and co-runs literary and arts
MOLLY magazine The Grapevine. Her
HAYLOR debut novel Saltwater has
already been translated into
ELLE’s accessories editor Molly Haylor found her voice seven languages. She considers
aged eight, when she asked for a ‘Sense and Sensibility fancy her friends Miranda and Cat as
dress party’. She grew up between New York and London sisters: ‘T-Rex always make me
with her sister Darcy: ‘My parents thought it’d be nice to let think of Miranda, and south-east
me pick her middle name. Now we’re stuck with Rae, which London makes me think of Cat.’
I hated at the time.’ Molly started out as a fashion assistant at She writes about breaking social
ELLE, then she went on to US Vogue. See her work on page 53 barriers on page 81

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 31
E L L E The May Mood

R E A L L I V ES
Actors Geena Davis
and Susan Sarandon
are activists off-
screen, fighting for
marginalised groups

T H E LO O K
The characters’ muscle
tees and denim are
back on the SS19
runways, as seen at
Tibi and Louis Vuitton

T H I S M O N T H W E ’ R E C H A N N E L L I N G

THELMA & LOUISE

Words: Hikmat Mohammed. Photographs: Getty Images, Imaxtree

C O L L A G E b y PA T R I C K WA U G H

32 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 1 O T H I N G S

2.
TO DO THIS MONTH

WORDS by BECKY BURGUM

3.
1.
EAT After raising more
LISTEN The annual Fashion Question Time, this EXPLORE Top of our eco-retreat hit-list is the than £2O,OOO through
year held at the V&A, sees host Mary Creagh MP ask brand new The Pig at Bridge Place, Kent. As with Kickstarter, The Plant Hub
whether, six years after the Rana Plaza tragedy, the all Pigs, food will be grown organically on site or (a new plant-based space
fashion industry has become a better place for women sourced from within 25 miles, no plastic will be and culinary school in
to work. A podcast will be released following the used in the bars, and all glass, paper and plastic east London) is set to
event. Fashion Question Time at the V&A; 24 April will be recycled. Doubles from £145; thepig.com revolutionise the way we
see, eat and understand
SEE Sir David Attenborough is veggies. From smoothie
back with a new eight-part Netflix classes to afternoon-tea
series, Our Planet. Four years in the workshops (from as little
making, and filmed in 5O countries, as £1O), it aims to inspire
it explores the earth’s most precious true community, with
species and fragile habitats. Full seasonality and locality
series available from 5 April on Netflix at its heart. planthub.net

5.
INDULGE Forget
‘cloud nine’: Cloud
Twelve is the Notting
Hill spa, salon and
wellness clinic that
takes conscious living
seriously. Try guilt-free
pampering with its new
Lymphatic Rose Crystal
Facial, which cleanses,
6.
WEAR For each of its organic
lifts and tones as it cotton T-shirts sold, Claudie Pierlot
balances your mood. will donate €5 to the Keystone
cloudtwelve.co.uk Foundation, which trains women to
become green leaders in their
FLEX Why not help the community. #RiseUpWithClaudie

8.
planet while you get fit?
Kickboxing-inspired studio EXPERIENCE For Fashion
Flykick implores you to use Revolution Week, the Fairtrade
less plastic and water with fashion brand Know The Origin is
sassy signs calling you to hosting a pop-up to campaign for a
‘drink responsibly’ and try new standard of transparency in the
the ‘four-minute shower industry. Swap clothes with strangers
challenge’ (every minute or learn how to build openness into
= seven litres of water). your business – and feel empowered.
flykick.co.uk From 22 April; fashionrevolution.org

READ Weapons of Reason is the annual DRINK New research reveals that the UK
Photographs: Getty Images

graphic magazine making it easier (and consumes 14.1bn drinks bottles and more than
more visually appealing) to understand 4bn hot drink cups a year. To save our oceans,
complex global issues. While last year’s celebrities from Kate Moss to Cara Delevingne
edition focused on food consumption and

1O.
have joined forces with Sky Ocean Rescue to
the industry’s devastating environmental design a reusable limited-edition range to inspire
effects, the latest is on artificial intelligence. us to #PassOnPlastic. All proceeds will go to
Engrossing. weaponsofreason.com initiatives protecting ocean health. Cheers to that.

34 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 PORTRAIT by GILL BUTTON

EDITED by SARA McALPINE

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 37
 T H E S U P E RS
Karl was loved by
the most famous of
models, from Cindy
Crawford (right)
to Kaia Gerber

O N S T Y L E TA L K
‘I’m not crazy
to discuss
fashion with men.
I couldn’t care less
about their opinion’

T H E H E R I TAG E
‘Black, white, the
perfect harmony’:
Lagerfeld honoured
Coco Chanel’s
words for 36 years

FROM T H E
BEGINNING
On his life: ‘I’ve
always known that K A R L I S M
I was made to live
this way’

38 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 T H E K I N G D O M of K A R L

As the creative director of Chanel since 1983 and Fendi since 1965, the
German-born, Paris-based, ivory-ponytailed titan Karl Lagerfeld was
FASHION FRIENDS
Right: French one of the couture world’s last great living masters. A black leather-clad
designer Sonia link to fashion’s storied history — and the creator of the fast-paced, ever-
Rykiel dancing changing fashion system that would alter the course of the industry’s future.
with Karl in
Paris in 1981 Fashion has long thrived on disruption. Like the to-the-calendar
rotation of trends, the coming and going of designers, supermodels,
looks, front-row personalities and talking points (moods and moments,
if you will) are the gilded gears and sprockets that keep the business
moving. The only constant is change and all that.
And the constant change keeps things interesting, people talking,
journalists writing, consumers buying. But the death of Karl Lagerfeld
in February, a passing the industry is collectively still coming to terms
with months later, feels like significantly more than a fleeting moment or
changing tide. Instead, his death left many mourning the end of an era.
The first time I sat down with Karl in his private office on Paris’ Left
Bank, seven years ago, I was struck by how the then 78-year-old man
seemed to be the living embodiment of the ‘move fast’ maxims touted
by the Facebooks of the
world, all while those half his
age seemed to struggle to

The
keep up with the demands of
being a modern-day creative
director. As I waited for him

M
to arrive, his team offered
me a Magnum ice-cream (a
brand for which he directed
commercials) and a bottle

of
of Diet Coke emblazoned
with a miniature Lagerfeld,
designed by the man himself.
I drank the soda out of a sleek,
. cube-shaped Orrefors glass
.
created by, you guessed it,
and thumbed through the
biographies of Dalí, Chagall,
and Duchamp in his famously
extensive library of more
WORDS by K E N YA H U N T than 3OO,OOO books. He
designed 14 collections that
year for Chanel and Fendi
alone. That number doesn’t
include all the work he created for his own signature ‘masstige’
line, Karl Lagerfeld. And throughout the dizzying output, he had
a persistent drive to move forward. ‘I might look the part. But I’m not
that human, hmm?’ he told me in his trademark mile-a-minute speed
with humour when we discussed his otherworldly productivity (Karl
B E YO N D C H A N E L spoke four languages: German, French, Italian and English).
Above left: Karl Long before Virgil Abloh told ELLE that ‘the only way to be relevant
with the Fendi is to be this new genre of fashion designer, where it’s not just about the
family. Left: one of
his designs for garment but the branding and principles’, Karl had done it. More than
Chloé from 1969 44 years before, to be exact. That was back when he told Women’s Wear
Daily, ‘When people ask me what I do, “designer” seems inadequate;
I tell them I’m in the fashion business. But that is what happens with
ready-to-wear. You become an enterprise.’
Because of it, he became one of the few designers to become a
household name. ‘I first became aware of Karl when he took over at
Chanel. As a fashion-obsessed teenager, my reference points before

39
 that were gleaned from the style titles, music and the fantasy images in
Vogue (ELLE had not launched in the UK at that point),’ ELLE’s editor-in-chief
Anne-Marie Curtis recalls. ‘I remember seeing pictures of that first show
in Paris and just wanting to wear the clothes. It was the first time I really
connected with a high fashion brand in that way.’
And while most of his contemporaries – Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino
Garavani and Azzedine Alaïa to name a few – had revisited their P R E - I N S TAG R A M

extensive archives through sprawling retrospective exhibitions, Karl Chanel became

renowned for its
resisted any invitations to look backward. ‘I’m not a vintage specialist,’ grand sets, taking
he told me during a later interview. ‘Not for my life, not for my work, over Paris’ Grand
for nothing. I have no archives. Maybe the houses keep archives. Palais
I have nothing. I’m not interested in what I did. I’m just interested in what
I’m doing, what can be inspired.’
In many ways, Karl and ELLE were kindred
spirits: the two came of age together. Born around
ten years before ELLE France was founded in
1945, both shared a boldly future-facing ethos,
a special affinity for the new and heightened ,
sensitivity to the zeitgeist, and an unapologetic
knack for mixing the high and low. On the one
,
hand, he was the undisputed king of the luxury
fashion world. There were his decades building .
Chanel into a nearly $1O billion business
through his prolific re-imaginings of the iconic K A R L I S M
house codes (a pearl-encrusted denim dress one
season, a futuristic plastic tweed hybrid suit
another); half a century redefining the visual vocabulary of Fendi
(his recent revival of logomania saw families Hadid and Kardashian,
babies and all, clad in the brand’s interlocking Fs); and off-and-on-
again relationship with Chloé during the Sixties, Seventies and Nineties
(romantic, loose blouses and flowing dresses dripping with insouciance,
often photographed by Guy Bourdin in legendary ad campaigns). WO R L D - W I D E
‘My dresses are for women who go beyond the obvious. It’s why I strung From the familiar
them together with belts of strings and espadrilles. They’re made to to the unknown,
each of his shows
transform everyday life into a fairy tale, to create an atmosphere at was a trip
every moment,’ he told Women’s Wear Daily during his time at Chloé.
But Karl was also the man who introduced the fairy tale, the world
of high fashion, to the masses. When he partnered with H&M in 2OO4
to create the brand’s first designer collection, its success opened the
floodgates to high-low collaborations across the fashion ecosystem.
‘When I did H&M, I had a kind of appeal for people who buy inexpensive.
I don’t say “cheap”, because people are cheap. But clothes are not
supposed to be cheap – they are supposed to be well designed and
not expensive. There’s a very big difference.When I did H&M, everyone
said, “Don’t do it.” And it worked. When I took over Chanel, everyone
said to me, “Don’t do it, it’s dead, it doesn’t work.” It worked beyond. So
I better not listen to people and follow only my instincts,’ he told me.

The

we
1958 197Os 1983 1987 199O 199O
Becomes artistic director Karl’s influential Karl’s first Chanel The designer poses in Linda Evangelista gets He takes Chanel to
at Jean Patou era at Chloé runway show an advert for Playboy hitched for Chanel couture the beach for SS91

40 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 T H E K I N G D O M of K A R L

IN THE DETAILS
Lagerfeld left no
stone – or even
shell – unturned,
A L L WA L KS matching sets to
From checkouts the accessories
(below left) to
check-in (above),
Chanel’s sets had
big impact

K A R L I S M

RIGHTS, ALRIGHT?
No stranger to
controversy, Karl’s
SS15 Chanel
feminist march
(right) divided fans

1992 1993 1998 2OO4 2OO6 2OO7 2OO7 2OO8

SS93: reinventing the SS94 saw the Supers The Couture show at Karl collaborates Karl guest edits Chanel tennis rackets Karl takes Fendi to the Karl appears in Grand
trademark tweed in pastels and chains La Maison de Chanel with H&M ELLE Magazine become a thing Great Wall of China Theft Auto IV

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 41
 T H E K I N G D O M of K A R L

His instincts were legendary. Karl had unusually sharp antennae,

a built-in weather predictor for the coming winds of change. Before
runway productions became these highly immersive Instagrammable
experiences – before Instagram existed, even – Karl produced
fantastical catwalk sets inside Paris’ historic Grand Palais. ‘They all
transported you to another universe with a real sense of theatre, humour
and a feeling you were utterly in ”Karl’s world”,’ Curtis recalls.
‘I remember the Métiers d’Art show in Hamburg last year. It was very
F O N D FA R E W E L L
moving, as if Karl was “coming home”. The after-party was a recreation
Models bidding
of a traditional German bierkeller with Karl sitting on a bench at one of goodbye to Karl at
the low wooden tables, mingling with the guests and just being Karl.’ his final AW19
There were icebergs flown in from Scandinavia, a life-sized rocket Chanel show
ship that launched with smoke and flames, an elaborate supermarket
filled with Chanel-branded produce, a high-fashion casino with poker
tables, an barn filled with hay and a raging women’s rights protest.
Ah, the protest. It was SS15 – two years before Dior sold a T-shirt
emblazoned with the Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
essay title, ‘We Should All Be Feminists’, and three
years before #MeToo went mainstream. Before
the conversation around women’s rights took on a
new sense of urgency, Karl staged a demonstration I
of his own on the Chanel runway. With placards
that read ‘Women’s Rights Are More Than Alright!’
and ‘History Is Her Story’, the blowback was swift.
Nevertheless, Karl gravitated towards .
strong-minded women with an equally strong
sense of self and style: everyone from muses
N ,

Amanda Harlech and Inès de la Fressange to

Rihanna, Florence Welch, Julianne Moore, Cara
Delevingne, Willow Smith and Azealia Banks. K A R L I S M
‘Karl makes me feel anything is possible. He’s had a
massive impact on how I am viewed by the fashion
world and his friendship and support has been
invaluable,’ Welch – who performed at his SS12 Chanel show – told ELLE.
For better or worse, Karl epitomised the hashtag #NoFilter. He
spoke in quotable, Twitter-length sound bites that could incite uproarious
laughter or scandal, whether he was panning sweatpants (‘a sign of
defeat’) or making self-deprecating proclamations (‘When I was younger
I wanted to be a caricaturist. In the end, I’ve become a caricature’).
He was not a man who minced words, even when considering his
own mortality. When I asked him if he was afraid of death, his answer
was typically Karl, with quick-fire humour: ‘[Poet Percy Bysshe] Shelley
said, “Death may be a waking up from the dream of life.” But, if you ask ‘ T H E B E AT G O ES O N ’
me, I think it’s like a sleep where you don’t wake up. You don’t remember Karl’s own words,
which he wrote on
before, you don’t remember after. The only thing is, I don’t want to be an illustration of
seen dead. So anyway, over, over. The battery is finished, huh, puft.’ him and Coco
Photographs: Karl Lagerfeld, Getty Images, Rex Features,

Chanel (above)
Advertising Archives, Instagram/@karllagerfeld,
Karl Lagerfeld/Figaro Photo/Camera Press

2OO7 2O1O 2O11 2O11 2O12 2O14 2O14 2O19

Chanel airways takes Chanel ships in a real Karl designs a Diet Enter Choupette: Florence Welch performs The controversial Chanel goes to the Penelope Cruz closes
Cruise to California iceberg for the show Coke bottle Karl’s precious pet at the SS12 Chanel show SS15 runway protest supermarket for AW14 Karl’s final Chanel show

42 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 +

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correct at time of going to press.
 E L L E Mood Board

Christian
Wijnants

Chanel
Max Mara
M
Chanel

Dries Van
Noten

IN CONTEXT

EXPRESS
YOURSELF
Forget colouring between the lines. Looking at
the SS19 runways, it seems there are no rules
when it comes to creativity, whether you want
to get crafty with your hands, fashioning mini

Roksanda
Louis Vuitton
dress forms into jewellery, or grab a Sharpie

Matty
Bovan
and trace a Matisse onto your T-shirt. Consider
yourself one with refined taste? There’s Marni,
Moschino

Marni
Roksanda and Weekend Max Mara’s RTW,
Sacai

feat. delicate line drawings (the latter designed

in collaboration with interiors legend Anthony
Baratta). If you’re an eccentric at heart, you
could grab the nearest dinner plate and plant THE INSPIR ATION
pot, and fashion yourself a hat à la Matty
Bovan. Think of it as a form of art therapy. OU
UT-OF-OFFICE
If you’re
you re llooking for a mood to carry into
SS19, here’s one: the frenetic ‘carefree’
Prada

energy of Loewe’s latest lookbook,

photographed by 19-year-old wunderkid
Gray Sorrenti. We’d look that happy if
we were running around in the Paula’s
Ibiza capsule collection, too… Here’s to
the holiday season. The collection hits
Loewe’s new UK flagship store on New
Bond Street on 25 April. loewe.com

Headband, Top, £29 Bag, £45

£1OO , Dress, £49
HOUSE OF
L AFAYET TE Hat, £22

THE PURCHASE
NEWSFLASH

HEADS UP SHRIMPS X
Headbands for grown-ups are having a
moment. Hear us out, made-for-Blair
WAREHOUSE
Waldorf hair accessories are the trick to The collab hits stores 18 April.
looking on-trend this spring. Earrings, £2O £15-£99; warehouse.com Belt, £22

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 45
E L L E Mood Board

Traainers, £245 per pair,

Stella McCartney

SLICK WOODS
F OR THE KOOPLES

THE MOOD

THE RUNAROUND
The days are getting longer, so the
prospect of pounding the pavement in
a bid
b to get fit doesn’t seem so bad. Well,
for some. The rest of us will just be dressing
the part, seeing as SS19 isn’t short of
sp
portswear options. Don’t take our word
for it – just look at the cycling shorts on the
runways
r of Blumarine, Chanel, Stella
McCartney,
M Fendi and Marine Serre. If
youu want to hit the high-street, The Kooples
have
h hooked up with Puma and Slick
McCartney

Wo oods for trainers and RTW. You can run.

Marine Serre

We’ll watch from the sidelines.

Blumarine

Stella
F di
Fendi
Fendi
Chanel

Erde m
Marc Jacoobs

Celinne

Balenciaga
Water bottle
£39, VIVIENNE
WEST WOOD FRI EN D LY FASH ION
X 24BOT TLES
THIRST FOR
STYLE
Designer and eco campaigner
Vivienne Westwood has teamed S H A D OW P L AY
up with 24Bottles to create
the Clima Bottle, a cool stainless SPRING
steel alternative to help reduce
the use of single-use plastic. SHOULDERS
High fashion hydration? We’ll Frilled, conical, sharp – your
Words: Sara McAlpine. Photographs: Getty Images, Imaxtree

drink to that. shadow alone can make

a style statement this spring.

5 OF THE BEST SPRING JACKETS

The Cape r
The Kimono The Bomber Jacket
The Blazer The Denim £1 , 39O, £ 2
£44O , WORME at £69, ARKET
£69.99, MANGO Jacket BURBERRY
MATCHESFASHION.COM
£11O, LEVI’S

46 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
E L L E Mood Board

Bag, £79,
CHARLES &
KEITH
Brooch, £128 ,
Sunglasses, £234 , BUTLER & WILSON
SAINT L AURENT
Sca rf, £145,
D
DOLCE &
GA
ABBANA
Boow, £74 ,
JENNIFEER BEHR

Earrings, £78 , BUTLER & WILSON

Shoes, £79, CHARLES & KEITH

H

T H E E L L E E D I T
Stole, £155 ,
CHARLOT TE
IN THE PINK SIMONE

Bag, £695 ,
BALENCIAGA T

Earrings, £295 , Styling: Lulu Cooper and Julia Harvey. Photographs: Lucky If Sharp
BALENCIAGA at
Hair slides, £3O , VALET STUDIO
MATCHESFASHION.COM
at HARVEY NICHOLS Bag, £2 , 45O , CHANEL

Necklace,
£1 ,O85 ,
MIU MIU

Key ring,
K
£15O , Shoes, £39.99,
T ORY BURCH ZARA

5O E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
 ZO
OM

Top, £1, 555; and earrings,

£385 , both BALENCIAGA

GEOMETRY LESSONS

P H OTO G R A P H S by C L A I R E B R A N D S T Y L I N G b y M O L LY H AY L O R

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 53
 FACE FORWARD

Top, £159; and skirt, £218 , both CIVIDINI. Watch, £67O , GUCCI

54 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 ZO
OM

THROW SHAPES

O
Shirt, £55O ; and trousers, £55O , both J.W. ANDERSON. Shoes, £868 , HERMÈS

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 55
 IN A SPIN

Dress, £2 ,O25; and bag, £1, 31O , both LOUIS VUIT TON. Bangles, £1O5 each, both CULT GAIA

56 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 ZO
OM

FULL CIRCLE

Dress, £795 , BOSS. Bag, £1O , 525 , CHANEL

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 57
 Photographer’s assistants: Scot t Archibald and Gemma Gravet t. Hair: Hiroshi using Oribe Haircare. Make - up: Marie Bruce at Eighteen Management using CHANEL Les Beiges
Eau de Teint and Hydra Beaut y Camellia Water Cream. Nails: Emma Welsh at Frank Agency using Leighton Denny Exper t Nails. Model: Odile Jordan at Select Model Management

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
at MATCHES FASHION. Ring, £174 , VALERY DEMURE
WHAT GOES AROUND…

Jeans, £395, ESCADA . Shoes, £45O , EMPORIO ARMANI. Bangle, £325 , BALENCIAGA
ZO

59
OM
 E L L E Market

Top,
Sunglasses ( from top): £1O ,
£25.99,
RIVER ISL AND ; £2O5 , MIU MIU
ZARA
Shoes, £495 ,
RUSSELL & BROMLEY

Bag, £458 ,
THE KOOPLES
Cardigan,
£18O , PS PAUL SMITH

Hat, £15 ,
MONKI

Hat, £2O ,
WAREHOUSE

Sunglasses, £1O , RIVER ISL AND

Shirt, £155 ,
GER ARD DAREL.
T-shirt,
£75 , GANNI
Swimsuit,
£29.99,
H&M STUDIO Sunglasses, £2O5 ,
MIU MIU

M A R K E T P L A C E

THE PROWLING PUNK

P H OTO G R A P H S by G E O RG I E LO R D

Skirt, £28 ,
V BY VERY

Jacket, £219, GEOX

Belt, £12 ,
ASOS

Boots, £4O9,
Sandals, £65O , MARC CAIN
MICHAEL KORS
Stylist: Lulu Cooper

COLLECTION

Skirt, £175 ,
POLO R ALPH L AUREN
Bum bag, £18 , ASOS
Bag, £49.99, MANGO
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 61
 E L L E Market

Bag, £26O ,
CL AUDIE PIERLOT

Waistcoat,
£2,6OO ,
and belt, £31O ,
DIOR

Cropped blazer, £499,

POLO R ALPH L AUREN Sunglasses,
£29O , DIOR
Shirt, £15O , GANNI

Bangle, £6O ; and earrings,

Shoes, £55 , IRIS & INK
£165 ,
BIMBA
Y LOL A

Boots, £125 ,
IRIS & INK
Belt bag, £18 ,
RIVER ISL AND

Shorts, £49.99,
H&M STUDIO

Trousers, £95 , M A R K E T P L A C E
MICHAEL MICHAEL KORS

THE JUNGLE LOOK

Shoes, £64O ,
PR ADA

Utility belt,
£1 ,O9O , FENDI

Bracelets, £55O each,

CELINE BY HEDI SLIMANE

Belt, £18O , Watch, £159, NEWGATE WORLD.

GIULIVA HERITAGE Scarf, £215 , LONGCHAMP
Jumpsuit, COLLECTION.
£7O , Sandals, £195 ,
RIVER ISL AND GER ARD DAREL
Stylist: Clemmie Brown

Visor, £16 , ACCESSORIZE

Shirt, £375 , ESCADA

Bag, £2 ,95O , CELINE BY

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 HEDI SLIMANE
63
E L L E Market

Dress, £279,
Vest, £169,
MARC CAIN
MARC CAIN.
Top (worn
underneath),
£7O , TOMMY
HILFIGER

Bag, £38 , Phone case,

TRIANGL £38 ,
BIMBA Y LOL A

Bum bag, £25.99,

MANGO
Sandals, £155 ,
BIMBA Y LOL A

M A R K E T P L A C E

BLUE CRUSH
Bikini bottoms,
£29.99,
BODY GLOVE

Hat, £17O ,
Sunglasses, £14O , SPORTMA X
BL ACK EYEWEAR

Boots, £1OO ,
FITFLOP

Mesh jacket, £12O ; and

body, £4O , DKNY.
Shorts, £26O , SPORTMA X

Skirt, £69, COS

Visor,
£265 , DIOR

Sports bra, Sandals, £49O , SONIA RYKIEL

£49.99,
BODY GLOVE
Hooded vest, £15O ,
FIL A
Stylist: Julia Harvey

Clip, £275 ,
MCM

64 E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
E L L E The Shoot

THIS PAGE Dress, £46 ,

RIVER ISL AND . Hat,
£14.9O , UNIQLO . Scarf,
£185 , JANE CARR .
OPPOSITE Shirt, £195 , PAUL
SMITH . T-shirt. £24 .99,
H & M STUDIO . Skirt, £175 ,
GER ARD DAREL .
Sandals, £35 , MANGO .
Headband, stylist’s own.
Earrings, £17, COS

THE PRINT
Go big and bold with
monochrome spots

H A T S O N

66 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 E L L E The Shoot

THE ST YLING
A
Any print goes, from floral
to zebra stripes

THE TIP
Take your look from day to night
by ditching the shirt

S T Y L I N G b y F E L I C I T Y K AY P H OTO G R A P H S b y C H A R L I E GAT ES

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 67
E L L E The Shoot

THIS PAGE Skirt (worn

as top), £195; and skirt,
£35O , both K ATE
SPADE NEW YORK .
Long-sleeved top,
£19.99, H&M . Boots,
£465 , ANINE BING.
Earrings, £17, COS.
OPPOSITE Blazer,
£1,19O ; and skirt,
£645 , both ESCADA .
Boots, £465 , ANINE
THE TIP BING . Hat, £245 ,
Why not repurpose your RE JINA PYO . Earrings,
skirt as a top? £17, COS

T H E D E TA I L
Do what you like – just focus
on the pattern

G O W E S T

68 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 E L L E The Shoot

THE PIECE
Go XL with a statement hat
– more is more

THE ST YLING
Try a longline jacket for
something chic

S P O T O N

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 69
E L L E The Shoot

T H E D E TA I L
Keep accessories pared back
– think muted tones

THE TIP
Go all Sixties and pair mini lengths
with patterned tights

G R A B Y O U R C O A T

70 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 E L L E The Shoot

THIS PAGE Dress, £65 ,

SHRIMPS X WAREHOUSE .
Sandals, £49.99, MANGO .
Headband, £5 , CL AIRE’S .
Earrings, £17, COS .
OPPOSITE Coat, £369,
CL AUDIE PIERLOT. Tights,
£11.99, PRET T Y POLLY. Shoes,
£318 , BY FAR . Bag, £495 ,
ASPINAL OF LONDON .
Headband, £5 , CL AIRE’S .
Earrings, £17, COS
PHOTOGR APHER’S
ASSISTANT: Conor Clarke.
HAIR: Benjamin David
using Davines. MAKE- UP:
Gina Blondell using Marc
Jacobs. MODEL: Mammina
Aker at PR M

T H E CO LO U R
Keep your palette as fresh as
your produce

F L O U N C E O F F

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 71
Shirt, £425, Rejina Pyo. Hat, £42O, Emma Brewin

,
E D I T E D b y L E N A D E C A S PA R I S P H OTO G R A P H by ROS I E M AT H ES O N

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 275

 THIS PAGE Top, £1,98O ;
trousers, £1,78O ; and boots
£1,47O , all LOUIS VUIT TON.
OPPOSITE Jacket, £26O ,
SANDRO . Dress, £2,O25; and
headband, £44O , both MIU MIU

STYLING by FELICITY KAY

WORDS by LENA DE CASPARIS

74
 E L L E Play

Margate might just be the next Malibu, if you judge it by its latest
showbiz resident. After 34 years of being a Londoner, the British
actor, Hollywood big-hitter and that tall one off the telly Zawe
Ashton has swapped Hackney for a house on the Kent south
coast. ‘You tell people in California you’ve moved to the coast
and they’re like, “Oh, I get it. I totally get it,” and I’m like, “I don’t
know if you do get it, because you’re definitely thinking of a Venice
Beach situation.”’ Margate, we agree, is more grey skies and
shivering on some pebbles, but nevertheless, Zawe absolutely
bloody loves it. ‘Swimming every day, enjoying friends, enjoying
their children, enjoying the smallness of places and not having to
worry about trekking across London – it really is a magical place.’
We’re sharing a carafe of merlot in a deserted wine bar to
celebrate Zawe surviving her first day of rehearsals for a new
play. In the flesh, she is every bit as fabulous as she is on
screen. Tall, absurdly beautiful, enviably smart (without being
in the slightest bit pretentious), and with a laugh so warm it
could thaw even the frostiest Brexit negotiations. Her clothes are
also excellent (even her casuals, which today are a coffee-
coloured cashmere knit, fitted black jeans and a pair of the

PHOTOGRAPHS by ROSIE MATHESON

iconic sell-out Nanette Grenson boots). ‘I love clothes that

subvert the expectation,’ she says. ‘And as a tall woman of
colour, those expectations come flying at you from all angles.’
Said rehearsals are for The Betrayal, written by theatre
great Harold Pinter about a seven-year affair involving a
married couple. It’s directed by Jamie Lloyd, who she previously
worked with in the West End’s The Maids. ‘Today, I was sitting in
rehearsals between Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox, and
I was like, “Some of these scenes are like being in an empty
vagina.” Maybe that’s something I wouldn’t have said pre-MeToo,
maybe it is. But men empathising and being malleable to the
language that surrounds things that are quite natural [to women]
is going to be part of our movement.’ She adds: ‘No more shame
around your sex as a woman. You disrespect my vagina, you
disrespect me.’ We toast to our womanhood and move on.
Zawe is just back from the Sundance Film Festival, where,
with Jake Gyllenhaal, she was promoting her Netflix satirical
thriller Velvet Buzzsaw. Set in the bougie art-world scene of LA,

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 75
E L L E Play
Zawe plays Josephina, an ambitious gallery
assistant, stealing every scene she’s in. Until
the role came in, she was almost ready to leave
acting altogether to pursue her writing and
directing (she’s made several short films and
guest-edited an episode of Woman’s Hour).
‘The very day I was going to call everyone and
say I was quitting, I got an email to do a screen
test with Jake. I was like, “Oh my God, this is
every artist I have wanted to work with on the
material I’ve always wanted to do.”’ She has,
she says, ‘made a vow to myself only to work
in situations or with artists where I feel like my
artistic value is going up. I don’t
want to do stuff any more that
knocks my internal stock market’.
Perhaps it shouldn’t come
as a great surprise that Zawe
was up for a new challenge –
after all, her IMDB page kicked
off at age six. Growing up in
Stoke Newington, north London,
she is the eldest child of three,
who all went to the local comp.
Her mum, Victoria, and dad, Paul,
both worked as schoolteachers
(though her dad later became
a commissioner at Channel
4). Zawe went to Anna Scher
improvisation classes (which
produced the likes of Kathy
Burke), and later took drama
at Manchester Metropolitan
University. In her acting years
she’s mixed roles, from a St
Trinian’s schoolgirl and the
lovable, drug-dealing Vod in
Channel 4’s student comedy
Fresh Meat to arthouse hits like
Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals.
The accumulation of these
roles – or rather the castings
for them – make the backbone
for her new book, Character
Breakdown, out this month. Did
writing come easily? ‘I’ve never
made so many marmalade sandwiches,’
she laughs. ‘But weirdly, I think I was in
a place where I probably just needed to
sit down and expel something. It sort of felt
like, as a child actor, instead of having
a heroin addiction or a shoplifting addiction,
or any other crazy addiction we know affects
all beloved child actors, I’ve written a book.
It’s the best thing that could have happened,
whether people read it or not.’
The overarching theme is what it’s like
to be a young black female actor today
(and spoiler alert: it’s often not pretty). In one
76
section, she describes being asked to play,
variously, a ‘teen mum with a contract and
body to kill’, a ‘savvy sex worker with a
conscience’ and even an ‘alluring European
beauty who brings men to their knees’.
‘I work in an industry that has this very clear
patriarchal structure that I can see myself in,
and I can satirize that in the book,’ she says.
In these characters you read everything
that’s wrong – why that guy feels like he can
whistle at you on the street, or why in a meeting
you’re being shut down – it’s all symptomatic.’
The book feels well timed in the wake of the
#MeToo and Time’s Up movements, but that
wasn’t entirely her intention. ‘I was basically
a year late writing this book and, if I hadn’t
been, Time’s Up and #MeToo wouldn’t have
been part of the landscape. It was amazing
watching [the movement] snowball and
women and men organising themselves in the
wake of allegations, lawsuits and convictions.’
She calls it a revolution: ‘People are telling
their stories, but also building themselves up
to support others. To me, that is a revolution
– when there is a moment in time that
explodes and people organise themselves
around it. That’s the Black Panthers, the civil
rights movement – it’s genuinely exciting.’
To her, the best thing that has come out of
it is a more open dialogue. ‘Women weren’t
talking to each other about these things
before. Women weren’t turning to their sisters
and saying, “This happened in the office,”
and asking if it was okay. The level of
internalisation that happens at work as a
female actor is unbelievable. People don’t have
time for you. You’re always the one holding
things up or being the hysterical actor. So
you keep things to yourself, you keep quiet
and get through the day.’
What keeps Zawe sane is
her sisterhood: both with her
younger sister (‘We are enjoying
this incredible renaissance in
our relationship,’ she says) and
her best friend Claire, who
she met on an acting job 14
years ago. ‘Sometimes you just
need someone to remind you
that this isn’t an industry about
self-consciousness but creativity,
Hair: Bjorn Krischker at Frank Agency using MONAT haircare. Make-up: Celia Evans using CHANEL Les Beiges Eau de Teint and Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream
otherwise you can spiral and
get very lost.’ Zawe remembers
a holiday she’d spent in
Malaga a few years ago, when
she called Claire for advice:
‘I told her, “Oh God, I’ve drunk
all the wine and eaten all the
food, and I have to go and do
a Hollywood film in, like, three
weeks – what do I do?”She
said, “Well, how many times
have you read your script? You
can decide what kind of actor
you’re going to be – the type
who’s worried about eating the
bread, or the kind who reads
the script 15 times.”’ At that point,
Zawe decided she was the latter.
As for what’s next, she says
becoming a director, continuing
to act in things she wants to
act in and becoming a mother are on her list.
And in case you’re worried she might be
tempted to quit acting again and simply
retire to Margate, no need. ‘When I nearly
quit, my best friend was like, turn to your
ten-year-old self and whatever she tells you,
then you should do. Of course, she said,
“What the fuck are you thinking? You’ve
got this far! You’re quitting to do what?
Move by the sea and sit on the sofa. I don’t
think so. Come on, let’s go!”’ Here’s hoping
that ten-year-old voice wins out every time.
Character Breakdown is out now
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
E L L E Voice

MEMORIES PAUL TAKES

by Siri Hustvedt THE FORM OF
The master Hustvedt is A MORTAL GIRL
back with this sublime by Andrea Lawlor
novel. A woman This is a sexy, funny,
moves to New York to genre-bending novel
be an artist in the Sev- about gender fluidity.
enties; 4O years later, It follows Paul, who
she’s a novelist and transforms his body at TH E E LLE BOOK CLUB
finds a notebook from will in his quest for sex,
her youth. She uses desire and meaning
this to look back on her as he navigates the
memories, creating identity politics and
a dialogue between subcultures of Nineties
two versions of herself. USA. A radical book. E D I T E D by M A R TA B AU S E L L S

QUEENIE CHARACTER CYGNET THE OLD DRIFT CONSTELLATION NS WELL-READ

by Candice BREAKDOWN by Season Butler by Namwali Serpell by Sinéad Gleeson BLACK GIRL
Carty–Williams by Zawe Ashton This is an original novel This sweeping, moving This collection brings by Glory Edim
This unputdownable This memoir by actor with a memorable epic tells the history of together passionate, It started with a hashtag
comic novel is about a Zawe Ashton (see narrator. The Kid is a Zambia through the transcendent essays and has grown into a
25-year-old Jamaican- p74) will surprise you. 17-year-old who finds interweaving stories of about bodies, art, community of women
British woman who is If you’ve been acting herself stranded on three families and three womanhood, grief, lifting each other up,
breaking up with her since you were six, you sinking Swan Island, a generations, from the motherhood and what online and in real life.
boyfriend, moving into might wonder where separatist community early 2Oth century to it’s like to live in a body Glory Edim has edited
a house share, dating the art ends and real that has shunned life the near future. An that fails you. As the this anthology, in
questionable men and life begins. Ashton on the mainland. Her original, poetic novel title suggests, this is a which black women
feels like she doesn’t takes us through the arrival is a threat , and from an already award- glistening ensemble of writers discuss how
fit in between two roles that shaped her, she has to fend for winning writer is one pieces that, together, they found their stories
cultures. A beautifully and her inspiring quest herself in a world that’s of the year’s most form a powerful, (and themselves)
observed debut. for independence. crumbling around her. anticipated debuts. emotional universe. through literature.

Photographs: Lucky If Sharp

The SHELFIE
‘I SPENT A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THE WAY WOMEN SEE AND EXPERIENCE THE WORLD, AND SURROUNDED MYSELF WITH
BOOKS THAT CONVEYED THIS POTENTIAL – SOME OF WHICH SPRINGS FROM PERCEIVED LIMITATION’
– Olivia Sudjic, author of ‘Sympathy’ and ‘Exposure’

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 77
E L L E Voice

COLL AGES by MINNA GILLIGAN

E D I T E D by H A N N A H N AT H A N S O N

CONVERSATION:
FIND YOUR CHEERLEADER
ELLE TAKES A LOOK AT HOW WE CAN ENCOURAGE
GREATER SOCIAL OBILITY IN
THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND BEYOND
8O

T H E M A I N E S S
CREATIVITY AS A FORM
OF RESISTANCE
by JESSIC A ANDRE WS, AUTHOR
I am the first person in my family to go to university.
Nobody advised me about where to go, what to study,
or which courses to look for. I liked reading and drama
and dancing at indie clubs. My idols were Kate Moss,
Debbie Harry and Kathleen Hanna, whose lives pulsed
neon from capital cities, worlds away from Sunderland,
where the heavy skies grazed the roof of the 194
bus. I ordered prospectuses from all of the London
universities and applied for the ones that looked best
in the pictures. King’s College London
sent me an offer and, at the open
day, the second-year student who
showed me around wore leopard-
print leggings and lived in a flat with
her friends in Camden, which seemed
incredibly cool. My mam and I sat in
the Pret around the corner from Surrey
Street and cried into our filter coffees,
because going to King’s seemed
impossible, but I was going to do it.
It was difficult to focus on Beowulf
and Mrs Dalloway when I had been working at the
pub until 2am the night before. I went to meetings
to apply for grants with advisors who circled every
expenditure on my bank statement in big red rings
of shame. I found myself moving through the world
with less ease than my classmates, who turned up to
E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
E L L E Voice
lectures with nice shoes and Moleskine notebooks;
MacBooks tucked into their tote bags. I shoved
my fake-tan-stained fingers into the pockets of my
Topshop minidresses, feeling messy and chaotic.
It took me a long time to realise that a sense of ease
comes with privilege, which means fewer financial
constraints, but also a belief that your ideas have
worth and that your voice deserves to be heard.
I couldn’t recognise that the ways in which I felt wrong
were the product of an unjust system. I thought all
of the bad, bitter parts came from inside of me.
I failed my first assignment
because I’d never been shown
what an academic essay entailed.
A Y
I didn’t speak in a seminar for
the first two years. I found the
books we studied difficult to
connect with, because none of
them reflected the ways in which
I had grown up and lived in the
world. My friends spent their
summers interning in New York,
crafting their CVs so they could
get work in publishing houses or
at fashion magazines. I hadn’t
even thought that was something
I could do. I have since learnt
that the working world is about
knowing what you want and being able to ask for
it, which is impossible when your experiences have
taught you that your desires are embarrassing,
because they are so much bigger than you.
Our education system does not offer equal
opportunities. The most recent UCAS figures show
that only 6.2 per cent of students at Russell Group
universities come from disadvantaged areas. In 2O17,
Oxford admitted more students from the £39,OOO-per-
year Westminster School than black
pupils. All of the members of Theresa
May’s Social Mobility Commission, a
government body intended to monitor
and promote social mobility, resigned
in 2O17 due to ‘little evidence’ of
the aims ‘being translated into
meaningful action’.
People are still fighting for change;
a new Social Mobility Commission
board has been appointed, with
diverse members such as Sammy
Wright, the vice principal of Southmoor Academy
in Sunderland, who is committed to developing the
aspirations of students in the north east. ‘We need to
get kids to think differently and see the world in different
ways,’ he says. ‘Literature and art are fundamental
ways to do that, as they allow you to consider new
81
E L L E Voice
possibilities.’ But there are still huge barriers to the
creative industries, which stem from the fact that most
opportunities are in London, where rent is exorbitant:
‘That creates two huge issues for our creative industries,’
says Farrah Storr, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, who
also sits on the board. ‘One: a small talent pool from
which to choose the best candidates. Two: a lack of
divergent thoughts, voices and experiences brought
to the creative table. And that’s the greatest loss
creativity could ever face.’
Brampton Manor Academy in Newham, one of
London’s most deprived boroughs, recently celebrated
an increase in students receiving an Oxbridge offer
– from one student in 2O14, to 41 students winning
places this year, mostly from BAME (black, asian,
and minority ethnic) backgrounds. This push for diversity
is important, but it highlights the fact that we are
still subscribing to traditional notions of hierarchy. I’m
not dismissing the benefits of an elite education, but
I wonder what kind of world we might build if we
enable the next generation of artists and writers to
make work from a place of empowerment, rather
than disempowerment. As Sol Gamsu, a researcher
into power and inequality at Durham University says,
‘We need to jettison the idea of universities as the
dreaming spires to which a lucky few can find their
way.’ He suggests that we should redistribute cultural
and economic wealth away from elite institutions and
create a more fluid local education system, ‘which
people dip in and out of over the course of their lives’.
After my undergraduate degree, I started writing
and began to feel like I had something to say. I wanted
to speak about the ways in which my mother and my
female friends – strong, brilliant,
working-class women – were
not protected. My grandad died
and I put the savings he left behind
towards an MA in creative writing.
Through my work, I began to
untangle the dissonance and
inadequacy that snagged on my
skin. I stopped trying to distance
myself from my class identity and
pushed back against the belief
that my experiences were trivial.
My work began to make sense
when I started writing about what I knew; the
kebab shops, the pawn shops and the Friday night
superstars.My poems and short stories grew into a
novel and I developed a voice that was my own.
Art and literature have given me the power to define
myself on my own terms. They have taught me to think
critically, outside of my own small, squashed framework
and beyond the borders that dictated my world view.
Writing has allowed me to take the shame and self-
loathing that soured inside of me and bring it into the light.
Jessica Andrews is the author of Saltwater, out now
82
T H E G U I D E
FIND A MENTOR,
BE A MENTOR
by H I K M A T M O H A M M E D A N D
BECK Y BURGUM, ELLE WRITERS
Whether you are looking for a mentor to help give
you confidence, or if you want to share your skills
or volunteer your time, there are several mentoring
schemes out there. Charities and big companies will
often run their own schemes, so it’s worth enquiring to
see if they are offering anything, too.
R.O.O.M. MENTORING Founded by ELLE’s deputy
editor Kenya Hunt, R.O.O.M. is an independent
mentoring initiative that aims to increase diversity in
the fashion and media industries by advocating for
greater representation of creatives of BAME.
CARBON ACADEMY A creative mentor programme
run by M&C Saatchi, where six female students are
paired up with experienced creatives at the agency.
UPRISING An independent charity that focuses
on getting a million young people from various
backgrounds into positions across politics, business
and the public and voluntary sectors.
CREATIVE MENTOR NETWORK
This charity works directly with
schools across London to connect
talented young people from diverse
backgrounds with those working
in the creative industries.
YOUNG WOMEN’S TRUST
By pledging £25 per month to the
Young Women’s Trust Futures Fund,
you’ll be giving a young woman
a series of one-to-one practical
coaching sessions to expand her career expectations,
gain work skills and build self-confidence.
DOORSTEP LIBRARY Share your love of reading
with families living in disadvantaged areas of London.
SMART WORKS Supported by the Duchess of Sussex,
this charity helps unemployed women prepare for job
interviews with training and a new outfit. You can
donate clothes, money, run a clothing drive at work
or volunteer your time and styling expertise.
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 E L L E Voice

T H E A D V I C E

FROM BURRITOS TO
GOVERNMENT BILLS
by Y O U N G W O M E N ’ S T R U S T
A WA R D - W I N N E R T A R A O ’ R E I L LY

Rolling burritos in a Mexican food truck and working for

politicians in Westminster are more similar than you’d
think: both require an understanding of, and empathy
towards, people. I’m good at the latter because of
my experience doing the former. I spent most of my
younger years dodging salsa and mopping floors
while living in London council blocks. I now spend
my time chasing politicians in the
House of Commons. My working
class experiences have enhanced my
life, but overcoming the social mobility
gap requires resilience, an odd mix
of patience and impatience, and
self-confidence. Here’s how to handle
the social mobility gap:
Get a mentor. Identify the areas you
find challenging – from job interviews
to networking – and find someone who
can help. Contact people directly and
ask for their guidance, or find a mentoring
scheme. The Young Women’s Trust
offers a ‘Work It Out’ coaching scheme
for 16- to 3O-year-olds to help women
become more work-ready. Sliding into
people’s DMs and inboxes, asking others for help,
and Google are your best friends.
Invest in your mental health. Life for women can be
gruelling and people of lower socioeconomic status
have a higher incidence of mental health issues.
I refer myself to free therapy on the NHS and talk
to my GP about medication when I feel anxiety or
depression creeping up. Meditation is great for
calming your thoughts and The Buddhist Society
offers free classes. We don’t need expensive yoga
classes: there are YouTube videos (Yoga With
Adriene is great) and apps, such as Down Dog or
Pocket Yoga. Exercise without having to brush my hair
or face the world at 6am? Win!
Utilise technolog y to upskill and learn. ‘You are never too
old to learn’ takes on new meaning when we have the
world at our fingertips via our phones. I taught myself
to speak Spanish by using Babbel for a tenner a month.
I learnt how to code by using free websites, such as
Codecademy. I’m currently studying law as a part-time
student with the University of London via distance
learning. If there is something you want to learn, there
is probably a course on the internet.

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 83
E L L E Voice
T H E E X P E R I E N C E
THE SOUND OF
SOCIAL MOBILITY
by T O R I W E S T , F O U N D E R O F
BRIC KS M AGA ZINE
‘A girl from the Valleys started today, have you
heard her accent? It’s jokes.’ I sat by myself
in the corner of my sixth-form common room
on the first day at my new school. It was the first
time I’d ever felt the way I spoke dictated my
intelligence, class and character.
My first language is Welsh and I was
raised in Caerphilly, which is a small, working-
class, former-mining town in Wales between
Cardiff and the start of the Rhymney Valley.
By the time I was 17, I knew I wanted
a career in fashion, however my hometown
school wouldn’t let me study a creative subject
as we all lived in such a low-income area
– they pushed us to examine more ‘academic’
classes instead. So, I decided to move in with
my father in Cardiff and change to a school
with a better curriculum for arts education.
My peers were far more well-spoken, and
I found myself softening my accent to fit in. It
became the norm – even at home. I remember
my stepsister making light-hearted comments
if my accent ever slipped back to ‘Valleys
mode’, claiming I was putting it on for a laugh.
I’m not alone in changing my accent on
purpose – and it doesn’t just go one way.
84
Political activist and fashion designer Katharine
Hamnett tells me that after leaving Central
Saint Martins, she felt pressured to change
her dialect: ‘I spoke so posh, people would
laugh at me and wouldn’t take me seriously,
so I had to tone it down.’
But I think it’s important
to remember that some
of the fashion industry’s
greatest political activists,
such as Katharine, have
posh accents, and some of
the industry’s most praised
up-and-coming creatives
have more regional accents,
such as designer Charles
Jeffrey who proudly talks
with a Glaswegian twang; all dominate
the world of fashion. We can’t have true
equality in any industry if it’s only made
up of just one, same-sounding voice. Yes,
language is a means of communication, but
it’s not a symbol of social status. It is
perfectly acceptable to have an accent –
and if we don’t embrace them, then we risk
losing our individual identities.
T H E I N S P I R A T I O N
WHEN I MET
MICHELLE
by L E T I C I A S A N D O VA L - S O LY O M ,
A 16 - Y E A R - O L D S T U D E N T
The day she visited the Elizabeth Garrett
Anderson School, everything seemed frozen in
time. There had been rumours the whole week
that Michelle Obama was coming to our small,
central-London secondary school. There had
been so much secrecy, so many questions, as
the students hadn’t been told anything.
As we sat in the sports hall, we were
buzzing with excitement. When she walked
in, we all lost it, the screeching and cheering
probably deafening the poor camerapeople.
But when Michelle started speaking, what
struck me was her humanity and her passion.
I forgot that she was a super-famous woman, as
she seemed so similar to us. I realised that we
young girls have been conditioned to believe
that celebrities are almost deities; that we can
only dream what it would be like to be them.
None of us had encountered a famous person
before, let alone such an empowering one.
Michelle spoke to us from her heart,
recounting how she had got to where she was.
It wasn’t very different from our experiences.
She had grown up going to a normal school, in
a diverse community, just like us. Michelle
had gone through the struggles that many of
us are going through. Despite these barriers,
she proved to us that with hard work, we can
transcend these obstacles
andreachplaceswe’dnever
thought we could. Michelle
told us that being female,
a minority or from a low-
income background should
never be a hindrance. We
all realised that we admired
her not because she was
a celebrity, but because
she was confident, honest
and so passionate about
our education. She cared about us.
I don’t think I will ever forget that day,
not because she is Michelle Obama, but
Photographs: Getty Images
because of her humanity and the message
she instilled in us: no matter where we begin,
where we come from, or what gender we
are, we can be whatever we want to be.
There are no limits, so long as we have the
passion and put in the effort.
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
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 E L L E Voice

WORDS by SAMUEL FISHWICK

We wore matching strawberry-shaped hats, my

oldest friend and I. Aged three, we shared the
important interests, such as eating spaghetti
hoops and fish fingers. We flew kites together,
and would determinedly hold onto either
side of the kite’s handle, brows furrowed, as
it careered high above a Somerset hill. Emily
wore a pink hat, and I sported a blue one –
COLL AGE by ISABEL REITEME YER
that’s how people marked us out, and that’s
the only time gender has come between us
in the 27 years we have known one another.
I’m lucky to have had so many friends like
Em. The shakedown among my, say, Top Ten
friends is about two thirds women, one third landing the deadpan line: ‘You wouldn’t talk later lived with for a year, who lent me the
men. From my late teens to my late twenties, to a man like that, would you?’ It’s my friend Elena Ferrante books and many more that
this has been the case. My friend Charlie (not Natalie, who I first met on the Victoria-bound I’ve since devoured. I’m eternally grateful to
a woman) noted this statistical quirk at my 21st train to secondary school 11 years ago, and my sports-mad friend Georgie, for dragging
birthday, handing me a copy of Neil Strauss’ who now drinks me under the table when we me away from work to go to the pub because
The Game. I quietly left it on a restaurant chair. have post-family catch-ups every Christmas she wanted to watch Chelsea knock out
Really, you default to where you find at our favourite pub. It’s Jo and Josie, who Barcelona in the 2O12 Champion’s League –
the most joy. Disproportionately, it is my always had an unerring ability to find their it’s still, to this day, the greatest football match
female friends who make me laugh the most, way up onto a rooftop, any rooftop, at every I have ever witnessed. On my own personal
recommend the best reading and inspire me house party. It is my brilliant friend Hannah, highlight reel, the male-to-female ratio leans
daily. It’s my female boss who never fails to put who I made friends with doing diary work decidedly one way. The guys I know are great.
one on the nose of senior management when as fledgling journalists five years ago and The girls I know are simply better.

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 87
E L L E Voice
The author, essayist and literary critic William
Deresiewicz wrote an article in The New York
Times in 2O12 on cross-sex heteronormative
friendships. ‘Can men and women be friends?’
he asked. ‘The answer is usually no. The
movie When Harry Met Sally… provides the
locus classicus. The problem, Harry famously
explains, is that “the sex part always gets in
the way”. Heterosexual people of the opposite
sex may claim to be ‘just
friends’, the message goes,
but count on it – wink, wink,
nudge, nudge – something
more’s going on,’ he wrote.
And the zeitgeist hasn’t
really updated since then.
Nora Ephron’s classic film
When Harry Met Sally…,
which was released in 1989
and, of course, featured
Billy Crystal as Harry and
Meg Ryan as Sally, is still
the cultural reference people cite when
faced with the age-old question of whether
men and women can ever be ‘just friends’.
Try to think of a heteronormative, platonic
male/female friendship in pop culture. Almost
every boy-meets-girl narrative remains
frustratingly ‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge’.
The exceptions are exceptional: Taylor
Swift and Ed Sheeran’s bonhomie set
records (and sold a few, too); when Harry
met Hermione in the defining literature of my
generation, the only sparks that flew were
the swish and flick of troll-busting wand work;
Seinfeld’s Jerry and Elaine had dated in the
past but then followed the show’s strictly
‘no hugging, no learning’ mantra. And while
celebratory depictions of women’s friendship
are in ruder health since the popularisation of
the Bechdel Test, the Hermione Exam has a
much lower pass rate, which, clearly, she would
hate. Tediously, bonking is a cultural staple. I’m
not saying Hollywood has yet another diversity
problem, but the most important relationships
in my life don’t seem well represented.
‘It’s always other men who seem to find
it weird that most of my friends are women,’
says Alex Bilmes, editor-in-chief of Esquire.
‘There’s something our society finds icky
about the idea of a man who loves women,
because he sounds like the kind of sleazy
guy who is just on the pull – and that’s not
the kind of “man who loves women” that
I want to project. But I am a man who loves
women. I love the company of women, and
given the choice between a beery lads’
night out of boasting and shouting or a more,
I suppose, traditionally girls’ night out of
88
going for dinner, talking, laughing and having
fun, I will always choose the latter,’ he says.
For me, that wasn’t always an option.
I didn’t grow up surrounded by women
– I am the eldest of three sons. ‘Your poor mum,’
is the response I invariably get when I reel
off the family roll call, possibly suggesting a
hotbed of rutting Alphas and precluding the
fact that my 5’4” mum was the one with the
family surplus of Big Dick
Energy. When you grow
up with a female role model
who can do everything,
you have no problem in
understanding that women
can do anything. She ruled
the roost, though on paper
she was outnumbered.
I went to an all-boys
school from the ages of
six up to 16. I spent those
ten years being wildly
sensitive (I wasn’t tough), terrible at every
sport, and looked very good in a wig as
Elizabeth I in our school play. Unsurprisingly,
I knew next to nothing about the opposite
sex until going to a mixed sixth form. Picture
the bewilderment of Amy Adams in the film
Arrival, then double it. They were sophisticated,
distant and completely inscrutable. They wore
better clothes, they smoked Gauloises. They
were France, and I was Google Translate.
I plonked them straight on a vertiginous
pedestal, because I had the emotional
development of a herring. You bet I was no
fun at parties; I was a gibbering wreck.
We soon found common ground, though.
One friend, Sophie, and
I communicated in a semi-
constant babble of Gavin
& Stacey jokes; another
new pal, Jessie, handed
me a Werther’s Original on
her first day, starting a niche
confectionary exchange
that would have dazzled
even Roald Dahl; my friend
Debra knew all the video
games that actually ran on
the school’s rusty computers.
It was like being rebooted. Almost by accident,
I was talking about more. When it comes to
conversation, I think boys are permanently
in fight mode, constantly jeering and joking
– that’s how I had felt until that point.
But, enter girls, and suddenly ‘good chat’
didn’t feel like trying to paint the Sistine Chapel
with a biro – that is, something to avoid at
all costs. We got on. I gained an emotional
fluency I hadn’t imagined I was capable of.
Women taught me that there was a third
way between ‘fight or flight’ when under
stress – namely a ‘tend and befriend’ impulse,
which professor of psychology at UCLA
Shelley Taylor says is something women
display more adeptly than men. I don’t
want you to misread this: women are just as
competitive as men (case in point, the three
weeks of gloating I get every time my friend
Mariam beats me at FIFA), it’s just that we’re
socialised to behave so diametrically. I always
felt closer with my housemate Hannah even
after we’d argued, because we had learnt
more about one another in the process.
My friends who flew home to find new
homes, with no money, were indiscriminately
women. They found squats or rented
warehouse spaces; they did angry, brilliant
things to cut out their own worlds, to rip things
up and start over. My friends Natalie and
Ottilie have been the most engaged in climate
action; my girlfriend Saskia fought education
cuts tooth and nail; I walked in wonder with
thousands at the Women’s Marches. It’s been
my girl friends who challenge me about the
status quo more than the men in my life.
Men and women learn nothing about
themselves until they have learnt about each
other. Amidst the bro-tribes of the internet, I’ll
never understand reclusive sub-cultures such
as Incels and Men Going Their Own Way
(or MGTOW), who are hermetically sealing
themselves from a gender by choice. It’s like
depriving yourself of your own native language.
Granted, I don’t have the irresistible
magnetism of Billy Crystal, now 71, but saying
sex ‘gets in the way’ is an
adolescent take, isn’t it? Sex
is not a bicycle abandoned
in some communal hallway
for someone to stumble over.
I like to think that we are all
more perceptive than that.
What I’m trying to say
is that my friendships with
women taught me both to
talk and to listen, so I wish
they’d come earlier. It was
my friend Sophie who
called me at a festival to tell me my best friend
Jonny had died when others had stuttered,
unsure how. These are complex friendships
that bridge both years and continents, that
have enriched my relationships with men
and women alike. Em, 27 years later, is
still the person I trust totally. All that’s changed
is that now when we meet, we no longer
do so in matching pink and blue hats.
E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
E L L E Voice

Q U ES T I O N
TIME
Roxane Gay has
the answers

P H OTO G R A P H S by E KUA K I N G

92 E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
 E L L E Voice

WO RDS by S H A R M A I N E LOV EG ROV E

Meeting writer Roxane Gay, the first thing that strikes me is her
magnetism. She’s a real-life feminist rockstar and you can
feel it – there’s a magical brilliance, an energy, radiating
from her. The second is her obvious kindness and warmth;
I watch as she jokes, smiles and takes pictures with the
ELLE team just days after her sell-out appearance at
London’s Southbank Centre in conversation with ELLE’s
contributing editor Liv Little. This is her first time visiting the
UK (she currently lives in LA) and, as we sit in her riverside
hotel room, she despairs at the dark skies – she showed
her wit on landing in the UK by asking Twitter: ‘How do
the British stay awake under these conditions?’
Weather aside, we’ve met to discuss what sisterhood
means today. It’s an apt subject. The New York Times
best-selling writer is famed for her work on women’s rights,
race and body image. Her 2O14 book Bad Feminist
explores how you can embrace all sorts of culture and
symbols and still be a feminist. It was a huge hit and one of
the first books to open up the conversation about seemingly
opposing feminist ideas in a nuanced way.
Roxane argues that the way we talk about sisterhood
is sometimes artificial. ‘People tend to say they are for
the sisterhood without living it. I tend to gravitate towards
people who act like they are in a sisterhood, rather than
talk about it.’ For her, sisterhood isn’t just about loving or
agreeing with every woman but ‘having women’s best
interests at heart, which includes trans women’.
Recently, Gay started an advice column in The New
York Times; the idea came because she loves giving advice
(though she hates taking it), and when she was looking at
xxxxxxxx
x xxxx

the spaces people gave advice in, they lacked diversity.

xxx
xx

‘It has been fun – people often already know the answer,
but they need someone to agree so they can move
to a h X

forward,’ she says. Since Roxane revels in giving advice,

we asked some friends of ELLE to provide problems for
her to tackle. Here’s what they came up with…

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 93
E L L E Voice
Author and former editor-in-chief
of Vanity Fair
TINA In your writing and life, you champion
the views and identities of marginalised
people – and it looks like constant struggle.
What would your ideal world look like?
ROXANE I don’t think there is such a thing
as ‘utopia’. It is a seductive idea. But in my
ideal world, people would be allowed to
be who they are, free from judgement.
They would be allowed to live in the kinds
of bodies that they have, need or want. In
a perfect world, everyone would have
access to a healthy society and it’s a shame
that taking care of our basic needs has
become an idealised thing.
#FreePeriods campaigner and student
at Cambridge University
AMIKA Should feminism be a compulsory
part of the school curriculum?
ROXANE Absolutely. I think feminism should
be a default feature of humanity! It should be
indoctrinated in people from the moment they
are sentient. It’s shocking that we must still
articulate the fact that women are people.
Author of Queenie
CANDICE Am I an agent of the patriarchy if I’m
a woman whose favourite colour is pink?
ROXANE No. My favourite colour is pink, too
– it is a beautiful colour and as women we
shouldn’t allow ourselves not to like it just
because men look down on pink.
94
Author of the Ask Polly column
in New York Magazine
HEATHER You’ve talked very openly about
having a nemesis, in terms that are so
unabashedly giddy that it makes it hard not to
a) wonder who this person is and b) want to
infuse this same delighted energy into my
own (perceived) rivalries. How does your
nemesis inspire and motivate you?
ROXANE I have eight nemeses right now,
which only make me stronger. I am working
to defeat them at all times. The more I work,
the more powerful I become, and the better
position I'll be in to destroy them some day.
By the way, I don’t want to extinguish them
from the planet, just end their careers!
Thinking this makes me stronger. One of my
nemeses is CrossFit, because it is stupid!
Another is a successful writer – I dislike them
because I can be envious and petty.
MP for Birmingham Yardley
JESS How can I stop my body from shaking
with rage at being constantly pushed back
when trying to make feminist advances
and at the same time still appear as a
trustworthy stateswoman? Sometimes, when
they go low, I want to go low too, even
though I know I shouldn’t.
ROXANE It’s unfortunate that women aren’t
allowed to show rage, and that we are
demonised when we do. When they go low,
you should go lower! This idea that we
shouldn’t go low is absurd. For example, as
a black First Family, the Obamas had to
be impeccable at all times and had no
choice but to go high when others went low,
but that is not the case for the rest of us.
ELLE contributing editor, writer and co-host
of The High Low podcast
PANDORA What do you make of the school
of thought that dismisses fashion and
personal style as ‘flimsy’ or ‘frivolous’?
ROXANE It’s a stupid school of thought and
another way of diminishing and demeaning
women. Fashion and style are ways in which
women can assert themselves in the world
and assert their identity. Fashion is often
interesting and innovative. There’s lots we can
critique (such as how fashion is normally for
thin women, to the detriment of everyone else
who lives in an unruly body) but to call fashion
‘flimsy’ is evidence of a small mind.
Editor at Broadly and author of the
Forgotten Women series
ZING How do you lovingly call out a close
friend for saying or doing something racist or
sexist without offending them?
ROXANE It’s not impossible. If they are a true
friend, they should be able to listen to critique.
So instead of calling them out, you call them
in. Try to approach that person from a loving
place. In your conversation, convey how you
feel, explaining that you hope they can hear
what you are saying is coming from a place
of love and understanding.
AKA The Slumflower – writer and founder
of the #Sagg yBoobsMatter movement
CHIDERA What is your higher purpose?
ROXANE My higher purpose is simply
to live a good life!
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19

Founder of Women Who and author
of Little Black Book
OTEGHA How do you deal with anger, and
stop it from consuming you?
ROXANE It’s an ongoing project – there is so
much to be angry about in this world. I try to
allow myself to be angry. All too often we
supress it. We try to stay calm when, in fact,
anger is reasonable when you look at the
inequality and injustice across the planet. But
I also try to remember that there is joy, too.
I think it is revolutionary to be joyful!
Editor of Can We All Be Feminists?
Hair and make-up: Celia Evans using MAC Cosmetics. Photographs: Getty Images, Jenny Smith, Ian Robinson, Jon Young for Duke University
JUNE What’s been one of your lowest
moments, and how has that shaped you?
ROXANE I think one of my lowest moments
has been dealing with writer’s block over the
past two years – for a lot of reasons, mainly
pressure and time. It’s been challenging,
as writing has been my happy place, where
I can do and be who I want on the page.
It’s been a struggle to not say the kind of
things I want to say. It’s not shaped me but it
has put some dents in my armour.
ELLE Literary Editor
MARTA Do you ever deal with imposter
syndrome in the writing world and if so, how
do you recommend dealing with it?
ROXANE I deal with imposter syndrome all
the time. Who am I to respond to the world
that we live in? Who am I to share my story,
why would anyone care? I deal with it all the
time. But then I tell myself, ‘Why not you?’
E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
Author
HOLLY What advice do you have for feminist
heterosexual women, who want to be in
romantic relationships but feel like that usually
involves having to ‘suck up’ problematic
behaviour in order to be in one – even with
with the most well-meaning, woke men?
ROXANE They are not well-meaning and
woke if you have to justify problematic
behaviour – so the answer is to find another
man! Good men exist, you shouldn’t have
to contort and compromise just to be in a
relationship with a man.
Comedian and host of
The Guilty Feminist podcast
DEBORAH What helps you keep going when
you feel like it’s all too much?
ROXANE That's a good question. I have a
stubborn persistence and a stubborn belief
that things will get better some day.
Author of Open Up: The Power
of Talking About Money
ALEX You’re a best-selling author and are
open about having money and being
comfortable – has your success and money
ever affected your friendships?
ROXANE I have amazing friends who have
been with me since I was a broke graduate
student so no, it hasn’t affected my friendships.
E L L E Voice
Author and host of the podcast and book
How To Fail with Elizabeth Day
ELIZABETH As a fellow fan of The Real
Housewives, what do you think is the most
powerful feminist argument for watching it?
ROXANE I don’t think there is a feminist
argument, nor does there need to be – it’s just
fun! It’s not necessary to make everything
about feminism. What’s interesting about the
show is that it's a series entirely powered by
women, and that is revolutionary. Men are
incidental and marriages come and go, but
it’s the women that keep us watching.
-
Author of Remembered
YVONNE Some writers mine the lives of
people of colour to ‘create’ stories. How do
you deal those who appropriate cultures?
ROXANE On the one hand, you confront them
directly but on the other, you need to pick your
battles. Critique them and show how they
have gone wrong, but also focus on your
work. Our time is better spent putting out our
own ideas and representing our own cultures.
Author of Speak Gigantular
IRENOSEN Amidst all the madness, how do
you stay joyfully curious about the world and
find exciting ways to respond artistically?
ROXANE The reality is, things are terrible in a
lot of ways but there’s a lot of joy too, including
beautiful art being made, which I engage
with as much as I can. It’s not realistic to think
we can engage in the struggle all the time.
95
 say it with
flowers
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I was once asked by a woman in the audience at a literary festival why I didn’t
write more likeable female characters in my novels. ‘I just wouldn’t want
to be stuck in a lift with any of them,’ she said, to a smattering of laughter
from those sitting around her. What I tried to tell her was that, when
I write women, I think of them not as wholly good nor wholly bad, but rather
a mixture of the many personality traits and occasional inconsistencies
that make them resemble the women I know and like in my day-to-day
life. In short, their supposed ‘unlikeability’ makes them believable. It was
difficult to imagine this literary-festival attendee asking the same question
of, say, Martin Amis or Irvine Welsh, both of whom have made highly
successful careers out of writing tricky, semi-feral characters.
We have been conditioned to expect women to be ‘nice’; to measure
them on a likeability scale, perpetuated by centuries
of cultural discourse shaped by an overwhelmingly
male gaze in art, cinema, music and literature.
According to this scale, women can only ever embody
one quality. They can, as director and writer Jill
Soloway put it in a 2O16 masterclass at the Toronto
International Film Festival, either be ‘the Madonna or
the Whore. The one I want and the one I want to fuck.
The one I married and the one I can’t get off my mind’.
Historically, women in the fictional realm
have not been allowed to contain multitudes.
They have been binary: either good or bad. They
have been designed to serve some skewed male
notion that women are always subservient to their
desires: compliant and undemanding; two-dimensional and servile.
This made itself felt in real life, too. As a young girl raised in the
Eighties, I was taught to be pliant and pleasant and well-behaved,
while my male classmates were encouraged to be bold and assertive.
It took me years to unpick the stitches of my people-pleasing
tendencies, and that was only after several failed romantic relationships,
where I assumed the right thing to do was to place a (male) partner’s
needs above my own – but in doing so, I was folding myself into ever
smaller squares. I diminished my own worth so he had more space for his.
None of this makes for a sustainable relationship and, sure enough,
it all imploded in spectacular style when I got divorced in 2O15. There
is nothing like a divorce to challenge your need to be liked. Some of
Image: Getty Images
my ex’s friends made their disapproval of my ‘selfishness’ clear in emails
and phone calls. What they hadn’t realised was it wasn’t selfishness,
but a delayed expression of selfhood – finally, I had learnt to ask for
what I wanted. When I accepted this multi-faceted version of myself,
E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
E L L E Voice
... LIKEABILITY
I found that my female friends loved me more, not less. Most of the
women I know and love are joyously capable of seeing the world in many
ways. After all, it is far more truthful to be fucked up than it is to be perfect.
The male gaze is slowly being challenged by brilliant women on-
screen, too. The second season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Bafta-winning
Fleabag saw the return of her messy, hilarious, dark protagonist, while the
female assassin at the centre of her series Killing Eve was a compelling
confection of charm and psychopathy. Plus, in director Yorgos Lanthimos’s
Oscar-winning film The Favourite, all three of the main protagonists
were women acting in contradictory, plotting and power-crazed ways.
While I welcome this progress, I also worry that ‘unlikeable’ is
in danger of becoming yet another box into which we shoehorn our
women. It’s as if, having been given that particular
label, a character is once again unable to be anything
else. I recently listened to an earnest discussion on a
morning radio programme about how revolutionary
it was for the male director, Lanthimos, to have put
three unlikeable female characters at the centre of
a box-office hit. Imagine a Mafia movie, directed
by Martin Scorcese, starring three male actors as
shouting, swearing gangsters. How many prime-
time media discussions would there be about their
supposed ‘unlikeability’? I’ll tell you: zero.
That’s because we assume men can be many
things, while women must be packaged away in a
single identity – it’s pretty patronising. It’s why Heather
Havrilesky, who writes the ‘Ask Polly’ column for New York Magazine,
took to Twitter earlier this year to express her rage at the idea that all
women must support one another without question: ‘Criticism is useful
and necessary. Women are intellectuals and critics, and thus women
critique other women. Otherwise you’re essentially depriving women of
a place in any conversation. [You’re essentially saying] Be polite and sit
on your hands while the big boys debate each other. Critiquing women
thoughtfully and holding them to a high standard IS supporting women.’
I couldn’t agree more (and if I didn’t, I’d tell you so without fear of
being unlikeable). It’s great that female solidarity is being celebrated,but
women should be free to criticise as well as cheerlead. That’s what strong
women do. We disagree. We laugh. We fight. We are funny and sad
and mean and kind and simple and complicated all at the same time.
When we say a woman is ‘unlikeable’, I think what we’re actually getting
at is a far simpler truth: we’re saying she’s real. Elizabeth Day is the author
of Everything I’ve Ever Learnt From Things Going Wrong, out now
99
WO R DS by B E C K Y B U RG UM & H I K M AT MO H A MM E D
P H O T O G R A P H S b y M A R I A N A M A LT O N I S T Y L I N G b y F E L I C I T Y K AY & M O L LY H AY L O R
 THIS PAGE (AND PREVIOUS
SPREAD) Ikram (top) wears:
jacket, £965 , PAUL SMITH
TUXEDO . Scarf, £275 ,
SALVATORE FERR AGAMO.
Najma wears: jacket, £2,12O ;
and shirt, £86O , both
MIU MIU . Scarf, £275 ,
SALVATORE FERR AGAMO

‘To me, sisterhood means my support system, my ride or die, my always there for you. We’ve always been close; obviously
when
h we were kids we’d fight about a lot of random things – mainly clothes. At the moment I’m studying abroad in Sweden,
and it has been difficult for us being in different countries. I’m always happiest when we’re close.’
‘Naj is the funniest person I know. She’s the one I call if I ever need help, and she gives the best advice. She’s very kind,
generous and a good listener. We get on so well; she’s a best friend as well as a sister to me.’
FROM LEFT Camilla wears: dress, £1 , 3O5 , PREEN BY THORNTON
BREGA ZZI . Shoes, £342 , PETAR PETROV. Earrings, her own .
Necklace, £13 ,1OO , TIFFANY & CO. Sylvie wears: dress, £3 ,OOO ,
DIOR . Earrings, £39, MISSOMA . Brooch, £28O , MOLLY GODDARD .
Bracelet, £6 ,O75 , TIFFANY & CO . Greta wears: dress, £3 , 795;
gold-tone bangle, £375; and silver-tone bangle, £35O , all CHLOÉ .
Earrings, her own. Cosima wears: top, £58O ; and shorts, £41O ,
both CECILIE BAHNSEN . Earrings, £2 , 525 , TIFFANY & CO

‘The
‘ other day, someone said to me, “What’s it like living with your sisters?” I told them I moved out years ago and they said,
“But you’re always together?” I just spent the whole weekend with Greta – it’s so normal for us.’
‘G
Greta set the bar high for us. She’s done so much; we’re proud and have learnt a lot. I know my family will always be there for me.’
‘‘When you have a lot of siblings, you instantly have a support system – especially in the creative industries.
You can feel alone if yo ou’re an artist or someone who often works in solitude, so it’s nice to have each other. As a woman, you’re aware of
yourself
elf with
within society, but sisterhood is a safe space where women can talk freely; an uncensored realm without judgement.
We’d never shut one another down for thinking big. We say, “Go on then, do it.”’
‘The thing about being from a big family is you never have to deal with anything alone – you can just call up the next sister.’

MARIANA MALTONI
 ‘I just remember us being silly sisters when we were younger. My earliest memories are of
us getting
g into
i t trouble
t b – I think that if you’re an only child, you wouldn’t dare do some of the things you do with your siblings.’
‘Being a twin is like having your best friend there all the time. We’re lucky to have one another
in sport, where you can often feel really alone. We can relate to Serena and Venus Williams;
it’s so nice to see their supportive sisterhood. It’s the same for us, though I always think you should cherish
healthy competitiveness, because that’s something not a lot of people have.’

M A R I A N A M A LT O N I
THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE
Laviai (left) wears: jumpsuit,
£5,73O; and belt, £1,185,
both CHANEL. Top (worn
underneath), £295, PRINGLE
OF SCOTL AND. Trainers,
£84.95, ADIDAS. Lina
wears: dress, £65O, HUGO
BOSS. Top (worn underneath),
£325, PRINGLE OF
SCOTL AND. Trainers, £75,
ADIDAS at SCHUH
 Zaina ( left) wears: dress, £775,
MIMI WADE. Tights, £29,
FALKE. Necklace , £13,9OO,
CARTIER. Ring , her own. Mimi
wears: top, £475; and skirt,
£5OO, both MIMI WADE.
Tights, £29, FALKE

‘Mimi is one of the kindest people I know, though you can tell that she doesn’t realise how amazing she is,
so I have to be her cheerleader. We’re just true friends; we have each other’s backs and are always
utterly honest. Sometimes the truth hurts, but I know she would do the same for me.’
‘Zaina was one of the first people I met when I moved to London. We were modelling together on a shoot
for Vice and kept in touch. You just can’t help but fall in love with her. She is kind, nurturing,
very honest and has the face of an angel. She turns every mundane situation into a hilarious moment.
She also makes the most delicious chicken with hot pepper and eggs.’
 LEFT TO RIGHT Munroe wears: dress, £1,79O, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION. Shoes, price on
application, DOLCE & GABBANA. Hair clip, £48, BUTLER & WILSON. Bracelets, £15O each ;
and ring , £55, all PANDOR A. Kesang wears: top, £1,14O, ASHLEY WILLIAMS. Skirt , £1,12O,
MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION. Shoes, £475, GIUSEPPE ZANOT TI. Earrings, £78, BUTLER
& WILSON. Skye wears: dress, price on application , DOLCE & GABBANA. Shoes, £4O, SCHUH.
Necklace , £16O, DINNY HALL. Nadine wears: dress, price on application, DOLCE & GABBANA.
Shoes, £945, POIRET. Earrings, £78, BUTLER & WILSON. Ring , £85, MISSOMA

‘When you get the four of us in a room, it’s magical. We used to throw the most elaborate house parties in the tiniest house on Brick Lane and
the energy was incredible. But for us, Pxssy Palace isn’t just about the parties anymore – it’s our friendship and it’s a support network. ‘
‘These are the ppeople who inspire me the most. These girls have taught me so much; we’ve grown together. There’s no judgement between us.’
‘We hype each other up. Our friendship is probably the most important thing in my life; I’m enriched by them.
I’I ve not g
got a biological sister, but these are my chosen sisters. It’s that level up from friends – we are a true sisterhood.’
‘‘Sometimes it’s hard to be honest, transparent and patient with the people you love, but you need to be
– you need to make sure you’re checking one another.’

M A R I A N A M A LT O N I
 ‘We have become support systems for one other. And that doesn’t have to mean
in person
p – sisterhood is knowing they are there if you need them.’
‘Sisterhood isn’t about posting pictures of my friends on Instagram.
Our love is ours and nobody else can have it.’
‘When I first met Mahalia, I thought I might be jealous of her. My boyfriend
is her producer and I also make music with him – but we connected,
and there’s only love and respect between us. You realise you’re in this industry
together and to compete is a waste of time.’

M A R I A N A M A LT O N I
 FROM LEFT Ayesha wears:
top, £55O , VETEMENTS
at BROWNS . Earrings,
£221 , J. HARDYMENT.
Mahalia wears: dress,
£755 , VETEMENTS at
BROWNS . Earrings, £178 ,
J. HARDYMENT. Dora
wears: dress, £72O ,
VETEMENTS at HARRODS
 Jemima (left) wears:
dress, £3,36O , RICHARD
QUINN . Tights, £16 ,
EMILIO CAVALLINI .
Shoes, £385 ,
DOR ATEYMUR . Quentin
wears: dress, £6OO ,
KENZO . Shoes, £475 ,
STELL A McCARTNEY

‘The best present Quentin has given me has been her artwork, which hangs in my stairwell.
Quentin
ntin and I are both raising young children and building our careers. It has never been more important for
me to have the reassurance and support of the friendship of my sister close by.’
‘Sisterhood matters because, if you can’t love the women around you, then you don’t really love yourself.
Jemima and I are quite different in everyday life, but when it comes to having fun,
we are very much aligned – we love dirty martinis and sunny holidays.’
FROM LEFT Mimi wears: blazer, £825 , PAUL SMITH TUXEDO . Top, £28O ,
MOLLY GODDARD . Hair slides, £95 each , both SIMONE ROCHA . Earrings,
£11,41O ; and ring, price on application, all SOPHIE BILLE BR AHE at DOVER
STREET MARKET. Plum wears: dress, £7O5 , CECILIE BAHNSEN . Beret and
earrings, her own . Necklace , £175 , PANDOR A . Daisy wears: jacket, £55O ,
RE JINA PYO . Hair slides, £95 each , SIMONE ROCHA . Earrings, £1,65O ,
R APHAELE CANOT at DOVER STREET MARKET. Ella wears: cardigan, £28O ,
MOLLY GODDARD . Hair slides, £75 each , both SIMONE ROCHA

‘Some of our earliest memories, which we cherish now, are from when we were small enough to sit four in a row on the back seat
of a car; our parents just squished us in. We all have matching “H” tattoos – our father designed it for us, even though
we thought he would be absolutely furious at the idea.’
‘‘Daisy and Mimi were almost like twins when we were younger. They did everything together because they’re 13 months apart.’
‘…and w we would dress up Plum because she was the youngest. When she couldn’t speak, she got the blame for everything.’
‘We became much closer coming into our teens and twenties. Now, we go on holiday together every summer.
We llove giving each other presents; Plum once gave me toys from the bath because she had forgotten to buy me a gift and Ella
helped her wrap them up in newspaper.’

M A R I A N A M A LT O N I
 ll admire how dedicated Leah is to her work – s
I really Our now we’re older.
I’I’m a very closed
l person, so I never really used to speak up much. Now I’m trying and Leah is helping me with that.’
‘We’ve got matching tattoos of our Grandma’s name. I made Zinzi go first because she’s scared of pain. Sisterly love is different
from familial love, because sisterhood doesn’t have to mean you’re related. It’s a mutual respect and support; you love all qualities
about them. You can really enjoy yourself when you’re with them.’

MARIANA MALTONI
 Zinzi-Anne (top) wears: jumpsuit,
£63O, EMPORIO ARMANI.
Scarf (worn as top), £34O,
HERMÈS. Glasses and jewellery, her
own. Leah wears: jacket, £2,97O,
ANDREAS KRONTHALER
FOR VIVIENNE WEST WOOD.
Scarf (worn as top), £45 ,
& OTHER STORIES. Jeans,
£36O, EMPORIO ARMANI.
Jewellery, her own. HAIR: Yoshitaka
Miyazaki using Bumble and bumble.
MAKE- UP: Jo Frost at CLM Hair
& Make-up using MAC Cosmetics.
NAILS: Chisato Yamamoto at David
Artists using NARS Cosmetics.
MODELS: Ikram Abdi Omar at
Premier Model Management and
Leah Alexxanderr-Caine at Milk
Model Management. TAILOR: Mirja
Rosendhal. SET DESIGN: Lianna
Fowler. The ELLE Team stayed
at Citizen M Tower of London hotel;
citizen.com. With thanks to
Delicious Café, Belsize Park
 U

P H O T O G R A P H S b y M A R I A N A M A LT O N I S T Y L I N G by J E N N Y K E N N E DY WO R DS by H A N N A H N AT H A N S O N
Dress, £1,685; skirt ,
£66O ; and belt ,
£4O6 , all MIU MIU

5
THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE Shirt , £23O ; skirt , £4O5; shoes, £445; ruffle bag strap, £26O ; and gloves,
£85 , all MA X MAR A . Bow headband , £445 , EMILY LONDON
M A R I A N A M A LTO N I
Coat, £1,45O ; dress, £8,93O ; and bag , £42O ,
all ROCHAS. Shoes, £367, CAREL

M A R I A N A M A LTO N I
 It’s teatime at the ELLE cover shoot, and Jodie Comer is eating chocolate
cake. Not that this is remarkable in itself – it’s a delicious cake – but as
she’s called for the next look, she takes one last bite and jokes about
wiping her chocolatey hands on the pristine Prada dress she’s wearing:
‘That would be a Villanelle thing to do,’ she says, turning on her heels,
her accent pure Scouse, and surprisingly un-Villanelle.
It’s the part of a crazed, Molly Goddard-wearing assassin that
catapulted 26-year-old Jodie Comer into the spotlight, not just here
but in the US, where Killing Eve, written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge of
Fleabag fame, was first aired to rapturous reviews. The show’s success
has led to big Hollywood parts for Jodie; next up she’ll star alongside
Wonder Woman’s Gal Gadot in the remake of Agatha Christie’s Death on
the Nile, and then opposite Ryan Reynolds in sci-fi action film Free Guy. But
she hasn’t yet succumbed to LA life and has never had any formal acting
training; she still lives with her parents (her father is a sports massage
therapist for Everton FC and her mother works for Merseytravel) in
Liverpool. It was there, at a local drama and dance workshop, that she
first got into performing. Aged 12, she got chucked out of a girl group,
due to perform at a school talent show, for missing rehearsals. She
performed a monologue instead, which got her noticed by her drama
teacher, who put her forward for a BBC Radio 4 play – her first acting job.
Hollywood roles aside, it’s the second season of Killing Eve we’ve
all been waiting for. It promises to be even darker than the first, which
, U
, Y
was one of the BBC’s most-watched shows of 2O18, pulling in 1.25
million viewers for its finale and inspiring memes, column inches and
Halloween costumes. The show, which also stars Sandra Oh as MI5
agent Eve Polastri and Fiona Shaw as her boss, stands out not just for
its complex female leads – so likeable and yet so psychotic – but for
the amazing band of women involved. ‘I did have a moment last year
at the Critics’ Choice Awards. I was with Phoebe, Sandra and Fiona
and I was like, “This is so fucking cool,”’ says Jodie. ‘To be on set not
just with women, but these women in particular – being encouraged
by them, learning from them and laughing with them – it’s just special.’
This is why, for this sisterhood-focused Modern Love Issue, we
asked Phoebe to interview Jodie. The pair first met at the BAFTAs in
2O17, when Phoebe took home an award for Fleabag and Jodie was
nominated for her role as kidnapped teenager Ivy Moxam in the hit
BBC drama Thirteen. Both had admired each other’s work from afar:
Phoebe had watched Jodie in her first big TV series My Mad Fat Diary,
and Jodie was a fan of Fleabag: ‘I was trying not to freak out because I
loved her show, so I was trying to be cool,’ she recalls. They ended up
drinking wine in each other’s hotel rooms – first Jodie’s, then Phoebe’s –
after being told to ‘pipe down’ by security for being too noisy.
This isn’t hard to imagine. In between interview questions there’s a
lot of laughter as they spark off each other. Jodie calls Phoebe ‘Pheebs’,
E L L E U K .C OM May 2O19
asking her to ‘be gentle with me’ before they begin, to which Phoebe gives
an evil ‘mwahaha’ cackle and starts her line of questioning, covering
everything from the dark corners of our minds to shedding insecurities,
and why Sandra Oh wants to get inside other women’s vaginas.
PHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE Jodie, you’re on the cover! I feel quite a big
responsibility. So I’m asking the questions… Jodie Comer, what was
your first-ever job? And what was the job that changed the tide for you?
JODIE COMER My first TV job was an episode of hospital drama
The Royal Today when I was 14. But I think Killing Eve is definitely
the role that has changed things for me. I don’t feel like there’s a show
like this, or a character like Villanelle, who breaks so many rules.
PWB Correct answer! Thank you very much.
JC She paid me to say that!
PWB You’ve played quite morally ambiguous characters who have
a darker side to them, such as with Doctor Foster [Jodie played a
twenty-something girl who has an affair with her parents’ friend]. You’ve
said that people would say, ‘She’s the bitch’ and would be rude to you
about her. Are you drawn to that? Or are people just drawn to that in you?
JC I relish it. I think it’s fun getting people roused up, so then when
they meet you, they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re not a bitch or a homewrecker.’
It’s fun to see people have gone with it and they’ve believed it.
PWB Do you feel it’s ironic that the most brutal and murderous character
you’ve played is the one that’s been received with the most love?
. ,
JC The thing is, she could easily be just a murderous villain, but there are
so many loveable qualities about her. When I first read the script and
I read ‘assassin’, I thought, ‘Ah, fuck, I’m not an assassin’ – the stereotype
of what a female assassin is – and I felt a bit deflated. But I related to
Villanelle. There were so many moments from scene one, such as when
she flicks the ice cream on that six-year-old. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve
wanted to do this so many times but I never have.’ I strangely respect
it, the dark corners of our minds that we have to bring to the forefront.
PWB Through the writing process, what I found really liberating with her
was that she’s not ruled by her insecurities. I feel like it’s such a human
thing to be ruled by your insecurities, particularly for women.
JC You’re right, she doesn’t care what people think, and as much as
I don’t like to admit it, I really do. In order to play her, I had to really shed
that from myself. There’s something about her honesty that I admire.
I feel like now I’m much more honest with myself, with people in my life.
PWB Was there a moment when you realised, ‘I want to be an actor’?
JC I remember doing a drama festival in Liverpool, and that was the
first time my dad had seen me act. The monologue I did was quite
emotional. It was by a local playwright about a young girl on the
year anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. I remember doing it
and seeing his face, and him being so taken aback. The thrill of doing
the festival and coming first – I got such a buzz. Then the BBC sent
119
THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE Black blazer, £1,775; and black trousers, £71O , both
BOT TEGA VENETA . Black fascinator, £725 , EMILY LONDON

M A R I A N A M A LTO N I
Black dress, £9,OOO ; and black bodysuit , £58O , both
DIOR . Black shoes, £367, CL AREL
Dress, £5,7OO ; earrings, £635 ,
both BALENCIAGA .

M A R I A N A M A LTO N I
 a request to all the local schools for a BBC Radio 4 drama. I was
12 or 13 at the time, and my drama teacher sent me and another girl from
my year. That was my first-ever job. It was so much fun and the
first realisation that I could do this all the time.
PWB It sounds like it happened quite organically. You are an anomaly in
so many ways, because you’re 26 and yet you’re 2,OOO at the same
time; you have this wisdom and self-assurance that only trees have.
JC [laughing] Ah, I’m a tree!
PWB But you also express this powerful beauty. Every single person
who works with you wants to talk about how wonderful you are to work
with, and how the set comes alive with joy and lightness when you’re
there. That’s also something that comes from inside of you, there’s a
goodness and a fierce work ethic, without any ego. I want to know
when it was you realised you were so fantastic?
JC Shut up! [Phoebe makes an evil laughing sound in the background].
Do you know what’s played a massive part in that? My mum and
dad – they’ve always been so ridiculously supportive, but also said,
‘This is your journey, this is all down to you.’
PWB There’s a kind of feminine energy in the industry right now, which
is exciting. With Killing Eve, Sandra Oh was the first on board. I wrote
her this love letter that was a little bit over the top, but she wrote back
to me and said, ‘I want to talk about your heart, your vagina and your
ideas.’ She said, ‘When I work with women, I want to live in their vagina
,
for the year.’ I was like, ‘The door is wide open, Sandra, please come
running in. Welcome.’ People say it trickles down from the top, the energy
of a whole set, and it did with her. There’s a certain type of power you
feel when you’ve got like-minded women together, trying to expose all
the same vulnerabilities of women, there’s something knowing about
it. Jodie, you had worked on quite a few female-led shows before?
JC The past five projects I’ve been a part of have all been written by
women and I’m very aware that’s rare, but that’s something I want to
continue and be conscious of and seek out.
PWB I’m now going to ask a creepy question, which is going to relate in
some way to the bigger picture, but what are you wearing right now?
JC Oh, God. I’m wearing my activewear because I’m going to the gym.
PWB In Killing Eve, fashion has a huge personality. Has Villanelle’s way
of dressing changed the way you see clothes or the way that you dress?
JC I wish I was as bold as her. What I love about Villanelle is that she
has a particular style. I feel like if you look through her wardrobe, there’s
a definite theme running through it. I’m definitely a jeans girl, which
I think she’s absolutely not. I’ve also retired from heels at the age of 26…
The range of dance moves you can do in a flat shoe.
PWB You can get a much better lunge. Do you remember in Cannes
when there was that after-party with a dancefloor and a funky DJ who
was having a party all on his own? I think it was you, Jodie, who was
124
like, ‘C’mon, it’s time.’ We broke a sweat, you, me and Sandra.
We actually got people on the dancefloor. And now for my last
question. In this era of women being open about shit, and the fact
that Villanelle has no insecurities, what are yours?
JC A big thing is trying to accept that, with acting, the reason for getting
a part or not getting a part isn’t always about your talent or how talented
people think you are; a lot of it is about your looks. Always worrying
about the way you look or your weight for certain roles – that has
always been a big insecurity of mine. I used to hate my teeth when I was
younger. My whole teens, I pouted in every photograph; there are
so many pictures where I’m doing the biggest duck face because
I had a chip in my teeth after diving into a children’s swimming pool.
Growing up as a teen, I always struggled with my weight and body
image. What I’m trying to do – and I feel like I’m succeeding a little
bit in – is be accepting of the fact that… I always put a stress on myself
having to look a certain way, when you are who you are. Your ability to
act, or whatever your job is, is worth so much more than how you look.
PWB The pressure is real. But at the same time, even you saying that –
you, the most extraordinary, perfect human being on the planet, inside
and out – is reassuring, because it shows that it’s a mental state most
women find themselves in, rather than actually being something that’s
important. I feel like when I’m on set working with people I love, with
my head in the work, all those things fall away. I stop caring about any
. ’
of that shit. When women are given the chance to really work or really
have a character that goes deeper than skin deep, then it suddenly all
disappears. That’s how I realised why men don’t worry about this kind of
thing – they have just been really busy doing great jobs forever.
JC I’ve always, always felt more confident within my acting than
within myself. I feel like I believe in myself more within my work. I would
love if you could write me roles for the rest of my life, what do you
think about that? Are you up for that?
PWB I’ve already got a part I haven’t told you about. It’s this one scene;
this one character – I can see her so clearly and it’s so exciting in my
head. But it’s you! Your face inspired this scene and this nuttiness.
JC Would you say I’m a nutty person? I quite like that. I’ve never been
called that before.
PWB You inspired nuttiness in the scene. It’s a really rare feeling when
you know there’s an actor you can work with who can literally do
anything. It already feels dangerous and exciting.
JC I have to say I am super-excited about the fact that I’m going to be
coming to see you doing Fleabag on Broadway! I’m hoping that we
could do some dancing after that.
PWB Oh my God, are you kidding?! In my flat, you and me, baby.
JC In our activewear.
PWB That actually sounds like heaven.
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
Shirt, £23O ; ruffle bag strap,
£26O ; and gloves, £85 , all
MA X MAR A . Bow headband,
£445 , EMILY LONDON.
HAIR: Nao Kawakami at
Saint Luke using R+Co.
MAKE- UP: Celia Burton at
JAQ Management using Dior
Backstage and Dior Capture
Youth. NAILS: Chisato
Yamamoto using Nars.
TAILOR: Michael Hunt.
SET DESIGN: Lianna Fowler.
EX TR AS: Rod Ferrell, Jacques
Leonardo, Eitetsu Nozawa,
Isaac Magner, Buppha
Wittaya-Amponpunt at
The Casting Collective. The
team stayed at CitizenM
Tower of London Hotel;
citizenm.com.With thanks
to Bobbin Bikes

I A A h 2O19
N I
 U
Y
P H OTO G R A P H S by G I L L ES B E N S I MO N ST YLING by ANNE- MARIE CURTIS

Lois (behind) wears: dress and hat, both price on application, SIMONE ROCHA .
Charlotte wears: dress, £2,5OO , cape and hat, both price on application, all SIMONE ROCHA . Shoes, £225 , AGNÈS B
Lois (left) wears: dress, £4,86O , ALEX ANDER McQUEEN. Briefs, £12 , SLOGGI. Shoes, £225 , AGNÈS B .
Charlotte wears: dress, £99O , PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SER AFINI. Shoes, £225 , AGNÈS B

GILLES BENSIMON
Charlotte (left) wears: dress, £1,88O , MIU MIU . Top (worn underneath),
£243 , SHUSHU/ TONG . Lois wears: dress, £2,O25 , MIU MIU
Lois (left) wears: dress, £1,495 , VICTORIA BECKHAM. Hat,
£1,95O , STEPHEN JONES . Charlotte wears: dress, £495 , COACH.
Cape (worn as scarf), price on application, SIMONE ROCHA
GILLES BENSIMON
Lois (left) wears: dress, £1,75O , OSMAN . Shoes ( just seen), £3O5 , CAREL.
Charlotte wears: dress, £3,65O , ALBERTA FERRET TI
 Charlotte (left) wears: dress, £1,2OO , PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SER AFINI .
Lois wears: dress, £1,16O , PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SER AFINI . Shoes, £225 , AGNÉS B

GILLES BENSIMON
GIL LES BEN SIMO N
Lois (in front on this
page) wears: top, £74O ;
and skirt, £1,36O ; both
CECILIE BAHNSEN .
Shoes, £225 , AGNÈS B .
Charlotte wears: top,
£8OO , MOLLY GODDARD.
Skirt, £3,O7O ,
ERMANNO SCERVINO .
Shoes, £225 , AGNÈS B
Charlotte (left) wears: top, £765 , ISABEL MAR ANT. Lois wears: dress, £565 , ISABEL MAR ANT.
Hat (worn by both), £2,O8O , HARVEY SANTOS

GILLES BENSIMON
Lois (left) wears: dress, £2,O7O , STELL A McCARTNEY. Shoes, £3O5 , CAREL .
Charlotte wears: dress, price on application, ERDEM. Shoes, £3O5 , CAREL
 HAIR: Benedicte Cazau-
Beyret at CLM Hair &
Make-up using Davines.
MAKE- UP: Andrew
Gallimore at CLM Hair &
Make-up using CHANEL
Les Beiges Eau de Teint and
Hydra Beauty Camellia
Water Cream. MODELS:
Charlotte Touya at Karin
Models Paris and Lois
Schalkwijk at Premier Model
Management. CASTING:
Cicek Brown. The team
stayed at Meliá Salinas
Hotel; melia.com
 THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE Charlotte (left) wears: top, £1,O5O ; and skirt, £1,65O , both CECILIE BAHNSEN . Veil , £595 , JANE BOURVIS . Shoes ( just seen), £225 ,
AGNÈS B. Lois wears: dress, price on application, DOLCE & GABANNA . Veil, £695 , JANE BOURVIS . Shoes, £225 , AGNÈS B

GILLES BENSIMON
PHOTOGRAPHS by VICTOR DEMARCHELIER STYLING by BENEDETTA DELL’ORTO ZINERONI
D re ss , £1 ,62 5;
he ad ba nd , £ 4 O
5 ; gl ov es , £ 5 6
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G ol d ho op ea rr in 2 7O ; cu ff brac
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ld ho op ea rr in g, l PR A D A .
£1 ,5 2 O fo r pa
ir, bo th C A RT IE
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cu lott es , £1 ,5 O O ;
V IV IE N N E W gold ch ai n ne ck la
ES T W O O D . G ce , £ 8 6 O ; an d go
ol d ho op ea rr in g, ld ‘J ’a do re ’ ch ok
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ld ho op ea rr in g, 5 .2 5 , C A LZ ED
£ 52 O fo r pa ir O N IA . Sa nd al
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on ap pli cat ion , bot J.W
£7 9O , LO NG CH AM P
To p an d sho rts , bot h pri ce rin g, £1 ,52 O for pa ir, bot h CA RT IER . Ba g ,
wh ite gol d hoo p ear
V I C TO R D E M A R C H E L I E R
 . Sh oes, £915 ,
O SE R AF IN I . So cks , £5 .25 , CA L ZE DO NI A
RE NZ pa ir, bot h CA RT IER
45 , PH ILO SO PH Y DI LO d hoo p ear rin g, £1 ,52 O for
t , ,55 O , GI OR GI O AR MA NI . Sh ort s, £2 for pa ir; an d wh ite gol
Ja cke £3
Gold hoo p ear rin g, £1 ,52 O
GI US EP PE ZA NO T TI .

V I C TO R D E M A R C H E L I E R
D re ss , £ 61 ,18 O
; ve st (w or n un de
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A LZ ED O N IA si lk pa ne l (w or n
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pa ir ; an d w hi te oe s, £ 675 , al l C
gold ho op ea rr in A LV IN K LE IN
2 O 5 W 3 9 N YC
g, £ 52 O fo r pa ir
, both C A RT IE R .
 EP PE ZA NO T TI FOR
A FE RR ET TI. Bo ots , pri ce on ap pli cat ion , GI US ÈS
Dress , £2 ,376 , AL BE RT £3 O8 eac h, all HE RM
N . Ch oke r, £1 ,3O 2 ; an d bra cel ets , fro m
RE DE MP TIO

V I C TO R D E M A R C H E L I E R
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 FASHION EDITOR:
Charlotte Deffe. HAIR:
Teddy Charles at Home
Agency. MAKE- UP:
Charlotte Willer at
Home Agency. MODEL:
Anya Lyagoshina at
The Society

Co at, £2 ,675 , SA LVATO RE

FE RR AG AM O . Go ld hoo
an d wh ite gol d hoo p ear rin p ear rin g, £1 ,52 O for pa ir;
g, £1 ,52 O for pa ir, bot h CA
RT IER

V I C TO R D E M A R C H E L I E R
 ER V IV IE R .
LK E. S ho es , £1 ,15 O , RO G
T ig ht s, £19, FA
, al l M IU M IU .
ne ck la ce , £ 8 6 O , both C A RT IE R
be lt , £ 3 5 O ; an d £ 52 O fo r pa ir
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D re ss w it h bo w ir ; an d w hi te go
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 B E A U T Y
I Y I
Y
EDITED by SOPHIE BERESINER P H OTO G R A P H by C L A I R E B R A N D

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 151

E L L E Beauty

A FINE LINE

Why stick to a sharp, exaggerated, dual-ended

cat-liner flick with a soft ombré edging
when you can embellish it with crystals instead
– and throw in glossy shadow lashes?

152 E .C O M / May 2O19

 E L L E Beauty

BE AUT Y by SOPHIE BERESINER

P H OTO G R A P H S by C L A I R E B R A N D
xx

Both models wear

tops, £59O each,
MARY K ATR ANTZOU.
Gloves, £735 for
pair, CHANEL

LL S 15153
E L L E Beauty

Top, £1,795 ,
CHRISTOPHER K ANE
x xx
xxxx xxx

DREAM LINER
X xx
Xx
XX
X g a hs
h

You could spend time delicately tracing white lines to accent your favourite features, but this is inspiration rather than prescription.
Pho og

White liner is the ethereal little sister to black. It’s beautiful, surprising, kind of dreamy and usefully eye-opening.

154 E L L E .C OEMS/ U
EKP TMay
E M 2O19
BER
 E L L E Beauty

YOU’RE SO FINE…

Liquid, pencil, gel, kohl, thick, thin, black, white - your liner kit can be as broad
as your imagination. But these are an excellent place to start
Photograph: Amy Currell

LEFT TO RIGHT: SHISEIDO ArchLiner Ink, £ 52 . YS L Waterproof Long-Wear Eye Pencil, £2O. CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN BEAUT Y Lash Amplifying Lacquer, £55,
BOBBI BROWN Brow Definer Brush, £26.5O. YSL Eye Gloss Smudger, £19. SPECTRUM Brow Brush, £ 49.9 9 for set . YSL Dessin de Regard Eye Liner, £21.
URBAN DECAY Perversion Waterproof Eye Pen, £18. SIGMA Eye Liner Brush, £8.19. YSL Couture Liquid Eyeliner, £26. YSL Couture Kajal, £26. YSL Dessin du
Regard Waterproof Eyeliner, £21. YSL Touche Éclat High Cover Concealer, £26. ZOEVA Soft Kohl Eyeliner, £5.5O. BURBERRY Eyeliner Brush, £19

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 155

E L L E Beauty

Top, £12O , DKNY

OVER THE LINE

Either we thought thhis out carefully

f y and d painstakingly
drew it hand, or we a cookie cutter
and used it as an eyeliner stamp. You decide (one versioni n
is much more playful and powerful).

156 E .C O M / U K May 2O19

 E L L E Beauty

Hat, price on application,

MARY K ATR ANTZOU

THE BOTTOM LINE

We’ve already extrolled the virtues of white liner, but silver? Interspersed with black? So extra, so flattering, so Sixties when
flicked beneath the lower lashes like this, but the dual-tone gives it an immediate update.

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 157

E L L E Beauty

Dress ( just seen), £27,5O5 , BALMAIN .

MAKE- UP: Andrew Gallimore at CLM Hair & Make-up
using YSL Beauty. ST YLING: Clemmie Brown.
HAIR: Liz Taw at The Wall Group using Aveda.
NAILS: Emma Welsh at Frank Agency using CHANEL
Le Vernis in Rouge Noir and La Crème Main.
MODELS: Ayana Aschkar Stevens at Premier Model
Management and Anna Vivchar at Storm

THE OUTLINE

There’s thinking around the

practicalities of liner that it should
elongate your eyes, but we say,
um, why? Break some rules and
make a case for dollifying, rather
than elongating. A spacious oval
shape around the eye opens it
up and looks sharp even though,
well, it really isn’t.

158 E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19

 have .

, ... I
COMPILED by SOPHIE BERESINER COLL AGES by ISABEL REITEME YER

16O

... had
by Clare Pennington, Picture Director
THE TREATMENT Lip fillers: injectables to increase the volume of lips.
HOW ARE THE NERVES? Thanks to spending my teens in the
Noughties, I’ve always favoured lips like my brows – no wider than
a pencil. But watching Kylie Jenner’s financially enhanced puberty
unfold made me wonder what fillers could do for me. I’m excited.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? After having numbing cream slopped
across my mouth, the aesthetician applies six very short, sharp
injections of Princess Filler. It’s all over in around 3O seconds.
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 5/1O – if you’ve ever had
the hair on your private parts callously ripped from its roots, then
this will be a walk in the park. Beware if you’re super-squeamish,
though – there is some (quite squirty) blood.
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? After an ice pack and an
antiseptic wipe I leave the clinic, puckering up to unsuspecting
strangers. The only giveaway is a little (temporary) lump on the
left side, where extra filler was added to even my mouth out.
WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL?
The results are subtle: it still looks like my mouth, just plumped
– like a fresh pillow. More
‘new lipstick?’ than ‘what’ve
you done to your face?’.
Unnecessary? Extravagant?
Definitely, but it made me feel
fantastic. From £485 by Dr
Rita Rakus; drritarakus.co.uk
... had
by Susan Ward Davies, Travel
& Lifestyle Director
THE TREATMENT Profhilo: an
injectable to plump the face.
HOW ARE THE NERVES? I am a
little nervous of cosmetic procedures (seeing ‘botched’ celebrity
jobs have put me off) but the good press around Profhilo – the
injectable du jour – calmed my fears. Made of 1OO% hyaluronic
acid in stabilised form (an ingredient that can hold up to 1,OOO
times its weight in water, so it’s super-hydrating), its structure lets
it spread under the skin, giving – hopefully – a very natural finish.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? I’m injected five times on each side
(on the high point of the cheekbone, in front of the ear, at the
corner of the jaw, to the side of the nostril and chin), which
should be enough to boost the whole face.
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 7/1O – but it’s very quick.
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? I’m left with a few pea-sized
bumps and a little bruising, which subsides after a couple of
days (during which my aesthetician suggesst avoiding make-up).
WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL? Two
weeks after my second session (two are recommended, with
a top up every few months), my skin is glowing, and after another
two weeks, I can expect even more improvement. It’s subtle – a
mild plump rather than tight lift – and the effects should last for
up to nine months. £49O for one treatment, £875 for two and
£1,6OO for four at Waterhouse Young Clinic; waterhouseyoung.com
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
E L L E Beauty
... had
by Hannah Nathanson, Features Director
THE TREATMENT Tape hair extensions: real hair
stuck into the roots to add length and volume.
HOW ARE THE NERVES? Being a total novice
to the process, I knew I’d find the whole thing
weird but am hopeful for the wonderful, too.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? Kind of like many
other hair treatments. I sit there as Percy
& Reed’s extension guru Hadley gently tapes
each individual strip of strands underneath
my natural hair, cleverly hiding any tell-tale
signs of faking it. I’ve also had my hair dyed
in preparation too, partly to ensure an even
colour to match with the extensions, mainly to
cover some pesky greys. It does take a while
to get used to the sensation of long hair that’s
not my own – and the fact they’re not going to
fall out anytime soon (they last for six to eight
weeks, then you can reuse the hair twice more).
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR
THE GAIN? O/1O –
apart from the usual
sensation of in-salon
tugging and brushing.
.
. W H AT A RE TH E
IMMEDIATE RESULTS?
I I went from shoulder-
length hair to a mane
,
that reaches down to
my waist, which is such
an unnatural feeling,
W like having a phantom
organ or limb. But it also
feels incredible, and
I walk back to the office
after a few hours in the salon with an extra
swagger in my step. Returning, I do a twirl in
front of my colleagues to a chorus of
‘oooohs’ and ‘aaaaaahs’, like when you watch
fireworks. I’d call that a success!
WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW
DO YOU FEEL? There is a degree of
maintenance: I have to make sure I use
sulphate-free shampoo and no conditioner on
the roots. There was also the much-needed
tonging tutorial at my desk from ELLE’s Beauty
Director Sophie Beresiner. On the other hand,
I also don’t need to wash my hair as much
and feel like it’s almost like an outfit in itself.
I’m even advised by friends that I might try
swapping my androgynous trouser suits for
some bodycon, and maybe I will. I’m enjoying
my new-found swagger, but not sure if – long
term – this long hair is very ‘me’. Extensions start
from £25O with Hadley at the Percy & Reed
Salon in London; percyandreed.com
161
E L L E Beauty

... been ... had

by Eirwen Oxley Green, Chief Sub-Editor by Felicity Kay, Fashion Editor
THE TREATMENT Super Skin Microneedling THE TREATMENT Botox – an injectable toxin (eek!) that affects the way facial muscles move.
Meso: an in-clinic facial treatment to even out HOW ARE THE NERVES? The thought of having Botox made me nervous – very nervous.
skin tone and improve texture. But not about the pain; I was more bothered about whether or not it was the right thing for
HOW ARE THE NERVES? I’m ready for action me to do, or whether I’d go down a slippery slope towards looking ridiculous. But I am
and excited for the results. The process uses reassured that it’s temporary and I trust the practitioner.
needles to puncture hundreds of tiny holes in WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? Tiny, sharp scratches around my forehead and the sides of my
your skin (yes, really). These pin-pricks create eyes. I had more than I thought I’d need, but it was ‘baby’ botox, so a little bit in more places.
an ‘injury’ in the dermis, which then kicks HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 3/1O – it only lasts for a second.
the skin into healing mode and stimulates WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? I thought my forehead looked shinier and my eyes
collagen and elastin production. Cue plumped puffier but the results don’t hit for a couple of weeks, so maybe I was just tired. At first I felt like
skin and the improved appearance of fine my brow was really heavy – I felt really self-conscious – but I suspect it was all in my mind.
lines, wrinkles, scars and pores. WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL? After three weeks of no-one
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? Do you have a commenting, I feel happier that I look less tired, and my deeper wrinkles have gone. I don’t like
tattoo on your face? Probably not – and the feeling of not being able to frown properly, even though I still have expression. But overall,
neither do I – but after my first microneedling it was worth it. From £295 by Dr Alexis Granite at Mallucci London; mallucci-london.com
session, I think I have a pretty good idea of
how it might feel to get one done. Your skin is
being pricked countless times, which is never
going to be comfortable.
... had a
by Hikmat Mohammed, Fashion Features Assistant
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 8/1O
on the forehead (you know what you’re in THE TREATMENT Velvet Treatmet: a laser
for when your therapist asks what your pain facial to help resurface the skin
threshold is…), though the rest of the face was HOW ARE THE NERVES? Not so bad. I’ve had
far more manageable. You can opt to have facial treatments before to help deal with
a numbing cream applied first, though, which redness and inflammation on my cheeks, some
time-permitting, I’d probably go for next time. of which have been painful, few of which have
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? been successful. This one is supposed to be
Afterwards, my face looked vaguely sunburnt,
but it calmed down within a few hours, which V .
great for acne scarring (of which I have a bit),
plus it rejuvenates and plumps the skin.
was just as well since you can’t wear make-up WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? It’s painful, like little
for 48 hours afterwards. zaps of tiny daggers going into your skin as the
.
WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW , laser is manoeuvered around the face.
DO YOU FEEL? I’ve only had one go (a course HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 8/1O.
is recommended), but three weeks later, my Even with the numbing cream – which I opt
skin definitely feels more glowy and resilient. in for – it does hurt. The stinging is especially
Would I go back? Absolutely. £16O for 6O bad around the nose, where most people
minutes at The Light Salon; the light-salon.com are super-sensitive. However, the pain is
immediate and short-lived, leaving behind
redness, a little swelling and a few dots of
... had blood. I will say, it’s not for the faint-hearted.
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? My
by Christina Simone, Group Workflow Director
face is tomato-ish for a few days, with some
TREATMENT Laser hair removal: the permanent zapping-away of unwanted bikini line hair. punctures visible, and the temptation is to
HOW ARE THE NERVES? None: I was happy that the days of lifting my legs high up in the air, slather my skin with cream and cover up with
with a woman buried somewhere between my buttcheeks holding a stick of hot wax, were make-up, but I keep things clean and simple
finally numbered. I was going after a hairless crotch for all-time, hallelujah! to hopefully reap the most benefits.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? My technician Safie zaps me with a serious-looking laser gun WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW
attached to a hose draped around her neck. She moves the nozzle around the skin, bringing a DO YOU FEEL? Two weeks after the treatment,
hot sting wherever it touches. This lasts for about ten minutes before I’m slathered with aloe gel. my skin is noticeably clearer, my scars appear
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 8/1O, plus a bit of cold sweat: the stinging reminded reduced, and my face is much smoother in
me of getting my first tattoo, but the difference here was the hideous burning hair smell… texture. I have to keep it moisturised and
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? There was a dull ache in the area until the following protected (with a high SPF) to create the
morning, and the burned follicles were red and raised– all normal after-effects of laser removal. promised ‘velvet’ finish, but if I take care of
WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL? I have six more stinging, stinky my skin, the results should continue to improve.
sessions but if I’ll stay hair-free, bring it on. From £8O at Cadogan Clinic; cadoganclinic.com £75O per session at Dr Dray Clinic; drdray.co.uk

162 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19

 E L L E Beauty

... had
by Jennifer George, Beauty Editor
THE TREATMENT Dermal fillers: injected fillers
to add lost volume and re-contour the face.
HOW ARE THE NERVES? In my job, I’m pretty
down for being pinned and prodded in
the name of preening, so I’m raring to go.
Studying my face in detail, Dr Kersh (who
comes highly recommended and is beautifully
natural looking; a pillow-faced practitioner is
a big turn-off for me) suggests a little filler at
the top of each cheek and some in my chin to
balance out my profile and elevate the skin
that’s creating a ‘jowly’ look.
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? A needle containing
a cannula (a thin tube through which the
formula is inserted) punctures the skin, which
doesn’t really hurt apart from a pinch. Filler is
then squeezed in through a different syringe,
which is undeniably an odd sensation.
Accompanied by a quiet ‘pop-pop-pop’ you
can feel it smooshing under your skin. Creepy.
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? 2/1O
for pain, 7/1O for uncomfortable weirdness.
I also have a slight (ok, big) wobble when the
second insertion point leads to a lot of bleeding.
Nothing to worry about – some people bleed
more than others – and nothing some cotton
wool, two Ferrero Rochers, a gallon of water
and callllllming thoughts can’t fix. The next
attempt is problem free, as are the rest.
WHAT ARE THE
IMMEDIATE RESULTS?
The bruising on my
chin is quite angry
(‘I slipped while
washing the dog,’
I fib to one friend), but
... had otherwise there are
no telltale signs.
by Olivia McCrea-Hedley, Deputy Chief Sub-Editor
WHAT ARE THE
THE TREATMENT Colonic Hydrotherapy: otherwise known LASTING RESULTS
as an irrigation, to flush stagnant waste from the bowels. AND HOW DO YOU
HOW ARE THE NERVES? I’m weirdly excited: thanks to my FEEL? My filler-ed
erratic eating habits, I suffer from rogue chin spots, dull skin face looks… like my
and uncomfortable bloating, so I’m here to fix these issues old one, actually, but
from the, um, inside out. The treatment is a holistic approach to fresher and tighter.
tackling issues that stem from poor gut health (namely skin- and digestion-related concerns). More so than any facial could achieve, but
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? Real talk: it’s nothing like you’d expect. Yes, it does involve having a subtle enough that my own mother would never
tube inserted into your bum, through which filtered water is pumped up your colon to flush out know I’d gone under the needle (sorry, Mum).
trapped waste. But the tube takes the water in and the waste out, so it’s a quick, clean process. I’m particularly impressed with how the wedge
HOW MUCH PAIN FOR THE GAIN? O/1O – I just felt like I really needed to go to the loo. of floppy skin that used to be under my chin
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE RESULTS? My bloating disappeared instantly – and it’s stayed that is barely pinchable. Did I need fillers aged
way. I’ve adopted better habits, too: I now eat my main meal at lunchtimes to aid digestion. 32? No. But with these subtly brilliant results
WHAT ARE THE LASTING RESULTS AND HOW DO YOU FEEL? My digestive health has improved I’d definitely go for a top-up – bank balance
and my skin is glowing. I’ve been recommended three sessions a year, and I’ll definitely be allowing. From £65O by Dr Suha Kersh
returning. It’s worth every damn penny. From £125 by Victoria at EF Medispa; efmedispa.com at 23MD clinic; 23md.com

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 163

E L L E Beauty

THE GLOW- GIVER

BACKSTAGE BEAUTY
We caught a peek of the NARS
Multi-Use Gloss in First Time,
£2O (right), at Christopher
Kane’s AW19 show. One swipe
gives an iridescent sheen to lids
as well as lips. It’s a no-brainer.
Peter Pilotto

TO THE RESCUE
THE LASH BOOST
MAGIC WAND
A NEW The bareMinerals Complexion
DIMENSION Rescue Hydrating Foundation
Stick, £29 (left), promises
Your lashes are about to
the long-wearing, blemish-
take up a whole new M O O D B O A R D hiding finish its famous
space. According to
powder delivers – but in
Clarins, its Wonder Perfect
4D Mascara, £22 (top), MAKE
E-UP a hydrating stick formula.
The best product for doing
creates the ‘4 dimensions
your make-up on the move.
of a flawless look’: volume,
length, curl and definitionn.

C O L L A G E S b y PA T R I C K WA U G H
Paco Rabanne

HIGH SHINE
THE MAT TIFIER
THE UNREAL DEAL
A FEEL-GOOD FINISH Plumping without the prick of a
Meet the latest addition to the needle and glossy without the
shine-banishing Dr Feelgood family: fly-trap stickiness, Hourglass
Benefit Silky Mattifying Powder, Unreal High Shine Volumizing
£25 (above), is the prescription-free Lip Gloss, £28 (above), is the
antidote to excess oil. It’s also the product we needed to show
cure for shiny selfies. Result. matte lipsticks the door.

164 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19

 E L L E Beauty

WELL GEL

NAIL FILE
Michelle Humphrey’s clients include
everyone from Lily Allen to Katy Perry, and
her Instagram is our go-to inspo for
incorporating bold colours into our next
mani. In her exclusive design for ELLE
(right), Michelle has taken the gelly nail
to the next level. @nailsbymh

THE AGE- DEFIER

DESK TREAT
Neal’s Yard Remedies
Frankincense Intense Hand
Treatment Serum, £3O
(left), sinks in instantly, so
our hands no longer slide
over our keyboards. Plus, it M O O D B O A R D
brightens any age spots.
HAIR & NAILS

Area
Jacquemus

COLOUR FOCUS

MATCHY-MATCHA
The OPI Tokyo Collection comes in 18
glorious shades. How Does Your Zen
PERFECT BALANCE
Garden Grow, £13.5O (far right), suits all
skin tones and proves there is nothing wrong THE EQUALISERS
with picking a nail colour to match your latte.
We might be able to finally give up dry
shampoo: Charles Worthington
Healthy Balance Harmonious
Shampoo, £6.99 (right), balances out
oil to get rid of greasiness, while
Healthy Balance Dry Ends Conditioner,
£6.99 (above), seals damaged ends.

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 165

E L L E Beauty
DYNAMIC DUO
WAKE ME UP
This Works Morning Expert
Hyaluronic Serum, £37, and
Morning Expert Open Eyes,
£3O (both left), is the super
duo we’ve been missing. The
eye cream cools and deflates,
while the serum plumps and
brightens snoozy skin.
Les Copains
M O O D B O A R D
SKIN
THE HOME SPA
CLEANSE & CALM
Aesop Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk, £25 for
1OOml (above), suits all skin types and doesn’t
leave skin feeling parched after it’s washed off.
The lavender scent almost convinces us we’re in a
fancy spa, instead of our shared bathroom. Almost.
166
THE NEWS
LAST DROP
VS DESK DROP
by JENNIFER GEORGE
LOVED ‘TIL THE LAST DROP:
La Mer The Eye Balm
Intense, £16O (left). The price
may make my eyes water, but
the skin around them has barely
a wrinkle since using this. And
it’s lasted (almost) two years.
REPLACEMENT DESK DROP:
Elemis Ultra-Smart
Pro-Collagen Eye Treatment
Duo, £145 (below). Another
investment, yes, but I’m keen to
keep crow’s feet at bay. This
combines science and nature
to form a powerhouse formula.
THE PROTECTOR
INSTA FIX
Your daily Instagram scrolling
comes at a price: the screen
emits wrinkle-producing rays.
Don’t panic, Sisley Youth Anti-
Pollution Energizing Super
Hydrating Youth Perfector,
£138 (left), has a blue light
shield to help protect against
damage, so you can carry on
stalking your ex’s new puppy…
Missoni
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 E L L E Beauty

FEELING FRUITY

Missoni
GO BANANAS
The clue’s in the name, but L’Artisan Parfumeur Bana
Banana, £115 for 1OOml EDP P (below), is a zesty,
grown-up scent, settling just on the right side of sweet.

THE NEW FLOR AL

RAY OF LIGHT
We know we shouldn’t judge
W
a scent by its bottle, but
Jo Malone Frangipani Flower
Cologne, £98 for 1OOml
(below), is a true burst of
s
sunshine. Mixing lemon with
ja
asmine, it’s summer in a bottle.

M O O D B O A R D

FRAGRANCE
Words: Charlotte Bitmead and Jennifer George. Photographs: Lucky If Sharp, Jason
Lloyd-Evans, Imaxtree, Getty Images, Pia Riverola and Kanji Ishii courtesy of Louis Vuitton

FRAGRANCE CV
by MODEL & ACTIVIST
ADWOA ABOAH

I have so many early fragrance

memories, though the one
that jumps out to me is when
I would climb into bed with
my grandma and snuggle into
her cosy smell.
The fragrance I’m wearing
right now is… Giorgio Armani PERFECT MATCH
Sì Fiori, £74 for 5Oml EDP
(above). I normally wear lots SUCCULENT
of essential oils, such as SCENT
Adwoa Aboah

lavender, but I love this because

Louis Vuitton Les Parfums
of its vanilla scent and how
Cactus Garden Cologne,
musky it is.
£185 for 1OOml (above),
For me, one of the best things combines freshly cut grass
about fragrance is the kinds of with smoky bergamot notes
emotions a scent can evoke. – a millennial’s dream.

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 167

 E L L E Beauty

ZO
NAILS: Michelle
Class at Stella Creative
Artists using OPI.
MAKE- UP: Yin Lee
using MAC Cosmetics.
MODEL: Cecily M
at M+P Models

MA X FACTOR
Colour Elixir Honey
Lip Lacquer in
Honey Rose, £9.99

OM
DIOR
Vernis
is in Rouge
999, ££21

GUERL AIN
KissKiss Shaping Cream
Lip Colour in Romantic
Kiss, £29.5O

ESTÉE L AUDER
Double Wear Stay-in-
Place Lip Pencil in
Apple Cordial, £18.5O

MAC
STAR BRIGHT
Eye Liner Brush,
£16.5O
Photographs: Lucky If Sharp

P H OTO G R A P H by SA M W I L SO N
BURT’S BEES
Natural Matte Lip
Crayon in Niagara
Overlook, £5.99

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 169

E L L E Beauty

Q& A SOPHIE SAYS

C O L L A G E b y PA T R I C K WA U G H

I feel like I ‘lose my Charlotte, I hear ya! bear the thought of any pore left uncovered, try
eyes’ when I wear my I am a prolific wearer a powder instead, which will kind of disappear
heavy (Celine) glasses. of glasses and have into your skin rather than sitting on top of it.
And lipstick plus specs been since I was in Thirdly, Losing Eyes. Obviously not literally,
is a no-no, right? single digits, so I’m but depending on your prescription, your
CHARLOT TE, SURREY entirely qualified to lenses will slightly distort what is underneath
answer this question. them. If you’re short-sighted, your eyes can
There are any number of options open to you appear smaller. Add in a heavy statement
– starting with a lighter frame. I, too, had some frame and you have a very real eye deficit to
Celines, but now own a light gold Dior pair make up for. Make-up can do that!
that mean I can wear lipstick at the same time. I’m not a huge fan of full-on make-up with
There are myriad issues with glasses glasses; it just jars, IMHO. I make sure to go
and make-up, but the main things to take into the subtler route of upping the contrast and
account are these. Transference, including but contours with a tan or taupe nude smudged
not limited to mascara. If around my lashes – top and
your mascara is transferring, bottom – with a boost up to
lucky you; you have the socket line. Then I add
exceptionally long lashes. some sharpness (if I sound
I prescribe a tubing mascara, like a photo-editing app,
such as LashLift 188 by Pixi that is because I am trying
Beauty or Maybelline’s to. It helps the steps make
Snapscara. It kind of forms more visual sense). A bit of
a black mould over each grey, brown or deep purple
lash so it doesn’t smudge, kohl in the waterline defines
and it comes off when you your eyes without looking
wet your fingers and slide too make-up-ey. Lashes
it off. Since I switched to tubing, I do not get are essential to finish off this easy daytime
mascara smudges. Foundation, yes. Until spectacles-smoke, but we’ve covered that.
someone invents a non-transferring base that As for lipstick, I never do a bold colour
stays put when you take your roll neck over your with my frames. I just prefer the low-key chic
head with your glasses still on, I can’t avoid it. that wearing glasses offers my whole look.
The next thing is The Slide. You know: you I’ll definitely use a smoky nude for a touch of
do your base, it looks amazing, then you put ‘togetherness’, or a soft pink for a colour hit,
your glasses on and the nose pads (correct but that’s as far as I go. But this is you we’re
Photographs: Imaxtree, Getty Images

term, now you know) slowly but determinedly
slide down your nose, taking your base with
them. There is a simple solution: don’t apply
your foundation to the sides of your nose. There
is no rule that says you have to. If you cannot
talking about, Charlotte. Deep red with some
heavy Celines is a look and a half if you’ve
got the guts to pull it off. It also more than
makes up (pardon the pun) for losing your eyes.
Who needs those anyway?

G E T I N T O U C H w i t h S O P H I E @ S O P H I E B E R E S I N E R # S O P H I E S AY S

17O E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19

 E L L E Beauty
Below, from left: THE BODY SHOP Nail brush, £4.5O. L’OCCITANE Milk Shea Butter Extra Gentle Soap, £5.5O. ARGENTUM APOTHECARY
Le Savon Lune, £1O4. AERIN Lilac Path Soap, £22. BYREDO Suede Hand Wash, £38. CHANEL Les Exclusifs de Chanel Beige, £15O for 75ml EDP.
CL ARINS Blending brush and eyeshadow brush, £2O each. DIOR Backstage Face & Body Foundations, £29 each. BOBBI BROWN Face brush, £33

B elow, from left: CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Luminous Colour in Deep, £42 ; Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in No2O, £4O ; Rouge Allure Velvet
Matte Lip Colour in Libre, £31; and Les Beiges Eau de Teint Water-Fresh Tint, £48. FENT Y BEAUT Y Match Stix Matte Skinstick in Peach, £21;
and Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer, £19. L ARRY KING A Social Life for Your Hair, £23. KEVIN MURPHY Staying Alive, £21. MILLER HARRIS Peau Santal,
£1O5 for 1OOml EDP. THE BODY SHOP Body brush, £9

T H E S H E L F I E

BEAUTY & THE BEIGE

P H OTO G R A P H by A MY C U R R E L L
Styling: Jennifer George

Above, from left: CHANEL Exclusive Creation Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powder, £42. MAC Liptensity Lipsticks in Bruck Dust and Well Bred Brown, £18 each.
BOBBI BROWN Nude Finish Illuminating Powder in Nude, £42. ESTÉE L AUDER Double Wear Liquid Foundations, £33.5O each. FENT Y BEAUT Y Invisimatte blotting
paper, £13. Pot, stylist’s own. MUJI cotton buds, £3.5O for 2OO. SUQQU Cotton pads, £11

E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 171

E L L E Wellness

EDITED by HANNAH NATHANSON

HOW TO

PERFECT BALANCE
MAKE YOUR
RUN FASTER
WORKOUT MORE
Adidas has launched its
SISTERLY
WMNRUN CLUB
final limited-edition colourway
– Bat Orchid – for its WHAT IS IT? Need a good reason to get
Ultraboost 19 running shoe, up at 6am for a run, even if it’s cold and
and we want a pair. dark outside? WMN RUN is an
Not just for the colour, all-female running collective (currently
obviously, but also for the London-based, but expanding) that
clever run-faster-and-for-longer meets on Friday (4.5 miles) and Saturday
technology, including a (1O-plus miles) mornings. Its sports tops
3D heel support. (below) are designed by Nike Women.
Trainers, £159.95, A D I DA S
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT? There aren’t
many things in life that you can turn up to
on your own at 6.55am and still have a
really good time. I was struck by how
inclusive WMN RUN was, and felt such
an endorphin hit running in a group.

SPECIAL TOUCHES? I joined one of the

Friday runs, which start and finish at
Origin Coffee Roasters in Southwark, so
you can reward yourself post-run with
delicious coffee and a great breakfast.

THE PODCAST GOOD FOR? If you’re training for a race

FAR OUT and need motivation and to clock up
your training mileage. wmnrun.com
If you’re preparing for a marathon
and need distracting during your
training, tune in to Well Far, a
running-focused podcast hosted by

Photographs: Gilles Bensimon, Lucky If Sharp, Rex Features, Stocksy, Liam Walsh
Women’s Health digital editor Amy
Hopkinson. Look out for Olympian W
Watch, £ 39 9 ,
Dina Asher-Smith as a special guest. aand strap, £ 49 ,
both
b APPLE
Dina Asher-Smith

Leggings,
£ 5O,
TOMMY
SPORT
,
THE INDULGENCE

RUN… A BATH
OR
As you clock up those miles, your body
will thank you for some quality R&R.
Goop has launched Phys. Ed. Recovery
Bath Soak, £3O, with apple cider
vinegar, arnica and turmeric. If it’s good Sports bra, £ 4 5 ,
enough for Gwynie… goop.com/uk TOMMY SPORT

172 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19

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E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19 175

E L L E Explore

R N

W O R D S b y S U S A N WA R D D A V I E S COLL AGES by GUS & STELL A

176 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19


RECLAIMING THE WILD
You don’t expect a hipster breakfast of mashed
avocado on sourdough toast in the middle of
an African rainforest, but you get used
to surprises like that in Rwanda. We are
staying in one of the country’s fanciest hotels,
the One&Only Nyungwe House (oneandonly
resorts.com) in Nyungwe Forest National Park,
and a decent breakfast is just what you need
after a 5am start to go trekking. After three
NYUNGWE hours slip-sliding up and down muddy paths
FOREST that snake through giant tree ferns and towering
Canopy walks,
wildlife and bamboo, you reach a death-defying jungle
waterfalls in this canopy walk. I didn’t think I had a problem
National Park with heights until I attempted the 2OOm-
long rope bridge that sways high above the
trees. Only 4Ocm wide and held together by
wire cables, it swings alarmingly with every
hesitant step I take, as if it will flip up and over animals that make this country so impressive,
like a skipping rope, leaving you dangling
6Om above the forest floor. It doesn’t, of course,
but the feeling of possibility adds to the thrill.
There are plenty of
other thrills at Nyungwe: a
rainforest trail near the hotel
is a two-hour tramp through
an Eden-like lost world,
where waterfalls thunder
down rock faces, strange
creepers wrap themselves
around impossibly tall trees,
and great blue turacos and
white-tailed flycatchers
chirp and caw. Or you can
set off from the nearby Uwinka trekking centre
on a three-hour forage into the undergrowth,
where black-and-white colobus and L’Hoest’s
monkeys scamper around, and families of
chimpanzees frolic in the trees above you.
And then there’s the hotel itself, one of
the most beautiful I have seen. Set in a tea
plantation, there’s a small outdoor pool, a tiny
spa and a semi-open main building housing
the bar and restaurant, fronted by a huge deck
overlooking the tea bushes. The 22 bedrooms
are set in large cabins, each with a four-poster
Nyungwe House Canopy walk Nyungwe House
E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19
E L L E Explore
bed, white walls and colourful local art, a
wood-burning stove (nights are cold), bamboo
floor and a balcony overlooking the forest.
Meals, too, are exquisite. There is no menu,
just organic produce from the hotel garden
used in dishes such as broccoli salad with
mint, goji berries and pineapple. This is not
traditional Rwandan food, which is quite heavy
(cassava, maize dumplings…), but the chef is
the inventive 26-year-old Treasure Makwanise,
whose bio includes fleeing Zimbabwe at 16,
sleeping on Cape Town streets and ending
up at the One&Only Cape Town — so you’d
expect him to break the rules a little.
BE INSPIRED
A lot of Rwanda is unpredictable like that. Of
course, you come for the wildlife, especially
the gorillas. Everyone does. But it’s not just the
nor the magical ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’
scenery, with its volcanoes, rice terraces,
green valleys clouded in mist and 1,OOO-
year-old trees reaching
55m into the sky. What is
really extraordinary are the
12 million Rwandans living
in what looks – and feels –
like peaceful harmony, just
25 years after one of the
world’s worst genocides.
You wouldn’t think any
country could recover from
that kind of horror, but with
the aid of reconciliation
committees, often led by women, the banning
of the terms ‘Hutu’ and ‘Tutsi’ (‘We are all
Rwandans now’), and President Paul Kagame’s
determination and ingenuity, Rwanda seems
to have done just that. I was always wary of
coming here, despite hearing how beautiful
it was, because I thought I would feel the
ghosts of all that pain and terror. But for an
inspirational lesson on starting over and
forgiveness, this is where the world should look.
Rwanda is now the ninth safest country in
the world, according to the World Economic
Forum (the UK ranks a sorry
78th), the fourth best for gender
equality and one of only two
globally with as many women
as men in government. Plastic
bags were banned in 2OO8,
and everyone (the president
included) takes part in a monthly
national clean-up day.
177

ON THE MOVE
I love being on the road, especially in something
rugged like our big 4x4 Jeep, driven by the
inimitable Alex. I love the stopping at random
cafés, the strange snacks, the clambering in
and out to take photos as the scenery turns
from rainforest to urban sprawl to lush coffee
plantations and rolling green hills. We pass
schoolchildren in neat uniforms; excitedly
shouting ‘abazungu!’ (‘white people’) when
they spot us; market traders in colourful head
wraps; men pushing ancient bikes up steep
hills (in Rwanda, the saying goes, ‘You’re either
going up a hill or down one’), overloaded
with bananas or huge sacks of potatoes. The
weather is like a British summer: one minute a
fierce rainstorm drums against the windscreen,
the next, corrugated-iron roofs glint silver in the
bright sunlight, as elegant cranes fly over Lake
178
Kivu, the shoreline of which we follow for the
last hour before arriving at Cormoran Lodge
(cormoranlodge.com), Kibuye, at dusk.
Cormoran’s seven wooden cabins
perch on stilts on a hillside overlooking the
lake, which, at more than
1,OOO square miles, is
Africa’s eighth largest,
one of a string that runs
the length of the great Rift
Valley, forming part of the
border between Rwanda
and the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC).
The lodge may be a little
rough around the edges,
but it is peaceful and scenic,
with large rooms, mosquito-netted beds and
verandas overlooking the water. In the bar/
dining room we down Virunga beer and deep-
fried sambaza (like sardines), while Laura, a
23-year-old British expat, confirms our positive
impression of the country. She works in Kigali
BASE CAMP
Stay at Sabyinyo
Silverback Lodge
(above) or
Cormoran Lodge (right)
Sabyinyo
Silverback Lodge
Tea plantations
Cormoran Lodge
and regularly walks home at night, or takes
Uber motorbike taxis, and finds it hassle-free.
There are some dangers here. At 485m,
Lake Kivu is so deep that normal currents don’t
reach the bottom, which becomes stratified,
trapping large quantities of
CO2 and methane. There
are plans to mine this gas for
fuel – and safety, as every
1,OOO years or so lakes
like this can erupt. But we’re
not going to dwell on that
as we head out on kayaks
after breakfast, paddling
across the placid waters.
At dusk, fishermen set
out in wooden boats with
massive arched eucalyptus fishing poles,
which stretch from one boat to another,
supporting huge nets. As night falls, they
place lanterns in the water to attract sambaza
and tilapia (a freshwater fish), transforming the
lake into a galaxy of twinkling lights.
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
 E L L E Explore

MIX IT UP
After all the adventure,
chill out at
The Retreat (below)
in Kigali

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS

From Cormoran, it’s a spectacular three-hour

drive to the Volcanoes National Park for the
grand finale: the gorillas. It’s said that 48O
of the world’s surviving 1,OOO mountain
gorillas live here, of which 12 families are
habituated to humans. We’re staying near
the park entrance at Amakoro Songa Lodge
(songaafrica.com), a pretty, cottage-style hotel.
We have to be at the park by 7am for a
briefing. Our guide, Edward Bahizi, lists the
dos and don’ts: no coughing
or sneezing (gorillas are
very susceptible to human
diseases), no shouting, no
eye contact. As a group,
we must stick together and,
if anything happens, we
must act submissively, not
panic and show no fear.
Edward runs through his
gorilla noises for us to
copy: ‘oo-oo-oos’ to warn
off, grunts to show we’re friendly. Our gorilla
family is about 9O minutes away – to reach
them, we’ll trek along overgrown jungle paths.
It is hot, and at an altitude of 2,OOOm,
hard going. As we close in silently, I spot a
beady eye in a bush, then the massive head
and huge jaws munching on bamboo leaves.
It is the oldest silverback; the head of the family.
Along the path, a mother plays with her baby,
until the silverback lumbers through the bushes
and starts canoodling with her. We’re too close,
and he gets irritated and charges, knocking
two people over. ‘Don’t move,’ Edward hisses,
and after a few tense minutes, the silverback
bounds off. Hard to top that, we think. But
towards the end of our hour, the whole family,
including three silverbacks, have regrouped.
Photographs: Jan Masters, Red Savannah, Getty Images

A teenage gorilla keeps thumping his chest

and running at us. Then, suddenly, they
are all circling us, mock-charging. We
stagger backwards, and I’m clenching
Edward’s hand, totally failing the ‘show-no-
fear’ rule. Then, just as suddenly, they run
off – leaving us limp with relief. And that is
Rwanda all over: exhilarating, dramatic and
unpredictable. There really is no way to top it.
Redsavannah.com arranges bespoke trips to Sabyinyo Sabyinyo
Rwanda with rwandair.com. Visitrwanda.com Silverback Lodge Nyungwe House Silverback Lodge

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 179

 E L L E Explore

NATUR AL RETRE AT

ISLAND LIFE
At Jade Mountain, the suites
(Sky, Moon, Star, Sun and
Galaxy) are called I
‘Sanctuaries’, which says it At the end of a bumpy road,
all. Romantic, secluded and ten minutes from the small
FROM THE SOURCE
luxurious, the alfresco town of Soufrière, Jade
element gives a back-to- Mountain sits high among
nature feel – you can lie in the treetops. A few minutes
bed taking in the views, with Anse Chastenet’s four
walk (or short shuttle ride)
hummingbirds darting restaurants (Caribbean,
ELEMENTAL LIVING away are Anse Chastenet’s
about. And if the novelty of Indian, vegetarian and the
two beaches (perfect for
all that nature wears off, Jungle Grill) are shared by
watersports), which Jade
there’s even a water pistol both hotels, and supplied
The futuristic jungle fantasy Mountain guests share,
for scaring away the with daily organic produce
that is Jade Mountain is along with the gym and Kai
wildlife – if you don’t want from the estate’s own farm.
the work of architect Nick Belté spa. From Soufrière,
to bother your personal But if you’re a Jade
Troubetzkoy. He bought you can hike up the volcano
butler, that is. Mountain guest who doesn’t
sister hotel Anse Chastenet and smother yourself in
want to leave your
to the Caribbean island in mineral-rich mud or bathe in
Sanctuary, it’s all about the
the Seventies, and both the hot springs.
Jade Mountain Club, private
hotels overlook the Pitons dining on a scenic terrace
– Saint Lucia’s famous twin or a beyond-romantic affair
peaks. Anse Chastenet’s on the beach. The estate
best suites are the ones that also makes its own
are open to the elements on chocolate in the Chocolate
one side. Jade Mountain Lab workshop.
has taken this concept and
upped the wow factor: all of
its 29 suites are open to the
outdoors, with an infinity
pool or Jacuzzi.

M E E T M E I N . . .
Words: Susan Ward Davies. Photographs: Getty Images

JADE MOUNTAIN

Y
COL L AG E by GUS & S T E L L A

G E T T I N G T H E R E Jade Mountain Sanctuaries from £84O, room only; jademountainstlucia.com. Anse Chastenet doubles from
£312, room only; ansechastenet.com. British Airways has return flights from London to Saint Lucia from around £6OO; ba.com.

E L L E .C OM / U K May 2O19 181

E L L E Astro
21 MARCH – 19 APRIL
ARIES
With ideas percolating, now’s the time to dream
big – and, y’know, dress big (we’ve been
eyeing those XL frocks by Marc Jacobs). Reach
out to your wider network for a skill you haven’t
yet mastered. The Full Moon on 19 April offers
guidance from a supporter who could turn
your dream into a reality.
2O APRIL – 2O MAY
TAURUS
Change happens; sacrifices may be needed to
boost your earning power (maybe it’s time to
eBay those unworn purchases). While you
focus on professional goals, your support
network will help you meet financial pressures.
Try a new approach to your goals on 22 April –
it may reveal horizons you’d otherwise miss.
21 MAY – 2O JUNE
GEMINI
Your multitasking skills are unparalleled right
now, evident in an epic SS19 wardrobe of slick
Prada-style satin and bright suits. Think long
term around 1O April, but be mindful that your
thoughts wield power – intentions could impact
on your social, professional and romantic
encounters. Be careful what you wish for.
H O R O S C O P
STAR STYLE
W O R D S b y S T E FA N I E J A M E S CO L L AG E by S I D UAT I O N S
182
21 JUNE – 22 JULY
CANCER
Venus brings good vibes to your public image
from 2O April, so use the time to negotiate a
pay rise or more autonomy at work. Trust your
instincts in professional circles – a competitor’s
true intentions may be concealed by a smile.
But quite likely they’re into your ‘barely there’ By
Far sandals, rather than anything sinister.
23 JULY – 22 AUG
LEO
While discussing recent intimate hook-ups, the
sacrifices you’ve made become clear. Take
time to let go of the past and heal yourself.
Indulge a little – style-wise, too. If you want to
wear a bold-shouldered Rejina Pyo dress, do it!
Also set positive intentions for the future around
the time of the full moon on 19 April.
23 AUG – 22 SEPT
VIRGO
Give some people an inch and they’ll take a
mile. Don’t let them tug too hard on that Chloé
rope belt (it was expensive). At times you have
to prioritise personal goals ahead of other
people’s. Encourage others to stand on their
own two feet. They’ll respect you for it – and
they can appreciate that belt from a distance.
E S
23 SEPT – 22 OCT
LIBRA
Past relationships are on your mind, though
nostalgia can leave you longing for something
that’ll never work (we’ve all tried to make
bumsters work before submitting to the comfort
of high-waisted Kate Spade trousers). So don’t
fall into that trap: use 19 April’s full moon to
acknowledge opportunities for growth.
23 OCT – 21 NOV
SCORPIO
A romantic liaison tempts you to open up more
than usual, but exercise caution – the hidden
motivations of others will be exposed in the light
of the full moon on 19 April. Take time
to listen to a friend who has your back (a back,
we may add, that’s covered in a great wrap-
fasten jacket by H&M Studio).
22 NOV – 21 DEC
SAGIT TARIUS
A plateau you’ve reached affords time to work
that Sagittarian social flair. If you’re looking
for romance, enjoy the opportunities that
arrive around 14 April. Be open to ideas, like
swapping your usual minimalism for a night of
subversive ‘conservatism’ by Burberry (get that
lace slip out). You may be surprised...
22 DEC – 19 JAN
CAPRICORN
The full moon on 19 April brings some
professional recognition and the quality of
your work will receive interest – as will your
California dreamin’ style inspired by the SS19
catwalks. Avoid burnout by setting time aside
from your schedule – 7 April is a great day for
strategy and diary management.
2O JAN – 18 FEB
AQUARIUS
Discussing the things that matter makes you
realise how important it is to pursue your
passions. Embrace your unique qualities on 22
April, as well as your individual style with
a spring wardrobe of Louis Vuitton-inspired
floral jumpsuits. Don’t miss this opportunity.
19 FEB – 2O MARCH
PISCES
Home life heats up and your focus is drawn
Photographs: Getty Images
towards challenges in your current living
situation. A diplomatic chat with someone
significant on 1O April can inspire you to find
a long-term solution. But don’t sacrifice your
personal space. In fact, take up more space
with a mile-wide Molly Goddard tulle dress.
E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19
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Julie de Libran, creative direc tor of Sonia Rykiel, shares a poignant

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186 E L L E .C O M / U K May 2O19