V119 WITH LIZZO

VMAGAZINE

THE MUSIC ISSUE

119 $9.50 US / £9.99 UK

DISPLAY UNTIL JULY 11, 2019

SUMMER 2019

SUMMER’S BIGGEST STAR

LIZZO LIZZO & ALTON MASON PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRIS COLLS STYLED BY NICOLA FORMICHETTI

N E W E - B O U T I Q U E . D I O R .C O M

8 0 0 . 9 2 9 . D I O R ( 3 4 6 7 ) I C o u r t e s y o f S h e i l a H i c k s a n d S i k k e m a J e n k i n s & C o ., N e w Yo r k

COME SEE ABOUT V EDITORIAL

Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director Stephen Gan Managing Editor / Production Director Melissa Scragg Editor Devin Barrett Features Editor Samuel Anderson Deputy Editor Mathias Rosenzweig Associate Digital Editors AJ Longabaugh James Manso Photo Editor Goran Macura Producer Wojtek Szaulinski Editor, Entertainment Greg Krelenstein / Starworks Copy & Research Editor Max Fox Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief Ross Conway Contributing Editor-at-Large Derek Blasberg Contributing Editor James Franco

ART / FASHION

Art Director Gabriele Baldotto Senior Designer Djiun Wang Beauty & Special Projects Editor Stella Pak Associate Market Editor Sara Zaidane Assistant Market Editor Jessica Neises Contributing Fashion Directors Paul Cavaco Gro Curtis Contributing Fashion Editors Nicola Formichetti Anna Trevelyan Amanda Harlech Jacob K Joe McKenna Melanie Ward Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele Jane How Clare Richardson Panos Yiapanis Tom Van Dorpe Office Manager / Distribution Assistant Julie Gray Consulting Creative / Design Greg Foley

ADVERTISING / FINANCE

Associate Publisher / Advertising Director Nicola Bernardini de Pace nico@vmagazine.com Advertising Office, Italy and Switzerland Magazine International Luciano Bernardini de Pace +39.02.777.178 Daniela Sartori daniela@bernardini.it Integrated Account Manager Jeff Greif 212.213.1155 Business Manager Kelly Keegan Managing Director Todd Kamelhar Distribution David Renard Pamela Schwilk Executive Director of Digital Media Randall Bennington Press and Events Remi Barbier remi@remibarbier.com Consulting/PR Jocelyn Mak Amy Choi Purple PR 212.858.9888

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Colls Inez and Vinoodh Sam Smith Sølve Sundsbø Carin Backoff William Norwich Tyra Banks Alex Frank Max Papendieck Grant Greenberg Ryan Saradjola Ketevan Gvaramadze Justin Campbell Britt Lloyd Amarsana Gendunova Daniel Clavero Hadar Pitchon Sydney Rose Thomas Magda Kmiecik Mat Maitland Maxwell Williams Bob Gruen Marco Ovando Jedi Zhou Lukas Chmiel Simky Cheung Kate Iorga Greg Kessler Braulio Amado Ilana Kaplan Herin Choi Harvey Lee Kenny Chen

SPECIAL THANKS

IMG Luiz Mattos Kevin Apana Kadeem Johnson Amy Black Derek Walker Morgan Rubenstein NEXT Kyle Hagler Samuel Zakuto Gabriel Rubin PMK BNC Kristen Foster The Society Cheri Bowen HEROES Arnaud Daïan DNA Gene Kogen Muse Derek Troy New York Model Management Austin Rubino Elite Richie Keo Susannah Hooker Wilhelmina Taylor Warren Soul Lindsey LeGarrec Fusion Veronica Canto New Pandemics Cody Chandler VLM Studio Stephanie Bargas Eva Harte Serlin Associates Philippa Serlin Carly Louison Catherine Sans CLM Agency Jackie Chachoua Jasmine Kharbanda Judy Koloko The Wall Group Mandy Smudelrs Christopher Ridley Quinn Young Clarke Leisy Gregg Rudner Factory Downtown Simone Klein Streeters Rayna Donatelli Paula Jenner Lisa Standbridge WYO Artists Karen Long Opus reps Andy Crum WMA Tara Bartlett Studio Formichetti Tiffany Square The Only Jose Duarte Forward Artists Jennifer Remark MAM Jamie Melbourne Premier Hair and Make Up Lindsay Cruickshank Artlist NY Kirsten Morehouse ADB Agency Kate Krause Starworts Artists Alexandra Feldman Forward Artists Jennifer Remark The Industry Management Ivy Bjork Bridge Artist Katrina Dalton Interns Adrian Davis Zoe Elefterin Czar Van Gaal Stephanie Ge Jasmine Clarke Gabby Eshagpour Charles Royle Eryk Jasinski Michal Benshabat Claire Ryan Ivanka Urrea Lulin Liu

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INTRODUCING THE 002 COLLECTION OF AUTOMATIC AND QUARTZ TIMEPIECES FOR MEN AND WOMEN.

TOMFORD.COM

TOP OF THE CHARTS Early summer is here, and in the words of The Carpenters, “We’ve only just begun.” The mere thought of what lies ahead—warm weather, summer Fridays, maybe that hoped-for vacation—is enough to thaw the bitterness of winter. But we’re diving head first into a full summer fantasy, turning up the volume on a new classic: our latest Music Issue. An annual blast of heat, this signature issue reflects the sunny potential of a new season— and V119 is no exception. Among the lineup of new and returning voices in fashion and music, none is louder than Lizzo's. In a year of stellar new music, she's emerged as the impossible-to-ignore voice of her generation, with pipes and panache to boot. Fresh off her new album, which soars between bops like "Juice" and selfempowerment anthems like "Cuz I Love You," Lizzo has multiple industries in the palm of her hand—as proven in a fashion story by Chris Colls and Nicola Formichetti, featuring a cameo by model-of-the-moment Alton Mason. An exemplar of body-positive extroversion, Lizzo hits visual highs, as does the deceptively revolutionary Kacey Musgraves, whose dark horse country-pop strength won her the Grammy for Album of the Year. Wearing fashion-girl black (all Pre-Fall '19) in Nashville, Musgraves embodies the evolution of the “American Woman.”

Speaking of pop-cultural turning points, Sheryl Crow and Avril Lavigne have fomented a few, and the up-andcomers of Generation V, like Neneh Cherry scion Mabel and cellist Grace Chatto, are getting there. While music may historically trump fashion in terms of accessibility, we turn that notion on its ear in “Pitch-Perfect Couture” starring men in norm-defying haute couture, with accompaniment by stylist Anna Trevelyan and photographer Sølve Sundsbø; and in “Across the Universe,” where game-changing supermodel Tyra Banks interviews Miss Universe Catriona Gray. Notice a pattern? From lyrical headlines to musical subjects, the following pages are a jam-packed summer playlist unto themselves. Because in the slightly rewritten words of Carol King, “Summer, Fall or Pre-Fall/All you have to do is call/V will be there/You’ve got a friend.” MR. V

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HEROES AFTER HITTING IT BIG, LIFE DEALT THEM CURVE BALLS. BUT THESE POP ROCK ALL-STARS ARE STILL HOME RUNS.

AVRIL WEARS JACKET AND TOP DKNY NECKLACES BULGARI

Photography Justin Campbell Fashion Amarsana Gendunova Text Samuel Anderson After 17 years in a strict religious household outside Toronto, Avril Lavigne had enough pent-up angst to effectively launch a new pop-punk paradigm. “I wasn’t really allowed to really go anywhere or do anything,” says Lavigne. “I was definitely a good girl with strong morals, [but] my parents watched me like a fucking hawk.”

Despite her hyper-orthodox upbringing, Lavigne’s early smashes, from “Complicated” to “Sk8er Boi,” centered on high-school averageness— endorsing reckless use of eyeliner rather than actual lawlessness. Rivaling 30 VMAGAZINE.COM

the scale of bubblegum opposites like Britney and Christina, Lavigne’s 2002 debut record Let Go would sell 20 million copies worldwide, thrusting her into adulthood and global fame simultaneously. “The first 10 years after leaving home, it was like, ‘woo!’ I went wild,” says Lavigne. She adds, “No sleep, Jack Daniels and beer. I would say that continued until the third album, when I was married,” referring to her first marriage at 21 to Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley.

But after a decade of manic quasi-maturity, Lavigne’s energy drinkchugging pace would slow to deathlike stillness. In 2014, during her second marriage to Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, she came down with Lyme Disease. “I

was like, oh my God, am I done? I couldn’t think about anything other than breathing and eating,” she says of her now-public battle with the disorder, the inspiration for her sixth album and its titular first single, “Head Above Water.”

While her stamina isn’t quite what it was, today Lavigne has regained her freedoms and is planning a fall tour. Nor has she lost all that early-aughts angst.

(Asked if recent single “Dumb Blonde” represented a reversal of her anti-Britney persona, Lavigne says “No.”) But she is a true believer in the power of positive thinking. “I do the whole gratitude list thing,” she says. “I can’t do [it all] the way I used to, but I look at how far I’ve come and I just thank God.”

Makeup Dusty Starks (The Only Agency) Hair Lauren Bates Stylist assistant Sunii Hendrix Location Dust Studios

AVRIL LAVIGNE WITH HEAD HELD HIGH AFTER LIFE-ALTERING ILLNESS, THE POP-PUNK QUEEN IS STILL “COMPLICATED.”

SHERYL CROW THE PERENNIAL FOLK DIVA AND ECO-ACTIVIST EYES HER GRAND FINALE. Photography Justin Campbell Fashion Amarsana Gendunova Text Alex Frank

Makeup Georgie Eisdell (The Wall Group) Hair Laura Polko (Starworks Artists) Stylist assistant Sunii Hendrix Location Dust Studios

Sheryl Crow says her 11th album, Threads, may be the one to tie off her 30-year career. “At my age,” she says, “you’re obsolete. I can write songs till I’m blue in the face, but not songs [everyone] wants to hear.” At 57, Crow is hardly a dinosaur by diva standards, but her uncertainty isn’t all about age.

“Adults are wrecking [the planet] for the next generation,” she says. “I’ve got two kids and I’m frustrated.”

Though Crow’s peppy single “All I Wanna Do” made her a star in ’93, it belied her gritty edge. Despite logging megahits and achieving celebrity status, Crow, raised in small-town Missouri, is rootsy at heart. “There was a lot of drinking and acting like an imbecile

SHERYL WEARS BLAZER REDEMPTION PANTS DSQUARED2 EARRINGS CARTIER

that went into those early records,” she laughs. “It all goes back to how I was raised; we had two stop lights. It was a farming, churchgoing community.”

Twangy and weathered, Threads, due this year, is a star-studded collection of duets, including a remaster of Crow’s “Redemption Day” featuring Johnny Cash, who covered the song in 2003. “Now felt like a time for meaningful experiences. I started calling people I admire, and the list just grew,” she says. Besides Cash, that list makes a veritable who’s who of living legends, from Stevie Nicks to Kris Kristofferson, who lent a particularly poignant cameo on “Border Lord” despite suffering from memory loss. “His older memories are intact but making new ones [is tough],” she says. “Yet his talent is still there.”

She has equal respect for younger collaborators like St. Vincent and Gary

Clark Jr. “If I were coming up now, I don’t know if I would even try, [with] all the self-promoting it takes to make it,” she says. “That’s really what it takes.”

So what counts as success in Crow’s book? Hint: it’s not her nine Grammys, nor selling millions of records, nor her 50 acres in Nashville (Kacey Musgraves produced Golden Hour at Crow’s in-home recording studio). “I always wanted to make music that mattered and that had something to say. And that’s still my objective,” she says. “I still want to write the greatest song in the world.” With evergreen hits like “Strong Enough” and “Soak Up the Sun,” can’t she concede to at least having come close? “No,” she says. “If I get anywhere near it, I will feel complete.”

Until then, whether fighting climate change or industry ageism, Crow is more than strong enough for the future.

WEEZER WITH TWO NEW ALBUMS, THE MASTERS OF SOFT-CORE ANGST ARE CATCHY AS EVER. Photography Martyn Goodacre Text Ilana Kaplan Since January, Weezer has released two self-titled albums (alternatively known as Teal Album and Black Album), echoing a kind of unity that might well have drained after 27 years and a dozen-plus records. But few have withstood as much mythologizing and analysis as Weezer. “Remember the Wonder Twins [from DC Comics]?” frontman Rivers Cuomo asks. “They only have superpowers when together; apart they’re normal humans. That’s like [us].”

Though “normal” is not a word often applied to Cuomo. After leading Weezer

to icon status in 1994 with hit-dense a collection of ’80s covers released at debut The Blue Album (“The Sweater the top of 2019. Cuomo intends to folSong;” “Buddy Holly;” “Say It Ain’t So”), low the path of audience expansion.

Cuomo enrolled at Harvard for a year, “We might do ‘Teal en Español,’” he says. returning with the divisive Pinkerton, Two months later, Black dropped and the original lineup’s final work, in ’96.

Weezer embarked on tour.

The current lineup—OG members Meanwhile, Cuomo was developCuomo and Pat Wilson plus Brian Bell ing set-list-generating software to avoid and Scott Shriner—has been together doubling up on keys or tempos—a gig since 2002, but hadn’t had a hit since befitting his coder-rocker image. “It 2005’s “Beverly Hills”—until their cover keeps it spicy and varied,” he says. of “Africa” by soft-rock ’80s band Toto Cuomo, though his voice is as boyish unexpectedly went No. 1 on iTunes in and angst-ridden as ever, is pragmatic 2018. “It’s given us a little bit more vis- about the future. “It’d be nice to live foribility,” says Wilson. ever, and keep Weezer going forever,” That success inspired Cuomo, at he says. “But probably in 10 years or so work on Black Album, to tack on Teal, we’ll take our last bow.” Say it ain’t so.

THE FOUNDING MEMBERS OF WEEZER PHOTOGRAPHED ON TOUR IN 1996

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IMOGEN WEARS COAT MSGM EAR CUFF ALAN CROCETTI

Photography Britt Lloyd Fashion Kate Iorga Text Mathias Rosenzweig “I don’t know if I would ever listen to myself,” says Imogen Heap. “I don’t like much music with vocals. Too many words, too much to think about.” It’s a surprising hypothesis given the immediate and lasting impact her orchestral, vocally layered pop had on many a millenial growing up. As both a solo artist and as half of electro twosome Frou Frou, her mellifluous voice appeared on notable mid-aughts soundtracks like those of The OC and Garden State, often deployed at some dramatic climax. As a result, Heap has become associated with crucial pop-cultural benchmarks—most notably the scene 34 VMAGAZINE.COM

in which OC heroine Marissa Cooper, played by Mischa Barton, fires a gun at her ex’s violent brother. Cue “Hide and Seek.”

But the way many first discovered Heap seems to inform one of her most recent projects: changing the means of musical consumption altogether. Set to embark on her first U.S. tour in 10 years, the singer is using it as an opportunity to spread her start-up technology, Creative Passport. Using the blockchain as a model, Heap envisions “a shared database” that would allow for artists outside the major-label system to profit. “You might be one of those outliers who got lucky on YouTube. Or you might be discovered in some random way and that can happen,” she explains. “But these shouldn’t be the

only options. It should be that the music and your talent speaks for itself.”

Outside of industry reform, Heap’s 2005 track “Goodnight and Go” was remixed for the Internet-generation

by Ariana Grande, appearing on her 2018 album Sweetener. Heap has also been creating soundtracks of her own— namely that of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a two-part, five-hour play.

Ironically, she found soundtrack curation tougher than scoring. “It was quite a challenge to make it something enjoyable to listen to without seeing all the other [elements] in place,” she says.

At a time when comebacks seem to be taking place left and right (even Marissa Cooper has, in a way, risen from the dead on MTV) Heap’s stateside return is right on cue.

Makeup Francesca Brazzo Hair Rio Sreedharan Producer Harry Fisher Production assistant Alice Harrison

IMOGEN HEAP THE “HIDE AND SEEK” SINGER EMBARKS ON HER FIRST U.S. TOUR IN 10 YEARS... LOOK OUT, MARISSA COOPER.

ROOTNYC.COM

ROCKETMAN HITS BIG SCREENS Elton John once told V he’s “not a nostalgic person,” but Bohemian Rhapsody director Dexter Fletcher got keys to his life story — and wardrobe.

Having salvaged Rhapsody post-Bryan Singer, Fletcher found a clean slate for spectacle in Sir Elton. “He was out from very early on, which I hadn’t fully realized,” he says. “He’s an incredibly brave man.” Glimmers of star Taron Egerton as John suggest Rocketman leaves no rhinestone unturned.

ROCKETMAN HITS THEATERS MAY 29

Summer lovin’ happened so fast, and just like that there’s a new Celine in town. While Hedi Slimane’s inaugural collection for the French house offered New Wave bourgeois excellence for the music-inflected youth, his second womenswear outing, Fall 2019, arrived in stark, grownup contrast. Channel the energy of a midsummer comingof-age with the ideal street-to-beach sandals and rock-influenced shades.

CELINE BLACK FRAME SUNGLASSES ($430), SHARP SANDAL, RED ($790, CELINE.COM)

HITS OF LIL PEEP LIVES ON

Late rapper Lil Peep was survived by a small army of loved ones, many of whom reunite in Everybody’s Everything, a forthcoming documentary by video director Ramez Silyan and Sebastian Jones, an apprentice of the film’s producer, Terrence Malick. Commissioned during Peep né Gustav’s rise to cult prince of hardcore trap, the film culls from 140 interviews as well as unseen footage contributed by Peep’s mom Liza. “We never imagined this film would be completed without Gus,” says former manager Sarah Stennet. “I hope it [sheds light on] the serious issues young people face today.”

KING PRINCESS GETS CROWNED Thus far, this Ronson protégé’s rabid fans have subsisted on queer-tastic singles like “Pussy Is God” and her fun-sized EP Make My Bed. No fear: “There will be a record in 2019,” says manager Brandon Creed. If anything has held up the LP, due this summer, it may be the V cover star having too much fun making it: “I just want to make art with my friends forever,” she said in January.

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If you were island-bound and could only bring three things, you’d want to grab a Bumbag. The ample crossbody makes beachside survival a breeze with sunscreen-fiend-approved storage, a mood-boosting color palette and adjustable cowhide strap. A poppy riff on the house’s unparalleled rep for high-design cargo, the bold accessory is the pink-hued heart of the summer capsule. Defined by a monogrammatic motif (also consider the Onthego, an homage to the historic Sac Plat bag circa 1968) this boldfaced collection is precious cargo in itself.

LOUIS VUITTON SUMMER BUMBAG ($1,500, LOUISVUITTON.COM)

Clockwise: Elton John, photo Sam Emerson, courtesy Gucci; Bumbag in monogram canvas, courtesy Louis Vuitton; Lil Peep. photo Mario Testino (V109); King Princess. photo Inez and Vinoodh (V117).

CELINE SOAKS UP SUN

LIFE’S A BEACH BAG

DAPHNE DIVES IN For “Daphne Groeneveld x MPRE,” opening May 30, photorealist duo MPRE (Max Papendieck and Robin Eley) created picture-perfect portraits (the distressed effect is painted on) benefiting eco-conservation.

HEAD TO MPRE.WORLD FOR MORE DETAILS

DIOR GETS HOUSE-PROUD While Parisians flee the city at the height of summer, the spirit of Paris is alive and well at the beach as Dior introduces the 30 Montaigne bag. The architectural bag was created by Maria Grazia Chiuri as a tribute to the House’s historic address.

DIOR MITZAH SCARF ($190), 30 MONTAIGNE BAG ($3,450, AVAILABLE AT DIOR BOUTIQUES NATIONWIDE)

SUMMER GRIMES SOUNDTRACKS APOCALYPSE

Clockwise: photo Max Papendieck and Robin Eley; photo Magda Cmeicik; photo courtesy of Coach; Grimes, photo Inez and Vinoodh (V104); photo Magda Cmeicik.

After 2018’s “We Appreciate Power,” Grimes’s military-grade bop about North Korea, the techno nymph is spawning her own superpowers.

Her announced LP Miss_Anthropocene’s namesake is the imagined goddess of climate change. “Each song is a different existentially terrifying concept, manifested as a psychedelic, dystopian pop star,” she tells us.

“If the world must end, let it be beautiful.”

VERSACE GOES FOR GOLD Versace, Versace, Versace, Versace. What could be better than Medusa-branded tanlines? A glittering bronze glow highlighted by Versace’s iconic house codes call for maximum attention, as their signature zigzag motif details the border of an otherwise subdued black bikini. Cue up Italo disco and dive into an Aperol spritz.

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COACH RAVES ON WITH YETI OUT Known for blockbuster Victorian-withan-edge, designer Stuart Vevers relived his acid-house roots for a flashbackinducing teamup with the U.K.-born, China-based DJ bros of Yeti Out. V You all came up in the U.K. alt-dance scene. Did that figure into the collab?

Stuart Vevers I grew up in Carlisle in the north of England and would travel to Manchester to go out. I was still at school and just discovering nightlife; it was all just super exciting. That’s really when I started becoming interested in fashion — making looks to wear out, with the help of my super cool grandmother!

Arthur Bray of Yeti Out Stuart went to The Hacienda, and we frequented [indie label turned club] Paradise Factory. But we were all influenced by acid house.

Tom Bray of Yeti Out Some call it a rave or “Madchester” look but back then it was just what kids wore going out: We’d wear Members Only or track jackets, graphic tops and trainers.

V How did the collab come about?

SV When we decided to show our PreFall collection in Shanghai, I visited to get a feel for the city. I was struck by the art scene and how modern and youthful it felt, so I started researching local creatives, people from different fields. I loved the graphic language of Yeti Out, so we reached out about Pre-Fall.

AB In London in the early ‘00s, we were obsessed with Coach print, which we’d use to customize our Evisus and AF1s.

Eri Bray of Yeti Out If you could get your hands on vintage Coach, you’d be a standout in the club.

TB We also knew of Stuart’s past collaborations with the iconic L.A. nightclub The Viper Room, so knew it’d be cool to work with him for Coach’s Shanghai debut.

V Did you adapt the acid house aesthetic for Shanghai?

AB We’ve been making flyers for years that pull inspiration from the graphics of old-school acid house and drum-andbass flyers. When we started making merch for ourselves, [and later with Coach], these graphics naturally made their way onto the apparel.

EB We tweaked the acid house smileyface and added elements of the Yeti Out logo, as well as Chinese characters to give a nod back to [our heritage].

TB It’s been cool to connect [influences] in music and fashion on multiple levels.

COACH 1941 COATED CANVAS SIGNATURE REXY BY YETI OUT ($750, AVAILABLE MAY 15 AT COACH.COM)

GENERATION V DESPITE ITS BOY-BAND ROOTS, BRIT-POP’S QUEEN BEES ARE MAKING THE MOST NOISE. FROM CHART-TOPPING CELLISTS TO R&B SCIONS, THIS U.K.-BASED SUPERGROUP IS POISED TO SNATCH THE THRONE. Photography Britt Lloyd Fashion Kate Iorga Text Samuel Anderson

MABEL WEARS JACKET AND SHORTS DIOR EARRINGS AND RINGS (LEFT HAND, INDEX FINGER; RIGHT HAND, ALL RINGS) CARTIER RING (LEFT HAND, MIDDLE FINGER) STEPHEN EINHORN SHOES JIMMY CHOO LITTLE SIMZ WEARS SHIRTS, PANTS, BOOTS BURBERRY GRACE WEARS DRESS AND SHOES LOUIS VUITTON EARRINGS STEPHEN EINHORN ANNE-MARIE WEARS DRESS AND SHOES PRADA SOCKS FALKE ALL JEWELRY HER OWN

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MABEL Born to Swedish pop star Neneh Cherry and Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey, 23-year-old Mabel spent her first year of life in Andalusia, overlooking the Mediterranean and, on clear days, the Strait of Gibraltar or North Africa—a vantage point chaneled in her afro-trap-meets-U.K. pop but one initially stymied by lifelong anxiety and the culture shocks of settling wherever mom and dad could create. “I struggled to figure out who I was,” she says of her schooling in Stockholm. “Everyone was ‘indie,’ but I just wanted to make R&B.” With her first LP in view, Mabel is poised to cross over like mom did years ago: “I know how difficult it is to break into the U.S.,” she says. “[But] my mom, and a lot of other amazing women, broke new ground. I am because she was.”

LITTLE SIMZ It took Little Simz all of a month to write and record 2019’s GREY Area, a smoky whirl of prophetic grime-rap. A former child actor (she starred on the BBC children’s adventure show Spirit Warriors) and a performer since nine, Simz matches her ambition in words-per-minute, maneuvering through rapidfire lyrics like “See them profit [by] depriving youth/Why you wanna all dress lies as truth?”

With three albums under her belt already, Simz credits her development to her North London after-school club: “I am a product of my youth center; it’s a shame that a lot of them have closed,” she says, alluding to a recent trend that has seen over 80 such programs shutter. But Simz doesn’t identify as an advocate. “I am not trying to be a protest rapper,” she says. “I’m just 25. I don’t have all the answers.”

GRACE CHATTO

Makeup Francesca Brazzo Hair Rio Sreedharan Producer Harry Fisher Production assistant Alice Harrison

The musical influences of Grace Chatto—cellist, vocalist, classicist, linguist—span centuries. As one-third of Clean Bandit, the Cambridge-trained multi-“ist” reprises everything from Mozart and Europop. A cello maker’s daughter, Chatto met bandmates Jack and Luke Patterson at uni, where their contrapuntal method soon attracted London producers like James Blake. “We ran a monthly club night with live violin, cello and [guest DJs] whom we’d house in our dorms,” Chatto recalls.

Fluent in Russian, Chatto is also versed in U.S. politics, recently taking on Trump in the video for “Mama” ft. Ellie Goulding. As to the provenance of the name “Clean Bandit”? “It means ‘absolute bastard’ in Russian,” she laughs. So if you’ve run out of epithets for Trump, try “chistiy banditka.”

ANNE-MARIE If an all-grown-up phase is a pop star’s birthright, Anne-Marie is inverting the trope.

“I feel young again,” says the 27-year-old. Fresh off her debut album Speak Your Mind featuring the hit “2002,” she is happy to indulge in nostalgia. “That’s when I won my first world karate championship,” she says of her ’02 self. But her pop brand is equal parts youthful abandon and vulnerability. “Sharing all the things I didn’t like about myself was my version of an empowered song,” she says of “Perfect,” a kind of “Beautiful” by Xtina redux. With confessional lyrics and karate chops in her emotional toolkit, she isn’t inclined to err à la pop stars past: “I’ve learned [that] everyone is going through their own shit. So clapping back publicly probably isn’t the best option.”

Photography Daniel Clavero Fashion Herin Choi

ELISEU WEARS SKIRT FAITH CONNEXION SUNGLASSES ALAIN MIKLI NECKLACE AND RINGS MODEL’S OWN

Models Wooseok Lee (Fusion), Liz Harlan (Elite), Patryk Lawry (NY Model Management), Reese Robert (Muse), Elizabeth Ayodele (IMG), Eliseu Zimmer (IMG)

PRE-FALL SAW A RESURGENCE OF MUSICINSPIRED FASHION, NOW STREAMING AT V !

HEAR AND NOW

ELIZABETH WEARS DRESS GCDS HAT EUGENIA KIM BELT DSQUARED2 TIGHTS WOLFORD EARRINGS MODEL’S OWN

REESE WEARS DRESS SAINT LAURENT

BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO SHOES R13 EARRINGS MODEL’S OWN

PATRYK WEARS JUMPSUIT GIVENCHY GLOVES ALEXANDER WANG RING BULGARI BRACELET MODEL’S OWN

LIZ WEARS TOP ELLERY SHORTS MIU MIU HAT ALEXANDER WANG BACKPACK GUESS TIGHTS WOLFORD CHOKER AREA NECKLACE MODEL’S OWN

WOOSEOK WEARS JACKET GIVENCHY PANTS BOTTEGA VENETA NECKLACESSAINT LAURENT

BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO EARRING MODEL’S OWN

PUNK

ELECTRO

YOEL WEARS TOP ALEXANDER WANG PANTS MSGM SHOES ADIDAS

BY RAF SIMONS HAT WORLD TRADE

FAITH WEARS SHIRT VERSACE PANTS AREA SUNGLASSES MARC JACOBS ALL NECKLACES DAVID YURMAN

JACOPO WEARS HARNESS DIOR MEN PANTS MONCLER 8 PALM ANGELS HEADPIECE STYLIST’S OWN EARRING MODEL’S OWN

INDU WEARS DRESS GCDS HAT TOM FORD EARRINGS MODEL’S OWN

SAMYA WEARS TOP GCDS SKIRT DSQUARED2 SHOES JW ANDERSON X CONVERSE MOUTHPIECE (WORN AS NECKLACE) STYLIST’S OWN

Models Samya (Muse), Indu (IMG), Jacopo Olmo (NY Model Management), Faith Jaggernauth (Wilhelmina), Yoel Fernandez (NEXT)

Models August Gonet (Soul), Violet Threlfall (Heroes), Morocco (DNA), Asia Piwka (Wilhelmina), Matthew Later (Heroes), Huan Zhou (Elite)

HUAN WEARS TOP COLLINA STRADA PANTS R13 HAT DIOR

MATTHEW WEARS TOP AND T-SHIRT ACNE STUDIOS PANTS RE/DONE X LEVI’S HAT ALBERTUS SWANEPOEL

ASIA WEARS TOP AND FLANNEL R13 DRESS DIOR

MOROCCO WEARS TOP R13 PANTS EYTYS JEWELRY MODEL’S OWN

VIOLET WEARS SWEATER OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH DRESS R13

AUGUST WEARS CARDIGAN, TOP, PANTS, HAT SUNNEI EARRING MODEL’S OWN

GRUNGE

HIP-HOP

MECCA WEARS DRESS AND HAT CHANEL

JESS WEARS JACKET MOSCHINO TOP VIVIENNE WESTWOOD SKIRT GUESS EARRINGS CHANEL WATCH OMEGA

JONNY WEARS COAT FENDI TURTLENECK AND NECKLACES ALEXANDER WANG BRACELET MODEL’S OWN

CARISSA WEARS COAT GUCCI BODYSUIT GCDS EARRINGS MODEL’S OWN

DESIRE WEARS PANTS MONCLER 8 PALM ANGELS HAT GCDS SUNGLASSES OLIVER PEOPLES BELT (WORN AS NECKLACE) DIOR BELT ALEXANDER WANG WATCH OMEGA BRACELET MODEL’S OWN ALL RINGS CARTIER

SY WEARS JACKET OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH PANTS MONCLER 8 PALM ANGELS EARRING VERSACE

Models Sy (New Pandemics), Desire Mia (Heroes), Carissa Pinkston (Elite), Jonny Brown (Soul), Jess Cole (IMG), Mecca (New Pandemics) Makeup Allie Smith (Bridge Artist) Hair Erol Karadağ (The Industry Management) Post production Francisco Vargas Photo assistants Ian Hoogenboom, Annabel Snoxall Stylist assistant Cameron Williams Makeup assistants Misaki Ishihara, Maggie Mondanile Hair assistants Yukie Nammori, Jinn Mason

V GIRLS

LOVIE WEARS ALL CLOTHING MISSONI

TOUCHED BY CALIFORNIA FIRES, TRUMP’S TRAVEL BAN, AND MORE, THEIR IRL STORIES RIVAL THEIR STELLAR FILMS IN MATERIAL. Photography Hadar Pitchon Fashion Ketevan Gvaramadze Text Maxwell Williams

LOVIE SIMONE Even when fending off a cold, Lovie Simone’s bubbly personality courses through the phone. She’s in Atlanta, filming the fourth season of OWN’s Greenleaf—a soap about the family behind a controversial Memphis megachurch. “I watch almost every episode,” she says. “I like seeing what the other actors were doing when I wasn’t on set.

And I haven’t seen any other shows about a church family [like this one].”

As ebullient as she is offscreen, Simone has a knack for playing rebellious and defiant, both on Greenleaf as Zora and as Jenna in Share, one of Sundance’s most talked-about films, also starring fellow V Girl Rhianne Barreto. And as the tough-as-nails leader of a drug-slinging, vindictive clique in Selah and the Spades, another Sundance favorite, Simone says she was able to find a toughness she 46 VMAGAZINE.COM

didn’t know that she had. dad is from Kumasi, Ghana, and came [to “I learned a lot about myself while the U.S.] when he was 10,” says Simone. playing Selah, and I feel like I’ve become “African parents are generally really big a little more like her; I’m really stern now on education, but [my dad] actually really about setting my boundaries,” says supported me when I didn’t want to go Simone of playing the whip-smart, antihe- to college and do Greenleaf [instead]. roic Selah Summers. “And about having They’ve both always been very free in people come to me with respect. That’s letting me be my artistic self. [Now] we— the vibe that Selah gives off: If you don’t my parents and my twin sister—all live like me, at least you respect me. I mean, together in Georgia.”

I don’t know if I would do something as Though Simone is just 20 years old, crazy insane as drugging someone just she says she’s in the process of writto get people to respect me, but I do like ing a novel. “It’s going to be about findhow upfront and open Selah is. You will ing self,” she says. “I eventually want to never question where she stands, ever.” turn [it] into a movie.” With her luminous Having grown up in the Bronx watch- confidence on and off camera, there’s ing Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie little doubt Simone’s literary debut will movies, Simone always had her parents’ pack a punch. But until we’re able to read support in her pursuit of acting—some- Simone on the page, we’ll gladly be staything of a blessing, she’s come to real- ing tuned for more of the strong, firey ize. “My mom is from the Bronx, and my characters she brings to life on screen.

CHARLOTTE HOPE Charlotte Hope wants to dash your pre- the time. Then she comes to England, conceptions of Catherine of Aragon— her husband dies within six months and if you have any, that is. The daughter she has to forge a life.” of Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Hope has a varied résumé, logging Isabella and first wife of Henry VIII isn’t theater cred and notable screen roles in as discussed as some of her historical The Theory of Everything, The Nun as a peers, but as a key player in upending titular cursed nun, and Game of Thrones. the Tudor dynasty, she is worth a reboot. “People are really shocked,” Hope says of While the lore alleges that Catherine the differences between her IRL self and died of a broken heart, Hope believes murderous GoT villain Myranda. “They’re she may also be the victim of a historical like, ‘You’re so smiley!’ I’m like, yep. And bias—one that the English actress hopes awkward. There’s really nothing threatenher new show, The Spanish Princess, pre- ing about me at all.” miering May 5, will remedy. “Everyone Proving her leading-lady bona remembers Catherine as this pious, fides, Hope displays equal tenderness barren first wife—a precursor to Anne and force as Catherine, sometimes in Boleyn,” says Hope. “This is the version the same scene. “A lot of the time, I’d they don’t know: the 17-year-old girl who read stuff and I’d be like, that’s an amazwas the product of incredible monarchs— ing part I’d love to play, but millions of Ferdinand and Isabella were both in love people can play it,” she says. “But I read and politically matched, a real rarity at Catherine, and I was like, this is my part;

they needed someone age 18 to 30 with red hair and who could speak fluent Spanish. And thank God [they did] because I have really been like hustling for a good eight years.”

Hope drew inspiration from both the original book, which she read voraciously as a girl, and a “brilliant” script, while bringing a certain idiosyncrasy to the character. “I’m obsessed with sugar,” Hope says. “And Catherine had a sweet tooth as well. So I tried to find any opportunity for Catherine to be eating sweets— which also meant I’d be eating them.”

Though she has been most recognized for Game of Thrones, Hope’s stint as a real-life royal is sure to land both the actress and Catherine of Aragon herself a new generation of fans. And what could be sweeter than changing someone’s preconceptions?

CHARLOTTE WEARS ALL CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES MIU MIU

RHIANNE BARRETO In Share, Pippa Bianco’s film about a young teen’s post-blackout struggle to remember her suspected rape, Rhianne Barreto imbues the story with a quiet force. “Mandy says a lot without much dialogue,” says Barreto. “She really listens to everyone, which was fantastic to play, because that’s what acting is, essentially—just listening really hard.” Be that as it may, her prep for the role bordered on Method. After initially befriending her costars, even learning their favorite snacks to keep in her pantry, Barreto kept her distance on set, mirroring Mandy’s arc toward social alienation.

“I wouldn’t speak to Nicholas [Galitzine], for example, because he plays [a suspect in the case],” she says.

“I started to feel extremely left out, and that also happens to my character.”

Set life aside, Barreto is indispensable to the film, as both her Grand Jury

win at Sundance and Bianco’s leap of faith in casting her prove (Barreto’s previous acting experience included trying to stand out among her eight siblings).

And Barreto demonstrated mettle even before production began.

Just before flying to the U.S., her previously approved work visa was suddenly invalidated, causing her to nearly miss the job altogether. “It was during the Muslim ban,” says Barreto. “And there were racial questions in my interview.

They said, ‘You don’t look British to me.’

And I’m British, born and raised. What does ‘You don’t look British’ mean?”

As a testament to Barreto, first-time director Bianco moved her production to Canada. And while Barreto is grateful for her positive outcome, she still simmers at the memory. “It’s fucking Trump, and his administration,” she adds. “That was really tough, and it must suck more

for other people.” Having encountered Trumpism firsthand, Barreto is raring to amplify historically silenced voices onscreen. “You shouldn’t lose out because of what your race or ethnicity is, [but] it can take people like [Bianco] and [the film’s distributor] A24 to [ensure] you don’t lose a job because of the color of your skin.”

To Barreto, the film’s value is in its portrayal of a rarely seen side of coming forward about assault: the strength in rehabilitation. Citing the macho trope of watching a character do push-ups (as Mandy does following her attack) Barreto likens Share to a prison-break film. “She’s stuck at home, so she does push-ups.

That’s such a prison-movie thing,” she says. “Her story is about not being passive. Just because [she’s] got a vagina doesn’t make her less tough. She’s such a soldier. I wish I had her strength.”

RHIANNE WEARS JACKET GUESS EARRINGS, RINGS, BRACELET CARTIER WATCH OMEGA

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DIANA WEARS JACKET AND SCARF CHLOE

Makeup Asami Matsuda (Artlist NY) Hair Cecilia Romero using STARRING Stylist assistant Alex Arauz Location FABR Studio

DIANA SILVERS

A tennis champ and accomplished photographer, Diana Silvers’s it-factor is multifaceted. While her onscreen presence was limited prior to January’s Glass, it’s poised to triple by year’s end thanks to back-to-back appearances in Ma, Booksmart and Eve. “People tell me everything’s going to change and to be careful, but you can’t worry about what might happen or you’d just go insane,” Silvers says. “When the Ma trailer came out, [it made me] super, super anxious.

But then I realized that, at the end of the day, you’re still yourself. As long as you’re happy with that person, it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks.”

In Ma, a psychological thriller starring Octavia Spencer in an uncharacteristically malevolent role, Silvers plays Maggie, the new girl in town who’s eager to impress. While

trying to swindle beer, she and her underage friends set into motion a series of unfortunate events orchestrated by Spencer’s “Ma.” “I think it’s similar in tone to Get Out, in that you’re going to laugh and you’re going to be uncomfortable,” Silvers says.

Laughs are sure to be had in Booksmart, Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut about two studious friends (Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever) who ditch books to experience adolescent debauchery while they still can. “It’s kind of like if Superbad and Lady Bird had a baby,” says Silvers. “It’s really funny but it’s also real. My character is kind of like the Kyle character in Lady Bird [played by Timothée Chalamet], but less aloof and a little meaner.”

While details about the plot of the

Jessica Chastain-produced Eve remain vague, the film, also directed by Ma’s Tate Taylor, sees Silvers as an “assassin type” alongside heavy hitters like Chastain, Colin Farrell, Common and John Malkovich. “I was like, oh my God, what?! I get to be in combat with these amazing actors? Cool!”

After losing her family home in Ojai to last year’s Thomas Fire, it’s no surprise Silvers keeps certain things close. “A lot of what I do outside acting is really just for me,” she says.

“Photography is very personal to me.

God knows how many rolls of film I have that I’ve never shared.” Which goes to show that no matter how closely the limelight follows Silvers (who is also a model, recently closing Stella McCartney for PFW) there will always be more than meets the eye.

RSVP

THEY ARRIVED TO PUT ON A SHOW AND LEFT AS LEGENDS. TWO PROLIFIC PARTY GUESTS RECALL WITNESSING STARS GET BORN.

MIUCCIA PRADA AND LADY GAGA PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, 2010

I’ve attended the Met Gala since 1985, the year Bob Mackie brought Cher; I’ve seen escaped peacocks, countless youhad-to-be-there moments. But 2010’s “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” was remarkable—in part for its exhibit: Besides promising to be a historic cornucopia of fashion as empowerment versus fashion as [commodity], it also predated today’s zeitgeist of determined sensitivity [toward gender equality], as well as portending the A Star Is Born era of its musical guest, Lady Gaga.

In 2010, Gaga was the new, big thing.

I’d met her a year or so prior, when she’d stopped by Vogue wearing, for daytime, an exquisite white floor-length slip dress and a Philip Treacy headpiece with feathers spelling out “Vogue.” So I knew she wasn’t messing around.

Oprah Winfrey hosted that year, and I sat with Michael Kors. The flow of the evening was, to get to dinner, you had to go through the exhibit, which was striking: There was an amazing video installation by Trey Laird of empowering moments in women’s fashion, dating back to the Gibson Girl and Claire McCardell.

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So [it was as though] history was leading us from the Gibson Girl to Lady Gaga.

Gaga arrived with a small entourage in the late afternoon, but wasn’t at dinner. By around 9, the wine was running out and she was still nowhere to be seen. The museum president, as I was told later, went to fetch her. Still more time passed, and this wasn’t a hang-out type of crowd. The decorator, a talented man named Raúl Àvila, started to panic; in a room of a thousand people, every American and European designer, he saw the one woman he thought could maybe talk Gaga onto the stage: Oprah.

He didn’t know Oprah, but he went and leaned over to her and said, “I’m so sorry to bother you. We need you to please go talk to Lady Gaga.’’

Oprah agreed, and backstage she discovered Gaga and her group in a prayer circle. And Oprah, being Oprah… It’s like God at your door. So Gaga was comfortable telling her what was going on.

She said she found herself incredibly anxious about performing in front of all these people at the Met, because growing up she’d been a student nearby, at

the Convent of the Sacred Heart. And she used to smoke and carouse with her schoolmates in the bushes behind the museum. And it was just all too much.

I was told that Oprah, in her cut-thecrap Oprah way, soothed her, but basically said, “Get out there. You’re a pro now. And the Mayor of New York is waiting for you to perform.” Which apparently worked because Oprah introduced Gaga that night, and explained, “The reason we are delayed is because Lady Gaga and her team were backstage praying.

Because she understands that what they are doing is more than just art. This is somebody saying to the world, ‘Be the best that you are.’”

And so what Gaga represents, Oprah went on to say, is the best in all of us: the identity of the American woman and her ability to look inside, and not say, “I want to be more like you,” or “I want to be more,” but rather, “I want to be more of myself.” And then Gaga came on and did her thing. And she was extraordinary.

Norwich is the author of Learning to Drive (Grove Atlantic)

Courtesy Prada

WILLIAM NORWICH ON THE MET GALA THAT WENT FROM NADA TO GAGA (IN PRADA).

KEITH RICHARDS, TINA TURNER, AND DAVID BOWIE PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE RITZ, 1983

Photography Bob Gruen

BOB GRUEN ON THE MOMENT TINA TURNER FOUND HER STAR POWER. I graduated [high school], but my [version] of dropping out was to move in with a rock band. It was the ’60s, and I was just getting into music [photography]. One night, a friend suggested we go see Ike and Tina Turner play at the Forum. Watching Tina dance, illuminated by the strobe lights flashing, I was floored. It was electrifying. Days later, I went back to see them play the Honka Monka Club, intent on capturing Tina with the strobe. With a couple of frames left, I took a chance, snapping five [in a row]. One turned out to be one of my favorite pictures ever.

We went to yet another Ike and Tina show a couple days later, and this time I brought the pictures to show my friends.

We were just leaving when one of my friends saw Ike leaving his dressing room.

[My friend] pushed me in front of Ike, and into the rest of my life. I showed him the pictures I had, and he took me into the dressing room to show Tina. They both liked the pictures. It was really the beginning of my career.

I traveled with them for a couple of years. My very first album cover (Ike and

Tina’s ’Nuff Said) was an image of Tina taken in a grocery store while she was paying the check, looking strong and confident. After they broke up Tina continued giving me jobs, including one to document her show in January, 1983 at The Ritz, Jerry Brandt’s rock club [in the future Webster Hall space].

David Bowie was there that night, and Keith Richards came too; Jerry Brandt was the one who’d brought the Rolling Stones to America, so it was no big thing for Richards to show up at The Ritz. [Richards] was also friends with Tina because she and Ike had opened for the Rolling Stones in Europe in the ’60s.

[That tour happened] because Mick had actually wanted to learn how to dance; they used to study Tina every night, literally [learning] how to dance [from watching her].

Tina’s Ritz show was fantastic; she was obviously back to being Tina Turner the star, doing what she knew how to do best: entertain. I don’t know how to describe it, but she was more experienced being on her own at this point.

The audience was totally with her; their

energy was in the palm of her hands, or rather her legs. This was the beginning of her career comeback. Whenever there was a big show at The Ritz, the afterparty at Jerry’s office would get pretty crowded. There was a side room, which is where we all ended up with Tina, Bowie, Keith, Patti Hansen. Everybody was so happy. I remember Tina trying to pour the champagne for David Bowie. He was nervous about it splashing on him, and Tina wasn’t really a drinker. This was all about celebrating.

I’d seen Tina perform many times, so seeing her as a solo act, applauded by some of the greatest musicians in the world, was fantastic—it wasn’t a surprise. But Tina as the center of attention in the back room, out on her own, having friends and people complement her…

That was the big difference. After shows with Ike and Tina, Ike was the dominant figure. Tina would retreat to her hotel or dressing room and not really join in any celebrating. But that night in ’83, it was her party. She was really enjoying it. No matter who was in the room, she was coming out and taking her space.

House of Yes crew during rehearsals at The Edition Times Square Clockwise from top left: Gabby Grywalski, Daisy Press, Jahmal Chase, Jason Samonik, Lana Liu, Kyla Ernst-Alper, David Kiss, D’Vass Charles, Juan-Pablo Alba Dennis, Alexander Diaz, Holly D’Atri, Nik Alexander, Lola Carter, Sylvana Tapia, Gabriel Emphasis, Fabricio Seraphin, Cooper Stanton, Kae Burke, Matthew Dailey, Anya Sapozhnikova, Dan Alaimo, Tanya Ubeda; Photography Kenny Chen

Papi Juice Vibe: There’s no typical member of our community.

What [we] do have in common is we’re there to have a good time and to keep the space happy and sexy.

Party line: Affirm queer and trans people of color.

Party favor: Club-Mate, to be honest.

IG: @papijuicebk

Bubble_T Vibe: Lea Salonga meets hometown diva Lynda Trang Đài meets WanBi Tuấn Anh glam, with the energy of 24/7 Danceforce.

Mission: We started as a space for our community to connect more closely in a late-night, garage party setting, no translation necessary.

Playlist: Always Cantopop, Bay Area hip-hop and freestyle vibes, and sometimes live guzheng.

Party favor: Spiked boba cocktails... and Spam. We ran out of Spam musubi once. There were tears.

IG: @bubble____t

BUBBLE_T X PAPI JUICE FT. ROBYN

Party line: The next generation of nighttime entertainment.

Typical guest: We wanted to create a kind of gamechanging, multimedia nightlife facility that nobody had ever seen before, [one] that was difficult to put in a box and define, but was spectacular and glamorous and elevating for everybody who comes.

Past party foul: I have never hosted a party that went awry but I’ve hosted many parties that have gone crazy in a positive way. I suppose that’s a reason many of us go into this business. IAN SCHRAGER IG: @paradiseclubnyc

PARADISE CLUB BY IAN SCHRAGER AT THE TIMES SQUARE EDITION

SUMMER NIGHTLIFE EDITION

P0WERHOUSE

LadyLand crew at Holy Mountain at Avant Gardner, Brooklyn Clockwise from top left: Joe Exclamation, Magdalena Femanon, Carlos Garcia, Markus Kelle, Andersen Anderson, Tammy Hart, Stephanie Stone, Terence Edgerson, Frankie Boyd, Skin, Matthew Placek, Ladyfag, Desi Santiago, Chaia, Scott Ewalt, Michael Magnan, Javier Madrid, Eli Escobar, Fet Fet, Physical Therapy, Danny Taylor, Amrit, Anthony Dicapua, Gage, Connie, Ryan Burke, Alexandra Jacob, Serichai Traipoom, Domonique Echeverria, Charlie Le Mindu, Bailey Stiles, Santiago Felipe, Drew Patterson, Paul Short, Nicky Doll, Aquaria; Photography Marco Ovando

Robyn performs at Björn Borg by Robyn party in New York City, hosted by Opening Ceremony, Bubble_T and Papi Juice. Photography Lukas Chmiel

Vibe: Holy Mountain and LadyLand are melting pots of fashion and freaks: club kids, leather daddies, twinks, goths, acid freaks, house heads, techno heads, circuit queens, drag queens, Bushwick kids, Hell’s Kitchen kids, young, old, gay, straight.

Party line: I may be no Mother Teresa, but I do get a lot of people laid. Love makes the world go ’round!

Mission: No one’s re-inventing the wheel here; a party’s a party. I want people to dance till their feet bleed. I want people to hear great artists they might not have heard. That said, if there’s one thing almost everyone can agree on, it’s Madonna.

Past party foul: Last year, at LadyLand, it suddenly rained hard, and I had no choice [but] to get on the mic and stall… I thought I did okay, sorta funny... Till I watched the video the next day.

Alcohol and microphones are a dangerous combo!

Save the date: LadyLand, June 28 and 29. It’s World Pride so we’re expanding to two days [to] fit over 10,000 people. It’s gonna be a big queer birthday party celebration… Bring on the cake, cake, cake!

IG: @ladylandfestival

LADYFAG AND THE LADYLAND CREW

Party line: “Let’s go fucking mental.”

Mission: We [Yeti Out founders Arthur, Tom and Eri Bray] are half-Chinese brothers who grew up in London, but Tom currently lives in Shanghai and Arthur in Hong Kong. [These cities] have a strong underground, with clubs like ALL and Arkham.

Typical guest: Sleep-deprived youths who find solace on the dance floor.

Playlist: Primal funk, butt-clenching bass, and candy house.

Save the date: Paris Fashion Week in June with the likes of Three 6 Mafia’s DJ Paul and Jimothy Lacoste.

IG: @yetiout

YETI OUT

Vibe: We took our cues from ’70s NYC spots like The Loft and The Gallery, adding a Berlinand London-centric disco attitude. It’s not rocket science: playing disco for gays, but it tapped into a yearning for something not offered at the time.

Typical guest: More than a physical type, Horse Meat Disco attracts people who love music, dancing, New York, a mix of high and low, disco, men with beards… and people who love to stay up late.

Past party foul: Two years ago our plumbing system failed during Gay Pride, our biggest night of the year. We opened the roof deck and used a lot of incense. That’s about as awry as it gets.

Save the date: June 28 during World Pride at Knockdown Center. It will be our most epic HMD yet!

IG: @horse_meat_disco

HORSE MEAT DISCO IN BROOKLYN BY WAY OF BERLIN

HONG KONG

Yeti Out outside AUX, Hong Kong Top row, left to right: Akira Mimasu, Yan Poon, Michael Yu, Jerry Tse, James Acey, Tedman Lee, Elphick Wo, Erisen Ali, Arthur Bray, Leo Su, Arthur Leung, Carol Tom, Maximus Bue; Bottom row, left to right: Derick Van Wijk, Subi Tse, Jonathan Lam; Photography Simky Cheung

Horse Meat Disco at Elsewhere, Brooklyn Top row, left to right: Gage Kearns, JT Almon, Amber Valentine, Matt Romano, Mike Swells, Matt Ford, Phillip Evelyn II, Terence Edgerson, Hue Hallums, Jack Sutter, Pedro Morais, TJ Samson, Lukas Stolberg, Evan Catlett, Tova Feinberg Bottom row, left to right: Nirco Castillo, Scott Hadley, Thomas Redmond, Stephanie Almache, Margarita Serrano, Honeychild Coleman, Josh Wood, Paloma Perez, Cyrus Saint Amand Poliakoff, Paul West, Eric De La Cruz, Miguel Grisanti; Photography Lukas Chmiel

AKIIMA WEARS UNDERWEAR TOM FORD (THROUGHOUT) ACCESSORIES TOM FORD 001 AND 002 TIMEPIECE COLLECTIONS (THROUGHOUT) ROAN WEARS UNDERWEAR TOM FORD (THROUGHOUT) ACCESSORIES TOM FORD 001 AND 002 TIMEPIECE COLLECTIONS (THROUGHOUT)

TIME AFTER TIME

WANT TO SPEND A DAY WITH TOM FORD? IN TIME FOR WATCH NUMBER TWO, MR. FORD CLOCKS IN. Photography Daniel Clavero Fashion Herin Choi First came the 001, a simple yet sturdy kick-off to the Tom Ford watch collection. The follow-up timepiece, naturally dubbed 002, features a new, circular automatic dial and a virtually limitless range of case and strap combinations, from 38- or 34-millimeter 18k gold to hand-braided or pebbled grain leather. Embodying the unisex piece’s versatility and strength are fresh V faces Akiima and Roan, along with a few words from the watch’s always-on-time eponym, Tom Ford.

V Walk us through a day in your life.

TOM FORD I wake up every day around 5:00 am, and, like most, I check my emails. I make myself coffee, work out for about 45 minutes on the treadmill, followed by a bath, until my son Jack gets up. After I drop him off at school, I’ll go straight to the office. But I’m always sure to be home by 6:00 pm to [join him for] dinner and put him to bed. Then we either have friends over or go out for dinner. I’m in bed by 11:30.

V Do you find an awareness of time—in terms of time management or awareness of time passing—to be limiting or beneficial to your productivity?

TF I am and always have been aware of time, and of the finite time we have in life.

V Working in fashion, how do you live in the moment?

TF I live in the future. This is one of the tough things about fashion: We are always living a year in advance.

I am working on the collections for 2020 now. This can make it hard to stay focused on the present and to live in the moment.

V Is there a certain era you wanted 002 to evoke?

TF I hope that it is an entirely contemporary watch.

The function of the strap and the ease with which it can be switched is particularly modern. I find the simple and straightforward [to be] modern, as all of us lead such hectic lives. Devices have become so overcomplicated that simplicity is often the new luxury.

V If you were to take an entire workday off tomorrow, what would you do with the free time?

TF Sleep!

Makeup Allie Smith (Bridge Artist) Hair Erol Karadağ (The Industry Management) Models Akiima (IMG), Roan van Oort (DNA) Post production Francisco Varga Photo assistants Ian Hoogenboom, Annabel Snoxall Stylist assistant Cameron Williams Makeup assistants Misaki Ishihara, Maggie Mondanile Hair assistants Yukie Nammai, Jinn Mason

"DEVICES HAVE BECOME SO OVERCOMPLICATED THAT SIMPLICITY IS OFTEN THE NEW LUXURY." —TOM FORD

CHERRY BOMB “CHERRY” SINGER RINA SAWAYAMA SIGNIFIES A GLOBAL GLAM-POP RENAISSANCE. IN THIS DUET WITH PAL AND KARAOKE BUDDY NICOLA FORMICHETTI, HER TRUE COLORS COME ALIVE.

Photography Harvey Lee Fashion Nicola Formichetti

Nicola Formichetti We both love the Japanese karaoke hits of the ’80s. My favorites are Yumi [Matsutoya] and Akina Nakamori—all the female vocalists my mom listened to. Who are yours?

Rina Sawayama She’s more ’70s, but Yamaguchi Momoe. I’m getting a tattoo [of her] soon.

NF My secret obsess[ion] is Hikaru Genji—all the boys in roller skates... Should we [keep] talking about music? Or just talk about food...

RS Or wine? Well speaking of music and wine… What do you think it is about karaoke that makes it such an important part of Japanese culture?

NF I don’t know… It’s just such a part of hanging out.

RS I think it’s almost like church; it’s the place we go and sing and celebrate life. But there’s an etiquette to it. I get pissed off when [non-Japanese] people start singing Bon Jovi and you’re like, what?

NF That’s so beautiful. [And] you become an instant pop star, in front of all your friends. Speaking of, [what’s it like to be a pop star in real life?]

RS Since the EP, expectations have grown, but I’ve concluded that, as an artist, I have to be consistent rather than try to appease others.

NF Your fans are really dedicated—almost obsessed.

Why do you think that is?

RS I think [some artists] realize they have [marginalized] fans and then start catering their shit.

From day one, I’ve been completely real about what identifies me—from race to the LGBT community.

NF To me, representation is so obviously important, but when you’ve been doing it for so long… You forget. And then you’re on a project, like, shit, what if I’m not representing everybody? [Or] you could be trying your best and people still come for you.

RS I think you’re referring to cancel culture, which I find really toxic. I think it’s inhumane. The more you drive [people] toward the edge by canceling them, [the more] they actually stop growing. You’ve got to imagine yourself in someone else’s shoes, [because], at the root, humanity exists upon a middle ground.

NF Tell us about your fans. Where are they from?

RS Going off Spotify, London and New York are my top cities. My New York shows are the craziest. [But] I’m so grateful for all my fans. They’re crazy and hilarious, but also friendly and respectful.

NF I loved how your EP was nostalgic but also futuristic. Tell me about your forthcoming album.

RS I don’t want to do something that’s just like a pastiche, a throwback… That’s been done and is done all the time. For me, yeah, it’s important to do that, plus address [real] things in my lyrics. On the new record, there will some serious dance tracks, and some really dark tracks. It’s baroque, it’s horror. It’s contemporary, but moves toward the future.

Makeup Maki Ryoke using NARS Cosmetics Hair Yusuke Miura Photo Assistants Jingwen Wu, Chongdao Ma Styling Assistants Marta del Rio, Miguel Sanchez Makeup assistants Shoko Sawatari, Agus Arcidiacono Hair Assistant Risako Itamochi Location Pier 59 Studios

RINA WEARS DRESS SENSEN LII HEADPIECE ERIC JAVITS

ALTON WEARS TOP, PANTS, SHOES SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO SUNGLASSES ALAIN MIKLI WATCH OMEGA

THE BIG BANG THIS SUMMER, LISTEN UP. WITH HER MAJOR-LABEL DEBUT, LIZZO CHAMPIONS A NEW POP ERA. JOINED BY MODEL-DANCER ALTON MASON, THE MUSICAL FORCE PROVES OPPOSITES ATTRACT AND SELF-LOVE COMES IN ALL SIZES. “GOOD AS HELL” WAS ONE BIG UNDERSTATEMENT.

Photography Chris Colls Fashion Nicola Formichetti Interview Sam Smith

LIZZO WEARS COAT MONCLER 4 SIMONE ROCHA BODYSUIT (THROUGHOUT) ADDITION ELLE SHOES PLEASERS (THROUGHOUT)

“MY MOVEMENT IS FOR EVERYONE. IT’S ABOUT INCLUSION. AND IF I AM GOING TO FIGHT WHAT I HAVE BEEN MARGINALIZED FOR, I AM GOING TO FIGHT FOR ALL MARGINALIZED PEOPLE.” — LIZZO Sam Smith Hey, Lizzo! How are you?

Lizzo Hey, Sam. I’m chilling. I feel really good [laughs].

SS I am such a huge fan of you! I was writing some questions in bed last night, so, I have loads to ask you.

L Wow... How sexual [are the questions]?

SS They are very sexual questions.

L All right, ask away.

SS First of all, I just want to know if you’re happy.

Because I know you have been working so hard. Is it stressful or are you having a good time?

L That’s a very sweet question, especially from an artist as big as you. You have probably felt this firsthand. I feel like this is the hardest I have ever worked in my life because it’s kind of like a fight nonstop. They be like, “So on your day off you can...”

And I be like, “Bitch, where? What day off?” But to be honest with you, Sam, I feel like I’ve just been marathon training for this my whole life.

SS Yeah, and that work ethic is instilled into [people] from a young age...

L When I was little, my mom would always say I was “doing the most.” I would do every class, every elective, every after-school activity. And I would just go until I passed out. And I’m still doing that to this day. I have been working [this hard] for a long time— since before I moved to Minneapolis, [which I did] when I was done with Houston. I had tried everything career-wise in Houston and it just didn’t work.

SS Your hard work is paying off. Everyone is going nuts for your music. As a queer person, I feel like you are Jesus to us right now. We love you so much.

L Thank you. The [queer] community is who embraced me initially. They saw it, like, real recognize real. But I am glad this [new level of success] is happening now, and no earlier. Because I was such a shithead when I was younger. I don’t think I would have been able to maintain this [pace].

SS I’d love to know what little Lizzo was like.

L I was really ambitious, really smart. Teachers would call my mom and be like, “Melissa is trying to teach my class.” So I was nerdy, but also chubby and sweaty. I liked anime and comics. Which just didn’t work in Houston, southwest Alief, where everybody’s black and listens to rap. I was listening to Radiohead and classical music.

SS When did you start playing the flute?

L I was 12 when I started playing the flute. That was definitely my first instrument. I was such a bad singer.

I am so glad that my shitty ass [early] demos are probably down the drain now.

SS Listening to your voice, I cannot believe that.

L [That’s the thing:] I never stopped doing what I loved. I never stopped watching Sailor Moon because I got made fun of [for it]. And now being a nerd is hot.

Like, you know, bitch, trends really do catch up to you.

SS Your voice just sounds so strong, but at the same time it’s delicate. Who were your ultimate top three favorite singers growing up?

L I am going to give you Freddie Mercury… Beyoncé, because I loved Destiny’s Child. I thought she was the greatest singer of all fucking time. And this might be controversial, but I really love Thom Yorke’s voice.

SS I almost see those three as genre-less. As is Missy Elliott—I need to ask you about working with her. Your song “Tempo” is amazing.

L It was so incredible [to work with Missy]. I’d met her two years before, and [I remember] I was shaking.

Because she’s my hero. Above every other artist on planet Earth, she helped me feel seen. [When we wrote “Tempo”], I was like, let’s send her a verse and see what happens. She sent back an emoji face of her singing it, which I [watched] by myself, on my couch, saying, “oh my God,” to myself quietly.

SS About feeling seen, your music has played a huge part in my discovery of self-love and body love. Do you think [body] acceptance has increased overall?

LIZZO WEARS DRESS LAURENCE AND CHICO SUNGLASSES ALAIN MIKLI

ALTON WEARS PANTS BOTTEGA VENETA SHOES SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

LIZZO WEARS HEADPIECE MONCLER 4 SIMONE ROCHA

LIZZO WEARS COAT GCDS SHOES PLEASERS ALTON WEARS TOP, PANTS, SHOES SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO SUNGLASSES ALAIN MIKLI WATCHES OMEGA

“IT’S NOT ABOUT ME BEING BIG. IT’S ABOUT ME BEING ME. Y’ALL ARE GOING TO GET THIS BAD BITCH. YOU ARE GOING TO GET THESE BOPS AND GET THIS SHOW. AND YOU ARE GOING TO GET YOUR LIFE BY RECEIVING IT.” — LIZZO

Makeup Maki Ryoke (Streeters) Hair Yusef (Factory Downtown) Model Alton Mason (IMG) Manicurist Maki Sakamoto (The Wall Group) Movement Director Stephen Galloway (The Collective Shift) Digital technician Jeanine Robinson Photo assistant Daniil Zaikin Stylist assistant Marta Del Rio Hair assistants Kendall Dorsey, Michael Warren Location Pier 59

L Thank you for feeling inspired by my music because that’s the point. I feel like [in the beginning] I was this industry secret. Part of me took pleasure in that, but then another part was like, are they not posting about me because I am big? I felt this [frustration] with how I was being perceived all through high school, and for much of my life. Until I was like, fuck it. I just need to be undeniable. It’s not about me being big. It’s about me being me. Y’all are going to get this bad bitch. You are going to get these bops and get this show. And you are going to get your life by receiving it.

The part that makes me sad is that I want other people who look like me to have opportunities, to be seen and to get jobs. And I don’t know if it is working or not because I am so in the middle of it, but I will say that I am doing everything I can. I am trying.

SS What you are doing is absolutely moving things forward massively. I would love to know what the LGBT+ community means to you.

L LGBTQ people lifted me up and got me to this point.

I have nothing but love for them. I just feel so humbled because I believe that all marginalized people have the experience of feeling unwanted and not being able to just fucking live our lives. I think we all have that common thread—we can look at each other on the sidelines and nod, like, bitch I feel you. We all feel each other on a certain level.

I have felt excluded my entire life, from so many things. I have felt excluded from [my] blackness because I wasn’t [culturally] well-read on certain things. I feel like, because of that, I never want anyone [else] to ever feel excluded. So my movement is for everyone. It’s about inclusion. And if I am going to fight what I have been marginalized for, I am going to fight for all marginalized people.

Also, I honestly feel like there is no such thing as straight [laughs]. Because fuck boxes; I am too big to be put in one anyway. I am a fat bitch.

SS [Laughs] Oh my god, I’m dead. So I was going to ask you, [how do you stay in the mindset] of selflove? Because I am quite a sad person; I get sad all the time. For you, is self-love something you [have to] practice on a daily basis? And what are the top five things you love about yourself?

L Right, well, that is the thesis of self-love; it ebbs and flows and there are levels to it. I don’t think that the culture or the commercialization of self-love has [grasped that] it’s a constantly evolving thing.

I’ve had to come to the realization that my self-love once came with conditions. Like, wow, I love myself because I am snatched today. Which makes it easy to slip. So Cuz I Love You is a narrative of how to love yourself in a world that doesn’t love you back.

First off, I love my body. No matter what angle you shoot it at, no matter the lighting, my body is just so fucking beautiful all the time. I may talk shit about it sometimes, but fuck. She’s still a bad bitch.

My second favorite thing about myself is my blackness. I am really just so honored to be graced with this identity. No shade to any other shade on the planet—I just can’t relate. I just love being a black woman, even in a world where [we] are statistically the least desirable. I am still here, and I still rise.

My third favorite thing about myself is my nerdiness. I was teased like a dog for wanting to be intelligent, for reading, for talking the way I do. But I didn’t dumb myself down just to be accepted.

SS Here’s my final question... When I released my last record, I wanted everyone to have a big glass of whiskey and listen to it by themselves, in a dark room.

How do you want us to listen to this album?

L That’s a great question. It’s such a big, bright album, so you [need] to blast that shit. And you should be naked, drinking champagne in a rainbow limo.

SS I am going to do that and send you a picture.

L Invite me. I want to be there.

OSLO GRACE, MODEL

Age: 21 Provenance: San Francisco, California What makes you feel strong?

“Spirituality and various guides make my strength palpable.

They propel and motivate.”

Most prized possession: “My late dad’s hair comb!”

24 KARAT MAGIC

MAKE NEW FRIENDS BUT KEEP THE GOLD...

AND PLATINUM. INEZ AND VINOODH AND 24K HARDWARE FORM AN UNBREAKABLE BOND. Photography Inez and Vinoodh Fashion Sydney Rose Thomas Text Devin Barrett

CONIE VALLESE, ARTIST

Age: 32 Provenance: Buenos Aires, Argentina How would you define beauty?

“It is an experience of satisfaction that makes pleasurable sense.

It can be mildly intoxicating.”

Most prized possession: “One is a knife with the shape of a horse made by my grandfather.

He was a metal worker.”

CHARLES STAR MATADIN, STUDENT Age: 15 Provenance: New York, New York How would you define beauty?

“Beauty is the sky, moon and stars, unreachable yet tangible.”

What makes you feel strong? “Coffee.”

Most prized possession: “I don’t feel I’m old enough or have lived enough to have a prized possession.”

MARGARET QUALLEY, ACTRESS

Age: 24 Provenance: Kalispell, Montana How would you define beauty?

“Beauty can be a lot of things. It can be the feeling you get when someone loves you, or making a wish on a dandelion, or... a really good milkshake.”

What makes you feel strong?

“Dancing.”

OLYMPIA OF GREECE, MODEL

Age: 22 Provenance: New York, New York What makes you feel strong?

“Being grounded and able to stand in my own space in any situation.”

Most prized possession: “An old ring, which my mother had when she was 18. I wear it every day.”

BENJ DRAPER, MODEL

Age: 25 Provenance: Woodacre, California How would you define beauty?

“I thought you had the answer to that!”

What makes you feel strong?

“The full moon.”

CHARLES “STAR” MATADIN WEARS Most prized possession: JEWELRY MENĒ X I+V “My car.

It don’t look like MEDALLION IN 24K PLATINUM much, but it’s home.”

Makeup (Olympia of Greece) Sil Bruinsma (Streeters) Makeup (Benj, boychild, Casey, Charles, Conie, Oslo, Margaret) Fulvia Farolfi (Bryan Bantry) Hair Jimmy Paul (Susan Price) Models Benj Draper (IMG), boychild, Casey Legler, Charles Star Matadin, Conie Vallese (Viva Paris), Margaret Qualley, Olympia of Greece, Oslo Grace (BMG) Manicure (Benj, boychild, Conie, Oslo) Gina Viviano (Tracey Mattingly), (Margaret, Casey, Charles) Kylie Kwok (Tracey Mattingly) VLM Studio Lighting director Jodokus Driessen Studio manager Marc Kroop Digital technician Brian Anderson VLM Productions Executive Producer Stephanie Bargas Producer Tucker Birbilis Casting and production coordinator Eva Harte Production coordinator John Nadhazi Retouching Stereohorse Photo assistant Joe Hume Stylist assistant Chloe Badawy

In this case, all that glitters is gold—and platinum, too. Inez and Vinoodh, photographic superduo and longtime V contributors, have unveiled a new capsule collection with MENĒ, an online direct-to-consumer jewelry brand offering pure 24k gold and platinum jewelry. Inspired by their son Charles Star Matadin, the signature design sparkles with character. Seemingly taking cues from MENĒ co-founder and chief artistic officer Diana Widmaier Picasso’s grandfather, the pieces feature the abstract outline of a face, signifying the Matadin clan: a starshaped eye for Charles and a nose and mouth figured by the letters “I” and “V.” Despite the family ties, the line is for everybody, sold transparently by gram weight.

This series of striking portraits, showcasing the limited-edition MENĒ + IV range, features Inez and Vinoodh favorites such as actress Margaret Qualley, artist boychild, and, naturally, Charles Star himself. JEWELRY THROUGHOUT MENĒ + IV

CASEY LEGLER, WRITER AND FORMER OLYMPIC SWIMMER Age: 42 Provenance: Fréjus, France How would you define beauty?

“Beauty looks like strength, resilience and dignity.”

Most prized possession: “Freedom. Self-worth.

Autonomy. Joy. Love.”

PITCH PERFECT

WELCOME TO THE NEW RADICAL: HAUTE FOR EVERYBODY.

“CAUSE YOU CAN’T BE SUBLIME WHEN YOU’RE FALLING IN LINE YOU GOTTA STAND TALL AND LOOK TOUGH ” —POPPY, “IMMATURE COUTURE”

Photography Sølve Sundsbø Fashion Anna Trevelyan

COUTURE

GRACE WEARS DRESS BALMAIN COUTURE

HARRY WEARS DRESS AND HEADPIECE CHRISTIAN DIOR HAUTE COUTURE ON FACE DIOR BACKSTAGE FACE AND BODY FOUNDATION

MARCO WEARS DRESS ALEXANDRE VAUTHIER COUTURE SHOES NIKE SOCKS STYLIST’S OWN ON HAIR R+CO BACKSTAGE COLLECTION DARK WAVES FRAGRENCE GEL

BRYN WEARS DRESS VIKTOR & ROLF COUTURE RINGS THE GREAT FROG

JONNY WEARS DRESS SCHIAPARELLI COUTURE ON SKIN CLARINS EXTRA-FIRMING PHYTOSERUM

MARCO WEARS DRESS CHANEL COUTURE ON LIPS CHANEL BOY ROGUE COCO FLASH BOY

GRACE WEARS DRESS VALENTINO COUTURE ON SKIN CLARINS TONIC BODY TREATMENT OIL

HARRY WEARS JACKET, SKIRT, HAT ARMANI PRIVÉ

JONNY WEARS DRESS GIVENCHY COUTURE SHOES NIKE SOCKS STYLIST’S OWN

Makeup Val Garland (Streeters) Hair Sam McKnight (CLM UK) Models Jonny Brown (Premier Model Management), Harry Westcott (SELECT), Marco Varcoe (IMG), Grace Musase (Elite UK), Bryn Stagg Manicure Adam Slee (Streeters) Producers Sally Dawson, Paula Ekenger Digital operator Lucie Byatt Photo assistants Simon McGuigan, Richard Kovacs, Catharina Pavitschitz Stylist assistant Hamish Wirgman Makeup assistant Joey Choy Hair assistants Fabio Petri, Jennifer Lil Buckley, Michela Olivieri Retouching Digital Light Ltd. Casting Mischa Notcutt (11casting)

CATRIONA WEARS JUMPSUIT GUCCI EARRING BULGARI NECKLACE LARUICCI ON HAIR GHD CURVE SOFT CURL IRON

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Photography Carin Backoff Fashion Anna Trevelyan Interview Tyra Banks

CATRIONA GRAY LAVA-WALKED HER WAY FROM TWITTER FAME TO A MISS UNIVERSE CROWN. HERE, THE FILIPINA QUEEN AND TOP MODEL MENTOR TYRA BANKS CONTINUE THE THREAD.

ALL RINGS BULGARI ON SKIN CLARINS DOUBLE SERUM

Tyra Banks Hi Catriona—can you hear me?

Catriona Gray Good morning from Indonesia, Tyra!

TB Wait, how do you say “good morning” [in Indonesian]?

Don’t tell me. Selamat pagi! That’s it. Well, good afternoon from California. I’m still recovering from your “Lava Walk” at the Miss Universe pageant. I just kept watching and rewatching, like, What’s her secret? I was totally fangirling!

Where were you when you saw that I had tweeted at you?

CG Oh my gosh, Tyra… I was sitting at dinner with all the girls.

We were tired, quietly eating after rehearsal, when I got all these notifications from what you’d tweeted. I turned to my two friends, Sweden and Denmark, and started freaking out, like, Oh my gosh, Tyra Banks just tweeted about my walk!

TB It’s funny, I actually thought you’d already won. And then I saw the headlines, like, “Tyra is rooting for Catriona!” I was like, oh I hope I wasn’t showing favoritism or something. [But] a friend of mine, [YouTube personality] Patrick Starrr, [is also Filipino]. Have you met him yet? You guys are both amazing.

CG I follow his videos! I haven’t met him yet, but there was such support for my Miss Universe journey from all the Filipino celebrities. It’s something Filipinos often do: support our Filipino representatives, when we have them. And I freaked out when you tweeted me! You writing “Pinoy Power” was a proud moment for me and all Filipinos.

TB Well your walk, and how you arched your back, was amazing. But I heard you have a medical condition [having to do] with your back, right?

CG Yeah, I have scoliosis. It hasn’t really hindered me at all, except after long day in heels when I do particularly feel it in my posture muscles.

TB I am all about “flawesome,” which means your flaws are awesome. How did you start in pageants?

CG We love pageantry in the Philippines, but growing up my dream was never to be a beauty queen; I entered a pageant at 21 to bring awareness to the charity I was working for, and still work for. Even at Miss Universe, I was just grateful to be there. My mindset wasn’t, what if I don’t win; it was an attitude of gratitude.

TB Do you have any beauty secrets? Back in the day we’d hear about Vaseline on teeth. Any new tricks?

CG I’ve actually seen girls backstage spraying their body with hairspray. Apparently it helps with jiggling.

TB Oh no way! So it’s a like a cellulite stopper? You know what’s so funny... For years, when I did the Victoria Secret runway, I would get these long trains and other models would get jealous, but it was to cover my cellulite! I wish I would have known the hairspray trick; I could’ve shown a little more!

CB I haven’t tried it, but I saw girls doing it!

TB I love it. Okay, let’s talk about success. With success comes doubters and haters. “You’re dreaming that big?

Come down to earth.” With your success now, what do you have to tell those people?

CG I really don’t understand the need to bring people down.

It’s such a good feeling to celebrate and lift each other up.

I would just tell them to look at their own life and how they treat other people. Maybe their perspective is a negative one, but life is too short.

TB Exactly. I always say that hurt people hurt people. Okay, tell me about your humanitarian work. How did you decide you wanted to give back?

CG I started after I had taken over as breadwinner for my family at the age of 20. It was a big responsibility that I just wasn’t ready for and I felt so much pressure having to provide as a model, which can be very sporadic work. I was down about my situation, and attempting to escape it by turning to charity work. I found a charity, the one I continue to work with, called Young Focus Philippines. It’s based in the Tondo neighborhood of Manila. The place itself is not very beautiful; it’s known as a garbage dump, and many of the families there make a living by scavenging. Most of the houses are made from scavenged materials and children play with things that they find in the trash. I had never experienced poverty first hand, and it impacted me so hard. So, we work giving free schooling to these children.

Education is a solution to poverty; it’s something you can give a child that can never be taken away.

BODYSUIT AND DRESS FENDI EARRINGS CHOPARD ON NAILS JIN SOON ABSOLUTE BLACK

BLAZER, SKIRT, NECKLACE VERSACE BODYSUIT AGENT PROVACATEUR

Makeup Hung Vanngo (The Wall Group) Hair Teddy Charles (The Wall Group) Manicure Riwako Kobayashi (MAM) Production Heather Robbins (CLM) Digital technician Denis Vlasov Photo assistant Matthew Cylinder Stylist assistant Kristtian Chevere Junior producer Alice Franchi (CLM) Location Shio Studio

BODYSUIT AND SHOES MOSCHINO ON HAIR OUAI BODY AND SHINE MIST

BULGARI RINGS

AMERICAN WOMAN HOW A SMALL-TOWN TEXAN WENT FROM BEING THE DARK HORSE OF COUNTRY TO ALBUM-OF-THE-YEAR GOLD. Photography Grant Greenberg Fashion Ketevan Gvaramadze Text Alex Frank

HOW A SMALL-TOWN TEXAN WENT FROM BEING THE DARK HORSE OF COUNTRY TO ALBUM-OF-THE-YEAR GOLD. Who but Kacey Musgraves would walk this year’s Oscars in powder-pink Giambattista Valli couture and, the very next day, atop a burly brown horse, ride into the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo wearing big hair and rhinestones?

“That’s me in a nutshell,” she says of the 24-hour zipline between Hollywood and a hoedown. “Two crazy sides of the world coming together.” (Her February also included a Grammy for Album of the Year, but more on that later.) A rural Texas native with deep roots in traditional western swing, Musgraves has become America’s most buzzed-about country star since the release of her fourth album Golden Hour last year. A masterpiece of crossover country, the record showcased a heartfelt and accessible style, placing her both in the glittering center of pop culture and the ears of listeners of every stripe. “I’ve always had one foot in and one foot outside of the genre,” she says in a Southern drawl on the phone from Nashville, where she now lives. “Whether you grew up in a small town like me or you’re from the city, the common thread is songs that people relate to. I just follow whatever feels inspiring.”

While Musgraves still rhapsodizes about country-strong themes like love, life and family, Golden Hour’s twang is softened by a pristine, FM-radio sheen. Her previous three albums offered little slices of Southern life with song titles like “Biscuits” and “Dime Store Cowgirl,” but here, she turns inward, still feeling the glow of new love after meeting and marrying fellow musician Ruston Kelly. “He turned my life around in a lot of ways, and opened me up to seeing the world in a more positive light,” she says. It’s just about the least cynical album imaginable, a sincere moment of Zen, and Musgraves displays a sense of wonder about the world, singing about the glory of the northern lights and the possibility of reincarnation on “Oh, What a World.” “There’s a lot of hurt out there, and that’s a real part of life,” she says. “But I was inspired to write about the universe and our souls and where we come from. And this person that I found. The magic of it all.”

She wrote some of the music—including the mesmerizing and deceptively psychedelic opener “Slow Burn”—after tripping on acid. “It helps you get outside of your own head,” she says of LSD. “In the grand scheme of things, we’re just

KACEY WEARS COAT GIVENCHY TIGHTS WOLFORD SHOES MANOLO BLAHNIK RING (ON INDEX FINGER) TIFFANY & CO. RING (ON RING FINGER) HER OWN

JACKET AND NECKLACE CHANEL TIGHTS WOLFORD SHOES GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI RINGS TIFFANY & CO.

PHOTOGRAPHED ON TOUR IN NASHVILLE, 2019

little specks of sand. It sounds trippy, but we’re nothing. And we’re also everything.

Compassion [is] getting outside how big you think you are in the world.”

Musgraves describes her upbringing as a normal one. “[We lived] out in the sticks of East Texas, comfortable but not crazily blessed.” she says. “My parents were small business owners, and worked constantly to provide for my sister and me. They weren’t high rollers, but I never saw my parents have a boss, so I never thought of myself having one either.”

As a kid she wrote poetry, and her mom encouraged putting the words to music, gifting her a guitar for Christmas when Musgraves was 12. “In country, all you need are a few chords to make a song,” she says. She was soon playing shows around town, often for audiences twice her age. “When all my friends were at school dances, I was getting dressed up in head to toe western wear and performing,” she says. After high school, Musgraves headed to big-city Austin to begin her career in earnest. “I was like, I’m outta here,” she says.

Four albums later, she’s the latest recipient of music’s top honor, but she’s also determined to stick to her roots. After snagging the Grammy for Album of the Year this winter, she celebrated with a fast-food banquet. “I hadn’t made eye contact with a carb in so long,” she says. “So I got a giant cheeseburger, a fried chicken sandwich, and fries. I sat there in my Valentino dress and ate every single bite.”

With the spotlight directly on her, she knows that to keep writing relatable songs, she’s got to remember what matters: “Maintaining a connection to reality, my family, and myself, creatively.” And she’s walking the line by looking to—who else?—the fairy godmother of crossover country, Dolly Parton. “I’m curious about how she maintained her sense of self,” she says. “She encompasses all these things; a bombshell with a wicked sense of humor and intelligence, whip-smart songwriting abilities, [and she’s] a businesswoman. The entire package.” The thing is, even as she channels Parton’s lilting Southern voice in praise, Musgraves could just as easily be describing herself.

GO BEHIND THE SCENES WITH KACEY MUSGRAVES ON VMAGAZINE.COM!

Makeup Moani Lee using Pat McGrath Labs (Beauty Exchange NYC) Hair Giovanni Delgado Photo assistant Ramiah Branch Stylist assistant India Mayer

DRESS CHRISTIAN DIOR BRA FLEUR DU MAL TIGHTS WOLFORD SHOES MANOLO BLAHNIK RING AND NOSE RING HER OWN ON LIPS PAT MCGRATH LABS LIPSTICK MATTE TRANCE 053 EXECUTIVE REALNESS OPPOSITE PAGE: DRESS LOUIS VUITTON TIGHTS WOLFORD EARRINGS ATELIER SWAROVSKI ON LIPS PAT MCGRATH LABS LUST GLOSS BRONZE TEMPTATION

SWIMSUIT REDEMPTION S/S ’19 BELT ALTUZARRA HEADBAND LYNN PAIK EARRINGS BULGARI GLOVES WING & WEFT TIGHTS WOLFORD SHOES MANOLO BLAHNIK ON FACE MAYBELLINE CITY BRONZER

BORN TO BE WILD STANDING TALL, BRONZED, AND BEAUTIFUL ON MIAMI’S SHORES, WILD HEART YASMIN WIJNALDUM SHOWCASES THE HEAT OF FASHION. BIKER NOT INCLUDED. Photography Max Papendieck Fashion Gro Curtis

SWIMSUIT SAINT LAURENT BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO S/S ’19 EARRINGS BULGARI TIGHTS FALKE GLOVES WING & WEFT SCARF STYLIST’S OWN

BLAZER GIORGIO ARMANI CORSET AGENT PROVOCATEUR SHORTS ERES SUNGLASSES OLIVER PEOPLES EARRINGS BULGARI GLOVES WING & WEFT TIGHTS ERES SHOES MANOLO BLAHNIK

COAT GIVENCHY EARRINGS BULGARI GLOVES WING & WEFT TIGHTS FALKE SHOES ALTUZARRA

YASMIN WEARS TOP WOLFORD PANTS BALMAIN MASK LYNN PAIK EARRINGS BULGARI GLOVES WING & WEFT

XAVIER WEARS VEST DSQUARED2 PANTS COACH 1941 SUNGLASSES OLIVER PEOPLES

YASMIN WEARS JACKET VERSACE HAT LYNN PAIK BRA ERES GLOVES WING & WEFT TIGHTS FALKE XAVIER WEARS VEST DSQUARED2 PANTS COACH 1941 SUNGLASSES OLIVER PEOPLES

Makeup Yuki Hayashi (The Wall Group) Hair Stylist Rutger (The Wall Group) Models Yasmin Wijnaldum (The Society), Xavier Serrano (IMG) Producer Leonardo Anato Digital technician Javier Sanchez Photo assistants Jake Soper, Alejandro Valladares Stylist assistant Raquel Ortiz Production supervisor Andres Velez

BODYSUIT INTIMISSIMI EARRINGS BULGARI SUNGLASSES ALAIN MIKLI GLOVES WING & WEFT BRACELET CARTIER ON EYES IL MAKIAGE GEL EYELINER MAYBELLINE NEW YORK TOTAL TEMPTATION MASCARA

BODYSUIT INTIMISSIMI SKIRT DSQUARED2 BELT ALTUZARRA EARRINGS BULGARI GLOVES WING & WEFT BRACELET CARTIER ON HAIR ORIBE POWER DROPS

MUSIC INDEX 2019 VOL. I

KALI WEARS JACKET AND SKIRT LOUIS VUITTON NECKLACE AND RING BULGARI EARRING HER OWN

PAUSE TO APPLAUD THESE SIX VIRTUOSOS OR JUST HIT PLAY. Photography Ryan Saradjola Fashion Nicola Formichetti Interviews Devin Barrett

KALI UCHIS

Genre: Neo-soul Proof of clout: 1 Grammy nomination; 1 Latin Grammy nomination; 2 Billboard Hot 100 Hits; 2 UK Music Video Award nominations Where to catch her next: Co-headlining tour with Jorja Smith this May

“I’ve been in love with music since the moment I came to the earth.

My music is completely based off of intuition. It’s my therapy. I never really had people in my life who believed in or supported me, up until I started making music. I’ve always been honest in my music, but in a bit of an abstract way. I have actually reached a level of freedom within myself where I am finally able to be completely honest.”

RICO WEARS DRESS VALENTINO JACKET DUST AND BEAU EARRINGS H. CROWNE NECKLACE RINALDY A. YUNARDI

RICO NASTY

Genre: Hip-Hop, Punk Rap Proof of clout: Forbes 30 Under 30 2019 “Music” category; over 40 Million YouTube views; walked in Gyspy Sport’s Fall 2019 show Top track to date: “Slap a Bitch”

“I think my sound is very loud. I want other people to describe it as a form of therapy–therapeutic music, a form of release to them. I feel like everything is the way that it’s mean to be. I’ve always wanted to dress like this, and I’ve always wanted my music to have the edge, the twist to it. Whenever comparisons get too crazy I just think about my goals, and what I want from myself. I don’t look at any references, I don’t look at anything for who I should be.”

POPPY WEARS JACKET, DRESS, SCARF MSGM

POPPY

Genre: Pop Origin: Emerged as an ASMR meets music crossover YouTube phenomenon Proof of clout: 1 Billboard Next Big Sound hit; 400 Million+ YouTube views Fans are called: Poppy Seeds

“I’ve always put the art first. I think that’s important. I’m also going to be releasing my first independent album this summer. I’m describing it as “post-genre”–what music sounds like after. I think my look is cuter than what the music sounds like, but I really have always been influenced by Tokyo and the fashion there. I feel like that’s been consistent in my world. I was a dancer previously, so I think it was a natural progression to start doing music. I feel like I’m the best version of myself when I’m performing.”

DOMINIC WEARS TOP SAINT LAURENT

BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO

DOMINIC FIKE

Genre: Rap-rock Proof of clout: Over 3 million monthly Spotify listeners; 6-track EP sparked bidding war between major labels; eventually signed to Columbia Records in August 2018 What to expect next: Debut album hitting airwaves this summer

“I try to make it easy for listeners to fall into [my music]. I’m glad that people realize that I am a songwriter. I just want them to take away the fact that I’m honest, and that I’m putting in work on the sonic side… It’s not just me fucking laying my soul down, I am also trying to make it sound good.”

ROBERT WEARS JACKET EMPORIO ARMANI EARRING HIS OWN

TR/ST

Genre: Synth-pop, Industrial Proof of clout: After a five-year hiatus, will release two albums by end of year, Destroyer pt. 1 and 2 For fans of: Crystal Castles, Depeche Mode, Joy Division

“This two-part album is branching into a new place. But I feel like crying on the dance floor has always been the core place my music has started from. I hope [that the listener has] some sort of strong feeling. I think indifference is the worst thing. Right now, [artists have] so much power. You don’t need to have a crazy label or big budget to do something really fantastic. You don’t need permission from the ‘big person above’ to make a record, put it out, go ahead and do some shows, and connect with people. That’s just super exciting; that’s the most freeing part of the [landscape] right now.”

SERPENTWITHFEET WEARS JACKET OFF-WHITE C/O VIRGIL ABLOH SHOES SALVATORE FERRAGAMO PANTS, JEWELRY, HEADSCARF HIS OWN

Makeup Sachiko (Kiki Inc.) Hair Dritan Vushaj (Forward Artists) Stylist assistants Marta Del Rio, Sophia Deaborne

SERPENTWITHFEET

Genre: R&B, Experimental Proof of clout: Former Maryland State Boychoir member; now describes his music as “pagan gospel,” Bjork featured him on a remix to her track “Blissing Me” For fans of: Kelela, Kelsey Lu, Arca

“I don’t think the music lives in a vacuum.

Music is an extension of everyday life. I try to check in with myself; even with how I talk to people, how I look at them. I think you rehearse kindness and hopefully that rehearsal will bleed into the music.”

ENDING ON A HIGH NOTE.

When they took off earlier this year, Louis Vuitton’s first wireless earphone buds dropped the mic on today’s cordless craze. Even in the vertiginous tech cycle, this elegant range of in-ear styles, from gold-on-white to red hot, pries screen-addicted gazes upward. Seen here on the season’s most captivating new face, Ugbad, the earphones have been met with a chorus of fanfare thanks to their sleek color codes, everlasting battery life and aspirational price point. These antidotes to Appleinduced sameness are the forbidden fruit of the future.

LOUIS VUITTON HORIZON RED MONOGRAM EARPHONES ($995, AVAILABLE AT SELECT LOUIS VUITTON STORES)

Photography Daniel Clavero Fashion Herin Choi Model Ugbad Abdi (Next) Makeup Allie Smith (Bridge Artists)

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