Vanity Fair UK 09.2021

PROVE YOU’RE ALIVE The journey to bring Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel to the screen included serious physical trauma: Actors
endured broken thumbs, cracked ribs, and knees to the chest to depict a toxic atmosphere of rotted machismo.

MERRICK MORTON. Tyler, this very nasty movie’s idea of a crybabies you’ve never seen in your life, cannot seem to exorcise. Jack, at the end
sweet nothing. Actually the line, which It’s not fair, their anthem and cri de coeur, of Fight Club, kills Tyler by shooting him-
appears in Palahniuk’s book and Jim Uhls’s is something nobody could’ve anticipat- self in the head. Biden, last November,
screenplay, was cut at the insistence of a ed back then—except somehow Tyler did. defeated Trump in the most contentious
horrified Laura Ziskind, one of Fight Club’s and drawn-out presidential election in
producers, who agreed to accept whatever DONALD TRUMP U.S. history. And yet Trump feels no more
Fincher came up with as an alternative. Donald Trump is Tyler Durden, minus, gone than Tyler does.
(The alternative, “I haven’t been fucked obviously, the face, the bod, the hair, the
like that since grade school,” horrified her style. (By the way, “Donald Trump” isn’t Oh, and if Trump turns out to be—as
even more but she’d given her word.) quite an anagram of “Tyler Durden,” Tyler turned out to be—the physical
but it’s close.) Like Tyler, Trump uses manifestation of some pencil-neck,
When it was announced in the press snowflake as a put-down. In fact, Trump paper-pushing sad sack’s psychotic break-
that Pitt and Aniston were separating, possibly boosted it from Tyler. Or so says down, doesn’t he finally and at long last
actor Eva Longoria was photographed in Chuck Palahniuk. “You are not a beautiful make sense?
a T-shirt that said, “I’ll have your baby, and unique snowflake” is a line Tyler lays
Brad.” It was her response to the rumor— on the Space Monkeys. TYLER’S MAIN JOB is manufacturing soap
unfounded and unfair, incidentally—that out of rich women’s blubber. (He raids
Aniston’s unwillingness to start a fam- Like Tyler, Trump is maniac and mes- liposuction clinics at night.) His side job,
ily was the reason for the split. It’s also siah, the self-help guru of our age—a though, is movie theater projectionist. And
a riff, even if unknowing, on Palahniuk’s self-destruct guru. But what he is above sometimes, while in the booth, he takes a
original dialogue. all else is a salesman, even when what frame from a porno movie and inserts it
he’s selling is not buying the other guy’s into a family movie. He is thus an obvious
MILLENNIALS product (“fake news”; “no collusion”). He subversive—blowing up buildings, etc.—
Tyler is very specifically targeting mem- speaks in slogans (“Drain the swamp”) but also a subtle one, slipping his radical
bers of Generation X when he gives and never isn’t pitching (“Build the wall”; and alienated thoughts into the minds of
what is perhaps his most famous speech: “Lock her up”). audience members, into our minds, so sus-
“We’re the middle children of history.… ceptible in the dark, so easy to dominate.
We have no Great War. No Great Depres- Like Tyler, Trump has Big Dick Ener-
sion. Our Great War is a spiritual war. Our gy, even if his actual dick is, according Is that what’s being done to us with
Great Depression is our lives.” to Stormy Daniels, disappointing in size Fight Club? Did Tyler vacate Jack’s mind
(below average) and shape (mushroom). only to take over Fincher’s so that he
In 1999, we X’ers (I’m one too, born could then infiltrate ours? Is that why this
in 1978) were already getting crushed Like Tyler, Trump is possessed of a pow- movie more than predicted our future,
by the boomers, the largest generational er that is, by its very nature, annihilative. shaped our future?
group the U.S. ever produced, boring us Tyler wants to eradicate credit card com-
to tears with their self-important hippie panies. Trump wants to eradicate the last Tyler Durden lives! In Fincher. In all
shit, their endless blather about how epic 70 or so years. Both preach self-liberation of us. n
the ’60s were, man. That X’ers would get while demanding absolute fealty. Both
crushed from the other side by millenni- rule through ruin. (MAGA is just anoth-
als, an even larger generational group, er name for Project Mayhem, Tyler’s
and a sorrier collection of spoiled-rotten plan to wipe out modern civilization.)

Like Tyler, Trump is a demon we

SEPTEMBER 2021 99

FLASHBACK
Donatella Versace
in the Dress, in
2000, with Lil’ Kim,
Missy Elliott, and
Rose McGowan.

100 VAN ITY FA IR

BY PHOTOGRAPH BY
K I A D. GOOS B Y DAV I D L aC H A P E L L E

AFTER THE TRAGIC death of Gianni

Versace, who founded his Italian lux-

ury house in 1978, his sister Donatella

stepped up to reimagine an already icon-

ic brand—the vibrant prints, the Medusa

head, the safety pin dress—for a new

century. Her vision has lasted and lasted,

from that green dress to the Clueless-

esque plaids and platforms she recently

showed for resort 2022.

Fashion was always a part of her,

Donatella says, even when she was still

in college in Florence and would spend

weekends in Milan, absorbing everything

her “genius” brother did.

“Gianni had so much creativity, so

much intuition, but, you know, men and

women see fashion differently. Some-

times he would create something insanely

beautiful that ended up being completely

unwearable. So, I would ask him: Who is

that for? Who is supposed to wear that

dress? Do you see me wearing it?”

As she has forged the brand through

her own perspective, she says, “The lines

between where the heritage of Gianni

ends and where I step in have blurred. We

are now one. What you see on the runway

is unmistakably Versace and absolutely

an expression of myself and my vision

for the brand.”

The editorial and the celebrity world

have remained devoted—Versace dressed

Angelina Jolie for the 2012 Oscars, Dua

Lipa for the 2021 Grammys, and J.Lo

all along, including so

famously in 2000, in Read more
the green jungle-print at VF.com.

dress—Donatella’s own

favorite design (if she had to pick just

one), and one she put back on the runway

in a similar style for her spring 2020 col-

lection. (Who has she not dressed yet and

would love to? Rami Malek, call the tip

line!) “Back in the days when red-carpet

events were a boring affair,” Donatella

says, “Versace really gave the whole

celebrity world a spin.” n

SEPTEMBER 2021 101

RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
Yulia Navalnaya with her
husband, Alexey Navalny,
ahead of a press
conference in 2017.

102 VAN ITY FAIR

BY
JULIA IOFFE

The
Good
Wife

AFTER THE KREMLIN POISONED HER HUSBAND,

YULIA NAVALNAYA WAGED AN EPIC BATTLE

TO SAVE HIS LIFE AND THE LIFE OF RUSSIA’S

OPPOSITION MOVEMENT. IT’S A FIGHT SHE HAS

NO INTENTION OF LOSING

SEPTEMBER 2021 103

It was 6:40 on the morning of August 20,
2020, whenYuliaNavalnaya’sphonerang.

She wasn’t normally up that early, but she her phone and cut herself off from any from seeing. She would have to demand, P RE V I O U S PAG E : E VG E NY F E L D MAN .
was preparing to go to the airport to meet information about her husband for the over and over, that the Omsk hospital
her husband, Alexey Navalny, the sole three-and-a-half-hour flight. Friends release her husband and allow him to be
remaining leader of the Russian opposi- describe Navalnaya as deeply reserved. loaded onto the plane and taken to Berlin,
tion, whose flight from the Siberian city of “Yulia is a very closed person,” says the the only way, everyone knew, of possibly
Tomsk was scheduled to arrive in Moscow journalist Yevgenia Albats, who is close saving his life. And she would never, ever
at eight that morning. Navalnaya looked at with the Navalnys. “She doesn’t like to talk lose control of her emotions again.
her phone. It was Kira Yarmysh, her hus- about herself.” And yet, Navalnaya talked
band’s press secretary, who was supposed at Zhdanov for the entire flight, without For two days, Russia and the world
to be midflight with Alexey. “Yulia, don’t pause. “I think I told him all our family waited nervously to see if Navalny, the
worry,” Yarmysh said. “Alexey has been secrets,” she would recall. “I was scared only halfway plausible alternative to
poisoned, the plane landed in Omsk.” to be alone with myself and to think.” Vladimir Putin, lived or died. Instead,
Navalnaya said “okay” and hung up. If they saw Navalnaya. This pretty blond
the plane carrying her husband had to As the plane prepared to land, she woman in a black leather jacket who
make an emergency landing 1,700 miles realized that no, this must be the worst had always appeared silently at her hus-
from its intended destination, Alexey’s moment of all. What news awaited her band’s side was suddenly alone on the
life must have been in imminent danger. when she switched on her phone? Naval- world stage, doing battle with the entire
This was it, then. She had been preparing naya quickly found a solution: She would repressive machinery of the Russian
for this moment for a decade, and now it have Zhdanov read the text messages state to pull her husband from the jaws
was finally here, pouring in with the sun that had come in, and she would be able of death. What people saw astounded
on this warm summer morning. Her chil- to tell by his expression how bad things them. “Russia is still a sexist country,”
dren were still asleep. A thought flitted were. “I wanted to collect myself and be says economist Sergei Guriev, a friend
by. “The most important thing is not to okay when I walked out into the airport,” and onetime adviser to Navalny. “People
relax,” she felt, “to not show weakness.” she explained. think that a woman is not an independent
It would stay with her for weeks. person, especially if she doesn’t work.
Her husband, she learned, hadn’t died, Therefore, they didn’t understand that
She called Yarmysh back and told her but the hardest was yet to come. At the hos- Yulia is an independent person. And then
she was coming to Omsk. Yarmysh tried pital in Omsk, Navalnaya would encounter they understood. They saw Yulia fight the
to dissuade her—maybe Navalny would a wall of doctors who seemedmore scared machine and win. I think for many people
get better in a day or two and return to of their civilian superiors than they it was eye-opening.”
Moscow on his own—but Navalnaya stood were of losing their patient. They were
firm. Seeing that a flight was departing for reinforced—or kept in line—by a small That is an understatement; Navalnaya
Omsk in two hours, Navalnaya threw a battalion of plainclothes federal security was a revelation. The country saw her
random medley of clothes into a suitcase officers, all intent on keeping her from see- living out the worst moment of her life—
and bought her ticket in the back of a cab. ing her husband. To enter his room, she live. And yet she was strong, she was stoic,
(“Why didn’t the people you’re going to would need to present a marriage certifi- she didn’t crumble under pressure, and,
see give you any advance notice?” the cab cate, they said, and secure verbal consent through the sheer force of her will and the
driver asked when Navalnaya told him she from Navalny, who was still unconscious strength of her love, she got the dragon
absolutely had to make the flight.) As she and on life support. She would stare them to release her man. In a culture that intui-
waited in the airport, a message from Yar- down, out-argue them, and bend their tively understands redemption through
mysh arrived: Navalny was in a coma and will to hers, all while a gathering swarm suffering, in a society that believes women
on a ventilator. Navalnaya got up, found a of journalists trained their cameras and are by nature maternal nurturers, Naval-
café, and, despite the early hour, ordered microphones and smartphones on her. She naya was immediately understandable.
a whiskey. That was when the tears began would finally break through to see him, his “It is a story of biblical proportions,” says
to fall, a silent cascade. “I was unable to body sprouting tubes and cords like vines, Guriev. Journalist Anna Mongayt added,
restrain my emotions,” she would later tell writhing in near-constant seizures. (She “Russia has never had a queen like Yulia.”
Russian journalist Yury Dud, as if justify- wouldn’t know until days later that this was But it was more than a fairy tale. Through
ing an embarrassing lapse. the result of a military-grade nerve agent Navalnaya, all of her husband’s sins—his
in the Novichok family.) She would have to prickliness and perceived authoritarian-
She hid behind a pair of sunglasses fight with doctors and hospital administra- ism, his propensity to pick fights with
and resumed the wait, the most agoniz- tors to see the results of her husband’s lab the liberal Moscow intelligentsia and
ing, she imagined, of her life. By the time work, to give impromptu press conferenc- independent journalists, his past flirta-
she boarded the plane, Ivan Zhdanov, es on the hospital steps, to sneak around tions with nationalism—were suddenly
director of Navalny’s Anti-Corruption the city to find the German doctors who expiated. “People who like Navalny auto-
Foundation, or FBK, was with her. Naval- had arrived with a private medevac plane matically like her,” says journalist Serguei
naya realized she would have to turn off and whom the authorities had barred her Parkhomenko, a friend of the couple.

104 VAN ITY FA IR

“And there are some people for whom Instagram flash mobs. People began to talked about international economics at
she is Navalny without the downsides wonder whether they would be capable home, which drew her into majoring in
of Navalny: her self-sacrifice, her single- of such heroism under such duress—and, the subject in college. “I knew all the gov-
mindedness, her opposition to Putin.” of course, everyone wanted a love like ernment ministers by name,” she said. “I
theirs. “[They are] so relationship goals,” was interested in it.” She also told me the
As midnight closed in on Omsk, Alexey one friend in Moscow told me. story of how, in the summer of 1998, at a
Venediktov, editor in chief of the liberal resort in Turkey, she met a young lawyer
Ekho Moskvy radio station, went on the Because of who her husband is, all of named Alexey Navalny. “He immedi-
air in Moscow. He telegraphed to Naval- this quickly became political. In a coun- ately felt that I would be his wife,” she
naya what needed to be done. “Until try that hasn’t had a first lady since Putin’s said. Two years later, it came to pass.
Yulia makes a public declaration, until she divorce, announced in 2013, here was a People who know her say she never had
makes a request to the Russian govern- political wife who could more than hold any professional ambitions of her own,
ment to transport Alexey Navalny out of her own in an almost exclusively male so when her first child, Dasha, was born
the country,” Venediktov said, no trans- arena. “We’ve lived for seven years with- in 2001, Navalnaya stopped working and
fer would be possible. “We’re waiting.” out a first lady, and it seemed like no big became a stay-at-home mom. In 2008, a
People close to the Navalnys understood deal,” journalist Maria Komandnaya said son, Zakhar, was born. They were very
this to be a message from the Kremlin, on her podcast. “We’ve forgotten that this difficult pregnancies, and the couple
passed through Venediktov, who is very institution exists, but when we saw Yulia scrapped their wish for more children.
public about maintaining a cozy relation- Navalnaya in all her beauty, it was like a
ship with the presidential administration, light went off for everyone: Here she is, Albats first met Navalny when some-
ostensibly to keep his station from being the first lady.” Some compared Navalnaya one brought him to the weekly seminars
shuttered. Venediktov told me that he to Michelle Obama. Others, inevitably, to she ran for young opposition activists in
did in fact lobby on Navalnaya’s behalf Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who, a week 2005. It had been six years since Putin had
with his friends in the Kremlin, but that before Navalny was poisoned, spearhead- ascended to power, and he had already
they did not insist on a public appeal from ed an unprecedented wave of protests in managed to stifle dissent in the media
her. That was his idea. “I said this myself, neighboring Belarus after her husband, and eliminate competitive elections.
that this might help and would have an an opposition activist, was jailed. Could At the time, Navalny was a recovering
effect on VVP, because that kind of thing Navalnaya, people wondered, be Russia’s real estate lawyer who was just getting
works on him,” Venediktov explained, Tsikhanouskaya? Could she be not just the a foothold in opposition politics, and he
using Putin’s initials. Regardless, it put next first lady of Russia but its next lead- struck a slightly pathetic figure. He was
Navalnaya in an impossible situation. er? Yabloko, the old liberal democratic tall, stoop-shouldered, awkward, with a
“You know you have to bend your knee party where her husband had gotten his bit of a beer belly—“a man-child,” a fel-
to Putin and ask for your husband to be start, announced it was willing to support low activist remembers. He was from a
let out, but you know that Alexey would Navalnaya if she were to run for Parlia- simple family from a military town out-
rather die than ask Putin for anything,” ment. Even Tsikhanouskaya encouraged side of Moscow—the boonies for any
explains Albats, who was in touch with Navalnaya “to begin her political career.” self-respecting Muscovite—and was far
Navalnaya while she was in Omsk. “And less educated and worldly than the intel-
that’s the only thing you can’t do. Because Navalnaya quickly shut down the ligentsia in opposition circles. But when
this is a betrayal of Alexey.” speculation. “I think it’s much more inter- Albats saw him at his 30th-birthday party
esting to be the wife of a politician,” she in the summer of 2006, he was differ-
The next day, with the plane from told Russian Harper’s Bazaar in January, ent: He had Yulia in tow. She was tall and
Germany already on the ground in one of only a handful of interviews she’s striking. She laughed and danced, but
Omsk, Navalnaya issued a public letter ever given. “Then again what I do is, to a Albats got the distinct sense that she kept
to Putin. “I am officially addressing you,” certain extent, also politics.” everyone at arm’s length. “She’s a queen,”
she wrote, “with a demand for permission Albats thought to herself. “And Alexey was
to transport Alexey Anatolievich Navalny YULIA ABROSIMOVA WAS born in Moscow dancing around her like a little rooster.
to the Federal Republic of Germany.” on July 24, 1976. Her father was a govern- And that’s when I thought, this is the moti-
Within hours, she was boarding the ment scientist, and her mother worked vator. In addition to his personal ambition,
plane alongside her husband, invisible on at Gosplan, the Soviet central economic he needs to constantly prove to this beauti-
a gurney that was part cocoon, part cof- planning agency. Her parents divorced ful woman that he is worthy of her.”
fin. Her formulation—a demand rather when Yulia was in grade school, and her
than a plea—was not lost on the Russian mother married a Gosplan colleague. For years, Navalnaya was focused on
opposition. Even at her most desperate They were an average Soviet family, raising their two children while her hus-
and vulnerable, she approached Putin, living in a sea of high-rise apartment band published investigations of fraud in
the man trying to kill her husband, not as buildings in Moscow’s Olympic village. the Russian government and state-owned
a fearful supplicant but as a defiant equal. When I first met her in early 2011, Naval- companies. “He leaves early and comes
naya told me her mother and stepfather home late,” Navalnaya told me back in
In the following months, as Navalnaya January 2011. “At first it irritated me, but
and her husband documented his resur- then I see what people write about him,
rection and recovery on social media, about what a good job he’s doing, about
they became the measure of decency and who would do it if it weren’t for him.” It
nobility for millions of Russians. There clearly made her proud, and she obviously
were Yulia TikTok memes and Yulia

SEPTEMBER 2021 105

shared his views. At the time, most people THE NAVALNYS
were deeply apathetic to politics. Con- at a 2017 protest.
sumerism and rising wages fueled by
a commodities boom were all anyone
seemed to care about after the poverty of
the 1980s and ’90s. Opposition protests
attracted a couple hundred people at
most. The indifference frustrated Naval-
naya. “People ask why he’s doing this,”
she told me then. “Mostly they’re not
interested, they just want to go shopping.
I can’t judge them, but things would be a
lot better if they cared.”

We were sitting in her tiny kitchen in the
tiny apartment she and Navalny rented in
Maryino, a remote, lower-middle-class
Moscow neighborhood. As Navalny
stepped up his investigations into corrup-
tion at the highest levels of the Russian
government, the FSB moved in. They
bought an apartment across the way so
they could monitor the couple around the
clock. (“Can you imagine it,” Albats says.
“They’re making love under the eye of
the FSB!”) Agents began tailing not just
Navalny but Navalnaya and her children.
It bothered her but she took it in stride,
joking with friends that, since the FSB
was following her daughter, they might
as well save Navalnaya some time and
just drive Dasha home from school.

Navalnaya rarely gives interviews—
and she declined to do so for this
story—but when she does, she is always
asked a version of this question: Aren’t
you tired of this life? Haven’t you asked
Alexey to stop what he’s doing for the
family’s sake? It is a sentiment rooted
both in old Russian folk wisdom and in
Bolshevik ideology that women are the
most fearful and conservative elements
of society, that they are not the engine but
the brakes of revolution, tearfully hold-
ing their men back from the barricades.
I asked Navalnaya a version of this ques-
tion a decade ago. “I’ve never said it,” she
told me. “If I were scared, it would be dif-
ficult to live with him.” When Navalny ran
for mayor of Moscow in 2013, she gave her
first television interview and was asked
the same thing. “I think that many people
expect me to say this to him at home,”
she said, perfectly poised on the edge of
a studio couch. “No, I’ve never in my life
said anything like that to my husband,
because I genuinely understand that he’s
not doing it for himself. He’s doing it for
my children and for everyone else, and he
wants life [in Russia] to get better.” Why
not stop for the sake of Dasha and Zakhar,

106 VAN ITY FAIR

“If I were SCARED, it would be DIFFICULT to live with him.”

EVGENY FELDMAN. the interviewer asked her. Obviously sur- very keenly and observes everyone under her skin.” The years of unrelenting
prised, she exclaimed, “Because it’s them around her,” says Albats. “I honestly pressure from the Kremlin have simply
he’s fighting for!” think that she likes being the shadow transformed the introversion into steel.
politician.” Navalny once joked that his On top of a string of arrests and jail sen-
Navalnaya has insisted that her pri- wife is even more radical than he is, but tences, Navalny suffered a severe chemical
mary concern is the home front. “My she has been careful to never make her burn to his right eye in 2017 when a thug,
main task is so that, in spite of everything, positions known on the one subject that apparently hired by the government,
nothing in our family changes,” she said has dogged him: nationalism. People splashed a bright green antiseptic in his
in her interview with Harper’s Bazaar, “so close to her simply say that her views face. Her friends’ and family’s apartments
that the children can remain children, align with her husband’s, and that the have been searched by authorities several
and the house a home.” But even find- latter has evolved away from the anti- times, so she avoids revealing the identi-
ing a home has been a challenge. A few migrant rhetoric that characterized his ties of her nonpolitical friends so they
years ago, the Navalnys decided to move early forays into public politics. might avoid this fate. “The experience
to an apartment closer to FBK’s offices. has hardened her,” says Ashurkov. “Of
No one would rent to them. Still, Naval- The radicalism, people close to her say, course, she’s changed over these years,”
naya worked hard to maintain a sense of manifests itself in a different way: She is says a friend of Navalnaya who asked for
normalcy for her children through their a harsher judge of character and less for- anonymity to speak candidly about their
father’s arrests and the attacks on him, giving of transgressions. When a Kremlin relationship. “The world has split more
to make sure they did well in school and loyalist posted a doctored photo showing clearly into black and white. I think she’s
were well-adjusted. Navalnaya seems to that Navalnaya had German citizenship become tougher and more decisive.” Says
have succeeded in this. Dasha, who told (she does not) and then apologized, she the source who has known the Navalnys
her kindergarten class that her father’s refused to accept. “You are apologizing for 10 years, “Everything that’s happened
job was going to protests, started her own because you are a coward,” she wrote to this family doesn’t predispose them to
popular YouTube channel and is now in on Instagram, where she has more than letting in strangers and trusting easily. It’s
her junior year at Stanford. Zakhar, who a million followers, and called him “an great to be friends with everyone when
grew up constantly hearing that his father overgrown mama’s boy.” When Oleg they’re not trying to take out your eye.”
was on the verge of being killed, kept on Kashin, a journalist who was once close
playing his video game when he was told to the Navalnys, alleged that Navalnaya’s In July 2013, while Navalny was run-
about Navalny’s poisoning. father was actually an FSB agent living in ning for mayor of Moscow, he was also
London, Navalny refuted the theory: Her facing politically motivated criminal
Navalnaya’s presentation as the private, father had never worked for the security charges in the city of Kirov. A train car
homebound half of the couple, however, is services. Moreover, he was not currently full of journalists and activists (including
deceiving. “Navalny the politician is two working for the FSB in London because Boris Nemtsov, who would be assassinat-
people: Yulia and Alexey,” says Albats. he had died in 1996; here was his death ed outside the Kremlin walls less than two
“She’s his editor in chief, she reads every- certificate. Kashin, who admits that the years later) set out for the overnight trip
thing he writes before it’s published.” incident was “an embarrassing failure,” from Moscow to hear the verdict. It was
Navalnaya is also a crucial sounding board. told me, “I have apologized several times, a carnival atmosphere, and everyone,
“He consults with Yulia and talks through but I don’t think these apologies are wel- including Navalnaya, stayed up all night
certain ideas with her to formulate them come.” Like many people I spoke to, drinking and laughing. They seemed sure
better,” says Lyubov Sobol, a lawyer who Kashin believes Navalnaya is the source that the Kremlin wouldn’t allow a pro-
was one of Navalny’s first employees. of Navalny’s conflicts with others in vincial court to jail Navalny while he was
Before Navalny hired a press secretary, the Russian opposition. (Ashurkov con- running for mayor of the capital—which
it was Navalnaya who would take to his firmed this. “She’s likely to judge these was only happening with the Kremlin’s
blog and social media accounts to update kinds of people more harshly,” he said, blessing. The next morning, the verdict
his supporters when he was in jail. She adding that Venediktov also falls into this came down. This was not the 15-day sen-
dresses Navalny and is very attuned to category.) A source who has known the tence Navalny had become accustomed
the image he cuts. She also keeps him Navalnys for a decade told me, “She’ll to. Petr Ofitserov, Navalny’s former
humble. “It’s obvious that she criticizes be quiet, quiet, and then she’ll annihilate associate, was sentenced to four years in
him when there’s something to criticize you with one word.” a penal colony. Navalny got five, and both
him for,” says Guriev. “This forces Alexey men were led away in handcuffs. Ofitse-
to remember that he’s not the greatest per- Navalnaya has always been extremely rov’s wife began to wail and cling to her
son in the world, and that’s very important self-contained. “She is like the consum- husband’s neck, and had to be dragged
for him.” More importantly, says Vladimir mate British lady from classic novels,” away by the bailiffs. Sobol cried. Naval-
Ashurkov, one of Navalny’s longest-serv- says the source. “She is always extremely ny’s press secretary cried. The men were
ing lieutenants, “Yulia is the rock on which polite and friendly, but you’ll never find shell-shocked. Only Navalnaya kept her
Alexey stands. She’s got his back.” out anything about her if you’re not in composure. “These bastards will never
her inner circle. You’ll walk away with a see our tears,” she said.
Navalnaya is also a careful and astute pleasant impression, but you’ll never get
political observer. “She feels everything

SEPTEMBER 2021 107

WHEN NAVALNY FINALLY opened his eyes, NAVALNAYA in investigative journalism outfit, and he K I R I L L K U D RYAV T S E V/A F P / G E T T Y I M AG E S .
he didn’t recognize her. For 18 days she had Moscow after was trying to figure out who had tried to
waited, not knowing what she was waiting her husband was kill Navalny. Grozev was starting to zero
for. The doctors at Charité Hospital in Ber- arrested upon in on a set of suspects, so he reached out
lin told her they were not sure if Navalny arrival from Berlin. to Navalny and offered to help Maria
would ever emerge from his coma, and if Pevchikh, the head of FBK’s investiga-
he did, what state he would be in. So few In the fall, Navalny was discharged and tions team, who was then living near
people had been exposed to Novichok and the family decamped to Todtnauberg, a the Navalnys in Germany and digging
survived that there was just no data they small German village on the Swiss border. toward the same goal. Grozev was sur-
could rely on. And so Navalnaya waited. They rented a house and enrolled Zakhar prised to discover that the Navalnys were
Every day, she came to the hospital, adjust- in a local Catholic school. Every morning, what they had appeared to be on social
ed her husband’s pillows, and waited. She Navalnaya took her son to school and her media: a good-looking, cheerful couple
talked to him and played him their songs, husband to physical therapy. When the who were well-stocked with inside jokes
like Duran Duran’s cover of “Perfect Day.” session was over, she picked up Navalny and continuously teasing each other.
Their 20th wedding anniversary came and and took him on his daily walk, a key part Sometimes Navalnaya joked that her
went. She got through each day by break- of his rehabilitation. The area, known for husband had gotten a little slow from the
ing it into survivable increments. “Right its thermal springs and picturesque water- Novichok. Their public message was also
now, I’m doing this, and then I will do that, falls, was normally crowded with tourists, what they repeated in private: that, with
and after that—something else,” she said but the pandemic had left it deserted. some more work and organizing, there
of her mindset then. “And then maybe Navalnaya and her husband wandered would soon be a free and democratic Rus-
later, I’ll let myself cry.” But sometimes the the streets and the nearby hills, talking to sia, and Navalny would be its president.
tears came unbidden. If they fell while she farm animals and joking about which of
was on the phone with a friend, she made them was the donkeys’ favorite. The vil-
sure to mute herself. No one would hear lagers, bereft of other visitors, treated the
her cry—not her confidants, not whoever couple like celebrities.
else was listening on the line.
In mid-November, Christo Grozev
When doctors brought him out of his arrived. He worked for Bellingcat, the
coma, it seemed the old Navalny was gone.
This new Navalny just sat there and stared.
Everything was erased: Yulia, his children,
how to walk, how to write, what a spoon
was. At one point, he tried to rip out every
cord and line that was keeping him alive,
including the tracheostomy tube protrud-
ing from the hole in his throat. The doctors
and nurses managed to wrestle him back
down. Eventually, Navalnaya’s children
arrived. Her husband’s colleagues were
already there, as were Kremlin agents.
RT, the Kremlin-financed propaganda
network, announced a bounty for anyone
who could sneak into the hospital and get
a photo of the felled opposition leader.

Inside, Navalny was relearning how
to be himself. A month after his poi-
soning, he wished Navalnaya a belated
happy anniversary in an Instagram post.
For once, he put aside his sardonic tone
and recounted how a kind and cheerful
feminine presence pierced the veil of his
hallucinations and pulled him from the
other side. “I don’t doubt for a second
that this has a scientific explanation,” he
wrote. “Yulia, you saved me, and let them
put it in all the neurobiology textbooks.”

108 VAN ITY FA IR

“Navalny THE POLITICIAN is two people: In mid-December, Navalny and
Yulia and Alexey. She’s his EDITOR IN CHIEF.” Bellingcat published the results of their
investigation. The Russian authorities
“It’s a very infectious feeling,” Grozev the emergency landing in Omsk, while responded by announcing that Navalny
says. “You spend 20 minutes around it the Navalnys were on a short vacation had violated his parole for an old, politi-
and you believe it.” on the Baltic shore, Navalnaya suddenly cally motivated conviction: He had failed
felt sick. She collapsed onto a park bench. to check in in person with his parole offi-
Soon, Grozev and Pevchikh had a clear Nothing hurt, but her legs didn’t respond cer while he was in Germany recovering
picture of who had poisoned Navalny: an to her commands, like they had stopped from the Kremlin’s attempt on his life. If
elite team of chemists, doctors, and opera- working. “I felt sicker than I had ever felt he didn’t return to Russia, he would be
tives working for a special unit of the FSB. in my life,” she told Bellingcat. It was a a fugitive from the law. If he came back,
Their boss reported directly to the head of mysterious, nonspecific illness, and by he would be arrested for violating it. For
the FSB, who, in turn, reported to Putin. morning, it had vanished as quickly as it Navalny and his colleagues, the answer
Grozev and Pevchikh discovered that this had come on. “She told us how stupid she was obvious: He had to go home. Grozev
team had made as many as three attempts felt, how she couldn’t even make Alexey wondered if Navalnaya secretly disagreed
to poison Navalny. One went sideways believe that something was very wrong,” with her husband, if she were privately
and the assassins accidentally poisoned Grozev says of their conversation. trying to dissuade him from going back.
Navalnaya. On July 6, just weeks before “But she said, ‘Yes, he should go. There’s
a risk, but that’s his life and that’s where
he should be,’ ” Grozev recalls. “She
said she was C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 1 1 6

SEPTEMBER 2021 109

The Way We

BY I LLU STR AT I O N BY
L E A H FAY E CO O P E R J O H N P. D E S S E R E AU

CAPSULE
COLLECTION
From left: Keanu
Reeves, the members
of Destiny’s Child,
Björk, Gwyneth
Paltrow, OutKast’s
André 3000 and
Big Boi, and Lil’ Kim.

110 VAN ITY FAIR

Wore

NOTHING ANCHORS A TIME AND PLACE
QUITE LIKE A MEMORABLE RED-CARPET
MOMENT—FOR BETTER AND FOR WORSE

SEPTEMBER 2021 111

1999 Monica Madonna Jennifer Céline Samuel L. Drew Naomi Campbell
Angelina and Brandy Aniston Dion Jackson Barrymore and Kate Moss

Jolie

“DO YOU REMEMBER how Destiny’s Child Pulitzer Prize–winning fashion critic Barrymore, Mischa Barton, Cameron JOLIE: SHUTTERSTOCK. MONICA & BRANDY: ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. ALL OTHERS: GETTY IMAGES. PREVIOUS SPREAD,
used to wear matching outfits that [Beyon- Robin Givhan, and writer Evan Ross Katz Diaz…they all wore those L.A. design- BJORK: ALAMY STOCK PHOTO. ALL OTHERS: GETTY IMAGES.
cé’s] mom made?” Stylist Kate Young cut look back on the trends and red-carpet ers that I, as a New York fashion person,
straight to the heart of the matter. moments that defined and reflected was really excited about. There were girls
an era. wearing stuff that we didn’t see in New
Of course. How could one forget? York because it wasn’t [considered] fash-
The custom pieces by Tina Knowles- Streetwear had long had a flair for the dra- ion, that I thought was really cool.
Lawson are among the looks that defined matic, but much of the runway fashion that
fashion at the turn of the century, a time predated 1999 was decidedly minimal. As While musicians often worked with their
when the world was privy to Lil’ Kim’s sea- hip-hop grew in popularity and a small record label’s stylists and image consultants,
shell pasty, an accent on her breast-baring group of designers planted roots in Los Ange- for the most part, actors were still dressing
jumpsuit. Sarah Jessica Parker epito- les, this started to change. themselves.
mized Carrie Bradshaw in the instantly
iconic John Galliano for Dior newsprint ROBIN GIVHAN (senior critic-at-large, The YOUNG: People didn’t really have styl-
slip dress; Samuel L. Jackson was every- Washington Post): The mid-’90s had ists, so a lot of [celebrities] were wearing
where with his signature Kangol hats; seen a period of minimalism and heroin their own clothes; clearly just a dress
Mariah Carey bedazzled in her butterfly chic—a reserved and a little bit bleak sen- they bought off the rack in Hollywood
halter. Jeans were irrationally low-rise, sibility. [1999–2001] was a much more somewhere. Or if they were a musician,
midriffs were often bare, and brands such exuberant, ostentatious time for fash- there was a lot of custom from costume
as Sean Jean and Baby Phat, born of hip- ion. It reminds me of what we refer to as designers.
hop, quickly rose to cultural dominance. “ghetto fabulous” and the rise of hip-hop
Now, two decades after Björk turned in a very upmarket kind of way. JUNE AMBROSE (stylist and creative
up to the Oscars as a swan, Young, fellow director): [Luxury brands] knew noth-
stylists June Ambrose and Misa Hylton, KATE YOUNG (stylist and host of Hello Fash- ing of us. It seems so normal now that
ion on YouTube): There was a guy named the big fashion houses in Europe have
Henry Duarte who was making jeans that embraced urban and pop culture the way
were really cool, and Rick Owens used to they have, but at the time, the idea of
sell at Maxfield [in L.A.] then. He made bridging music and fashion was foreign.
tank tops that were really long. It was They didn’t have the vision to see that
cool to wear boot-cut jeans with really this was an opportunity for them to mar-
long tank tops and tiny cardigans. Drew ket and brand, and to touch consumers

112 VA N I T Y FA I R

Dennis Lil’ Kim 2000 Leonardo Victoria and TLC Mariah
Rodman Hillary DiCaprio David Beckham Carey
Clinton

through using these artists as muses. YOUNG: Galliano at that time was the looked like it had been pulled off the rack
I had to start with costume designing to coolest thing you could possibly wear. and not really fit for her.
get their attention. And all those Kate Moss metal dresses,
all the girls wearing them to the Met YOUNG: I remember thinking, Why didn’t
GIVHAN: The color and the bedazzlement, Ball—the slip dresses with the buttons they sort out that bust? It just didn’t fit,
the showing off of the midriff and the skin, and the bias cut. That was as chic as you and that really confused me. But looking
it was definitely a huge, not just look-at- could possibly be. back on it now, I think it’s amazing. It’s a
me, but look-at-my-success period. great iconic Oscars look.
GIVHAN: The whole spectrum of women
Low-rise jeans, exposed thongs, and in politics goes from the ’80s, when KATZ: I would speculate that that dress
handkerchief tops—like the one worn by female senators couldn’t even wear pants worn today would receive a lot more criti-
Jennifer Aniston to the SAG Awards in on the Senate floor, through Hillary Clin- cism because it’s not properly steamed.
1999—became popular trends among ton campaigning for the Senate in black And I think that it would perhaps be per-
teens and young adults. Meanwhile, on the pantsuits and running for president in a ceived as overly simple. I love the amount
opposite side of the style spectrum, Hillary rainbow wardrobe of pantsuits, all the of chest that is exposed, and that the
Clinton was reshaping the style status quo way to Kamala Harris now, whose daily straps are so close to the shoulders. And
for women in business and politics. uniform is basically a dark pantsuit. Hill- bubblegum pink on a red carpet, it just
ary Clinton rarely wore trousers as first has a pop to it.
YOUNG: Juicy Couture came out with the lady [so] that pink pantsuit was game
lowest-rise jeans [ever]. They were way changing. To me, it was warrior clothing. YOUNG: I love Céline Dion, but I really
below your hip bone—like way, way, way. hated [the backward-tux moment]. I
And then you would wear a crop top with On March 21, 1999, Gwyneth Paltrow hate a fedora, so it’s really hard for me to
that. [And] that thong trend was a Tom arrived at the Oscars in a bubblegum pink get past that. [The suit] is actually quite
Ford for Gucci thing. People started doing ball gown by Ralph Lauren. Céline Dion chic, but the fedora and sunglasses, it’s
it after he showed it. opted for a white John Galliano tuxedo, too much.
worn backward and accessorized with a
EVAN ROSS KATZ (writer and host of the matching fedora. KATZ: Céline Dion is such a certified
Shut Up Evan podcast):There’s a line from style icon in 2021, but 20 years ago that
RuPaul’s Drag Race where Michelle Vis- GIVHAN: So much effort and attention wasn’t the case. People used to scoff at
age says, “It’s a piece of fabric,” and that and energy goes into those looks. It was her craziness and in 2021 it’s celebrated,
could be said of the [handkerchief top]. really surprising that [Paltrow’s dress] as it should be.

SEPTEMBER 2021 113

Lil’ Kim’s Misa Hylton–designed jumpsuit bedazzled fishnet dress to the CFDA Fash- KATZ: Tina Knowles-Lawson deserves her D’ AN GE LO : Z U MAP RE S S / N E W S CO M . PAR K E R : CO U R T E S Y O F H BO. BR I T N E Y & J U S T I N : S H U T T E R S TO C K . AL L O T H E R S : G E T T Y I MAG E S .
instantly became one of the most recogniz- ion Awards, and Beyoncé wearing basically flowers. It’s worth paying respect to her for
able looks of all time when the rapper walked a glittery scrim to the Costume Institute saying, “I don’t have the resources avail-
the red carpet at the MTV Video Music Gala; a whole series of A-list women who able to me to get what I want, so I, myself,
Awards on September 9, 1999. wore gowns that were a hair’s breadth will become a resource for this group.”
away from them being totally naked.
MISA HYLTON (stylist and designer): Missy HYLTON: By [2000] I had begun to
Elliott actually gave me the idea for that Despite a growing public appetite for all establish relationships with [designers],
look. I was hanging out at her house one things celebrity—including what stars were because Lil’ Kim was the hottest thing
day, and she was like, “You know what? wearing—a number of major fashion hous- out, and everybody wanted a piece of
Kim is such a fly bitch. If I was Kim, you es were still reluctant or unwilling to work her. We would sit front row at fashion
know what I would do? I would just have with them. As a result, Ambrose and Hylton shows, Donatella Versace was flying us
one titty out.” So I just made a mental continued to design custom looks for their to her house on Lake Como…. Now, if you
note. The next big event we had was the clients, as did Tina Knowles-Lawson for go back a few years, it was very difficult.
1999 MTV Video Music Awards, [and] Destiny’s Child.
that idea Missy gave me was the inspira- AMBROSE: Design houses only started to
tion for the jumpsuit. I wanted to make YOUNG: Fashion and celebrity were not talk to us when they saw the impact we
it really beautiful and pretty; feminine friends yet. Fashion really held itself were having on retail, consumers, and
and flirty and colorful. So I purchased apart; it was really snobby back then. pop culture. We didn’t have to go back
Indian bridal fabric. and have a conversation with them, but
KATZ: At the time, major fashion houses I thought it was important for inclusivity
AMBROSE: For me, it was such a liberat- were not lending to people of color, or to that we were all speaking together as one.
ing moment for women. It was a Gloria bigger people. And it still exists today. And it was for that reason that I was open
Steinem moment. [Kim was] owning her There’s a lot of discrimination in terms of to collaborating with designers and work-
body and her breasts. [It made me think how clothes are resourced to celebrities. ing with them. Also, they had superior
of] marching in the streets in the ’60s... tailoring and access that we didn’t have.
women with their tops off...big signs that AMBROSE: I didn’t have the luxury of call-
said, “We are women, hear us roar!” ing in a look. [Design houses] wouldn’t Soon, red carpets seemingly usurped the
even take my calls back then. So what awards shows themselves, with much of
GIVHAN: Looking back, it certainly feels are you supposed to do? You have to figure the discourse surrounding the events
like it was a precursor to Rihanna wearing a it out. being about fashion.

Kelis D’Angelo Halle Kimora Lee Allen Aaliyah J.Lo and
Berry Simmons Iverson P. Diddy
114 VA N I T Y F A I R

GIVHAN: With hindsight being 20/20, LIL’ KIM was “a precursor to a whole
looking back, you sort of realize that early series of A-LIST WOMEN who wore
on, the goal on the red carpet was to find
a dress that looked really lovely on you gowns that were a hair’s breadth away
and to not be embarrassed. That was sort from them being TOTALLY NAKED.”
of what allowed designers like Armani
and Valentino to rise to the occasion, and The plunging Versace dress Jennifer Lopez KATZ: Keanu Reeves [in all black] is
the question of “Who are you wearing?” wore to the Grammys on February 23, a great example of the fact that there’s a
became the thing. 2000, garnered so much interest that it blueprint that’s existed. Timothée Cha-
inspired the creation of Google Images. lamet is not inventing men caring about
KATZ: [That time] was really peak worst- While women commanded the bulk of how they look on a red carpet. Keanu
dressed-list culture. It was peak Joan the red-carpet attention at the time, men looked like a capital-S star in that look.
Rivers on the red carpet. There was lots of were also taking fashion and personal It’s incredibly chic.
criticizing people, and often women criti- style seriously.
cizing women. Though it would often be AMBROSE: That was a huge risk because
about the clothing, it could easily mean- YOUNG: I really liked the way Matt Dil- it didn’t look like the typical Hollywood
der into criticism of bodies. lon used to dress. There was a Rat Pack movie star black-tie moment. He forwent
thing going on. [Leonardo] DiCaprio the bow tie for the black tie and then did
GIVHAN: In recent years, there’s been and Matt were wearing high-waisted a black shirt with a [suit]. Black on black
this pushback in asking—particularly trousers, and I thought that was great. on black on black on black.
female actors—about their attire, and And I loved their haircuts. Leo’s haircut
the glam cameras that scan the body from the ’90s is the greatest thing I’ve GIVHAN: During that period, the real
from head to toe, and how demeaning ever seen. peacocking C ON T I N U E D ON PAGE 1 16
that is. You look back and realize that
it was in many ways, these very young
actresses who were placing their body
at the center of the story. But then you
could also argue that it was a matter
of empowerment, that they could own
the red carpet and own their sexuality
and physicality.

2001 Britney Spears and Missy Björk Cameron Gwen
Sarah Jessica Parker Justin Timberlake Elliott Diaz Stefani
in Sex and the City

SEPTEMBER 2021 115

The Way We Wore There was so much joy for me in that image. so there was an importance to a red carpet.
That’s not to say that the importance doesn’t
C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 1 5 for menswear AMBROSE: Anything that looks like a cos- exist today, but because there’s such a ubiq-
was really coming through the world of music tume and is outlandish and reckless on the uity of red carpets [and] paparazzi photos
and hip-hop, and men of color. carpet gets 10s across the board from me. But and Instagram photos, we see images all day.
I mean, it was Björk, what did we expect? She
Early 2001: Britney Spears and Justin Tim- was [that era’s] Gaga. YOUNG: I feel like [what was popular then]
berlake wore matching denim ensembles to the is what the young girls wear now…. Look at
American Music Awards on January 8. A few GIVHAN: It certainly put Marjan [Pejoski], the howHaileyBieber wears croptopseveryday…
months later, Björk had her moment. designer, into people’s brains. It was one of I love the runway fashion of that time; all the
those moments that hearkened back to the minimal clothing. Calvin Klein and Jil Sander
YOUNG: [Those Britney and Justin looks] pre–Giorgio Armani dominance of the red were amazing then. I love a slip dress, a slide,
were horrific; just so bad. I couldn’t believe carpet—the predominance of professional no makeup and thin eyebrows. I think it’s chic.
it. Now I think it’s so funny, and I think that’s stylists—when a lot of celebrities worked on
why it stays around, because it’s hilarious. I their own. It had the kind of peculiar eccen- GIVHAN: When I think about that period, the
think Posh Spice, Victoria Beckham, clearly tricity that you tended to see then. But I think first thing that comes to mind is the rise of
had the best P.R. in the world, because she it was also the beginning of the realization Gucci as this sort of juggernaut of a global
and David Beckham used to [dress alike] too, that the red carpet was not just a place where brand that changed the fashion business.
and you never see those images referenced. you could get on the best-dressed list, but it
Her wedding [in July 1999] is what I look at was also a place where you could really estab- YOUNG: There was no Instagram [or online
to cheer myself up; it’s the best. The crown lish a brand, and it could be seen as a kind shopping], so you had to shop where you
with the hair poking through, it’s amazing. of personal advertising. So-called good style were. You couldn’t buy stuff on the internet
was not necessarily the ultimate goal. The that was from Denmark because you liked
ultimate goal was about being memorable. some girl in Denmark’s personal style.

Today, says Ambrose, “we’re gorging on fash- KATZ: In the fashion history books, I don’t
ion as opposed to slowly tasting it”—one of know if we’re going to be talking much
the many influences of the internet and social about 2021, COVID aside, the way that we
media. Both have changed how quickly and do [1999–2001]. There was such fearlessness
often we see runway shows and red carpets, and and lack of inhibition. And even though the
democratized access to fashion. worst-dressed lists no longer exist [to the
extent that they once did], people are fear-
KATZ: There were less images being shared, ful of rocking the boat in any kind of way. n

The Good Wife By January, everyone had moved to “I’m a Christian,” she answered. “I would
Freiburg, and Dasha arrived to spend some never harm a person.”
C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 1 0 9 scared, but I time with her parents before they went back
didn’t see it in her.” Grozev tried to be opti- to Moscow. Navalny’s team was wrapping The next day, Yulia and Alexey took a train
mistic and argued that maybe the Kremlin up an investigation into a baroque, billion- to Berlin, and from there, on January 17, they
wouldn’t arrest him, but Navalnaya saw it dollar palace that Putin owned on the Black departed for Moscow. Russian police were
clearly. “She said, ‘I think there is no chance Sea—to be published when Navalny was waiting at passport control. He quickly kissed
that they will let him out. He will be in jail inevitably arrested. On January 14, Grozev his wife, who turned to fish her passport from
for a long time,’ ” Grozev recalls. “You must hosted a farewell dinner for his team and her purse, as if her husband being led away
understand how shocking this conversation Navalny’s. He made pasta and served local by police were the most natural thing in
was. She’s this wide-eyed, earnest, honest wine and gin made from juniper picked in the world.
person. She says these things like they’re the nearby forests. Several nights earlier,
the most obvious things on earth, but she’s Grozev and Navalny had called Konstantin WHEN NAVALNY ARRIVED in Moscow, West-
saying very nonobvious things. You have to Kudryavtsev, the chief FSB hit man, and, in ern observers couldn’t help but compare his
process what she says before you realize that a 45-minute conversation in which Navalny journey to that of Vladimir Lenin, who, after
it’s obvious only in a certain universe.” That pretended to be one of Kudryavtsev’s superi- a long exile, arrived at Petrograd’s Finland
universe was the imagined future in which ors, coaxed him into explaining exactly how Station in April 1917. The parallel seemed
Russia is free and happy. For all her fierce he had tried to poison Navalny. Amazed by obvious enough: two men, no matter how
pragmatism, Navalnaya believed it fully. It their luck, they listened to the call again, different ideologically, who had tried to
would be impossible to survive if she didn’t. this time with Navalnaya in the room. That overthrow a corrupt Russian autocrat. It was
evening, as they sipped their wine and gin, an imperfect comparison, but there was one
Grozev offered a hypothetical: If you could overlap that most failed to notice: their wives.
go back in time and make Kudryavtsev dis- If Navalnaya is, as some have dubbed her, the
appear so that he couldn’t live to poison first lady of the opposition, Nadezhda Krup-
Navalny, would you? Each person around the skaya, Lenin’s wife, was the first lady of the
table said yes, until it was Navalnaya’s turn to Russian Revolution. Like her husband, Krup-
respond. No, she said. Grozev was stunned. skaya endured the hardships—and prison
Just behind her back was the investigators’ sentences—that came with opposing an
corkboard with pictures of her husband’s oppressive regime. And like Navalnaya, she
would-be assassins. Why, Grozev asked? had her own cult following among the young
people who took up her husband’s cause.

116 VA N I T Y FA I R

The idea of a revolutionary first lady began more awkward denials when Proekt, an It is also an approach very clearly modeled
and ended with Krupskaya. For the next cen- independent online outlet, revealed the on the West, where a spouse is a key com-
tury, Russia’s first wives were of a far more alleged existence of another daughter— ponent of a political leader’s image. “They
traditional mold. Joseph Stalin constantly one who looked uncannily like Putin—from violate the tradition of what the family of a
tried to keep his wife from working and, after a decades-old affair with a former cleaning Russian politician is supposed to be: people
a tempestuous marriage, she died by suicide lady who became a shareholder in the giant who are worried about what they’re wearing,
in 1932. Stalin never remarried. “Whatever Rossiya Bank.) what car they’re in, how many bodyguards
pleasures Stalin occasionally took,” wrote they have,” says filmmaker Vera Krichevs-
historian Stephen Kotkin, “he was married When asked about Tikhonova at a 2015 kaya, who is friendly with them. “Politics in
to Soviet state power.” press conference, Putin said, “I’ve read about Russia is about money. It’s a business.” By put-
Ekaterina Tikhonova and my other supposed ting Navalnaya and their marriage on display,
After the 1964 ouster of Nikita Khrush- relatives on the internet.” Then he grew Navalny has made his brand not about money
chev, who brought his wife on foreign trips angry. “I never discuss questions regarding and power, but about honesty, as well as opti-
to humanize Soviet power, the wives of Soviet my family…. I’ve never spoken about where mism, love, and courage. Recently, he turned
leaders disappeared entirely from public specifically my daughters work and what the old opposition slogan “Russia will be free”
view. People knew that Leonid Brezhnev they do and don’t plan to because of many into something less abstract: “Russia will be
was married and had children, but that was different considerations, including security.” happy.” For a certain segment of the popula-
the extent of their knowledge. They did not True to his KGB training, Putin saw his fam- tion, this is a powerful message, especially
know that Viktoria Brezhneva and her chil- ily as a potential pressure point, a weakness amid an accelerating and brutal state crack-
dren accumulated tremendous wealth at that could be exploited rather than a point of down. Navalnaya’s image, says Krichevskaya,
the state’s expense, all while average Soviets pride. In 2019, when asked about them again, is that of “a woman who conquered fear.”
endured increasingly frequent deficits of he referred to his daughters as “one woman”
basic goods. Nor did they know that Brezhnev and “the second woman.” Parkhomenko believes that the familial
and all his lieutenants kept small harems in contrast is indicative of a much deeper philo-
diamonds, furs, and large apartments. People Navalny pounced. The comment, he said, sophical divide. “Putin is an absolutely Soviet
only discovered that Brezhnev’s successor, “shows that we’ll never hear even a single ruler,” he explained. “He sees politics as an
Yuri Andropov, had a wife when she appeared word of truth from these people because they inherently male thing, which is very conve-
at his state funeral in 1984. lie even when you would think it’s too embar- nient for a totalitarian regime. And that’s
rassing to lie, because they’re essentially the root difference between totalitarian and
Vladimir Putin came of age—and into the disowning their own children.” It was a delib- democratic politics. For democratic lead-
KGB—during the Brezhnev era, and the mili- erate point of contrast: Unlike Putin, Navalny ers, it’s very important for people to see the
tant secrecy in which he swaddles his family was transparent about his family. Everyone human in them. Soviet leaders are scared for
is a clear echo of that time. Even before he knew what they looked like because Navalny people to see the human in them,” he said.
announced his divorce from Lyudmila in constantly posted pictures of them on his Ins- “That’s the difference.”
2013, Putin was, essentially, alone on the tagram and took evident pride in his children.
throne. Lyudmila was rarely seen in public, Everywhere Navalny went, Navalnaya was SHORTLY BEFORE THE pandemic ground
except on the few occasions she was trotted there, holding his hand or intimately whis- Europe to a halt, the Navalnys flew to Paris
out to stand near him, blinking slowly. As she pering in his ear. She was with him at every to see Guriev and his wife. There were certain
disappeared from view, rumors spread that social event, at every protest. When Navalny questions that were just too sensitive to dis-
Putin had packed her off to a convent. Other ran for mayor of Moscow and Navalnaya gave cuss remotely. The two couples retreated to
rumors had it that Putin had taken up with a speech at the rally two days before the vote, the Gurievs’ vacation home on the northern
Alina Kabayeva, a former Olympic gymnast she made a point of comparing her family to French coast. They visited the local bakery
who was three decades his junior and with Putin’s. “I came out here to say that if those and took walks by the cliffs under the gray
whom he’d supposedly had several children. in power see families as a weakness, they winter drizzle. “Alexey and Yulia both under-
In 2008, the newspaper that published those are mistaken,” she declared. “Family is the stood very well what awaited them,” Guriev
rumors was forced to shut down. That year, strength of any normal person—especially told me. “They didn’t expect that he would
a reporter asked Putin about Kabayeva at a any real politician.” be poisoned, but they understood that there’s
joint press conference with his friend Silvio a risk that Alexey could be killed. They’ve
Berlusconi, then the prime minister of Italy. Navalny’s strategy is to be the opposite of always understood that risk and understood
“In what you said, there is not one word of Putin in everything, including this. If Putin is it well.” Guriev told me about the time in
truth,” Putin shot back. “I have always react- an autocrat who is married to Russia and lives 2012 that he invited Alexey, then early in his
ed negatively to those who with their snotty far above his subjects, Navalny positions him- career as an opposition leader, to speak to his
noses and erotic fantasies prowl into others’ self as a man like any other. He wants to show students at Moscow’s New Economic School.
lives.” Knowing how ferociously his friend Russians that he has earthly attachments, (A year later he would be forced to flee Russia
guarded his personal life, Berlusconi made that it is these familial bonds that make him for working on Navalny’s mayoral campaign.)
his hands into pistols and playfully fired them want to change Russia for the better. “Naval- One of the students asked Navalny a ques-
at the offending reporter. ny decided that he would show Yulia,” says tion he was starting to get all the time: Why
Parkhomenko. “It was all done with the hadn’t he been killed yet? Unfazed, Navalny
In 2015, a number of publications report- understanding that this was being done for replied that he didn’t know, but he was hoping
ed that one of Putin’s two daughters, who public consumption. And she is this cinemato- to spread the word to young people so that
went by the name Ekaterina Tikhonova, graphic, nearly perfect woman who embodies they could continue his work if the worst ever
oversaw a $2 billion fund bankrolled by some total support and agreement and solidarity happened. The discussion moved on, but as
of her father’s closest associates. It was the with what he’s doing.” Some, like Albats, think Guriev looked out into the audience, he saw
first time that anyone had seen what one of that it’s not just Navalny and his supporters Navalnaya sitting in the front row. She was
Putin’s daughters looked like as an adult—or who notice the contrast. “I think Putin really crying. “It is absolutely not theoretical for
learned her name. The Kremlin immediately envies Alexey,” says Albats. “No woman them,” he told me. “They’ve been thinking
denied the reports and punished the one ever loved you like this without money. He’s about this for many years.”
Russian publication that printed the story. tall, and you’re tiny. He’s handsome, you’re
(In the fall of 2020, the Kremlin offered a mouse. And a woman like this loves him.”

SEPTEMBER 2021 117

The Good Wife “A lot of people don’t understand, they only to Navalny, asking people for their recom-
see the glamorous side,” says Albats. “But mendations. This too turned into a trend,
The possibility of a lengthy prison sen- there’s this everyday life where you have to and a popular food blogger devoted an entire
tence was also not theoretical. Contingency maintain a household on not a lot of money episode to the best dehydrated soups on the
plans were put in place for what FBK and the and make sure the kids do their homework. market.) She consults doctors about her hus-
network of election offices would do when Receptions and articles—that’s Alexey. Her band’s faltering health. She continues writing
Navalny was jailed or incapacitated. (This routine is packing bags for jail. It’s the dirty him letters and visiting him in prison when she
spring, as the Kremlin moved to have FBK work of being in opposition politics.” can—and calling them “dates” on Instagram.
labeled an extremist organization, Navalny’s She goes to court hearings as the Kremlin con-
lieutenants disbanded their field offices, cit- Navalnaya was intent on doing what she tinues opening new criminal cases against
ing the danger to their volunteers. In June, a had always done: being a wife to Navalny and Navalny. Recently, he appeared by video link
Moscow court made the designation official.) a mother to her children. This became harder at an appeal hearing, gaunt after a 24-day
Navalnaya, who is not formally involved with after Navalny was sentenced, on February 2, hunger strike. “Yulyashka,” he said, using the
FBK and is careful to maintain a clear distinc- to two years and eight months in prison. He diminutive of her name. “If you can hear me,
tion between herself and the fund’s work, also was transferred to a notoriously brutal penal stand up, let me get a look at you.” She stood.
had her contingency plan. Boris Zimin, the colony in Vladimir Oblast, 125 miles east “I am awfully happy to see you,” he beamed.
exiled Russian businessman who is Naval- of Moscow. Dasha went back to Stanford,
ny’s benefactor, saw the couple in Germany 10 time zones away, and Zakhar remained at And she continues swatting away calls to
shortly before their January return and told his boarding school in Germany. Suddenly, become a politician in her husband’s stead,
me that Navalnaya was as stoic as ever. “You everyone for whom Navalnaya was respon- just as she did in 2013 when, for a brief and
couldn’t see that she was nervous,” he said. sible was no longer under her roof, and the horrible moment, it seemed that he was
“She always creates the impression of a very tension occasionally spilled out into the open. going to jail for five years. That time, thou-
calm person. I think she has strong emotions, Navalnaya created a stir when she went to Ger- sands of Muscovites flooded the streets,
but she’s not given to showing them.” In part, many a week after her husband’s sentencing. demanding his release, and the Kremlin
this is the product of experience. In the last But because she hadn’t advertised that her son complied. This time, tens of thousands of
decade, as Navalny emerged as an opposi- now lived abroad, no one knew why she was people across all of Russia demanded the
tion leader, he was arrested at every protest going to Germany. Was she attending a secret same—and the Kremlin arrested thousands
he attended and given short sentences, rang- meeting with Angela Merkel? Was she flee- more. Navalnaya came out with them twice,
ing from two weeks to one month. Once he ing the country? When she again traveled to and twice she was arrested. The third time,
was arrested just as he was being released Germany just days before Navalny declared a the authorities refrained. Her husband’s sup-
from jail, right at the prison gates. Another hunger strike, Kremlin social media channels porters surrounded her and began chanting
time, he went out to buy Navalnaya flow- lit up with conspiracy theories and accusa- her name: “Yulia! Yulia! Yulia!” She held her
ers for her birthday, only to be picked up in tions: How could she abandon her husband hands to her chest and bowed, touched but
the street and slapped with a monthlong jail at such a critical time? But the answer was overwhelmed by their attention. This was not
sentence. In 2014, he was put under a year- much simpler and more poignant. Zakhar, her role. In 2013, shortly before her husband
long house arrest. This has given Navalnaya alone in a foreign country, his father in jail, was sentenced, she was asked in an interview
good training in the art of packing prison was turning 13. if she saw her husband as the next president
bags: bundles of food, clothing, and toilet- of Russia and herself as the first lady. “Yes, I
ries to pass to her frequently jailed husband. In the meantime, Navalnaya continues can see him as president,” she responded. “I
packing bags of food for her husband. (In don’t see myself as a first lady. I see myself as
March, she posted a photo of the ramen his wife, no matter who he is.” n
noodles and instant soups she was sending

Postcards From the Edge InfoWars. Newly rich and famous, Drudge memorializing the address’s late owner,
moved to Miami with his pet cat, bought a Rush Limbaugh. Coulter points to the ser-
C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 6 9 first presiden- beachfront condo on Collins Avenue, and vice entrance, where she and Drudge would
tial launch party at his house,” she recalls. began operating the website from a yellow enter Limbaugh’s 34,000-square-foot estate
“And we were sort of inseparable, but it Mustang convertible. At Drudge’s urging, to avoid being seen and have regular din-
wasn’t just ideological.” Coulter moved to Miami and took up resi- ner parties, drinking $800 bottles of wine
dence in the same building; they became as their host puffed on Cuban cigars. This
When Drudge broke the story of Clinton’s attached at the hip. “We created something went on for years. In 2005, Coulter bought a
White House affair on his primitive website nobody had done before and nobody thought Palm Beach property and took up the clubby
in 1998, he breathed life into a nascent cable- it would work,” Coulter says. lifestyle. “All the parties here take place in
and internet-driven conservative media but private,” she says.
also ruptured the wall between the “legiti- The two were giddy with newfound suc-
mate” press and the tabloids, regularly cess. Coulter gave Drudge his first taste of From a distance we see the Breakers hotel,
linking to the Enquirer and, later, Alex Jones’s alcohol on a flight from California. On anoth- where Roy Cohn spent some of his last days
er trip, sitting in first class, Drudge looked at watching the ocean while dying of the AIDS
Coulter’s stack of the New York Times and virus he denied having. “I loved Roy Cohn,”
said, “You’re not going to learn anything from she says of the political fixer whose first job
that.” She looked over: Drudge was reading for Trump, in 1973, was defending his prac-
the National Enquirer. (According to a former tice of barring Black people from his rental
Enquirer reporter, Drudge sometimes social- properties. “I wish I could have met him.”
ized and traded gossip with the staff at a South
Palm Beach motel called the Hawaiian.) Coulter was a regular reader of the New
York Post and thought Trump was a doofus.
We pass a cobbled driveway dotted with But a funny thing happened. In December
American flags and sun-faded pictures 2014, Drudge came to her house to ring in

118 VA N I T Y FA I R

the New Year, just the two of them, and came through, privately expressed contempt for this guy. He’s a cocksucker. He should turn
up with the title of Coulter’s latest book, Sean Hannity and Mark Levin, calling them his Pulitzer back in because he’s a liar.” (This
¡Adios, America!: The Left’s Plan to Turn Our “imitators” who copied his act but with half isn’t to say Stone dislikes all Times reporters:
Country Into a Third World Hellhole, her dia- the wit and even less of the intellect (his “Maggie Haberman is one of my oldest and
tribe against illegal immigration. To stir up opinion no doubt complicated by the fact best friends,” he says.)
outrage, Coulter promoted the book in an that Limbaugh’s brother David is Hannity’s
interview with prominent Mexican American agent). In the Trump era, whatever thin (Schmidt declined to comment.)
anchor Jorge Ramos on Fusion, the Hispan- line had existed between the political par- Stone still faces a civil suit from the IRS,
ic media channel, and compared Mexican ties and their media mouthpieces was long which says he owes more than $1 million in
immigrants to ISIS terrorists. “If you don’t ago erased. back taxes. “When you run out of money, you
want to be killed by a Mexican, there’s noth- have this choice,” he says. “Should I pay my
ing I can tell you,” she said. Drudge splashed Coulter directs my gaze above the hedge- lawyer to stay out of prison or should I send
the headline on his site, and Trump’s cam- rows. “That hideous, way-too-big American money to the IRS?”
paign requested a copy of the book the same flag that looks like a car dealership is Mar- One could be forgiven for thinking Stone
day. Then Trump appeared to use it as the a-Lago,” she says. I ask her if she bears any enjoys all this controversy since he’s done
basis of his first speech as a candidate at responsibility for helping invent the hyper- nothing but attract it for decades. “Maybe,”
Trump Tower. “I mean, I pushed the whole partisan atmosphere that has, over 20 years, Stone ventures, “controversy is attracted
Mexican rapist thing, but I put it a lot better drowned America in a toxic stew of perpetual to me.”
than Trump did,” Coulter says. outrage and tabloid paranoia. She considers We arrive at Raindancer, a steak house
this a moment. in West Palm Beach, where we meet Laura
After Trump won the election, Coulter Loomer, an Islamophobic right-wing pro-
began a regular correspondence with his “No,” she says. “Because I made it fun. I vocateur notorious for handcuffing herself
adviser, Corey Lewandowski, and occasion- don’t think I was mean-spirited. I mean, give to Twitter headquarters in New York to
ally saw her private opinions spring up in me the quote and I’ll defend it. You can make protest her removal from the platform after
Trump’s public commentary. Coulter felt she funny jokes about politicians. They’re politi- she repeatedly attacked Congresswoman
was having some influence. But the worm cians. People who are out there in the public, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. At 28, Loomer
turned in 2019. “I was flying back down to they make fun of me, I make fun of them. is the love child of the years-long Floridiza-
Florida that day from New York,” recounts They were funny, they were lighthearted, but tion of the right wing. In boarding school,
Coulter. “I see on the Drudge Report: ‘No there was always a point behind it.” in Miami, she wore a “Fuck Obama” shirt
Wall Funding.’ And I’m just rip shit.” around campus (“Barack Hussein Obama,”
Mexican immigrants, perhaps, found it she says, “was the first Muslim president”)
Feeling betrayed, she whipped off a tweet less funny. and became an acolyte of James O’Keefe, the
calling Trump a “disloyal actual retard.” conservative activist under whose tutelage
Drudge followed soon after, pivoting his site We circle back to Au Bar. Adios, America? she performed media stunts like putting on
to become critical of Trump, who noticed the “Who knows,” Coulter says, “Maybe we a burka and attempting to register to vote as
shift and claimed that Drudge had experi- could still save the country.” Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin. “We have
enced a “nervous breakdown” and “sold out.” But not Florida. A week later, Coulter a full-blown jihadist infiltration within our
sends me a text: “Drudge and I are both government,” Loomer says. “And if you talk
Drudge has become a Howard Hughes– leaving Florida and we’re not telling anyone about it, you’re called a bigot, you’re called a
like figure in recent years, rarely seen in where we’re going this time.” racist, you’re called an Islamophobe.”
public. When a Florida reporter named Bob We’re seated in a private room and our
Norman tried knocking on his door last year, ROGER STONE REFUSES to be vaccinated for heavyset waiter, an immigrant from the for-
Drudge freaked out and threatened to call the coronavirus, paranoid about unknown mer Yugoslavia named Mario, introduces
the police. Norman said he just wanted to side effects and claiming “the swine flu epi- himself as a die-hard Republican. Mario is
know Drudge’s views on Trump, to which demic we had under Obama” caused more crestfallen that the 2020 election was “sto-
Drudge replied, “You and everybody else.” deaths than COVID-19. len” from Trump.
Mario: “Unbelievable what they did to
Coulter, who remains in touch with Me: “That is not true.” us.”
Drudge, suggests that he, like herself, was Stone: “We’restillunderthosenumbers, Loomer: “I know.”
simply angry over Trump’s broken prom- in terms of deaths.” Mario: “Bunch of criminals.”
ises on the wall funding. With Drudge silent Me: “That is not true.” Stone: “Not over yet.”
(he did not respond to multiple interview Stone: “It is true.” Mario: “That’sright.I’mhoping.We’re
requests for this story), rumors have flowered Me: “That is false.” all hoping.”
as the site continues to batter Trump over his Stone: “It’s not false.” Stone orders a martini (“olive, no ver-
presidency and the January 6 storming of the It’s demonstrably false, but Stone main- mouth, but very, very cold”) and points
Capitol. One theory has it that Jared Kush- tains a white-knuckle grip on his own version to me: “He actually thinks Joe Biden won,
ner personally offended Drudge; another of reality. He’s been banned from most social which is hard to believe.”
suggests Drudge sold the website to some media (he was kicked off Instagram for oper- Last year, Loomer ran for Congress in the
investors in advance of the 2020 election ating a network of Proud Boy ghost accounts) district that includes Palm Beach County,
and his silence was a way to keep up the ruse. and is currently writing a book about the endorsed by both Trump and her friend
Russia imbroglio, which nearly landed him Marjorie Taylor Greene, the congress-
Ann Coulter has lost traction in the in prison for three years until Trump par- woman from Georgia who was an early
Trumpified media, her failure to pledge doned him, weeks before leaving office. He enthusiast of the QAnon movement. As
total fealty making her persona non grata. promises a frontal attack on New York Times expected in a blue district, Loomer lost to
The style she helped create had long since reporter Michael S. Schmidt, who won a the Democratic candidate, but she insists
run amok and morphed into something Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the Russia the election, like Trump’s, was stolen. She’s
else, an entire industry of partisan carnival investigation, which explored whether Stone running again in 2022.
barkers on cable and talk radio who cashed was the link between the Trump campaign
in on what Coulter and her pals pioneered. and WikiLeaks. “I take Schmidt’s articles,
Before he died of cancer earlier this year, sentence by sentence, and I rip them to
Limbaugh, a Trump supporter through and shreds with facts,” growls Stone. “I destroy

SEPTEMBER 2021 119

Postcards From the Edge a bit of overlap, Stone is an avid pot smoker Debbie Porreco, a Trumpette and Mar-a-
and owns a white porcelain bong in the shape Lago member whose husband died in 2015.
Loomer has a strong command of the of Richard Nixon’s face.) Upon hearing the news, Trump broke away
party trick that Trump taught the GOP and is from dinner with New Jersey governor Chris
now regularly employed by every conserva- In addition to everything else, the revolu- Christie to visit her table. Like a healer,
tive from Tucker Carlson to Matt Gaetz: Toss tion has been hell on Loomer’s dating life. Trump gave Porreco the strength to carry on.
out an outrageous claim, trigger alarm and “When you get canceled, your personal “She bounced back on her feet and married a
public rebuke, declare that free speech has life gets canceled too,” Loomer complains. zillionaire,” says Holt Kramer triumphantly.
been impinged, then make “cancel culture” “Roger is constantly trying to set me up with
the rallying cry, thereby lending the original somebody.” Stone told me Holt Kramer is a “nut job.
claim the patina of a righteous truth under She thinks Trump loves her.” But the alterna-
siege from leftist censors; rinse, repeat. After the steaks are polished off, Mario tive reality at Trevini differs little from the
takes Stone’s third martini order and laments: one at Raindancer. When I asked people why
Loomer may have run that strategy a little “We are losing our freedom. They’re trying Florida is the preferred haven of the conser-
too hard, however, getting bounced not just to take everything away from us.” vative movement today, the word I heard the
from Twitter but from conservative outlets most is freedom. Freedom from taxes, free-
like Newsmax and Fox News, which may Stone’s sidekick Eddie chimes in with the dom of speech. But the liberty they seem to
have calculated that Loomer’s entertainment debunked conspiracy that Facebook plans exercise the most is the freedom to believe
value isn’t worth a defamation suit or loss of to ban Christian-related posts on their plat- any conspiracy theory that will justify Trump.
advertisers. “If Roger Ailes was living, there form. Loomer gives an amen to that. “They Holt Kramer and her friends imbibe a steady
would be zero tolerance for cancel culture,” already are,” she says. “They already are.” diet of Newsmax and One America News,
she says. “There is this grifter cheapening of unconvinced that Trump lost to Biden, what
the conservative media landscape.” (They’re not.) with all the boat parades they saw on TV.
Echoing the cover of the National Enquirer,
I ask Loomer why Florida is attracting so A STRIKING OCTOGENARIAN named Toni Lamelas diagnoses Biden with dementia
many like-minded figures from the right, Holt Kramer pulls up to Trevini Ristorante (“I’ve seen it a million times. They get angry
and her answer is both obvious and telling: in a chauffeured Rolls-Royce, toddles up very quickly. They forget things later in the
careerism. “All roads lead to Mar-a-Lago,” the steps wearing a glossy white sash that afternoon”) and says he “heard” that Dr. Jill
she says. “Anybody who is anybody, who reads “Trumpettes,” and greets the maître Biden is actually running the country behind
wants to be somebody in politics, has to for- d’ with air kisses. Three friends from Holt the scenes. “Obama’s tried to influence her
mulate their political career and build up a Kramer’s club of pro-Trump socialites, Mar- administration, but Jill was controlling
donor base and establish themselves in Palm a-Lago members all, arrive to a shaded table [Biden] and controlling access to him,” he
Beach County. This is where the political overlooking Palm Beach’s Sunset Avenue: says. “This is what I’ve heard. Biden’s got
power within the right wing or the America Janet, Suzi, and Stephanie, plus Stephanie’s an inner circle of people that are making the
First movement is centralized.” She casu- husband, a talkative multimillionaire with a policies for him.”
ally brags of her many visits to Mar-a-Lago: brush mustache named Dr. Peter Lamelas,
“I was with President Trump three times in who made his fortune flipping a chain of On and on it goes: The January 6 insur-
one week.” medical offices in South Florida. rection was instigated by “paid professional
agitators” on the left; the Black Lives Matter
Stone orders a second martini and Mario “I love what Maria Bartiromo always movement is a coordinated Marxist revolu-
grinds pepper on the salads. It’s not easy says,” says Holt Kramer over iced tea, refer- tion; George Floyd was “no hero” but just a
being a dissident in a dissident party. “I view ring to the now right-wing CNBC anchor. convenient pretext for looting luxury stores
myself as a political prisoner,” Loomer says. “Money is mobile and it will go to whoever on Rodeo Drive. The outside world, in Flori-
“I’m a political prisoner living in a digital treats it the best. And I think that people who da-vision, is always closing in, seething with
gulag and the only place I have any freedom have a lot of money realize that we are in the intrigue and phantoms under the palms. Not
is in Florida. Because of the people who wish middle of a war right now. We are really in the even in Palm Beach can they escape the sto-
to digitally exterminate me, wish to physically middle of a war.” ries they tell themselves. Across the bridge on
exterminate me. And Florida is the only state the mainland are radicals who want to silence
in the nation where any lawmaker would Their enemy, of course, is the “total radi- them, take their money, outfit them in Mao-
stand up for me at all” (a reference no doubt cal leftist” Joe Biden. ist pajamas. “People think, Socialism, maybe
to the law signed by DeSantis meant to pre- that’s like social media,” says Lamelas. “It’s
vent social media companies from banning In the 1960s, Holt Kramer was a dancer a nice thing. Let’s give it a try.”
political allies like Donald Trump—a tooth- at the Copacabana in New York and later
less state law with no actionable virtue other became a celebrity interviewer in Los Ange- I have a flight to catch. It’s late spring,
than publicity for DeSantis, already floated as les (Frank Sinatra, Rock Hudson) before and the heat and humidity will soon rise
a potential presidential contender in 2024). taking up part-time residence in Palm Beach and make life unbearable. Trump, having
with her seventh husband. She recently pub- left for New Jersey for the summer, will
Earlier that day, Stone had compared lished a book called Unstoppable Me: My Life return in the fall, and the doors of Mar-a-
Loomer to Abbie Hoffman, the ’60s provo- in the Spotlight. When Trump ran for presi- Lago will reopen and new tales will be told.
cateur who pulled public stunts for media dent, she formed the Trumpettes, who count An America remade in the image of Florida?
attention and traded in conspiracy theo- Kimberly Guilfoyle as an honorary member. It’s not so much America as an escape from
ries, but for radical liberalism. As I listen to For them, the Trump presidency was one America. But that’s the old story, the land of
Loomer and Stone, it’s easy to see they view long Mar-a-Lago function, a parade of right- Walt Disney’s fantasies. Before I leave for the
themselves as radicals for a reverse-engi- wing political stars who came for dinner and airport, we’re discussing Trump when Holt
neered revolution. Instead of protesting the photographs. Gaetz, Kellyanne Conway, Kramer leans across the table and fixes her
Vietnam War or fighting for civil rights, as the whole lineup of Fox News. “We’ve had gaze on me. It’s as if she has a secret to con-
Hoffman did, they’re fighting for the rights Judge Jeanine there two years in a row,” fide, maybe the inside story I’ve been looking
of “Western civilization,” their idea of a tra- Holt Kramer says. “I see everybody there, for all week. “He’s Superman,” she whispers.
ditional white Judeo-Christian patriarchy. (In Bret Baier, everybody comes to Mar-a-Lago. “He’s Superman.” n
Laura Ingraham. I have photos with her. Lou
Dobbs. I have all the pictures.”

The Trumpettes speak of a Trump the
public doesn’t see, telling the story of

120 VAN ITY FAIR

Rudy Country like Amherst demands had begun to prey on Chidozie said, “he would probably have
his mind. By the time the towers came down voted for Donald Trump.”
o fC O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 9 5 w i l l ,” h e he had dropped out, living off campus and
wrote, “as an indispensable trait in a tough selling us drugs. But he was a patriot, and September 11 hardened us. It prepared
world. But we know from eight years of first- when war came, he joined the 10th Mountain the ground for America to buy a vision of the
hand experience that Giuliani’s strength Division, stationed at Fort Drum, New York, world that it had not been prepared to buy
would also mean degrading his enemies, and deployed to Afghanistan. He returned when Giuliani was selling it. As 2016 rolled
a contempt for the press and Congress, a home safely after one tour but had trouble around, the rise of Trump coincided with a
mania for secrecy, and the rewarding of per- adjusting to normal life and found soldier- further deterioration in Giuliani, who’d always
sonal loyalty at the expense of competence.” ing suited him. had, due in part to a childhood spent around
wise guys and petty criminals, a penchant for
A Nixonian darkness had taken root in Far from closing the gap between American shady characters. In the past his taste for sleaze
Giuliani, but America, even after the attacks, citizens and the actions of their government, had been kept in check by the many first-rate
was still too bright a place to buy it. 9/11 had given rise to a cynical new form of people he surrounded himself with. That
warfare that was increasingly contractor driv- balance now fell apart. Rumors abounded
ON OCTOBER 3, 2001, a few weeks after the en. “America would rather spend money than of him holding forth at his house in Bridge-
attack on the World Trade Center, Osama blood,” Chidozie Ugwumba, Kwesi’s best hampton, a cigar between his teeth, railing
bin Laden wrote a letter to Mullah Omar, the friend, said to me when I called him to ask drunkenly against the Clintons. The mono-
leader of the Taliban, in which he said: “What about the last days of our mutual friend, “and chrome vision that resulted from growing up
takes place in America today was caused by if you spend money on contractors and put in a world where everyone was either a cop or
the flagrant interference on the part of suc- them in the most dangerous situations, then a mobster, and which served him so well as a
cessive American governments into others’ their blood doesn’t count.” Kwesi deployed prosecutor, became hostage to private vendet-
business. These governments imposed to Iraq with a South African contractor. On tas. He channeled the same passion he once
regimes that contradict the faith, values, and March 31, 2007, as part of a convoy offering had for locking up bad guys into doing down
lifestyles of the people. This is the truth that close protection to a senior official, he was his enemies. He was an angry, bitter old man
the American government is trying to con- killed by a roadside bomb. with a flickering halo and financial worries on
ceal from the American people.” Aware that the horizon. Stumbling about in the footlights
no people lived at a greater remove from the THAT FUTILITY IS the true legacy of 9/11. If like an aging star of the silent screen, he saw
actions of their government than Americans, there is something fitting in that, 20 years in Trump a path back into the limelight. Not
Bin Laden’s chief aim in attacking America on, the man most associated with that day as the main player, of course, but an attendant
on September 11 was to draw ordinary Ameri- is too debased a figure to speak on its behalf, lord, a bit ridiculous, at times indeed the fool.
cans out into what he called “the arena”—the it is because 9/11 itself has not aged well. We His moral compass may have eroded beyond
world beyond. mourn those we lost, as well as those who, all recognition, but his political instincts had
like Kwesi, fell later, but we mourn them in not deserted him. Having not endorsed any-
Among those who entered the arena the knowledge that 9/11 was no Pearl Har- one early out of loyalty to both Jeb Bush and
was my friend Kwesi Christopher. We had bor. No edifying principle or cause arose Chris Christie, and driven by a congenital dis-
started out as freshmen together in 1999 at out of the events of that terrible day. There like of Ted Cruz, Rudy fell into the arms of the
Amherst College. Kwesi, who grew up in New was nothing heroic about the wars that fol- only one who’d have him. “Why not Donald?”
York, was of a Trinidadian background and lowed. We were attacked by 19 men, of whom was the sentiment expressed to friends and
had come to Amherst via Phillips Academy 15 were citizens of Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally former aides who tried to steer him away.
Andover through a scholarship preparatory and the chief financier of the global jihad.
program called Prep for Prep. At Amherst, We stumbled into aimless ruinous conflict, Giuliani today presents a ghoulish spec-
he found himself rudderless. In my view the exacting revenge a hundredfold from people tacle. But we cannot entirely avert our gaze
betrayal of one’s class origins that a school who had nothing to do with that attack. Even- from this deranged figure, strutting and
tually we tired even as great swathes of the fretting his final hour upon the stage, hurled
Muslim world lay in ruins. headlong from the empyrean blue to bottom-
less perdition. After all he is a mnemonic of
That futility, that cynicism, has a price. sorts. In him, we trace an arc from the events
Not just in blood and treasure, but in spirit. of that day—September 11, 2001—to now,
We know now what the result can be when 20 years later, when we can see in granular
trust is broken, as it most surely was after detail the full horror of a country that has
9/11, and when I asked Chidozie if Kwesi proved unequal to its memory. As Bratton,
supported the war in Iraq, he assumed I who still has the CD set of La Bohème that
meant would he support it now, knowing Giuliani gave him, put it: “It’s a personal
what we know. “If Kwesi were alive today,” tragedy, but it’s also an American tragedy.” n

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Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

On The Runway

Bute Couture aV sungLasses Carmen CaLBurean

Bute Couture Designed and
combines sustainable handcrafted in Canada,
practices with Carmen Calburean’s
luxurious results. Each unconventional timeless
bag is unique and made pieces are exclusively
with remnants from the created in organic, vegan
furniture industry. Bute and zero waste fabrics,
Couture’s mission is to through a meditative,
empower women, and minimalist, ethical and
10% of retail sales are slow approach to
donated to Ready-to-Wear fashion.
organisations helping The latest zero waste
women that are victims collection “Saorsa”,
of domestic violence. meaning freedom in
Visit butecouture.com Scottish Gaelic, now
and follow features unisex designs and bridal pieces. Visit
@butecouture on IG. carmencalburean.com and follow
@carmencalbureanatelier on IG.

annagaiL AV Sunglasses and More represents the stylish seLia riChWood
way of expressing yourself through a wide range
Canadian SELIA RICHWOOD
Designer of accessories. Everyday eyewear, classic or is an Italian luxury
Angelique Yuen adventurous sunnies and colourful iPhone cases fashion brand
created Annagail combining
to honour and are some of the identity-goods that you can contemporary
celebrate choose to make the difference. AV aims to help lifestyle with a
women. Annagail luxurious touch
is an in-house you make more confident choices in life, and rich detail.
fashion label starting from your everyday outfit. Their pieces can
focusing on be worn both on
inclusivity and Visit avsunglasses.com IG: @av_sunglasses and off the beach,
made from and each garment
natural fabrics. Anna (Angelique’s oma), Gail has been designed
(Angeliques aunt), and Angelique’s European and thoughtfully to
Indian descent are the foundation of the brand. be worn time
Shop online at annagail.ca and on IG: after time. Visit
@annagailbrand Photographer: Lara Marie seliarichwood.com
Photography. Model: Kiya Faith. IG: @seliarichwood

Kern Beyond Cotton&WooL

The sustainable streetwear COTTON&WOOL is a
brand Kern Beyond just European brand of
launched some new clothing and
designs. The new pieces accessories made from
are sustainably produced 100% natural materials.
in Portugal using materials The entire production
such as recycled PET cycle takes place in
bottles from the oceans, as Europe: designed in
well as organic and Germany and made in
recycled cotton. Founder Portugal. The summer
Carina Kern’s aim is for you collection is created
to have a place to shop from organic cotton
without any regrets. Made with Gots and Oeko-Tex
for you and the world. certificates. The brand
Visit kernbeyond.com supports slow fashion
IG: @kernbeyond and fair trade.
Visit cottonwool.de
IG @cotton.n.wool

BaLLBag miLa j & Co La Femme roje

BALLBAG is Mila J & Co Vancouver-based La
completely creates Femme Roje is on a
handmade beautifully- mission to empower
– made in Italy curated women, local
with fine finishes purposeful craftsmen, and
and carefully designs inspired customers. Laser-cut
chosen materials. by a lifelong vegan leather is found
The products passion for yoga, in many of their
are created by nature and sacred designs, and La
Maria Teresa Del geometry. With a Femme Roje’s
Meglio by high waistband signature inspiration
transforming that doesn’t roll is the shape of
a simple ball into down and just Persian Orsi windows.
a unique luxury enough Spandex to let you move without They combine Persian
bag. Pictured, “Venus”, is dedicated to Italian distorting the print or becoming see-through, culture with modern elements through
Renaissance art and to the beauty of the Mila J & Co leggings hit the sweet spot between sustainable and ethically-sourced clothing and
woman. Follow @bvllbag on IG or support and comfort. Visit milajandco.com accessories. Photographer: Ajay Randhawa.
visit bvllbag.com IG: @milajandco Visit lafemmeroje.com IG: @lafemmeroje

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

Lysandre Paris didi agHa Leis sWim

Didi agha Collections is a LeIs sWIM is a luxury
female-owned brand beachwear brand
providing luxury swim and founded by designer
resort wear for women. a heidi Leis. The boutique’s
Dubai-based company luxe capsule collections
with production in the are designed to fit and
United arab emirates, the celebrate every woman.
luxury swimsuits are heidi was inspired by her
perfect for a quick swim travels and a passion to
at a summer resort. They create beautiful, fashion
combine e legance with forward yet classic
luxury cover ups for yacht pieces. an ethically-
cruises and memorable created brand with an
summer holidays. get emphasis on
ready to turns heads sustainability, hand-sewn
wherever you go with unique designs that will using fine recycled stretch fabric. Visit
never let you go unnoticed. Visit didiagha.com leisswimcollection.com and follow @leisswim
Ig: @didiaghaofficial on Ig. photographer: ashley huff.

Leumas s.t. OVerCHiLL tHe LaBeL

Jakarta, founder of Leumas s.T. is pushing to To appear on These pages, ConTaCT [email protected] or CaLL 020 7499 9080 x 3705
normalise luxury while building an e-commerce

brand. Their uniquely named lineup includes
their Love pump and Light sandal, embedded

with tactful logo features. The company is
emerging custom options, and also offer
memberships through their orange VIp Crew
(oVC) program. erik revills photography.

Visit leumasst.com Ig: @leumasst

Minhua gUo is reaffirming the essence of her KO sWim HaWaii Launched in June 2020, overchill the Label is a
brand LYsanDre parIs. all pieces are family founded, sustainable label on a mission to
Ko swim hawaii
handmade using high-end materials upturned creates ethically- fight fast fashion. Their unique collection
with embroidery. every piece stands out and has made, eco-conscious consists of expertly curated vintage styles as
luxury designer
a chic, romantic and delicate feel. The Fantasy swimwear and well as re-worked, modernised classics,
clutch created by Minhua, carries on its apparel. Designed consciously crafted using recycled and thrifted
narrative weaving tradition and ultra- and made in Maui,
hawaii and materials; timeless pieces that can be worn
contemporary design. The inspirations include established in 2014, throughout the seasons. pictured is the overchill
painters, dramas and integrate into dual culture. Crystal adair-pitts
passionate and strong women are leitmotiv of creates seamless family, photographed by Jack Dillard and
LYsanDre parIs. Visit lysandreparis.com and chic cuts with John Frelinghuysen.
buttery-soft luxe
follow @lysandre.paris on Ig. fabrics and Visit overchillthelabel.com and follow
culturally-influenced @overchillthelabel on Ig.
prints in every
collection, designed to fit every woman. Visit
koswimhawaii.com Ig: @koswimhawaii

nemesis Brand gaeL HunauLt

Designed and made French multi-award
in spain, nemesis winning couturier
Brand is committed gael hunault is
to sustainability, synonymous with
using only the timeless, upcycled
highest quality creations that make a
materials to spirited statement,
showcase their day or night. The
simple yet unique nostalgic fabrics they
designs. Their bring to life become a
capsule collection, luxurious tapestry of
designed for the unique, handmade
modern woman, is designs that weave
inspired by the the vibrancy of the
elegance and purity of galician geography, past into a bold,
creating total harmony between the female brighter, eco-forward
figure and the garment. Visit nemesisbrand.com future. Visit
and follow @nemesisbrand_official on Ig. gael-hunault.com Follow on Ig: @gael_hunault

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

On The Runway

VotWear prisé sWitzerland giglio tigrato

Indonesian born Reinvent, Reuse, Reduce.
Swiss designer Priska Giglio Tigrato is a brand from
Bruegger is known for Milan, born in September
her timeless luxury 2020 with the aim of bringing
essentials. Her change to the fashion
made-to-order industry. Taking inspiration
designs are from Japanese culture and
handmade in her St. from native tribe symbolism,
Gallen Atelier, Giglio presents their Made in
Switzerland. The new Italy collections, re-using
Gabrielle Dress from deadstock from other brands’
her ready-to-wear overproduction. They see
collection is a simple craftsmanship, vintage,
yet stunning design sustainability and art as four
and makes this dress mainstays to change the
an absolute must-have in your capsule wardrobe. consumer’s mentality.
Visit priseswitzerland.com Visit gigliotigrato.com
IG: @priseswitzerland IG: @gigliotigrrrato

VOTWEAR is a Norwegian, award winning roak apparel Myracle
Luxury SmartWear company known for apparel
that aims to enhance the user’s physiology. The Woman-owned, founded, Myracle is a
World’s First Occlusion Training wears are based and operated, Roak handmade-to-order knit
Apparel is an and crochet-wear brand
on peer-review studies on occlusion training. eco-conscious, for sustainable
They have now released the Bfr-Tights which size-inclusive brand made wardrobes that aims to
in NYC. Conceptualised in support slow fashion, fair
are available for pre-order. North Carolina and manufacturing,
inspired by nature, their sustainable materials and
To learn more, visit votwear.com first capsule collection women’s economic
and follow @votwear on IG. nods to the mountains, independence. Myracle
showcasing earthy directly works with
colours and asymmetrical women in order to deliver
details. The second high-quality and super
collection features lighter comfy hand-knitted and crocheted clothes
colours, stemming from made from environment-friendly fine yarns to
calming lavender fields. Visit roakapparel.com you. For more, visit themyracle.com and follow
and follow @roakapparel on IG. @myraclehandmade on IG to shop the
Photographer: Monika Lis. full collection.

Xetko liV & light

Xetko is a Liv & Light is an African
streetwear label with its
brand, foundations firmly
recently rooted in the upskilling
revealing and empowerment of
their 4-5 South African women.
Collection. Pictured is The gentle, neutral-
the BMW E30 T-Shirt toned garments place
which features a relaxed emphasis on slow,
fit and unique design on earth-conscious
both the front and back. fashion while the
They offer worldwide timeless designs allow
shipping. Visit xetko.com IG: @xetko_ for each piece to be
worn season after
season. Photo by Ayeh
Khalatbari featuring
Faith Johnson. Visit them at livandlight.com
IG: @livandlight

ellka rVng suMissura

Convenience, luxury Jordan Stewart, Sumissura was
and innovation International runway founded in 2013 with
encapsulate these fashion designer of the purpose of
leather artisan bags. RVNG couture is helping women dress
ELLKA is an ethically- making waves with her the way they like, no
made Australian lavish ball gowns and matter their style, age
designer label. With tightly tailored suits. or size. Sumissura
15 years of expertise, Her custom work is a enables you to wear a
each bag is favourite amongst garment that has
handcraf ted celebrities and red been made to
individually with carpet events. RVNG measure, and is all
precision and only couture is taking about elegance and
uses premium-quality fashion and film by comfort at an
sourced materials. storm. Visit rvng.ca affordable price.
Offering personalised and follow Design your perfect
embossing. @rvngcouture to custom outfit at
Available globally. watch their upcoming sumissura.com
Visit ellka.com.au IG: @ellka_design NYFW show.
and follow @sumissura on IG.

Artistic License Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

1. Louisa schmoLke is a scottish architectural illustrator, designer 1 2 3
and artist with a Masters of architecture. she started up her art business
6
in March 2020 after being unable to move to new York and is now a 9
12
full-time artist at Foster + partners in London. pictured is a piece inspired

by the time Louisa spent in paros, greece. Visit louisaschmolke.com and

follow @artsyschmolke on Ig.

2. a native to the island of Jamaica, contemporary visual artist,

Peter marshaLL, is passionate about transporting his audience on an

inspiring visual journey. his artworks act as a vehicle to inspire and elicit

your imagination, exploring beauty, love, peace, and unity.

Visit petermarshallartstudios.com and follow @petermarshallart on Ig.

3. emma Pottage is a Devon-based artist whose work is inspired by

working with different materials and experimenting with paint. recently,

emma’s work has been reflecting her ongoing battle with an eating

disorder. The paintings themselves act as an emotional

release and represent a positive turning point in her journey. 4 5
Visit emmapottageart.co.uk Ig @emmapottageart

4. PameLa madigan. pamela’s eclectic paintings are

informed by her imagination, intuition, and frequently her

sense of humour. What ends up on the canvas or panel is a

representative of the pictures and stories that inhabit her

heart. pictured is “Morpho Kaleidoscope”, birch panel,

offered in a natural maple floating frame.

Visit pamelamadiganart.com Ig: @pamelamadiganart

5. nataLie saunders is an artist based out of

Melbourne, australia. she is well-known for her work with

acrylics and abstract creations. Drawing from her textile

design background, she enjoys working with textures and

bold colours. Discover more at nataliesaundersartist.com 8

or on Ig @natalie.saunders.artist
6. kirsten kainz is a Montana artist, who is deeply inspired 7

by the world around us. her paintings capture the subtle

beauty of our natural world and the intimate connections in our

relationships with one another. The paintings and sculptures

she produces are available for public and private commission.

Visit kirstenkainz.net Ig: @kirstenkainzart

7. miyakah is a neurodivergent artist and computer scientist

working in synesthesia, automatism and ancestralism.

Miyakah’s work surprises and revels in what is bold, defiant,

dynamic and formless; subversion of normativity and authentic

communication are all part of Miyakah’s ultimate goals as an 10 11
artist. Visit miyakah.com and follow @miyakahsgorge on Ig.

8. susanne schwieter was born in Basel, switzerland and To appear on These pages, ConTaCT [email protected] or CaLL 020 7499 9080 x 3705

studied at the renowned Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in

germany. she has participated in numerous shows in

switzerland, germany, Italy, Denmark and the Usa. schwieter is

interested in visual language and seeks the close connection

between classical oil painting, photography and digital footage.

Visit susanneschwieter.com Ig: @susanne.schwieter

9. heLen anseLL’s vibrant paintings capture the spirit of

native australian flora and fauna. Inspired by the wild desert 13
landscape, helen resides in the heart of Wildflower Country which

influences her work. her work is available as both paper and canvas

fine art prints through her website. Visit helenansell.com 14
Ig: @helenansellart

10. an intuitive experimental abstract artist, raVen zeLLer is ever

merging her insatiable curiosity for the vast mysteries of the Universe,

immense love for rich colour expression through mixed media, and her

unfailing optimism for the emotional evolution of humanity, to canvas.

Contact raven via ravenzeller.com and @ravenzeller on Ig.

11. cLaire hankey is a UK-based artist living by the Thames

estuary in Leigh on sea. she creates tranquil and calming paintings for

interiors, drawing inspiration from her local environment, memories

and her love of Japanese prints. Visit clairehankeyartist.com

or follow @clairehankeyartist on Ig.

12. BarBara reade is a Canadian artist whose abstract paintings are inspired by both the

natural and urban environment. precise, directional lines intermingle with gestural applications of

paint, juxtaposing order alongside wildness. numerous layers of paint, graphite, wax pastel, and

collage ephemera create a rich history on the surface of each piece. pictured is ‘Dovetail’,
12˝x12˝. Visit barbarareade.com and follow @bdreade_art on Ig.
13. giseLLe Ludwig is an international abstract artist, born in Canada and based in Düsseldorf, 15

germany. her mostly large acrylic paintings are created in a spontaneous and unintentional

process. With various layers, structures and forms, she stimulates the viewer’s imagination and

always tries to create a positive association and atmosphere. Follow @giselleludwigart on Ig and

visit giselleludwig.com

14. James kerry BaLdwin is an american painter based in Madrid, spain. his expressionist

use of colour in large canvases combines abstraction with landscapes and figures painted from

his travels, reflecting his architectural studies. pictured is ‘Bedouin Warriors’, 116x89cm each x2.

acrylic, spray and ink on canvas, Madrid 2020. Visit jameskerrybaldwinart.com

Ig @jameskerrybaldwinart

15. australian artist, mariLou PaLazon, treats her large floral paintings as dramatic sculptural

landscapes. her images explore the struggle of beauty on the edge of decay and the fragility of

life. exquisitely detailed, her paintings are theatrical in their monumental scale. she exhibits at

the sydney road gallery, sydney, australia and galeria azur, Madrid, spain. Visit

mariloupalazon.com.au Ig: @marilou_palazon

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature Get The Glow

2 1. tannco’s brilliant new product helps to stop self tan transferring onto your bedding. Its
1
lightweight fabric is soft to the touch, oozing comfort. Not only that, but cover ticks the
3
4 sustainability box as it can be re-used multiple times. To purchase yours visit

tannco.co.uk and follow @tannco_official on IG.

2. Wiggy starlust is already a cult favourite among celebrity makeup artists

and celebs alike. The plant based glitter cream is plastic free, compostable and is the

innovation of Los Angeles makeup artist Barbara Yniguez. The cruelty free formula is

also water-resistant. 10% of each sale benefits Ocean Conservancy.

Visit wiggystarlust.com and follow @wiggystarlust on IG.

3. Handcrafted in Atlanta, Georgia, BeautyHappinessHealing llc creates

plant-based skincare for dry, dull, and acne-prone skin. With a range of products that

help to elevate your skincare, their mission is to break the barriers that interfere with

5 self-care, and being present. Their products are vegan and cruelty-free to provide a full
self-care experience from beginning to end. Use the code ‘VFBHH’ for 10% off,

expires 01/10/22. Shop at bhhveganskincare.com and

IG @beauty.happiness.healing_llc

4. sHe skin Body. She’s Polished is a 2-in-1 salt scrub and a body butter that

nourishes dry skin with moisture. It contains a mix of essentials oils, aloe butter,

kaolin clay and pink Himalayan salt. This scrub is perfect for the areas that need

extra attention: legs, elbows, knees and feet. Visit sheskinbody.com

IG: @sheskinbody

5. Bellurelle’s mission is to demonstrate the skin’s natural needs can be

restored and maintained without using harmful chemicals. Their products are

6 100% natural, and not tested on animals. Bellurelle’s soul purpose is to help people
8
7 feel beautiful naturally, while simultaneously implementing efforts to save the
9
environment with recyclable packaging. Visit bellurelle.com and IG @bellurelle

6. The aie ‘010 Serum, Eyes, Puffy, No More’ helps to make sure that beauty is in

the eye of the beholder. It is designed to target the appearance of wrinkles and

puffiness leaving your skin feeling refreshed. Look beauty in the eye and define

your own terms with aie – activism in elegance. Visit aiecosmetics.com and

@aiecosmetics on IG.

7. Best, periodt. makes periods feel comfortable and cool. This high-capacity, US-made

and ObGyn-recommended menstrual cup helps you to forget that you are on ‘that time of

the month’. Use the code ‘VANITY’ for 10% off, expires 01/10/2021. Visit bestperiodt.com

and IG @best.periodt

8 . cHeri Mai skincare offers a holistic alternative to maintaining healthy feeling skin.

Their products are formulated with pure essential oils and active botanical base

ingredients. Their Juniper Clarifying moisturiser helps to leave your skin feeling fresh and

healthy. Best accompanied with an SPF moisturiser. Visit cherimaiskincare.ca

IG: @cherimaiskincare

9. Zeke skincare uses earth-based ingredients directly from New Zealand in

their Daily Moisturiser. This product spreads easily onto your skin and helps to

10 11 nourish it with moisture leaving it appearing radiant. Additionally, each ingredient is
responsibly sourced and cruelty-free. Visit zekeskincare.co.nz

IG: @zekeskincare

10. d’aVoire. Fall in love with this luxurious Vitamin A and coconut cleansing

bar. Aimed at creating a radiant looking complexion, this cleanser helps to

reduce the appearance of fine lines and reveal the look of bright and glowing

skin. Ethically sourced, environmentally friendly, vegan and cruelty free.

Visit davoire.com and IG @davoire_skin

11. The eBeness Personalised Skincare Body Elixir For Her and For Him

offers bespoke formulas with luxurious oils from Morocco, Peru, Brazil, South

Africa and Tahiti. With three signature scents made of natural molecules, it

helps to leave the skin feeling beautifully smooth. Use the code ‘vanity’ for 25%

off, expires 01/10/21. Visit ebeness.com IG: @ebenessbeauty

12. This Maldivian coconut oil by paradise skin is one of the best-kept

12 beauty secrets. It helps to leave your skin and hair feeling soft, healthy and
13
nourished with moisture. Hand-harvested and hand-poured in small batches,

14 it is made without synthetic fragrances, in a traditional manner without the
16
use of machinery. Suitable for normal, dry and sensitive skin.

Visit paradiseskin.com IG: @paradiseskin

13. Formulated without compromise, the creation of the Beauty engine

Nourishing Hand Cream was guided by nature, science, design performance

and sustainability. Easy to layer with effortless absorption into the skin, this

cream aims to leave hands feeling hydrated and healthy, whilst glowing all

year round. Visit beautyengine.co.nz and IG @beautyenginenz

14. pod organics strives to capture the wondrous gifts of

nature to bring you and your family products that naturally

nourish with moisture and nurture. Their award winning

products are multi purpose, all natural, organic, cruelty free

and ethically sourced. Their Sweet Pea & Me range is

lavender free, vegan, breastfeeding and pregnancy safe, safe

for the whole family and kind to the most sensitive skin.

15 Visit podorganics.com.au IG: @podorganics

15. konjo Beauty is an all natural, Black owned company. Born in

Ethiopia, “Konjo”, meaning “beautiful” in the native language Amharic,

creates clay masks that have high concentrations of minerals made from

natural plants and clays from the earth. They help to reduce the appearance

of breakouts. Purchase at konjobeauty.com and follow on

IG: @konjobeauty

16. skin aMity’s “Multi” Body Krēm is your friendly vegan multi-body

lotion. This product helps target the appearance of pigmentation and

uneven skin tone and aims to leave your skin feeling hydrated. Products

closely tested by the owner. Visit skinamity.com and follow @skinamity

on IG.

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

17. Introducing the dermatologically tested BOBOu 17 18 19
Velluto range Make Up Brush set. Designed with
sensitive skin in mind, this gorgeous collection of brushes 21
includes Dermafibre™ Technology and a super soft and 24
dense finish. all brushes include an easy to wash
luxurious velvet handle for an effortless grip. rrp £120,
visit boboubeauty.com and Ig @boboubeauty

18. naturaLia Beauty combines nature and
biotechnology, is 100% made in Italy and created with
the aim of enhancing your natural beauty. Their Body

Modelling Cream is designed to help your body contours
feel re-defined. Use code ‘VanITY25’ for 25% off

(expires 10/09/21). Visit naturaliabeauty.co.uk
Ig: @naturaliabeautyuk

19. Vegan & cruelty-free, igLammed up COsmetiCs

brings you luxury, affordable, high quality cosmetics.

Their Lip appeal Liquid Lipsticks have a matte finish

allowing you to enjoy your day without the worry of

having to re-apply often. Find these and a full line of 20
products at iglammedupcosmetics.com

and Ig @iglammed_up 23
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20. new natural deodorant powder from LuOnKOs. This 22
waterfree deodorant is perfect for travel, and aims to
neutralise unwanted odours. Contains forest microbe
extract, zinc and magnesium and has a charming fruity scent
from essential oils. Just add a few drops of water to make a
paste or use it as a powder. Vegan, sodium-free, palm oil-free
and plastic-free. read more at luonkos.fi Ig: @luonkos

21. K KLass Beauty is a luxury, quality, beauty brand presenting beauty in all forms and
shades. They specialise in making luxury a lifestyle that all can indulge in through makeup.

This line of specialty, cruelty-free lip glosses puts a brand new experience of what nude
means. View today at kklassbeauty.com and follow @kklassbeauty on Ig.

22. The dL.md liquid daily multivitamin supplement is formulated with 13 vitamins,
5 minerals and 1 bioflavonoid complex. Lightly flavoured with a natural raspberry flavouring,

it can be taken on its own or mixed with water. It aims to help you feel energised, have

glowing skin, and get hair that feels healthy. Visit thedlmd.com Ig: @thedlmd

23. Ca Beauty’s cruelty-free formula has been curated for lips that feel luscious and
luxurious. Ca Beauty’s gloss delivers a long-lasting visible shine and a high pigment that will have you

wanting more. The brand believes in simplistic makeup and redefining beauty in a way that makes you feel

your most beautiful self. Visit shopcabeauty.com Ig: @cabeautyla

24. Beauty tech just got personal! OLura is a professional level skincare routine that combines the eno
all-in-one facial device and a Treatment serum custom blended for your skin. enjoy smoother looking and

firmer feeling skin with olura. Visit olura.us and follow @oluraskincare on Ig.

25. Where luxury meets sustainability. pêChe’s Dermaplaning kit is made from wheat straw and is To appear on These pages, ConTaCT [email protected] or CaLL 020 7499 9080 x 3705
designed to help assist your skincare and makeup application. The treatment exfoliates and helps to

remove the build-up of dead skin cells. after four uses, they can be decomposed and used as fertiliser.

perfect your canvas at thepeche.com.au and follow @theepechee on Ig.

Most Treasured

1. portuguese designer Beatriz Letras Vivas launched her handmade jewellery brand 1 2
BaLi By Bea for charming, elegant and powerful women. each ultra-feminine, dainty 5
design is made to the highest standards with close attention to detail. The pictured
7
bracelet, “Violeta”, is a timeless style that looks good year round, and is made from

stainless steel and natural stone. Visit balibybea.com or @bali_by_bea on Ig.

2. eLise design COmpany is an accessory label established by Christa elise that 4
was designed with intention, with handcrafted pieces that blend modern aesthetic and
timeless natural elements for effortless wearability and versatility. each jewellery
piece and product is designed and made in studio from natural woods, crafted acrylics,
and quality metals to provide multi-outfit options and to encourage slow fashion and

embracing one’s personal style. Visit elisedesigncompany.com and
@elisedesigncompany (Ig).

3. JO ateLier offers luxurious jewellery staples, basics and statement

pieces that are current and timeless. Designed for the modern woman, who is

always on the go, the brand offers a variety of unique and contemporary

pieces that allow women to develop their own style and express their

individuality. Made with love, with a little rock and roll. proudly made in

Indonesia. Visit joatelier.com and @joatelier_official (Ig). 3

4. Inspired by the endless possibilities of the ocean, amy JenniFer
JeweLLery creates stunning bespoke fine jewellery to be treasured for a lifetime.
each gemstone is chosen for its alikeness to tropical waters. With no two pieces alike,

the Turquoise Tidal rings have bold striking blue features that are a testament to the magic

found in nature. Visit amyjenniferjewellery.com Ig: @amyjennifer.jewellery

5. sustainable accessories by KeLLey hOLLis are fantastically bold, intricate and playful designs that

add a fun flare to your look. her beautifully hand-crafted pieces are made using vintage components

and upcycled 22ct hand-cast gold. With custom pieces available upon commission, her sustainably

crafted work is truly unique and captivating. see more online at kelleyhollisjewelry.com and 6

Ig @kelleyhollis

6. one of a kind, statement handcrafted pieces by mii sassy offer fun, bold and bright accessories,
infused with Indo-Trinidadian accents. The secret garden collection is an eye-catching and eclectic mix of
beautiful beaded necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Founder and designer Cavesha rampersad designs each
style with a focus on accentuating the uniqueness that lies within us all. Visit miisassy.com Ig: @mii_sassy

7. samari emphasises the beauty of raw, elegant gemstones with their intricately-crafted ring designs.
available as stackable collections or statement pieces, their unique designs each tell a story.

shop online at samari.me and Ig: @samari_jewellery

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

Most Treasured

8 9 10 8. Bhira offers beautiful contemporary fusion gemstone jewellery and bags,
11 designed in Switzerland. They believe in the skill of artisans and craftsmanship,

14 designing jewellery intended to last forever. Sharing their craft with you is at the
centre of every product they offer. Visit bhira.ch and follow on IG: @bhira.ch
17
21 9. Jt Luxe is an Australian boutique accessory label offering quality pieces at an
affordable price point. Their collections are comprised of wardrobe staples for the

everyday, as well as statement pieces for those special events and formal

occasions. Visit jtluxe.com.au IG @jt_luxe

10. angeLa gaLiano. Conversation pieces. Outstanding designs for everyone
or custom-made pieces. Each jewel is handmade in Spain by artisans with

exquisite expertise, who focus on detail and execution as the first priority. The

brand is committed to quality pieces for longterm wear, reducing overproduction

that so severely damages our planet. Visit angelagaliano.com or
@angela__galiano (IG).

11. dainty dagger is an LA based fine jewellery brand featuring pieces made in 18-carat
12 solid gold. Combining classy elegance with the toughness and independence of the modern

women, Dainty Dagger offers pieces that speak for lifestyle and
attitude, the edgy and the girly. Pictured is the Multi-Crest Ring.
Visit daintydagger.com IG @daintydaggerjewelry

12. Áureo London is a new, UK-based brand which aims to offer
jewellery that elevates and highlights your beauty. Launched by a
London based entrepreneur from her desire to find jewellery that is
13 contemporary and timeless, they carefully select fine metals to make
sure their jewellery is tarnish-free and water-resistant.
Visit aureolondon.co.uk IG: @aureolondon

13. Discover the Mosaïque Earrings by Léa rochard, in 18-carat rose
gold, set with Diamonds, Rhodolite Garnets, Pink Opals and Mother of Pearl.
15 The earrings are light to wear comfortably all day, and are designed with a

single pin to be suitable for ears pierced with only one hole. Available to order

16 on learochard.com IG: @learochardjewellery

14. tasha FeLice creates handmade, sculptural jewellery, which
appears different from every angle. Designer, Natasha, combines various

precious metals with different materials. Drawing from her creative

adolescence, Natasha’s jewellery replicates the lines of natural and

manmade landscapes. Visit tashafelice.com IG @tashafelice

15. K Mae JeweLry was founded by Klarissa Mae, a Filipina

American based in Los Angeles, and offers ethically sourced gold

jewellery, inspiring women to be true to themselves. A positive

18 19 psychotherapist by training, Klarissa Mae has always been
passionate about helping women discover their true potential, feel

empowered, and believe they belong. Visit kmaejewelry.com

IG @kmaejewelry

16. Brittney, the creator behind the FreezeLand MagnoLia,
is from rural Virginia. She creates unique polymer clay earrings

in small batches. Every detail has been carefully curated so

that best quality can be given.

Visit thefreezelandmagnolia.com
IG: @thefreezelandmagnolia

17. One of a kind jewellery by MieLa provide beautiful and

20 striking accessories for the contemporary woman. Made with care
the individual designs are fashion forward, unique and are made with quality

craftsmanship. Explore their designs online at miela.co and IG @mielajewelry

18. Meaden Master JeweLLers are award-winning experts in creating
bespoke luxury fine jewellery, dedicated to the pursuit of perfection. Their vision is

to harness the eternal emotional power surrounding the diamond. The new

‘Trillionaire’ Ring features a 5-carat cushion cut centre and a pair of 1-carat each trillion cut

sides. Total Diamond Weight over 7-carats. Prices on application. Visit garymeaden.nz
IG: @garymeadenmasterjeweller

19. BiniBini uses authentic, ethically-sourced freshwater pearls from the orient seas and

harvested by a small family business in the Philippines, through responsible and sustainable

22 methods. Their products showcase the stories of ancient Philippine mythology. The pendant in
this statement piece aims to attract all eyes. 100% recyclable and compostable packaging.

Visit binibini.uk IG: @binibini.uk

20. ocean waVe JeweLry’s timeless and elegant pieces are hypoallergenic, tarnish resistant
and waterproof. Their collection features dainty and feminine pieces that combine the strength of

316 stainless steel with the durability of 18-carat gold plating. See more of their range

online at oceanwavejewelry.com and follow on IG @jewelryoceanwave
23 21. indi city stands as a mindful adornment to acknowledge their

ancestors, the boreal forest and the Canadian prairies. They create

authentic Indigenous fashion accessories for everyone to wear!
Visit indicity.ca and @indi_city (IG).

22. gaïa studio no.1 is dedicated to creating timeless pieces and
bespoke engagement rings that are made to last a lifetime.
Handmade ethically and sustainably, their London-based specialists
use high quality, recycled materials. Pictured are their Chloé
earrings, handcrafted from solid 18-carat recycled gold, lab grown
diamonds and handpicked detachable fresh water pearls.
Visit gaiastudiono1.com IG: @gaiastudiono.1

23. Delicate lines, sweeping curves, and a bold play on contrasts: the
butterfly wing inspired pieces feature precious metals like gold and

palladium. Artfully designed and mastercrafted, they are set with

diamonds, sapphires, and tourmalines. ateLier zoBeL by Peter
Schmid makes extraordinary jewellery for extraordinary people.

Find more at atelierzobel.com and follow @atelierzobel on IG.

24. nique Jewellery designs pieces that break the rules; they’re fine, Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

layered, heavy and classic are all rolled into one. nique Jewellery handmakes 26

each piece and creates jewellery that has its own unique identity. The Lucid and

etto ranges celebrate the idea that you are perfect in your own skin. raw, real 24
and understood. Visit niquejewellery.com Ig: @niquejewellery

25. Karoliina savi is a Finnish textile design artisan and the creative mind behind
the brand liinala. she designs and makes all of Liinala’s unique and

sustainable jewellery, art and home decor products by hand. The designs are

inspired by handicraft tradition and northern culture and it’s beautiful nature. For 25
28
Liinala, ethics, equality, environmental friendliness and recycling are paramount.

Visit liinala.com Ig: @karoliinasavi

26. every collection by arVino is the creation of a new world for the 27
contemporary woman who is style-conscious, independent, and unapologetically 29

herself. The ovoidal earring is a show-stopping statement design featuring fine

rope-textured layers. Make an impact, wear them solo or stacked with the

ovoidal ear-cuff. gold Vermeil 35 x 23 mm. Visit arvino.co Ig: @arvino_co

27. Created by alejandra Marquez, the trennd is a California based jewellery

brand whose philosophy is to provide a variety of high-quality gold-filled and

stainless-steel staple pieces for everyday wear while always keeping your

budget in mind. Whether it’s for a special occasion or a casual outing, you are

sure to find what you are looking for at The Trennd. Visit shopthetrennd.com
Ig: @shopthetrennd

28. elsa MouZaKi Jewellery is delicate, flirty and chic. handcrafted in greece since 2000 by

elsa Mouzaki, all designs are timeless and inspired by details in the world around us. her designs are

luxurious and made of 18 carat gold plated recycled sterling silver or gold adorned with precious and
semi-precious stones. Visit elsamouzaki.com Ig: @elsamouzaki

29. Founded in 1987 in greece, Kalliope is a company that designs and markets handmade fine
contemporary jewelry. The founders and designers, george and Kalliope, mix classic

techniques with unconventional materials and innovative ideas, putting their signature

in each and every one of their designs. alongside their workshop, the brand shop and

the headquarters are based in athens, greece. Visit kalliopejewelry.com 30
Ig: @kalliope.jewelry

30. raquel rosalie Jewelry is a high quality, hand curated brand. raquel strives to
deliver excellence by seamlessly mixing durability and high quality at an affordable price.

see the one of a kind hand metal smithed pieces made by raquel herself at raquelrosalie.com 32
or browse her collection on Ig @raquelrosalie 31

31. Filigree Fine Jewels are bespoke new Zealand jewellers. The Fragment ear cuffs 36
35
are from their latest collection shard. hand-cut smoky quartz trapezoids are bar set with a
37
champagne diamond edge in 9-carat yellow gold. stones are defined by their inherent natural 38

beauty and enhanced in design by Filigree. Visit filigree.co.nz or follow on 33
Ig @filigreefinejewels

32. little sKy stone creates jewellery for your everyday style in Columbus, ohio.
ethically-sourced from small-scale gem mines that are respectful of culture and its

artisans. Made of 14-carat gold-plated brass, these giada chunky hoops are hung with

jade colour resin donut charms and are lightweight. Visit littleskystone.com

Ig: @littleskystone

33. Kaysoo’s stylish and genderless bracelets are beautifully handcrafted and are To appear on These pages, ConTaCT [email protected] or CaLL 020 7499 9080 x 3705

designed with the aim to heal and protect against electromagnetic energies. Their designs

use ethically sourced quality crystals, teamed with sterling silver beads. Choose from a 34
wide range of crystals or order your bespoke bracelet from kaysoo.co.uk and follow

@kaysoo.uk on Ig. photo: amethyst Kaysoo ‘original’ Bracelet.

34. Min Jewellery based in Taiwan, is created for the fashion savvy. Designer

Vivian Min’s artistry draws inspiration from her hometown history and beliefs. To

maintain the quality, they create their fine jewellery using silver from the U.s. and work

with an experienced local casting factory. Visit vivianmin.com Ig: @min_jewellery_tw

35. an open secret, ten air studios’ vivid jewellery is gaining a charmed audience
in slow fashion and collectors’ circles. Designer Leslie Clearwater offers intentional

adornment for the unleashed spirit. Clearwater’s work enchants with vibrant stones and a fresh

design, embracing the wearer’s authentic self. Visit tenairstudios.com Ig: @tenairstudios

36. Inspired duo sally and Tara curated the brand salt. Their vibrant and exciting brand

brings ahead-of-the-trend jewellery styles. Their gorgeous collection is made to order and

designed between Toronto and La and includes precious metals, diamonds and gemstones.

shop online at saltfinejewelry.com and Ig @saltfinejewelry

37. tranquillity seamlessly couples mindfulness with contemporary style. Their
sterling silver rings subtly help the wearer to diffuse daily anxieties with their discrete

moveable features. striking yet soothing, each ring is designed to bring the wearer back

into the present moment wherever they are. shop online at findtranquillity.co.uk

and Ig @tranquillityrings

38. Inspired by the sea, oCeano pearls presents

beautiful, authentic and uniquely crafted pearl 39
jewellery. Made in Mauritius, their pieces take a

contemporary twist on classic pearl jewellery to create

pieces suited for everyday wear and evening

sophistication. pictured is the paul & Virginie

necklace. shop online at oceanopearls.com

and follow on Ig: @oceanopearls

39. Juliet’s loVer is the next generation of

jewellery shopping. Multiply your choice of accessories
with their jewellery ‘guess Box’, which includes four pieces

of stunning jewellery, tailored to your own personal style

and preference profile. alternatively, get your wish list

delivered monthly when you treat yourself to their

luxurious jewellery subscription service. Juliet’s Lover

aims to become the bridge between jewellery

designers and market/jewellery lovers thanks to their
jewellery subscription model and a new nFT

ecosystem for jewellery designs and creation, built

efficiently with ethereum. Visit julietslover.co.uk
and follow @julietslover_uk on Ig.

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature The Lifestyle Edit

12 3 1. atom studios have created some of the best-looking sustainable tech
45 accessories in the market. Their products feature tasteful colours and
67 10
89 13 innovative, eco-conscious materials which they created themselves.
15
11 12 16 Sustainable accessories that don’t compromise on design. Shop the range

14 of phone cases, AirPods Pro cases, cables and weights at

atomstudios.com or visit @atom_studios_official on IG to find out more.

2. neutral shade’s hand-designed curated collection of rattan decor
incorporates natural elements and modern design. The Harbour Chair is

sure to add beautiful texture and classic nostalgia; bringing in natural

elements from the outdoors. Visit neutralshade.com to explore the range
of rattan furniture and follow @neutral.shade on IG.

3. Kollo is a premium liquid marine collagen supplement that can be taken
daily. Clinical studies show that Kollo’s award winning formula promotes

skin that looks healthier, hair that feels thicker, and nails that feel stronger.

The original marine liquid collagen sachet with a power-packing 10g of

premium marine collagen, plus added vitamins B and C. Visit

kollohealth.com IG: @kollohealth

4. ruFFle & rabbit is a Canadian store that ships worldwide and
features carefully curated, comfortable and classic baby’s and children’s

clothing collections to serve your little one’s needs. Pictured is the sun hat

by Happy Prince. Use code VANITYFAIR for 15% off your first purchase,

(expires 30/09/21). Visit the store ruffleandrabbit.com
and IG: @ruffle_and_rabbit

5. The “natural bond” collection by meadow’s tale tells the story of the
bond between child and nature, which comes from the earth. A natural bond

is something unique and unquantifiable. The brand believes it is a state of

being in a meadow, experiencing the feeling of being free. Visit

meadowstale.com IG: @meadowstale

6. humble baby goods brings whimsy to everyday life for mums and
their babies with one-of-a-kind baby bedding. Designed with a playful

aesthetic and handcrafted with the finest lightweight and breathable

organic cotton materials, these nursery staples make the quintessential

baby gift. Visit humblebabygoods.com and follow them on
IG @humblebabygoods

7. gaia shores is a luxury home fragrance company combining British
prowess with Italian charm. They aim to stimulate memories of destinations

and peaceful sensations, making a candle or reed diffuser much more than an

object in your home. Visit gaiashores.com IG: @gaiashores

8 . Seeking to bring you moments of peace and relaxation, aaram lux
creates beautiful and unique handmade candles and concrete pieces to make

perfect decorative additions in any home. Shop at aaramlux.com and follow
@aaramlux on IG for more.

9. the dusty sparrow was founded by Rebecca, mother and wife, and
maker of all things soy. Finding the right fragrances, perfecting her branding

and bringing joy to the homes of others has driven the brand to success.

100% Paraben and Phthalate Free, made in Drayton Valley, Alberta. Visit

thedustysparrow.com IG: @thedustysparrow

10. naso Candles turn joyful, peaceful and creative moments into
beautiful pieces for your home. They handcraft eco-friendly soy candles,

made with luxury fragrances and essential oils. Proceeds go towards

people empowerment projects through their iEMPOW3R community

initiative. Shop exclusively at nasocandles.com and join them on
IG @naso_candles

11. Soy and Coconut Candles by CoCo + Calm are natural and
therapeutic candles made with sustainable soy and coconut wax, with

fresh, citrus and herbaceous scents. They help to lift your mood and have a

positive impact on wellbeing. 100% natural and ethically-sourced

ingredients with every detail elegantly and thoughtfully executed.

Visit cocoandcalm.co.uk IG @cocoandcalm

12. Born from a love of watercolour painting, lolli and pop expresses
their passion for art through their bold and colourful collections. The brand

believes that buying a Lolli and Pop creation is just as good as eating

ice-cream. Shop their amazing collection at lolliandpop.com.au or follow
@lolliandpop.shop on IG.

13. petinKa Learning Tower with Variable Activity Board is a functional
and variable piece of f urniture that is designed for the

development of children and to help parents. It allows children to

assist independently, mainly in the kitchen. The Petinka Learning

Tower is also equipped with a Ready-to-Activity Board to which

educational Petinka wooden toys can be added.

Visit petinka.com IG: @petinka_furniture

14. Make a sustainable switch to petite Crown’s stylish and
easy to use modern cloth nappies, consisting of natural fibre.

Founded in 2019, with a mission to end diaper poverty, their Fluff

and Beyond programme donates a nappy for every one

purchased. Discover more at petitecrown.com and follow
@petitecrown.ig on IG.

15. home oF meraKi creates stunning statement candles,
fragrant wax melts and luxury gift sets. The beautiful scents

evoke lovely memories, provide comfort, and help to prioritise

self-care. All products are vegan, hand-poured and have a

luxurious feel yet are affordable. Their packaging is either

recyclable, reusable, or biodegradable. Visit homeofmeraki.co.uk
IG @homeofmeraki_uk

16. Joella pup patisserie an Australian dog bakery for the
pampered pooch. Organic, delicious, fun, insta-worthy treats that

are natural. Joella is the home of unique creations like Unicorn

Poop™ and custom breed cookies. Visit joellapup.com and
follow @joellapuppatisserie on IG.

Vanity Fair adVertising Feature

17. Woof and Mix by H&W Pets is a pick and mix range 17 18 19
23
containing over 60 varieties of delicious treats your dogs won’t
26
be able to resist. Woof and Mix is fully customisable allowing you 29

to create a mix which is as unique as your pooch. shop the range at

hwpets.co.uk and follow @handwpets on Ig.

18. 100% organic and cruelty free. Pura silk products

are kind to the earth as well as you. rigorously tested for

durability and shine, they feel soft and gentle. enjoy the

feeling of hydrated skin and the appearance of frizz-free

hair with their products. Visit purasilk.co.uk Ig: @pura.silk 20 21

19. roxy & romeo offers stylish and colourful dog collars, 22
leads and accessories. each item is handmade in London

with high-quality materials. They also offer a bespoke

service to suit your personal fabric and d esign

preferences. have a unique bespoke collar and lead

made for your pup today. Visit roxyandromeo.com

Ig: @roxy_and_romeo

20. karPāsa london is a luxury home

furnishing and apparel brand, offering 100%

organic cotton and handcrafted products specially

designed for natural, healthy and modern living. Use

code KLVF2021 for 10% off their eco-friendly and

sustainable ranges, including bedding, bath towels, yoga

mats, table linen, kitchen linen, bags and polo t-shirts, (expires

30/09/21). Visit karpasa.co.uk Follow @karpasa_london on Ig. 24 25

21. eunoia Pottery’s beautifully unique plaited clay trinket bowls

feature in their striking new summer collection of decorative

homewares. eunoia’s versatile products provide the perfect pick me

up for you and your home or a gift for a loved one this summer.

Visit eunoiapottery.store and follow @eunoiapottery on Ig to

discover more.

22. sPases is a real appreciation for african heritage with a minimal

twist. Their collection of handmade products is a love for all things

natural, minimal and african. They incorporate various african

cultures, from mud cloth from Mail, a Baule collection from the Ivory

Coast to the beautiful textiles and items from Morocco. They

believe in celebrating design in africa by africans. Visit spases.net 27 28
Ig @shop_spases

23. Carly’s Candle ComPany offers sustainably sourced,

refillable and toxin-free candles, reed diffusers, wax melts and gift

sets, designed to help relax, soothe and energise your home and

mind. all products are lovingly hand-poured in Buckinghamshire UK,

with an eco-conscious and vegan-friendly ethos.

Visit carlyscandlecompany.co.uk Ig: @_carlys_candle_company_

24. House oF Pets deligHt’s polka Dot Collar is handmade

with love and will have your pooch looking like a style mogul.

adjustable for a perfect fit and made from a 100% durable,

breathable cotton material. Comes with a detachable bow tie. Visit

houseofpetsdelight.com and follow @houseofpetsdelight on Ig. To appear on These pages, ConTaCT [email protected] or CaLL 020 7499 9080 x 3705

25. Zen by s&B sensory presents both a deluxe therapeutic

sensory centre in harrogate, north Yorkshire as well as a fabulous 31
collection of ZenBoxes specifically-assembled to promote wellness
and self care. available as individual gifts or as an indulgent monthly 30

subscription, explore their boxes online at zensbsensory.co.uk

26. Using only the finest essential oil blends, each of Wyld and Beaux‘s

candles are tailor made to help boost your mood and allow you to feel

de-stressed. Made with vegan-friendly natural wax and wooden wicks, what

starts with a small flame and luxurious scent, ends with an all encompassing

sensory experience. Visit wyldandbeaux.com and follow @wyldandbeaux

on Ig.

27. sWeetie, luxurious, fun and stylish adjustable harnesses, which are sure

to make a statement on your pup. Complete the look with matching collars,

leads and cooling bandanas. Update your pet’s wardrobe with one of these

sweetie stylish collections with a 10% off discount (coupon code VanITY10,

expires 30/09/21). Follow them on Ig: @sweetie.petuk 32
Visit sweetiepetproducts.com

28. Plate PilloWs’ signature product, saint Cloud, is perfect for holding

pretty much anything you need. ranging from your jewellery, to candles and

keys, and even your dessert. each saint Cloud is handmade and hand-painted

with love and care. Use code VanityFair10 for 10% off at platepillows.com

(expires 31/12/21) and follow @platepillows on Ig.

29. Bloom & diCe represent elegance in a jar, and their customers have

dubbed them the epitome of luxury and style. The house of Bloom & Dice 33
evokes prestige, a commitment to depth and beauty that love has to offer.

each candle carries a story that urges you to embark on your own journey

towards love. Visit bloomanddice.com and follow @bloomanddice on Ig.

30. aria Home deCor Beach house soy candle has a soft, relaxing, and

calming aroma of aloe and clover that is sure to fill your space with a cosy cottage feel. This is the

perfect candle to create a peaceful escape this summer. For more information visit ariahomedecor.ca

or contact [email protected]

31. no more cleaning up puppy accidents or leaving work early to let your dog out. The stylish

doggy BatHroom is an indoor potty solution for dogs, including an easy-to-clean litter box with

vertical pee pads. Designed for small breeds, including males who lift their leg.

Visit doggybathroom.com Ig: @doggybathroom

32. merely me is a Canadian retailer with a passion for unique individual style and accessories for

your little ones. They are all about natural organic and quality products of style and durability. This shop

is about ensuring your little me is able to be unique, fashionable and ‘merely’ themselves.

Visit merelyme.ca Ig: @merelyme.ca

33. owned by two shamans, tHe mystiC WolF is a Crystal and sage store. They provide high-

quality crystals with knowledge and care for sustainable and ethical sourcing. The brand works with the

frequencies to help personally connect your crystals to you. Visit themysticwolf.com and follow

@mysticwolfshop on Ig.

 Proust Questionnaire

MONICA LEWINSKY

The writer and activist, now a
producer of Impeachment:
American Crime Story, waxes
thoughtful on neuropsychology,
survival, and the joy of a good
amusement park

What is your greatest fear? It’s a toss-up between a tarantula
crawling on me and dying alone. Which historical figure do you
most identify with? Myself? Which living person do you most
admire? My mom, for her unflappable ability to be sanguine
(though she sometimes dips into Pollyanna territory). What is the
trait you most deplore in others? Duplicity. What is your
greatest extravagance? Crystals! What is your favorite journey?

The waterfall drop on Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls at most treasured possession? My mental health. What do you
Universal Orlando. It’s so freeing. What do you consider the regard as the lowest depth of misery? Praying you don’t wake
most overrated virtue? Patience. On what occasion do you lie? up the next morning. Where would you like to live? Present
See: 1998. What do you dislike most about your appearance? in the moment, and also by the ocean. What is your favorite
I’m jiggly. What is your greatest regret? That some of occupation? Auntie Monka. I’m also utterly fascinated
my choices have caused others suffering. What or who is the by neuropsychology. And space. What is your most marked
greatest love of your life? Peanut butter. When and where characteristic? Depends upon whom you ask. What do
were you happiest? That’s a secret. Which talent would you you most value in your friends? Compassion. Wisdom. Wit.
most like to have? Not giving a fuck what people think of me The delicate balance of knowing when I need tough love
and being able to sit comfortably in uncertainty. If you could and when I need support. Plus, call me crazy, but I’m also partial
change one thing about yourself, what would it be? How to friends who don’t surreptitiously record our calls. Who are
my PTSD manifests—it feels like being the only ballerina in the your favorite writers? Atwood. Coates. Didion. Ishiguro.
company saddled with a 100-pound backpack and told Moyes. Murakami. Adichie. Nin. Quinn. Salinger. Salter. Poetry:
to go out onstage and still be graceful. What do you consider Angelou. Bukowski. Eliot. White. Film/TV: Chayefsky.
your greatest achievement? Survival—and that my humor Baumbach. Curtis. DuVernay. Ephron. Murphy. Nolan. Rhimes.
and ability to open my heart are still intact. Close second: Sorkin. Insomnia: Foucault. (Three pages and you’re out.)
solving the Rubik’s Cube around age nine. (Note: By solving, What is your favorite name? Fuckface. What is it that you most
I mean realizing you could peel the stickers off and place dislike? Injustice. (I’m a Libra rising.) What is your motto?
them back on. I bet my parents $20 of candy.) What is your I’m more of a mantra girl: relaxed, centered, and expansive. n

132 VAN ITY FA IR ILLUSTRATION BY R I S KO SEPTEMBER 2021

SUIT BY CATHERINE QUINN. SHIRT BY HELLESSY. WATCH BY CARTIER. CUFF BY DIOR JOAILLERIE. BRACELET BY VAN CLEEF & ARPELS.
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