InStyle USA - February 2022

2021: In 2021: In
GUCCI at MONCLER
RICHARD
a gala in QUINN and
L.A. STUART
WEITZMAN
boots in
Florida.

It’s important 2019:
for me to In ARMANI

have fun with PRIVÉ at
fashion.” the Academy

Awards in
Hollywood.

2019: In S
BY SERENA
(with daughter
Olympia) at the
brand’s show
in N.Y.C.

2021: 2021: In NIKE at
In GUCCI at the Australian
the Met Gala Open in Melbourne.

in N.Y.C.

FEB RUA RY 202 2 I nS T Y L E 49

MY STYLE CRUSH

LIVE NwwitohdGimar(dringehrt)
FROM in 2019.
N.Y.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE ’S
EGO NWODIM TALKS
SHOP WITH HER CO-STAR
HEIDI GARDNER

RAISA EGO NWODIM: Heidi, your style is so true to who you are.
VANESSA I love that you’re not trying to emulate anyone else.
HEIDI GARDNER: Thank you. Style is a big part of my personality;
ALEXIS it’s how I let out creative energy. In spite of what’s probably best,
I’ll add a vintage watch to an outfit—and not a classy one, I’m talk-
ALEX ing about a 1990s watch from the movie Congo. It’s like letting out
PERRY some part of me that’s trapped inside saying, “I need to wear this.”
Maybe it’s my 10-year-old self who didn’t get to buy the watch.
STAUD EN: Who are your top fashion inspirations?
HG: This is a weird answer, but I think it would be my mom and all
ALESSANDRA of my dad’s girlfriends growing up. My mom’s closet in the early
RICH ’90s was full of velvet minidresses, bejeweled heels, and hatboxes.
It was so glamorous. And then my dad dated women who were the
opposite of my mom—they looked like the girls on Beverly Hills,
90210 and drove convertibles. I thought they were cool, but I don’t
think my mom liked that I wanted to look like my dad’s girlfriends.

So she steered me back to her style. [laughs]
RODARTE EN: That explains why you’re so unique. I enjoy

adding some edge or sexiness to a classic look, but
in general, I want my outfits to feel timeless. I look
at pictures of Princess Diana and I’m like, “That is
my dream outfit today, in 2021.” You’ve been so
kind to send me things you think I’d look good in.
I think the first one was a hoodie that said, “Eat
more spaghetti to forget your regretti.” Whether
that was a joke or not, I bought it. I feel like we’re
constantly shopping for ourselves and each other.
HG: We are! If another person can see me wearing
something, I buy it. I’m like, “I didn’t think I could
pull it off, but if Ego thinks so, I’m going for it.”
EN: I often think about that Mara Hoffman dress I
sent you to bookmark. A month later Beyoncé wore
it, and I was like, “Surely it’s unavailable now.”

HG: That was the one time I didn’t pull the trigger when I really should My biggest
have. I still feel like a red carpet rookie. I’ve gone to the Emmys twice; regrets are the
the first year [2018] my dress was half Dynasty woman, half tuxedo. It times I played it
reminded me of Two-Face from Batman. The second time [2019] I wore safe instead of
a flowy Badgley Mischka dress [bottom, left] that showed my cleavage, taking a swing.Ó
which I don’t do a lot. I want to mix it up, like we do every week at work.
You play a different character and let out a different piece of yourself.

EN: I’m more adventurous now that I can afford nicer clothes. I’ve always —HEIDI GARDNER

been floral-averse—I grew up with floral curtains in my house, and while I

had a lovely childhood, they were just so loud—but my favorite thing I’ve worn is a

floral Rodarte dress [opposite, bottom right] I bought on sale at Forty Five Ten.

HG: I saw that dress on your clothes rack in your bedroom, and it looks like a pur-

poseful decoration. I’m a huge Kansas City Chiefs fan, and for the 2020 Super Bowl

designer Franklin Jay offered to make me a dress [bottom, right] from old Chiefs

fabric. I wore it onstage at the end of SNL to share my hometown pride.

EN: You truly had me rooting for the Chiefs that weekend. When I lived in L.A.

before SNL, I wore all black because I thought it was mature. Since then I’ve

abandoned black and allowed myself to experiment with color and take advantage RACHEL ALEX
of the fact that yellows and pinks look good on my skin. COMEY PERRY

HG: My biggest regrets are the times I played it safe instead of taking a swing. FRANKLIN
JAY
EN: Mine are when I’ve leaned too much on the sexy. For one table

read last season I wore a black long-sleeve mesh shirt with a bralette

underneath. I got to work and was like, “You are not as flat-chested

as you think, and this looks insane.”

HG: It did not! I remember thinking it was powerful; I was all

for it. For work I love Batsheva and Sandy Liang because they

do effortless cool-girl style so well. And the kid and the

woman in me both love a high-fashion Moschino moment—

the clothes of my dreams are hot pink and red. Last summer MARKARIAN

I bought a hot pink marshmallow puff dress from Selkie that MOSCHINO

looked like a good time, but I never wore it. I decided it was

perfect for the season premiere. The impulsive shopper in

me always gets shown at goodnights. I can wear crazy

things that might not make sense elsewhere.

EN: I’m also a big fan of Batsheva, and Staud and Nanushka

too. I don’t have much of a social life when we’re in season,

so goodnights are when I wear what I would for an evening

out with friends. But one of my favorite characters to dress up

as on the show is Cookie La Flute from the “Deirdre Show”

sketch. She’s inspired by Patti LaBelle and dresses to the nines.

HG: There was a sketch I wrote where Harry Styles and I played

an Icelandic couple, based on a real couple I saw wearing all white

at a matcha shop in New York. The wardrobe department brought

me pieces from Dries Van Noten and folky streetwear, and Harry

wore a chunky cardigan that most men could not pull off. [laughs]

That was my favorite fashion moment. There was also a sketch

that I wasn’t in last season called “Ass Angel Jeans” with Adele,

Maya Rudolph, and Beck Bennett. It was about perfumed jeans

that give you the ass of an angel. I loved the look so much, I dressed

up as an Ass Angel girl at the end of our Halloween show. They let

me wear the suspenders from the sketch—I immediately had to

return them, but I was appreciative.

EN: That was great. Speaking of borrowing things…can I try

your two-piece velvet outfit I’ve had my eye on? The teal one?

HG: Yep. You got it. BADGLEY
EN: Great—I hope it fits. MISCHKA

FEBRUARY 2022 InSTYLE 51

INSTANT STYLE

Now and Later

ULTRA-VERSATILE STAPLES TO SEE YOU THROUGH THIS SEASON—AND STRAIGHT INTO THE NEXT

CROPPED CARDIGAN

The ultimate layering
piece, it’s perfect with a
high-waisted something

in any kind of weather.
Once the forecast warms

up, however, don’t miss
the chance to throw it
over a little bra top.

ModCloth cardigan Paco Rabanne bag, $500;
(available in sizes farfetch.com.

XXS-4X), $39; Wales Bonner skirt, approxi-
modcloth.com. mately $795; walesbonner.net.

NOW

Victor Glemaud Gap coat, $228;
cardigan, $395; at gap.com.
Saks Fifth Avenue.
Worthington trousers,
$54 (sizes XS–XXL) and

$59 (sizes 0X–5X);
jcpenney.com.

Sunday Best for Coco and Breezy
Aritzia cardigan, Eyewear sunglasses,
$78; aritzia.com.
$285; cocoand
Necklace Effy breezy.com.
Jewelry, $315;
effyjewelry.com. Dear
Sandals Chelsea Frances
Paris, $325; boots, $850;
chelseaparis.com. dearfrances

Bralette .com.
Understance,
$59; understance LATER Omi
Woods
.com. earrings,

52 I n S T Y L E F E B R UA RY 2 02 2 $179;
omiwoods

.com.

KHAKI TRENCHALBERTA Naya
FERRETTI Rea top,
It’s kind of impossible to approxi-
look anything but chic in NOW mately

this classic coat. But a Off-White $230;
few equally preppy-cool beanie, $240; nayarea
at Nordstrom.
designs (think leggy .com.
denim, utilitarian skirts,
and clunky-cute shoes)

will certainly kick up
the look a notch.

Citizen Street
watch, $395; Level bag,
citizenwatch
$60; at
.com. Nordstrom.

Vince
blouse,
$325;
vince.com.

Tommy
Hilfiger
trenchcoat,
$549; usa
.tommy.com.

Jud sweater
(made with
natural fibers),
$485; judla.com.

3.1 Phillip Lim
oxfords, $550;

bergdorf
goodman.com.

LATER Skirt Boden (available in
sizes 2—22 and made from
98% Better Cotton Initiative
cotton), $85; bodenusa.com.

Ring Uncommon James,
$52; uncommonjames.com.
Clogs Mari Giudicelli, $520;

marigiudicelli.com.

Herno coat, Lee jeans
$1,130; (available in
sizes 25–35),
herno.com. $98; lee.com.

F E B R UA RY 202 2 I n S T Y L E 53

INSTANT STYLE

COLORFUL BLAZER SERGIO HUDSON Coach
earrings, $65;
Skip the expected jeans macys.com.
and T-shirt pairing and
mix it with similarly NOW

vibrant separates. And if
you need to balance out

all that bright? A few
optic white accents are

sure to do the trick.

Molly Goddard tote,
$515; at Nordstrom.

Second Summer blazer Marina
(made from 100% Rinaldi
pants
consciously-produced (available
linen), $325; second in sizes
summerlabel.com. 12–24),
$495;
marina
rinaldi.com.

Everlane
turtleneck, $195;

everlane.com.

Lands’ End Maui Jim
turtleneck, $30 sunglasses,
(sizes XS–XL) and
$35 (sizes 1X–3X); $330;
landsend.com. dillards.com.

Dorothee Schumacher Liu Jo
blazer (made partially from boots,
$433;
recycled polyester), farfetch
approximately $770; .com.
dorothee-schumacher.com.
LATER
Vest One DNA,
$65; onedna.earth. DKNY
pants, $89;
Watch SPGBK dkny.com.
Watches, $80;

springbreak
watches.com.
Satchel Guess,
$140; guess.com.
Pumps Paris Texas,
$550; farfetch.com.

54 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2022

PLEATED SKIRTPETER DO Alyda shirt
(made from
In a fluid midi length Oeko-tex-
especially, the silhouette
certified
feels sophisticated fabric), $149;
alongside silky, feminine alyda.co.uk.

tops and elegant heels. Medea bag,
Tip: Go for tall stiletto $595; neiman
boots while it’s still chilly marcus.com.
and transition to spring

with strappy sandals.

Eloquii skirt
(available in sizes 14–28),

$90; eloquii.com.

Totême blouse Soko
$360; toteme earrings, $118;
-studio.com.
shopsoko
.com.

NOW

Tory Burch
cardigan,
$448; tory
burch.com.

Proenza Schouler
White Label skirt,

$450; proenza
schouler.com.

Guess
sunglasses, $98;

guess.com.

LATER Earrings Pandora Nanushka Paris
Jewelry, $125; dress (made Texas
us.pandora.net. with Forest boots,
Stewardship $636;
Sandals Zou Xou, Council–certified farfetch
$168; zouxou.com. acetate), $825; .com.
nanushka.com.
Top Cami NYC, F E B R UA RY 2 02 2 I n S T Y L E 55
$161; caminyc.com.
Bracelet Gabriel

& Co., $175;
gabrielny.com.

So Fresh
& So Clean

VEGAN FOODIE AND SOCIAL MEDIA STAR TABITHA BROWN GIVES
THE SEASON’S MOST COVETED CRUELTY-FREE PRODUCTS A TRY

BY MAYA ALLEN

TABITHA BROWN’S SUNNY DISPOSITION, LOVABLE DEMEANOR, and Southern charm have BRING ON
made her a social media sensation with nearly 5 million TikTok followers. The North Carolina–born actor
had played a number of bit parts in Hollywood but ultimately found fame after she posted a video in 2017 THE ZEN
in which she praised the merits of a vegan “TTLA” sandwich (tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado) Wondering if CBD
while stationed in her car in a Whole Foods parking lot. The attention has taken Brown’s career to healthy
new heights, including two plant-based restaurants, Kale My Name, in Los Angeles and Chicago; her gummies are
best-selling book, Feeding the Soul (Because It’s My Business): Finding Our Way to Joy, Love, and effective? Brown says
Freedom; and her first cookbook, the newly released Cooking from the Spirit. Since the start of her these are the perfect
plant-based lifestyle five years ago, she’s also reaped the beauty benefits of a meatless existence. “After
getting sick [from autoimmune disorders] I started watching what I was putting into my body,” she says. recipe for R&R and
“I thought to myself, ‘Oh, Jesus, skin is my biggest organ, and these products can go into my bloodstream.’ describes them as
So I started reading all of the labels.” A month after she changed her diet, the No. 1 compliment she “strong.” Would she
received was about her skin. “I was glowing!” she exclaims. “My hair got thicker, fuller, and even more use them in the middle
healthy.” Who better than Brown to test-drive the latest vegan and cruelty-free products? of her busy schedule?
Nope. On vacation or
A WHOLE MANE MAGIC when she can sleep
Brown has her very own
LOT OF LIFT hair-care company inspired by her in? Absolutely.
“I like a good gorgeous Afro, which she affectionately
mascara and a calls Donna. The formula is packed Lord Jones CBD
with 18 all-natural oils and powders that Gel Capsules with
little foundation, prevent breakage, maintain moisture, and
blush, and lip gloss, stimulate the hair-growth cycle. “This Fast-Acting
oil has changed many lives, which I’m Technology, $75;
then I go about grateful for,” Brown says. “Reading the lordjones.com.
my business,” testimonials, especially from my alopecia
says Brown. “This customers, makes my heart full.”
mascara washes
off easily, there’s Donna’s Recipe Strength Hair Oil,
no clumping, and it $39; donnasrecipe.com.
doesn’t give me
black fallout on
my undereyes.”

After a full
schedule, Brown
admits, “Girl, I was

cute all day!”

Ami Colé Lash-
Amplifying

Mascara, $19;
amicole.com.

GLOW ON THE GO
“I’m excited to travel with
these and reuse them,” Brown
says, citing the de-puffing
benefits. “I put them on, then
went to work on my computer
and forgot that they were there
for a little bit, which was great.”

Dieux Forever Eye Mask,
$25; dieuxskin.com.

I set intentions

every day to
do well, be
well, feel well,

and accept all SOOTHING SPRITZ
good things.” Brown had never

A LUXE LATHER LIGHT AS A FEATHER thought about using an
This sensorial body Brown is a minimal makeup wearer, and energy spray before, but
oil made with organic the Body Shop’s Fresh Nude Foundation has now it’s become part of
hemp extract makes been her go-to for years. Trying this Tarte her self-care practice to
Brown instantly relax. product was a rare switch-up for her. “It’s so start the morning. “I set
“After I take my shower lightweight,” she says of the texture. Brown also
at night, I put this on was amazed by the added SPF and full coverage. intentions every day to
and just love how it “I’ve had a scar on my face since I was 9 years old and, do well, be well, feel
feels,” she says. “I’m honey, this foundation covered it right up. Usually well, and accept all
addicted and will be that’s something only my makeup artists can do!” good things,” Brown
using it every day.” says. “Then I use this
Tarte Shape Tape Cloud Coverage, $39; tarte.com. spray, which not only
gives me a calming
Brown Girl Jane moment, but also a
Aromatic Body Oil, $82; boost of energy to
browngirljane.com. go on and get my
day together.”

The Nue Co.
Mind Energy, $95;

thenueco.com.

FEB RUA RY 202 2 I nS T YL E 57

BEAUTY

Inside-Out Approach

Experts help take the guesswork out of choosing the right nutritional supplements for you

EVERYONE’S NEEDS ARE DIFFERENT, which is why the
first step in establishing a supplement regimen should be to
determine which nutrients you might be lacking. An evaluation
by a health practitioner will help guide you to the products that
will work best for your body. “If you eat well and have a healthy
lifestyle, chances are a multivitamin won’t rock your world,” says
health and wellness expert Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, author of
Younger You. “But if you’re worn out, stressed out, and living on
coffee and doughnuts, a multivitamin and mineral formula could
be your mecca.” The key ingredients of each ingestible help
determine the ideal time of day to take them. For example, “you
wouldn’t want to take a high dose of functional B vitamins after
2 or 3 P.M. because it can be stimulating and interfere with sleep,”
warns holistic nutritionist Kelly LeVeque. While addressing
vitamin and mineral imbalances, consider adding herbs to aid with
hormonal issues. “Botanicals can be very effective as a part of an
overall plan for anything from simple PMS to menopause
symptoms,” says Dr. Fitzgerald. It is important to note that these
routines shouldn’t be set in stone. Ashley Koff, RD, founder and
CEO of The Better Nutrition Program, suggests that her clients
re-evaluate their supplement intake every 90 days to consider
seasonal and dietary changes. With all of this in mind, explore
some of the most innovative offerings in the supplement world.

This brand is on a
mission to help women
over 40 combat symptoms
of perimenopause. Add one
teaspoon of this mega
powder to a warm drink to

reduce stress levels.

Wile Drinking Your Feelings,
$40; wilewomen.com.

The hard shell and chewy inside
of this sweet treat combine to
provide your daily fix of essential
greens and vitamins C, B5, and B6.

8Greens lollipops, $13/10;
8greens.com.

Unlike other If you find it hard to keep track of your This monthly pack delivers
sleep aids, this supplements, try this one-of-a-kind 3D- magnesium, probiotics,
printed gummy that’s personalized with
unique CBD seven layers of active ingredients. vitamin C, and more to help
blend works alleviate some of the
with your body’s Nourished,
natural circadian $60/28; us.get- physical side effects women
nourished experience during the
rhythm to .com. menstrual cycle.
extend your
deep sleep. All Top Up Tonic, $35/month; While there are many
it takes is a few hello.me. factors at play in female sexual
drops under
your tongue health, these herbal pills can
before bed. give the libido a major boost.

Juna Nightcap Goop Wellness DTF,
Sleep Drops, $55; goop.com.
$78; juna-world

.com.

58 I nST YL E FEB RUA RY 2022

ADVERTISEMENT

x

The Cosmic Collection

$150+

value in every
box, buy now for

$35

POWERED BY

thebeautyseason.com/instyle

BEAUTY BADASS

challenge accepted

WHETHER SHE’S CHALLENGING BEAUTY STANDARDS ON SOCIAL MEDIA OR
HIDING HER SKIN-CARE STASH FROM HER HUSBAND, AUSTRALIAN COMEDIAN

CELESTE BARBER ALWAYS RISES TO THE OCCASION

Inherited I have good Tour Diaries
Habits intentions,
and I am As a pre-show ritual, I’ll
I get my love of beauty unashamedly cleanse my face, use a jade
from my mom. The whole roller, and then go in hard
no-makeup makeup look is me.Ó with glam. I’m putting on all
my jam. It takes about three the mascara that has ever
hours and 48 products to been bought. [laughs] When
do. [laughs] My go-to face is I’m done, I usually don’t have
MCoBeauty XtendLash the energy to commit to a
Tubular Mascara, Magic 40-minute routine to take
Brows Gel, and Cheek & Lip everything off. So I’ll just use
Tint. The XtendLash has makeup wipes because
changed my life—I keep it in they’re fantastic and so easy.
all my handbags.
IG Realness
High-Low
The intention behind my
When it comes to skin #ChallengeAccepted videos
care, I get real fancy and has always been to make
real relatable all in the same people laugh. The idea of an
three seconds. I use the average-looking woman doing
MCoBeauty Hydrating things that non-average-
Hyaluronic Acid & Vitamin C looking women do is quite
Serum and mix that with La funny. I am also acutely aware
Mer’s Regenerating Serum. that I am poking fun at a
My skin is sensitive when I’m multibillion-dollar industry
traveling, so I always have a built off the back of essentially
thick moisturizer, like Crème shaming women. Sure, now
de la Mer, or a face mask, we see different types of
like Estée Lauder Advanced people in advertising, but it’s
Night Repair Concentrated still a stereotypical model
Powerfoil Mask, on hand. classified as the norm and
I’m also a big fan of Jurlique then someone who looks like
Rosewater Balancing Mist me classified as other-than.
when I’m on the go.
Power Moves
Sharing Is 1 4
Caring 2 3 Making out with Tom Ford [in
Barber’s 2018 parody of Ford’s
I’m not high-maintenance. If I 5 fashion ad] was quite possibly
can, I’ll treat myself to a facial. the most badass thing I’ve
But because we couldn’t do CELESTE’S FAVORITES ever done. I didn’t just work
that during lockdown, I was with him, we got it on. If I saw
lathering up my skin at night 1 MCoBeauty XtendLash Tubular Mascara, $20; mcobeauty.com. 2 Estée Lauder someone else doing that, I’d
like a crazy person. I put some Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Powerfoil Mask, $85/4; esteelauder.com. be like, “Damn you, woman,
La Mer on my husband’s face 3 Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, $44; jurlique.com. 4 La Mer Crème de la Mer, that should have been me!”
a few nights ago. When he $350/2 oz.; cremedelamer.com. 5 MCoBeauty Cheek & Lip Tint, $12; mcobeauty.com.
went to get into bed, he just Own It
stood there, stared at me, and
said, “What do I do?” And I A badass is someone who can
said, “You lie down.” He goes, just sit in the power of who
“But I’ve got all this stuff on they are and not care what
my face.” I replied, “Well, yes, people think. I love that quality.
just lie on your back, look at I try to do that; I struggle with
the ceiling, and don’t put your it, but that’s a real goal of mine.
face on the pillow.” [laughs] There needs to be a kindness
Now he loves it, and I’m like, and generosity of spirit to
“Well, you’re not getting that you. I have good intentions,
again, so get away!” and I am unashamedly me.
Even if society says it’s not
great, this is how it is.

60 I nST YLE FEBRUARY 2022



Selena
THE POP ICON OPENS UP ABOUT HER PAST STRUGGLES
WITH SELF-IMAGE, READJUSTING TO REAL LIFE,
AND WHY SHE STARTED HER OWN COSMETICS LINE

BY MAYA ALLEN

BEAUTY

hat are some of your What does your ideal day look like? I like to give myself
earliest memories an hour to wake up and have my coffee. [laughs] Then I
go to boxing, which has completely changed my life and
with makeup? At the body. It clears my head and helps me let go of stuff. I like
age of 7 I was already to wash my face with the Tatcha cleanser and then use
working and in the the moisturizer. Sometimes I’ll do a mask, like the
hair and makeup SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Masque or one for my
chair. Even then hair from K18, which makes me feel like a grown
I noticed certain woman. [laughs] I love a five-minute cold shower to

W trendsandhowI reset my mind. Also, I’m obsessed with soft things. I just
didn’t match them.

That made me question my own beauty, which is a huge went to the Ugg store for the first time and fell in love. I

part of why I created Rare Beauty. I wanted quality was on cloud nine buying sweats, socks, and blankets.

products that I feel confident and comfortable wearing. To me, there’s nothing better than wearing your

But more importantly, I wanted to change the narrative favorite cozy outfit, sitting by a fireplace, and having a

and knock down dated beauty norms. tea moment. I’m like an 80-year-old woman. [laughs]

What have these past two years been like for you? I became What else are you most ambitious for? Changing the

aware that my little world is complicated, but the picture is narrative of mental health and creating a curriculum

much bigger than the stuff I deal with. I that hopefully can be implemented

have problems with depression and anxi- I’m a big in schools or a system for resources
ety, and I found it difficult for me to be me. believer in that are easily available. I’m just so
I didn’t want to post anything on social therapy, and I passionate about that, and I think I
media because I realized that I was in a always feel so will continue to be for the rest of my
situation where I was extremely blessed. confident when life. Especially since the pandemic,
What could I possibly post or say? Then I I’m taking care there are so many people I know who
had the idea of inviting multiple people to of myself.” craved help but had no idea how to get
be on my Instagram to tell their stories. it. I have big aspirations for that field
and really want to implement more
You’re one of the most followed women on education behind it. ■
Instagram. How does social media play a

role in your self-confidence? At one point

Instagram became my whole world, and it

was really dangerous. In my early 20s, I felt like I

wasn’t pretty enough. There was a whole period in

my life when I thought I needed makeup and never Rare Beauty Soft
wanted to be seen without it. The older I got, the more Pinch Liquid
I evolved and realized that I needed to take control
of what I was feeling. I wanted to be able to look in Blush in Grateful
the mirror and feel confident to be who I am. Taking ($20) and
a break from social media was the best decision that
Warm Wishes
Effortless

Bronzer Stick in
Happy Sol ($23);

sephora.com.

I’ve ever made for my mental health. I created a

system where I still don’t have my passwords. And

the unnecessary hate and comparisons went away

once I put my phone down. I’ll have moments where

that weird feeling will come back, but now I have a

much better relationship with myself.

How do you set boundaries? I’m a big believer in

therapy, and I always feel so confident when I’m taking

care of myself. If I’m not in the best headspace and my

friends invite me out, I won’t go. I’ve lost my sense of

FOMO, which I’m proud of. Sometimes I push myself

too much, and it catches up to me. But I try to balance

out everything as best as I can. I like to be there for my

friends and celebrate everyone. But I have to make

sure that I’m OK, you know? Because if I’m not OK, I

can’t be OK for other people.

FEB RUA RY 202 2 I nS T Y L E 63

BEAUTY
EDITORS’

PICKS

Joanna Laura Nailed It
Constantine rings
(left), $194 each; Serve looks with these
joannalauraconstantine extra bold or barely-there
.com. Artida Oud ring,
$154; artidaoud.com. polish choices
Manicure: Mamie Onishi.
Model: Laura Babcock. PHOTOGRAPHED BY
EMILY ADAR
Wear this
classic neutral This fun shade Go for a moody Treat yourself to
paint on its own is full of avocado manicure with a the luxe combination
or embellish oil and vitamin E to deep, inky tone
the pretty pink keep nails healthy that’s inspired by of a striking color
while leaving behind payoff in a natural-
hue with a a subtle sparkle. the night sky.
playful design. based formula.
Dior Vernis #338 S.I.S. Luxe Lacquer Smith & Cult
Rose Quartz, in Vicki, $20; Empire State Hermès Les Mains
$29; dior.com. Nightcap Nail Hermès Nail Enamel in
simoneismith.com. Lacquer, $18;
64 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2022 smithandcult.com. Orange Boîte, $45;
hermes.com.

BEAUTY

Listen to your skin, and LIGHT TOUCH
know that more is not better.”
HILDEGAARD FOUNDER
—DR. ALICIA BARBA LIA CHAVEZ BLENDS ART
AND HERBALISM IN HER NEW
SkinCeuticals Silymarin CF Salicylic Acid Acne LINE OF LUXE FACE OILS
Treatment ($166) and Phyto A+ Brightening
Treatment ($105); skinceuticals.com. Over the years, multimedia artist Lia
Chavez has expressed herself through
Skin Solutions
live installations and dance perfor-
While we all want to find our glow in 2022, board-certified mances that focused on the relation-
dermatologist Alicia Barba reminds us that that does not mean ship between illumination and darkness.
we need to follow a 20-step routine. “Keep it simple, and learn
when your skin needs you to back off,” she says. “Cleanse gently These studies, coupled with her
and use an antioxidant, a sunscreen, and a moisturizer.” Dr. fascination with photosynthesis and
Barba runs the Skin Lab by Barba Skin Clinic in Miami, where her botanical remedies, led Chavez to her
patients’ top concerns include acne, hyperpigmentation, and next chapter as the founder of high-end
sensitivities due to over-layering products. The best method is beauty line Hildegaard. The brand’s first
to introduce one active product at a time. Dr. Barba recom- offering is four different face oils (Rose,
mends starting with the new SkinCeuticals Phyto A+ Brighten- Neroli, Immortelle, and Olibanum)
ing Treatment, either after the Silymarin CF Salicylic Acid Acne cultivated from the extracts of more
Treatment in the morning or before a hydrator at night. “This than 70 plants from Chavez’s home
product is great for someone who has underlying sensitivities garden in Brookhaven, New York, as
but wants to experience the benefits of clinical active ingredi- well as from those at the nearby Mama
ents,” she says. It combines the brand’s Phyto botanical blend
with azelaic acid and alpha arbutin to decrease oil production, Farm, owned by actress Isabella
diminish dark spots, and leave a subtle shine. Whenever you Rossellini. Chavez recommends making
are making skin-care choices for yourself this season, Dr. Barba
advises, “Listen to your skin, and know that more is not better.” the application of the oils a self-care
ritual. “Place two drops of oil in your
palm, bring the hands together, and
breathe deeply with eyes closed,” she
says. “I formulated Hildegaard to absorb
quickly so that the skin is cocooned in
a comforting, cushion-like texture

throughout the winter months.”

Hildegaard Immortelle, $375; hildegaard.life.

LIA
CHAVEZ

Augustinus Bader HIGH-TECH HAIR CARE
The Shampoo
Your scalp deserves skin care too. The pros at Augustinus
(below, $55) and The Bader brought this notion to life with their first-ever hair care
Scalp Treatment
($80); augustinus collection centered around strengthening, hydrating, and
bader.com. thickening the hair at its root, all thanks to the discoveries of
Professor Bader and his team. “When you know how to create
an optimal cellular environment for the natural processes of skin
repair, the same translation can be applied to the hair follicle,
scalp, and hair itself,” says CEO and co-founder Charles Rosier.

Using just one of the patent-pending formulas, such as the
shampoo or the scalp treatment, can make all the difference.

F E B RUA RY 202 2 I n S T Y L E 65

PROMOTION

MELISSA MCCARTHY REESE WITHERSPOON JENNIFER HUDSON PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS KATE HUDSON ANDRA DAY PHOTO BY MYRIAM SANTOS • CYNTHIA ERIVO PHOTO BY TERELL MULLIN •TOMMY DORFMAN PHOTO BY LUKE FONTANA • JENNIFER HUDSON PHOTO BY ABDM • MICHELLE PFEIFFER PHOTO BY OLIVIA MALONE • TARAJI P. HENSON PHOTO BY ERIK HUMPHERY • KATE HUDSON PHOTO BY AMY NEUNSINGER •
MELISSA MCCARTHY PHOTO BY MGMT ENTERTAINMENT • REESE WITHERSPOON PHOTO BY JOHN RUSSO • SARAH PAULSON PHOTO BY DOUG INGLISH • JUDTH LIGHT PHOTO BY VICTORIAN WILL • PRIYANKA CHOPRA PHOTO BY KYLE GAVIN
A New Podcast

TOMMY DORFMAN TARAJI P. HENSON

EMILY RATAJKOWSKI ANDRA DAY
ELLEN POMPEO
KEKE PALMER InStyle Editor in Chief JUDITH LIGHT
Laura Brown celebrates the
brave, kind, and curious women
who are making a real difference

and getting things done.

NEW EPISODES EVERY TUESDAY

SCAN THIS SMART CODE USING
YOUR PHONE’S CAMERA

JESSICA ALBA

CYNTHIA ERIVO SARAH PAULSON STORM REID MICHELLE PFEIFFER OPAL TOMETI

Creative
Space

Gallerist and artist advocate
DESTINEE ROSS-SUTTON
pulls together the perfect

room for relaxation

by A L I S O N S Y R E T T
photographed by

VINCENZO DIMINO

Ross-Sutton, with FEB RUA RY 202 2 I nS T Y L E 67
Khari Turner’s
painting Grace of
My Style (2021)
and one of Niki
de Saint Phalle’s
Nana sculptures.

STYLE IN

A s the second youngest
of eight siblings,
24-year-old art world
wunderkind Destinee
Ross-Sutton is no
stranger to sharing
bedrooms and crashing

on sofas. Signing the lease on her shiny new

Brooklyn duplex apartment, however, intro-

duced her to a totally new experience. “It’s a

big milestone for me to have my own place,”

she says. “I was really excited to figure out

the different ways to make it my own.” A top

priority? Creating a warm and welcoming

living room where her friends and family can

feel at home. “I want it to be a place where

they can kick back,” she explains, citing her

squishy Camaleonda couch—a style by

Italian designer Mario Bellini—and snuggly

throw blankets as key elements in the space.

“Comfort is really important to me.” Ross-

Sutton, who describes herself as a contempo-

rary art curator and international adviser,

artist manager and advocate, gallerist, and

muse to several of her clients (such as rising

talents Amoako Boafo and Tim Okamura),

is equally passionate about decorating with

artwork that inspires her: Think a moody,

oversize piece by Khari Turner here; an

ebullient Niki de Saint Phalle statuette

there. And while the overall mix may seem By windows: Orrefors and Kosta
Boda glass sculptures. Paintings,
eclectic, her criteria for decor is consistent: from left: Yellow Nails, by Amoako
Boafo, 2018; Pink Matter, by Otis
“When I see something I really think is Kwame Kye Quaicoe, 2020.

beautiful, I get a tugging

feeling in my chest like I’m

connected to it,” she says.

“That’s how I know I’ll be

able to live with it.”

Self 16, by Isshaq Ismail, 2020.
Right: Remembering II,

by Cydne Jasmin Coleby, 2020.

68 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2022

COLOR POP

Freshen up a palette
of soft ivory and jet
black with deep
jewel-tone accents.

Amanda Gorman, by
Raphael Adjetey Adjei
Mayne, 2021 (352/5" x 24"
print), $1,500; publishing
.ross-sutton.com/instyle.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Liner,
$18; anastasiabeverlyhills.com.

Ini Archibong coffee table,
available by special order
only; designbyini.com for

more information.

Jimmy Thank You for Dr. Martens
Choo Being My boots, $200;
heels,
$995; Lighthouse, by drmartens
jimmy Khari Turner, .com.
choo 2021 (40" x 48"
.com. print), $5,000; B&B Italia couch (made using
recycled materials and Forest
publishing Stewardship Council-certified
.ross-sutton beechwood); bebitalia.com.
.com/instyle.
F E B RUA RY 202 2 I nS T Y L E 69
Brandon Blackwood Pat McGrath Labs
NYC bag, $285; Skin Fetish:

brandonblackwood.com. Divine Blush, $38;
patmcgrath.com.

STYLE IN

MY ANCHOR Fox Sinrod
in
Rosy Picture

Photo director Lucy Fox Sinrod has created a vibrant, multitextured
masterpiece that reflects her love of blush and bubblegum tones

Gucci
sandals,
$890;

gucci
.com.

Bottega “I painted this piece in the early days of the pandemic. Kevin O’Brien
Veneta In those dark months of being very isolated in New York City, Studio pillow
(22" x 22"), $398;
bag, I found solace in making things that were beautiful and perigold.com.
$3,500; escapist. It complements my home aesthetic, which is a
fwrd.com. Helle Mardahl
little retro and cozy. I love the color pink in particular jar, $616;
Overose and how it can be girlie and sophisticated at once.” matches
scented
candle, $58; fashion.com.
matches
fashion.com. Irene Neuwirth
ring, $1,365;
Gabriela farfetch.com.
Hearst
blanket,
$4,450;
matches
fashion.com.

1stDibs Luisa Beccaria
chair, $3,457; glasses, $187/2;
1stdibs.com. matchesfashion.com.

1Q84, by Haruki 1stDibs
Murakami, vanity desk,

Vintage Books, $4,700;
$18; astoria 1stdibs.com.

bookshop.com.

70 I n S T Y L E F E B R UA RY 2 02 2

STYLE IN

1 2
3
Chava
Studio jacket

(made to
order from

organic,
minimally
processed
denim),
$270; chava
studio.com.

THE PLACE 4 5

Mexico City Babaà
WRITER AND CHAVA STUDIO FOUNDER OLIVIA VILLANTI cardigan
OFFERS AN INSIDER’S VIEW OF HER ADOPTED HOMETOWN (made with
eco-friendly
WHY YOU SHOULD GO The way Mexico City for a martini. The Alest (3) is a charming new Spanish
merges history and modernity is evident in every- property. It has only 19 suites and is centrally wool), $305;
thing from its architecture to its art. There’s so much located in Polanco, a great district for babaa.es.
to experience! Personally, I love the neighborhood walking. And famed chef Enrique Olvera,
where we set up our Chava studio and showroom whose restaurants include the incredible 6
(1). It’s a small colonia that even most locals don’t Pujol and the vegetable-forward Bar
know by name (officially it’s called Ampliación Daniel Ticuchi (4), rents the thoughtfully decorated
Garza). The country’s most famous architect, Luis Casa Teo (5) on Airbnb. When it comes to
Barragán, lived there, and his old home has been dining out, you have incredibly delicious options. First
converted to a museum. Nearby is Casa Ortega, sample the city’s signature dish: tacos al pastor, thinly
another lesser-known Barragán-designed home sliced slow-roasted pork marinated in achiote paste
(tours are available by appointment). Plus there’s and served on a corn tortilla with a slice of pineapple.
Labor, a wonderful art gallery just across the street. It’s particularly amazing at Taqueria Orinoco’s different
locations. Additionally, I recommend Don Vergas (6),
WHERE TO STAY AND WHAT TO EAT At the a seafood joint specializing in fresh, citrusy dishes from
Four Seasons (2) you’ll get a feel for the CDMX the state of Sinaloa that recently opened a permanent
(Ciudad de México) scene, since many locals frequent spot after originating as a food market stand. The
its restaurant and bar. It’s my favorite spot in the city tostada embarazada (“pregnant tostada”) is a must-try.

FEBRUARY 2022 I nST YLE 71

STYLE IN

7 Chava Studio
8 pants (made

to order),
$395; chava
studio.com.

9

PARADISE WHAT TO DO Be sure to visit Teoti- Chava Studio shirt
PERFECTED huacán (7), a vast archaeological site of a (made to measure),
former Mesoamerican city dating back to
An effortless escape from 400 B.C. just outside CDMX. Despite being $285; chava
the everyday and a portal a tourist attraction, it’s magical and rich with studio.com.
to all that’s exceptional history. Mexico also has amazing parks. I
love Sundays in Parque México (8), when 10
and unforgettable. artists set up throughout the grounds, as
Paradise has never felt well as Chapultepec Park (the largest in
CDMX). It’s generally free of crowds and
so perfect. beautiful to stroll through. There’s nothing I
enjoy more than getting lost in La Lagunilla’s
COVEATLANTIS.COM/INSTYLE Sunday flea market of furniture, books, and curios;
877.485.0871 and La Ciudadela (9), an artisan market open
seven days a week. Be sure to check out Mercado
Jamaica (10), a big, lovely (albeit slightly chaotic)
flower market—and the Tuesday farmers market
in Condesa, a wonderful place to try some of
Mexico’s exotic fruits. And my friend, writer and
curator Su Wu, has a shop in her garage called
Casa Ahorita (11) that sells
one-of-a-kind pieces by some of
the country’s most talented
artisans, open by appointment.
Lastly, as a ’90s kid, I love Purísima
Corazón de María Reina de la Paz
in Del Valle, which is the Brutalist
Gothic concrete church that was
featured in the 1996 Baz Luhrmann
movie Romeo + Juliet. The
structure itself is truly impressive.

WHAT TO PACK Expect a mountain 11
climate, which generally means brisk
mornings, warm days, and chilly nights.
Easy and versatile layers—plus flat shoes
you can walk in—are nonnegotiable.

Strange Paradise
sandals, $87;

strangeparadise.world.

PARADISE IS CALLING.
PACK LIGHT.

COVEATLANTIS.COM/INSTYLE | 877.485.0871

STYLE IN

TABLE FOR TWO

Stir It Up

CHEF ZOE ADJONYOH TEACHES
BUDDING ARTIST SATCHEL LEE
THE SECRET TO HER CROWD-
PLEASING PEANUT BUTTER STEW

BY KERRY DIAMOND
PHOTOGRAPHED BY VINCENZO DIMINO

W hen Zoe Adjonyoh found out an
arts festival was coming to her
East London neighborhood in
the summer of 2010, the enter-
prising young writer realized
someone would have to feed all
those people—and that someone could be her. Adjon-

yoh made batches of nkatsenkwan, a fragrant and

spicy Ghanaian dish she grew up on, and her friend

made a prophetic sign that read “Zoe’s Famous Pea-

nut Butter Stew.” “We had a party going on outside

my front door,” recalls Adjonyoh. The stew became a

star and a way for her to pay for her graduate studies. Adjonyoh
In the years that followed, Adjonyoh turned her and Lee.

apartment into a pop-up restaurant serving as many

as 90 people per night, and Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen was born. “I was The pair are at Baba Cool, the vibey restaurant in Wil-

basically running an illegal restaurant in my living room for two liamsburg, Brooklyn, where Lee curates the artwork, which

years,” says Adjonyoh. She now lives in New York with her wife, includes one of her own black-and-white photographs as

Sara, and has a celebrated cookbook, a podcast, and an online well as an abstract fabric portrait by her designer friend

spice shop focused on single-origin West African ingredients. MI Leggett. Adjonyoh has spread the mise en place across the

Today Adjonyoh is teaching artist and emerging photogra- countertop and walks Lee through the various peppers and

pher Satchel Lee how to make her famous stew. The two share a powders that go into the dish. They chat about the spice level,

love of community and creativity, but the kitchen is where they which can be dialed up or down. “In the end, what you want

diverge. Like a lot of native New Yorkers, Lee is skilled at the art is this beautiful slow-rising heat,” explains Adjonyoh. “It

of takeout. The daughter of world-famous film director Spike should come from your toes all the way up and hug you. That’s

Lee and producer Tonya Lewis Lee, she grew up with a family what I’m going for.”

more focused on cinematic pursuits than culinary ones. “During “What I’m taking away from this is, just get started,” says

the pandemic I made my dad cacio e pepe, and he put ketchup Lee with a laugh. Adjonyoh nods encouragingly and notes

on it,” she recalls, shaking her head. “He told me, ‘You know that patience will prevail. “Follow the steps, then let it come

who my chef was? Chef Boyardee.’ He’ll have a bag of nuts and together,” she says. “Keep the lid on. Have a cup of tea. Read a

be like, ‘I’m fine.’ ” magazine. Every half an hour, peek in and give it a stir.”

NKATSENKWAN (PEANUT BUTTER STEW WITH LAMB)

FOR THE CHALÉ SAUCE 3 garlic cloves 2-inch piece fresh curry powder
14 oz. canned tomatoes ginger root, grated 1/2 tsp ground black
2 tbsp tomato purée FOR THE STEW 1 garlic clove, crushed cardamom
1 onion, roughly chopped 1½–2 lb. bone-in lamb, 2 green habanero chilis, 1 qt. (18 oz.) Chalé Sauce
2-inch piece fresh in knuckle-sized cubes pierced 18 oz. vegetable stock
ginger root, grated 2 tsp sea salt 1 red Scotch bonnet 1 jar (450 g) organic
1 red Scotch bonnet chili, 1 tsp freshly ground chili, pierced peanut butter
deseeded alligator pepper 1 tbsp extra-hot chili 3 tbsp crushed roasted
1 tbsp dried chili flakes 1 tbsp vegetable oil powder peanuts, to garnish
1 tsp sea salt 1 onion, finely diced 1 tbsp extra-hot madras

FOR THE SAUCE Place all ingredients in a blender and blend into a fairly smooth paste.
FOR THE STEW 1. Season the meat with salt and alligator pepper. 2. Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan over
medium heat. Add the lamb and cook for 5–8 minutes until the juices run clear. 3. Add onion, ginger, garlic, fresh chilies,
chili powder, curry powder, and black cardamom, and cook for 10 minutes. 4. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon
and set aside. Remove and discard chilis. 5. Add the Chalé Sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer
for 25 minutes. 6. Add stock, then peanut butter until dissolved. Once incorporated, blend into a smooth liquid with a
stick blender. 7. Add the meat to the pot and cook, covered, for 90 minutes on low until the meat is tender and falling off
the bone. The peanut oil should rise to the top, and you should have a soupy consistency. 8. Serve with crushed roasted
peanuts on top and a side dish of your choice.

74 I n S T Y L E F E B R UA RY 2 02 2

READ EE CULTURE
Black Cake Soon to be adapted
as an Oprah-produced Hulu spotlight
series, Charmaine Wilkerson’s
debut novel follows estranged Charlotte
siblings who are shocked to Rampling
learn about their mother’s secret
past upon her death. Ballantine, THE BENEDETTA STAR SHARES HER
$28; penguinrandomhouse.com. ALL-TIME FAVORITE POP CULTURE PICKS

Yves Saint Laurent Museum 1 BOOKS On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, by Ocean Vuong
Marrakech Studio KO’s illustrated
photo diary documents the design (1) “A lesson in exquisite prose deep in the heart of a poet.”
The Cost of Living, by Deborah Levy (2) “Deborah Levy is a
and construction of Yves Saint soul sister of Virginia Woolf. They meet in literary heaven….
Laurent’s Moroccan museum, What it is to be a woman.” The Passion According to G.H, by
Clarice Lispector (3) “Clarice Lispector has said she would be
which was commissioned by the happy if this book was only read by old souls.” Unconditional
designer’s longtime partner, Pierre Surrender, by Evelyn Waugh “The unbearable condition of
Bergé. Phaidon, $50; phaidon.com. wartime seen through a master’s inquiring gaze.”

Didn’t We Almost Have It All: MUSIC “The symphonies of Beethoven,
In Defense of Whitney Houston
A decade after Houston’s death, Shostakovich, and Mahler. And all those
who have composed and sung, or just sung
journalist Gerrick Kennedy songs composed for them, that will live on
celebrates the music legend’s forever and make each generation dream.”

triumphs in a judgment-free 2
exploration of her life following a
3
foreword by Brandy. Abrams
Press, $28; abramsbooks.com. Single Drunk Female Facing potential
jail time, an alcoholic 20-something (Sofia
To Paradise Centered on one Black-D’Elia) moves in with her mother
New York City townhouse in an (Ally Sheedy) to give sobriety her best
shot. (Freeform, Jan. 20) The Woman in
alternate United States, Hanya the House Across the Street from the
Yanagihara’s novel traces three Girl in the Window Hyperfocused on
separate stories over 200 years: her handsome new neighbor, a grieving
the scion of a distinguished family woman (Kristen Bell) with an overactive
in the 1800s; a young man living imagination believes she’s witnessed
a deadly crime. (Netflix, Jan. 28) Pam &
through the AIDS epidemic; Tommy Lily James and Sebastian Stan
and a scientist’s granddaughter play Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee
navigating a plague-ridden and
in the ’90s, from their whirlwind
totalitarian future world. romance through their infamous
Doubleday, $33; amazon.com. sex tape scandal. (Hulu, Feb. 2)
As We See It Three roommates
on the autism spectrum (portrayed
by Rick Glassman, Albert Rutecki,
and Sue Ann Pien) navigate work,
friendship, and love with help
from their devoted aide (Sosie
Bacon). (Amazon Prime Video,
Jan. 21) Inventing Anna Anna
Chlumsky stars as a reporter
investigating the case of infamous
New York grifter Anna Delvey
(Julia Garner) in Shonda Rhimes’s
ripped-from-the-headlines
series. (Netflix, Feb. 11)

F E B R UA RY 2 02 2 I n S T Y L E 75

PROMOTION

UR
FECT
ADES

YOU
ERED

TO BUY

SHOP INSTYLEBADASS.COM

feb. Courrèges dress.
Like any true badass, Tiffany & Co. watch.
Gal Gadot has earned
her stripes By Far boots.
Ring, her own.

Photographed by
Giampaolo Sgura.

FEBRUARY 2022 InSTYLE 77

Gal
OnSuper-motivated
superstar GAL GADOT
The cannotbestopped

by L AU R A BROW N

Gophotographed by GIAMPAOLO SGURA
styled by EL IZ A BE T H S T E WA R T

78 I n S T Y L E F E B R UA RY 2 02 2

Hermès jacket.
Wolford bodysuit.

Nili Lotan jeans.
Loewe sunglasses.

Gucci bag. Ring,
her own. Belt,
stylist’s own.

Louis Vuitton
dress. Loewe
sunglasses.
Ring, her own.

Louis Vuitton dress.
Tiffany & Co. watch.

By Far boots.
Ring, her own.

FEBRUARY 2022 InST YLE 81

Valentino coat.
By Far mary janes.
Ring, her own.

BEAUTY BEAT
Trace your lash
line with Diorshow
On Stage Liner’s
($31; dior.com)
ultrathin tip for a
barely-there effect.

F E B R UA RY 202 2 I n S T Y L E 83

I
It would be easy to sum up Gal Gadot’s career
with two words—Wonder Woman—but her
journey to Hollywood is less simple than a twirl
of a golden lasso. While she was cast to inspire
young women’s dreams, Gadot’s dreams, origi-
nally, were rather different. Born in Israel, at
18 years old she entered beauty pageants (“going
to be nice to tell my grandkids”), winning Miss
Israel in 2004. After that, she enlisted as a
combat trainer in Israel’s mandatory military
service; around this time, at 20, she met her
husband, Jaron Varsano. She then studied law
at university, but the call of the pretty business
didn’t let up. Signing with an acting agent, she
was cast in 2009’s Fast & Furious and began
pinging between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles.
In 2016 Gadot landed the role of Diana Prince,
a.k.a. Wonder Woman, in Batman v Superman:
Dawn of Justice, and the rest is box office his-
tory. Starring in this month’s Kenneth Branagh
murder mystery Death on the Nile, Gadot is
also developing Wonder Woman 3 and a biopic
of Cleopatra, in which she will star. She’s as
no-bullshit as her roles are escapist—and yes,
she’ll poke fun at “Imagine” too.

LAURA BROWN: We’ve not met before, but
I’ve always felt you’re more subversive than
you appear. For example, when you were a Miss
Universe contestant [in 2004, after winning
Miss Israel], you deliberately lost the pageant.
GAL GADOT: I’m not the type of girl to do
beauty competitions. But I had some time before
my military service, and I was like, “That’s go-
ing to be nice to tell my grandkids that Grandma
competed in Miss Israel.” And then I won. I was
like, “Holy shit. Now what?” I didn’t want to

84 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2022

Dior jacket. Wolford
bodysuit. Nili

Lotan jeans. Loewe
sunglasses. Ring, her
own. Belt, stylist’s own.

win. I never thought I would. I was so naive. I was only 18, LB: Your combat training was in Lycra.

and to become a celebrity and have paparazzi around, it GG: Exactly. At the end of the day, I wore Alo Yoga.

was too much for me. When they sent me to Miss Universe, LB: What were your first auditions like?

I said, “Never again. I’m not even taking chances.” And GG: After my service in the military and modeling, I started

they go, “You have to wear evening gowns for breakfast.” university and studied law. There was a casting director

It was so ridiculous; I didn’t play by the book. I just did my there looking for the new Bond girl, and she had seen my

thing, and I didn’t try to impress them. I was like, “English, card at my modeling agency. I was like, “Listen, I’m not an

no. Me no speak. Very hard language.” And then I didn’t actress. I’m here because my agent told me you really

make the first cut. [laughs] wanted to see me, but I don’t want to waste your time.” I

LB: Do you still pull that? didn’t get the part, but I started working with acting coaches

GG: Of course! I always blame the language. In Hebrew, I’m and auditioning in Israel. I got my first role for a TV show,

so eloquent with the way I speak and the words I choose. I and that same casting director remembered me and hired

love language, and sometimes it’s frustrating that I live my me for Fast & Furious. Then I started my affair with acting.

life in English now. I dream in English but still don’t have LB: Is that when you moved to the U.S.?

the language completely embedded within me. Whenever GG: No. I didn’t want to move to the U.S. for a long time. My

I get frustrated, I’m like, “I’m still an immigrant.” husband and I would come for three months a year. I’d do

LB: That said, do you think it’s better to work in Hollywood auditions and hate it. But it felt like the lighter side of life,

when you’re from somewhere else? and it was refreshing to try something different. Things

GG: I always look at the glass as half full, so I see it as an really changed when I got Wonder Woman, obviously.

advantage, even though I’m sure there are many disadvan- LB: Globally, in a second.

tages. It took time to adjust to Hollywood—to understand GG: By the time I got Wonder Woman, I was really big in

the behavior, to read people, to be more polite and eloquent. Israel. So I was used to fame and knew what to expect.

I come from a culture where we don’t have filters. We say Maybe the scope was larger in the U.S., but really, it’s all

the same swamps—just in different locations

“I’m hungry, and I’ve with different magnitudes.
always been this way. LB: Is there something to being judged for your
My parents taught appearance early in life that when you get older
you just go, “Fuck it, I’m going to talk now”?
GG: I was always, “Fuck it, I’m going to talk
now.” I was never shy about my voice. That could
have something to do with the culture I’m com-

me, ‘Be like a horse.’ ing from, the directness and cut-the-bullshit.
LB: I had a friend at the Elle Women in Holly-

Horses are only wood awards, and she said that when you
focusing on their lane.” received your award, you took the piss and
started singing “Imagine.”
GG: Yeah. Might as well. They had a mic there.
LB: So many people just wouldn’t do that.

GG: It just felt right, and I don’t take myself too

what we think, good and bad. My parents didn’t raise me to seriously. And with the whole “Imagine” controversy, it’s

be the star of the family or to become famous. I didn’t think funny. [In March 2020 Gadot released a video of her and

I was going to be an actress. That helped me keep my sanity. celebrity friends singing John Lennon’s “Imagine” that was

LB: Yep, not every actress could have said, “I might as well branded as tone-deaf on social media.] I was calling Kristen

do a beauty competition before my military service.” [Wiig] and I was like, “Listen, I want to do this thing.” The

GG: But you can only speak from the prism of your life and pandemic was in Europe and Israel before it came here [to

what you know. Everyone I know went to the army—my the U.S.] in the same way. I was seeing where everything

parents, my grandparents, my friends. It’s kind of in the was headed. But [the video] was premature. It wasn’t the

DNA of being Israeli. It’s mandatory. right timing, and it wasn’t the right thing. It was in poor

LB: You were a combat trainer. What does that entail? taste. All pure intentions, but sometimes you don’t hit the

GG: I did a boot camp. It was months of learning how to do bull’s-eye, right? I felt like I wanted to take the air out of it,

Krav Maga and doing drills of push-ups, pull-ups, and run- so that [event] was a delightful opportunity to do that.

ning with sacks of sand on the beach. I wasn’t fighting on a LB: Many actresses can be self-conscious or self-censoring,

field; I was just a gym instructor who prepped training pro- so that was pretty punk, considering. What’s the biggest

grams for people in the army. It sounds exotic and exciting, risk you’ve taken in your career?

but I’d just go to the gym at 5 a.m. and go back home at 4. GG: I don’t feel like I have done (CONTINUED ON PAGE 108)

86 I nST YLE FEBRUARY 2022

Saint Laurent by
Anthony Vaccarello dress.
Tiffany & Co. watch. By Far

mary janes. Ring, her own.

BEAUTY BEAT
Mist strands with Moroccanoil

Dry Texture Spray ($28;
moroccanoil.com) and

scrunch upward to achieve
an undone finish.

Hair: Teddy Charles for The
Wall Group. Makeup: Sabrina

Bedrani for The Wall Group.
Manicure: Shigeko Taylor
for Star Touch Agency.

an

Actor. Producer. Trailblazer.

by M AYA A LLEN photographed by A N THON Y M AULE
styled by RON H A RTLEBEN

Alaïa dress.
Cartier High

Jewelry
bracelet.

o she took pride in setting a table. On the other hand, having
Of course when Angela Bassett logs on to our Zoom call, she an aunt who was an educator and went on to get her master’s
is wearing a glorious headwrap and the sun is framing her and Ph.D. And growing up with my grandmother and great-
perfectly. Should we expect anything less? As an actor who grandmother, imagining what their struggles might have
has portrayed some of the most righteous and regal icons of been like in Georgia in the early 1900s and what they en-
our time—Rosa Parks, Betty Shabazz, Tina Turner, and, dured. They continued to be gracious, beautiful, warm, and
fictionally speaking, Ramonda, the Queen of Wakanda, in easy women with a smile and a laugh, despite it all.
Black Panther—Bassett is a cinema legend. Her propensity
for taking on these roles is a reflection of her commitment Do you have the career that you’ve always dreamed of?
to breaking down barriers. “Thirty and 40 years ago when
I started out, Black characters were weighted too heavily in It’s so much more than I ever dreamed of. I mean, theater
the negative,” says Bassett. “I was always mindful of those is my first love. I love the stage. [My husband] Courtney [B.
images. What are you saying about me and who I represent Vance] and I did one of playwright John Guare’s plays years
as a woman of color? There’s complexity to us. There’s ago [His Girl Friday], and Guare said, “Angela, you’re a
beauty to us. There’s strength to us. There’s compassion to theater animal. You command the stage and the audience.”
us. There are so many wonderful things.” It was the highest compliment.

Let’s take it back to your Yale heyday. [Bassett attended Speaking of command, What’s Love Got to Do with It really
Yale and has a B.A. (1980), an M.F.A. (1983), and an honorary catapulted your career. What was it like jumping into Tina
doctorate degree (2018) from her alma mater.] How did that
Turner’s dancing shoes? It truly was and still is the most diffi-
shape you as an artist? I was there for seven years, so I got cult and emotionally, spiritually, physically demanding role
to know the place. [laughs] Unless you’re a superhero, a that I’ve ever portrayed. That was the assignment. And in that
beast, or a monster with so much self-esteem that it seeps moment, I learned how strong internally I could be. I ached
out of every pore, you deal with imposter syndrome. Artists from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet. I lost my voice.
are so introspective. You wonder if you’re good enough or if If there was one more step I could take before sleeping, I had to
you can handle the place. I would literally stand in front of take it or I would feel like I cheated and was in a deficit the next
my mirror and give myself a good talking-to. I’d say, “How day. I know that if you do everything in your ability, to the
long do you want to be overwhelmed? Will 10 minutes serve? best of your ability, you’ve won. Then you can rest your head.
Fifteen?” And I would answer, “Yes, all right. Well, have
your pity party, but then after that, wash your face, comb Every time I watch that film and see your arm muscles, I
your hair, and go do what you need to do.” And I guess that
was my way of therapizing myself in that moment. have the urge to go to the gym afterward. I do too. [laughs]
Please do share your workout routine. I’m feeling quite
I’m sure being a Black woman navigating that space during guilty because I haven’t worked out in a week and a half and
I can outeat any workout. As a dear friend and I are fond of
that time in the world was also challenging. We all have that saying, “The horses are out of the barn, running in the field,”
experience of trying to prove ourselves and show our worth. and I’ve got to get the horses back in the barn, where it’s tight.
But dealing with the additional layer of being a woman and I always feel stronger when I work out, but it’s mind over
also a Black woman, it’s a journey and a constant battle. It matter. It’s something that I need to do for my head, not just
was incredibly powerful in building my self-esteem early on for looking good. It’s very helpful for my stress level.
when I would get on those stages and receive the response
that I wanted from the audiences and my peers. You’ve mentioned before that you’re not fond of people

It must have done something, because your roles have al- saying things like, “You look so good for your age.” Yeah, I
think when we take care of ourselves, we do look good for our
ways been so impactful. I used to love that song by Al Jarreau, age, whatever age that is, you know?
“Somebody’s Watching You.” You never know the impact your
work is making. It’s the women in my family who have influ- That’s very Stella of you [Bassett’s character in How Stella
enced my roles. Growing up without every convenience and Got Her Groove Back]! If she got her groove back in 2022, do
then seeing my mother who persevered, and she still had
grace. She would make a dollar out of 15 cents. She had resil- you think she should go about it in the same way? Why not?
ience and threw herself into every detail, even if it was the way [laughs] I can’t tell you how many times ladies have come up to
me and said, “I got my groove back.” They’re embracing their
sensuality and youth. In Hollywood, there was a time when
people believed that once an actress turns 40, it’s over. But no,
those things that make us who we are—our sensuality, sexual-
ity, compassion, and intelligence—that doesn’t come to an end.
It deepens and ripens, you know? It’s all in the attitude.

Absolutely. I know you inspired [renowned aesthetics
expert] Dr. Barbara Sturm to produce a line for darker skin
tones a few years ago. How do you maintain such amazing

skin? Well, definitely I would have to say my aesthetician is
a big part of it. I found a great one, Skin by Mamie [Mamie
McDonald]. She is so gifted at what she does. As August Wil-
son once wrote, after two hours with her, “I am shining like
new money.” I don’t really wear makeup if I don’t have to. I’m

90 I nST YL E FEB RUA RY 2022

Lanvin cape (worn
as a dress). Patricia
Von Musulin earrings

and bracelets.

BEAUTY BEAT
For a high-shine finish

on your lips, use Pat
McGrath Labs Lust:
Gloss Bronze Divinity
($14; patmcgrath.com)

as a final touch.

Valentino gown.
Roberto Coin
hoops. David Webb
necklace. Bulgari
bracelets and rings.

Hair: Randy Stodghill
for Opus Beauty.
Makeup: D’Andre
Michael. Manicure:
Saccia for Opus
Beauty. Location:
Studio Stropa.

trying to just keep healthy skin that I don’t need to cover up. Of be paid. That is one thing that I’ve said to myself since early on

course, I have things that I deal with, like hormonal changes in my career. I mean, I literally would say, “I want to work in

and melasma. But I feel like so much of who we are is on the roles that can change me and change the conversation. I want

inside. So if you’re stressed, it shows, and it shows in your skin. to work consistently. And I want to be paid fairly.” It’s about

What is the most badass thing you have ever done? I think knowing your worth and standing on it. Being in positions

it was to confidently go after my dreams without someone and places where your worth is appreciated is a good thing.

providing personal instruction and direction for me. I had to I’m glad that it can influence others. There is a bit of me that’s

figure a lot of it out for myself. My senior year in college, I told from a generation where we don’t talk openly about things

myself, “I’m going to give my own dreams a shot. And should like that. But I understand what generation this is today.

they not work out the way I desire, I have all the time in the In such a competitive industry, it seems like there is such

world to maybe give someone else’s a shot.” I look up to every a genuine camaraderie between you and your fellow actor

single woman who has the courage to follow her heart. Any friends. I love to support my sisters, and I cheer for them.

woman in any discipline who’s doing her thing. It takes I cheer for their successes. I cheer for the mark they make

courage and bravery to do it anyway when you’re unsure. and every effort they make. We are a reflection of each other.

I thought maybe you were going to say Bernadine’s car- I’ve always been that actor who gets excited to see other ac-

burning scene from Waiting to Exhale. The memes and GIFs tors at auditions. Because a lot of times you might find your-

are endless. That was something I would only dream about self as the only Black woman, or one of a few. It’s wonderful

doing, but I would not have the guts to really do it. I’m such a with 9-1-1 that I get to work with Aisha [Hinds] because I

good girl. Sometimes in life we want was such a big fan of hers watching

to blow it up and burn it down! “Those things that Underground. And then for them to
[laughs] But we can’t always. bring in Marsha Warfield to portray

We must remain calm, cool, and make us who we are— her mother, who I grew up watching
collected. Before that, I had not on Night Court. Regina [King] is my
seen such a powerful image in film our sensuality,
sister, and I am so peacock-proud of

that had such a dramatic flair. sexuality, compassion, everything she does. I’m so proud of
and intelligence—that Halle [Berry] for making her direc-
It’s been 26 years since that film torial debut [with the Netflix movie
was released. Whitney Houston doesn’t come to an Bruised]. Whatever a woman’s do-
was phenomenal in it too. What ing, I’m supporting and applauding
was it like working so closely with

her? She was delightful and beauti- end. It deepens and her. Because we don’t feel 100 per-
ful, always dancing and singing. She ripens, you know?” cent every day. We need to be able
was such a lover girl. Sometimes we to look out and find inspiration.
are put in these gilded cages and we
How do you recharge when you’re

must present ourselves in a certain way, and then we are held not feeling your best? I turn to Courtney and our kids,

to that standard. She had intense scrutiny and pressure on friends, and trusted confidants, because I can just say,

her, but she was just—you know how LL Cool J would say, an “Oh, Lord, it was too much.” I know I can rage with them. I

“Around the Way Girl”? [laughs] She was such a beauty and a can’t go out in public and do it, but I can burn it up at home.

light. She showed up ready and prepared, honey, every single [laughs] And it’s like, “OK, now I’m over it and I’m ready

day, more than the so-called actors. It was impressive. to go.” It’s where you can be your sister girl most authentic

We’ve had so much loss over the years of Black talent self, and your true self is not pretty and on all the time. We

you’ve worked with, like Whitney and Chadwick Boseman. all have those moments.

How do you process it? The loss can be overwhelming, but In 2020 you and your husband launched your own produc-

I try to remain grateful for the moments I’ve had with them tion company [Bassett Vance Productions]. Do you see

and for the contribution that they’ve made to my life and to yourselves as leaders among the community? There’s a part

culture. Instead of leaning into the loss, I lean into the bless- of you that recognizes that you’re held up in a position to

ing that their life was and will appear to be in spirit. When inspire. But then there’s a part where that feels like a lot. So

you’re a person of faith, you know that we are much more do allow us to misstep and to try just like everyone else. And

than just flesh and blood. We’re spirit, heart, and soul as especially when you try to get projects up, some will come to

well. And we trust that those things remain with us. fruition and some may take decades. It’s wonderful to be in

Last August you received a salary raise to reportedly a position to provide opportunity to the marketplace and to

$450,000 an episode for your show 9-1-1, where you also the screen, large and small. We both started out as simply

serve as executive producer. This made you one of the high- actors, but as you continue and get stronger with experience,

est-paid actresses in television. Have you always been about you take the opportunities, and you’re grateful.

asking for what you deserve? Everyone wants to keep the You’re always working. Did you get any downtime over the

lights on, but I’ve never been motivated solely by money or past two years? My life can have that nonstop locomotive

fame. For me, it’s always and only been for the joy of following vibe, so I appreciated being home and being quiet. To be hon-

my dreams. That’s what makes me feel alive. Now, it’s good to est, I enjoy my own company, so I kind of loved it. [laughs] ■

F E B R UA RY 2 02 2 I n S T Y L E 93

Anja

Taking on her most compelling
work yet, model ANJA RUBIK
calls for change in her native Poland

by SA M A N TH A SIMON
photographed by PAOL A KUDACK I styled by A NJA RUBIK

94 I n S T Y L E F E B R UA RY 2 02 2

Valentino shirt.

BEAUTY BEAT
For a subtle lift,
sweep one layer
of YSL Beauty
Mascara Volume
Effet Faux Cils ($29;
yslbeautyus.com)
across your lashes.

In 2017, she launched #sexedpl. Initially conceived as a
one-off campaign, it spawned a best-selling book by Rubik
(which was subsequently banned in many Polish schools)
and became an official foundation, SEXED.PL, that provides
teenagers, parents, and adults with age-appropriate and
agenda-free education on human rights, gender equality,
relationships, and reproductive choice. “I didn’t want to
just bring attention to a problem; I wanted to create a prac-
tical solution that can actually change our reality,” she says.
“We live in a very fragile time where there are so many in-

Mcredible movements happening thanks to social media, but
it was important to build a true support system, rather than
just raising awareness by hashtagging the shit out of it.”

On Instagram alone, the foundation reaches almost

“Modeling is a very specific profession where your body 200,000 followers—and the engagement rate is high,

becomes your tool,” says Polish-born Anja Rubik, who with community members requesting consultations via

has fronted campaigns for Chloé, Gucci, and Valentino, direct message. Still, Rubik continues to face resistance

and was one of Karl Lagerfeld’s top muses at Fendi and from her home country. She’s frequently sued by Polish

Chanel. She has also been the face—and epic legs—of politicians simply for standing up for sex education and

Saint Laurent since 2016. “Once you understand that LGBTQ+ rights, and she struggles to find brands willing

you’re making the conscious decision to become part of to publicly partner with the foundation. “There are

someone else’s vision, you can absolutely use your body to days when I feel completely deflated and quite terrified,

gain power—and you shouldn’t feel shameful or be objec- because the subject is so heavily politicized,” she says.

tified because of it.” Of course, navigating brand relationships is nothing

Rubik, 38, now fights for other women to have that same new for Rubik. A longtime scuba diver and ambassador for

sense of autonomy. When Poland’s near total ban on abor- the environmental nonprofit Parley for the Oceans, she is

tion was challenged in 2016, she felt an overwhelming call to outspoken about sustainability, “a very tricky subject” in

action. She joined thousands of people in Europe marching the fashion industry. On that front, she’s calling for trans-

the streets to protest new restrictions. “The extremely parency across the board. “I want brands to have the balls

right-wing government, which uses sexuality as political to come out and say, ‘We are not perfect. But we’re working

ammunition, was trying to eliminate one of three excep- toward a better tomorrow.’ ” She’s also tired of greenwash-

tions to the law,” says Rubik, who spoke at rallies and quickly ing, or “when a brand just focuses on the things it does

discovered a larger knowledge gap central to the issue at right, like one sustainable project that makes up only

hand. “It was absurd to me that people who were against 10 percent of a gigantic company’s production.”

abortion were also against comprehensive sexuality educa- Those realities have occasionally made Rubik rethink her

tion, because that is how the majority of these unwanted place in the industry altogether. “There have been times

pregnancies could be prevented. I didn’t have sex ed when I when I’ve considered not taking a job or just completely step-

was at school, but I figured that had changed. As it turns out, ping back because of the impact the fashion industry has on

things had gotten even worse.” the planet,” she admits. “I’ve had those doubts. But at the end

She began doing her own research, collecting data and of the day, I am, unfortunately, replaceable. At least I can try

speaking to sexologists and psychologists. The results to push them forward—I mean, people are exhausted by me

were frightening, from a lack of access to contraception on set. The whole Saint Laurent team is on high alert, and if

and low awareness about sexually transmitted infections I see any plastic, someone runs over to tell me it’s biodegrad-

and sexual abuse to the prevalence of “LGBT-free zones” able.” She laughs. “I guess I terrorize them a little bit.”

declared throughout Poland. Rubik was, understandably, From sustainability to sex ed, Rubik remains steadfast

appalled. “If you don’t teach kids about their bodies or safe in championing the causes that matter most to her. “You’ve

sex or consent, you can’t have a healthy and safe society,” got to act and have the courage to stand for what you believe

she says. “It’s completely irresponsible—and once I realized is right,” she says. “Will it really change the world? I don’t

that, I knew I had to do something.” know. Every day I just do the best I can.” n

96 I nS T Y L E FEB RUA RY 202 2

Saint Laurent
by Anthony
Vaccarello
bodysuit
and pumps.

Alberta Ferretti
coat. Roberto
Coin hoops.
Cartier watch.