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Summer 2021

The Joy of

TRACEE ELLIS ROSS The

14 BEST BEAUTY PRODUCTS IN THE WORLD (Our Global Editors Tested Thousands)

It’s Time for a

PRENUP POSTNUP P. 35

VESTED INTEREST 35

SO YOU WANT A POSTNUP Couples are protecting their individual finances long after they’ve said “I do.”

38

THE BUDGET Money-saving tips for your postpandemic getaway.

BEAUTY & WELLNESS 41

The editor-tested (and trusted) products that won our 35th annual Prix d’Excellence beauty awards. Plus, the perfect hair oil, body treatments, and SPF for everyone.

FASHION & FEATURES IN EVERY ISSUE 12 97 98

EDITOR’S NOTE

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JOIE DE TRACEE Actress and CEO Tracee Ellis Ross on finding joy in her work and herself.

74

HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN Dress for the (vibrant! playful!) summer you want.

84

EVERYBODY LOVES ANNIE Emmy winner Annie Murphy tackles sitcom sexism in her new leading role.

90

WON’T CALL THE MIDWIFE Some expectant mothers are taking birth into their own hands. Should they?

SHOPPING DIRECTORY CROSSWORD

FIRST 2

66

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION The woman-led flicks to see now. Plus, Jennifer Coolidge gets serious in her new role (and in our interview).

WORTH IT This season’s most luxurious beauty and fashion buys.

READY TO WEAR PHOTOGRAPH BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

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It’s finally (finally!) time to swap your cozy sweats for breezy warm-weather staples.

POWER TRIP 30

THE SACRED BOOM Women are using their spiritual gifts to help others … and make bank.

32

LEADING THE RIDE Dara Treseder, Peloton’s marketing mastermind, on the brand’s success and her own.

ON THE COVERS

Photographs by Christine Hahn. Styling by Shiona Turini. On newsstand cover: JW Anderson top, Walters Faith rings. On subscriber cover: Chanel coat, Cartier earrings.

Hair: Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross Leave-In Conditioner. Makeup: Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Intimatte lipstick in Not Flirting.

LaQuan Smith TOP, $176; laquansmith .com; LaPointe PANTS, $1,350; shoplapointe.com; Boma RING, $62; bomajewelry.com; Salvatore Ferragamo BAG, $3,200; ferragamo.com.

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CELEBRATE A RETURN TO THE MULTIPLEX WITH THE BEST FEMALE-LED BLOCKBUSTERS OF THE SEASON. LET YOUR FAVORITE PANDEMIC BINGES BE YOUR GUIDE. By NEHA PRAKASH

START HERE

Oh well— better stick to books.

Watch Cruella (May 28).

Settle in for Emma Stone’s Estella— fabulous, ambitious, and cruel to the core.

Did you like The Witches ?

Yes No

No

Watch Zola (June 30).

Taylour Paige and Riley Keough star in a rowdy stripper saga for the Twitter generation.

Did you like WandaVision?

Yes Watch The Suicide Squad (August 6).

Superhero, antihero, or just plain evil? With Margot Robbie back as Harley Quinn, does it matter?

Yes

Did you like P-Valley?

No Watch Those Who Wish Me Dead (May 14).

Angelina Jolie returns to the big screen in an epic action thriller.

Did you like Selena: The Series ?

Yes

Yes No

2

Watch Respect (August 13). This Aretha Franklin biopic featuring Jennifer Hudson screams Oscar.

MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

No

Did you like Little Fires Everywhere?

CRUELLA: LAURIE SPARHAM/DISNEY; P-VALLEY: COURTESY OF STARZ ENTERTAINMENT; LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE: ERKIN SMITH/HULU; RESPECT: QUANTRELL D. COLBERT; THOSE WHO WISH ME DEAD: EMERSON MILLER; THE SUICIDE SQUAD: WARNER BROS. PICTURES/ DC COMICS; ZOLA: COURTESY OF ANNA KOORIS/A24; THE WITCHES: DANIEL SMITH/WARNER BROS.; WANDAVISION: COURTESY OF MARVEL STUDIOS; SELENA: THE SERIES: MICHAEL LAVINE/NETFLIX

Summer Movie Cheat Sheet

Q&A

COOLIDGE (ABOVE): COURTESY OF HBO; COOLIDGE & WITHERSPOON: AF ARCHIVE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; ADUBA: SAM JONES/TRUNK ARCHIVE

QUEEN OF CAMP

Grief has never been so spectacularly unhinged as in HBO’s limited series The White Lotus.

Funnywoman Jennifer Coolidge stars as Tanya MacQuoid, a woman coping with the loss of her mother at a Hawaiian resort. The actress infuses her character with both heartbreaking sensitivity and oblivious buffoonery, which will have you laughing through the tears. The social satire brilliantly juxtaposes the island’s entitled guests with the skittish hotel staff, showing that paradise doesn’t solve all your problems. In fact, it might just drown you in them. In advance of the July 11 premiere, Coolidge chats about terrible vacations, how Ariana Grande reinvigorated her career, and the lasting legacy of Legally Blonde. —N.P.

Marie Claire: Your character sets the show’s dark, eccentric tone. What drew you to the role?

Jennifer Coolidge: I was in a movie with [The White Lotus creator] Mike White many years ago. He said he wrote [this part] with me in mind. It was funny because there are things [in the script] that are really unflattering about the character.

MC: Did you recognize any similarities between you and Tanya?

JC: I think Mike knew that the loss of my mother was a very big deal. It happened much earlier than I thought it would happen. Being alone a lot [during the pandemic] made me really have to face some things I’d buried, so it was sort of easy to access [those emotions]. I remember some days [of filming], it was a little dark.

MC: That reminds me, a bit, of Elle and Warner in Legally Blonde. Can you believe July marks 20 years since the movie came out?

JC: So many women come up to me and tell me they went to law school because of that movie. It really made an impact. Did I know it was going to be what it was? No. But I had a good feeling when we were shooting it.

MC: If Legally Blonde 3 does happen, do you have any hopes for your character, Paulette?

JC: I’m really hoping that Paulette and [Elle] have some big adventure. Some wild ride.

MC: You’ve had so many iconic roles. Which has resonated the most with you?

JC: The White Lotus, ’cause it’s something so different. [And] Promising Young Woman, it made this shift happen [in my career]. I do also have Ariana Grande to thank. I got this phone call, if I would do her video for “Thank U, Next,” that somehow put me back in the game. It seemed like there were not a lot of interesting movie roles coming my way, and then that happened, and all of a sudden these cool things [came along].

For more, visit marieclaire.com/ jennifer-coolidge.

UZO ADUBA

A D D TO Q U E U E LEFT: Coolidge as Tanya in The White Lotus.

BOTTOM: With Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde.

Consider it the summer of Uzo. First up, the actress stars in the Amazon Studios anthology series Solos (May 21), exploring the intersection of technology and human connection. Her thrilling performance is deserving of a theater stage—but perhaps it’s best on a streamer, so you can watch your worst pandemic nightmares play out again and again. Then, catch Aduba in HBO’s reimagining of In Treatment (May 23); she’ll keep you in your feels as the empathetic but troubled therapist Brooke Taylor.

Here, what she’s watching, reading, and listening to.

The last thing I bingewatched was Search Party.

I know, so late.

The next thing I plan on binge-watching is Schitt’s Creek. I know, again, sooooo late.

The book I can read over and over again is The Alchemist. I’ve read it three times and need to again.

The next book on my list is The End of Policing,

by Alex S. Vitale.

If I had a podcast, it would be about politics, cooking, the arts, and The Real Housewives.

The movie with the greatest ending is Love Actually.

Gets me Every. Single. Time.

When I’ve had a bad day, I like to listen to gospel music—likely Yolanda Adams. It picks me up and calms me down.

MC: Do you have a really bad vacation story?

If I could watch only one movie for the rest of my life, it would be—it’s two movies: The Little Mermaid and Newsies. I have no plans to explain what I see as obvious choices.

JC: I did go on a vacation with a guy who, on the final night, said he wanted to see other people. It was a guy I didn’t know very well; it wasn’t like I thought we were going to run off and be married. I probably wouldn’t have seen him again anyway.

Summer 2021

M ARIECLAIRE.CO M

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An ode to the famous French seaside getaway Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, Dior’s latest combines notes of salt, coconut, sunshine, and tanning oil.

The only thing better? Booking a room.

LOUIS VUITTON On the Beach eau de parfum, $265.

Scents can elevate moods and bring back memories of happy days. That’s exactly what this fragrance does with its sunny notes of mandarin, ylang-ylang, vanilla, and coconut. Your (mental) poolside rendezvous awaits.

LANCÔME La Vie Est Belle Soleil Cristal eau de parfum, $133.

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To capture the Caribbean Sea, D.S. & Durga drew inspiration from the aromatics that grow in the region.

With Haitian vetiver and tropical grasses, it’s now possible to smell paradise from home.

D.S. & DURGA St. Vetyver eau de parfum, $260.

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uis Vuitt

CHRISTIAN DIOR Eden-Roc eau de parfum, $320.

The Island Musk

Rather than a sweet walk among roses, this perfume combines fresh iris with neroli, cedarwood, and incense– a scent best paired with some sunglasses and endless confidence.

PRADA Infusion d’Iris Cedre eau de parfum, $160.

Prada

The Scottish Whiff Coco Chanel herself was fascinated by Scotland, and that love is represented in this perfume.

Hints of juniper berries, cypress, and vetiver call to mind long jaunts over grassy hills. A glass of Scotch in hand completes the picture.

CHANEL Paris–Édimbourg Les Eaux de Chanel eau de toilette, $130.

on

Aerin

Lo

AERIN Rose de Grasse Pour Filles eau de toilette, $90.

The Summer Sun

The New Floral

D.

This new take on Rose de Grasse dives into the subtle and youthful side of the flower.

With hints of pear and musk, it’s an uncomplicated floral scent that’s feminine and not overly sweet.

The Luxe Stay

Ch

The Delicate Rose

The Surfer Chick For everyone who’s been deprived of sandy vacations for too long, Louis Vuitton has masterfully bottled our wanderlust.

With bright yuzu, neroli, and a blend of herbs, this scent is perfect for pairing with a mojito.

Chanel

EAU YES! If the warm weather has inspired you to invest in an olfactory boost, we’ve got just the thing. Seven scents for a sweet-smelling summer.

The Expert: David Moltz, cofounder and nose of D.S. & Durga It’s this whole world you can explore and get into. And it’s a nice way of spreading joy. I feel like it’s a pretty small investment for this artistic thing that lasts so long. MC: Does hot or humid weather affect certain perfume notes? DM: In general, perfume will tend to evaporate more [in summer].

I cannot stand the obsession with how long a perfume lasts. I’m not saying you want it to dissipate, but everyone’s skin is different and is going to take it a different way. MC: What kinds of scents do you like for this season? DM: I’m definitely not too into rules. In fact, I love the very opposite: hot, humid, heavy fragrances—that jungle, humid vibe—in the summer. I like lighter stuff in the winter.

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

COURTESY OF THE BRANDS

MARIE CLAIRE: Why should someone invest in an expensive perfume? DAVID MOLTZ: Fragrance is an art form.

LIGHTWEIGHT MOISTURE

FOR FINE CURLS.

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The Healthier Blowdry Dyson technology has made heat damage a thing of the past.

The brand’s curlfriendly diffuser results in less frizz and tons of volume, thanks to the dryer’s smart heatregulating motor.

DYSON Supersonic Hair Dryer with Diffuser Attachment, $400.

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The Golden-Hour Curl T3’s classic curling iron is getting a rose-gold makeover just in time for summer. The updated wand is pretty enough to display on your counter and easy to wield for beginners. Tousled strands will be your go-to look.

T3 Singlepass Curl 1.25-inch, $150.

HAIR HELP

The Frizz Fighter With infrared and ionic energy, this tool not only delivers voluminous, smooth blowouts—and fast—it also promotes hair health.

Dry, damaged strands? Not anymore.

SULTRA After Hours Collection Thermalite Dryer Brush, $149.

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P Y Tra RO T JOS vel OO H C Fla era LS m t Iro Styli ic n n, $11 g 5.

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MA R I E C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

The Expert: Harry Josh, celebrity hairstylist and founder of Harry Josh Pro Tools MARIE CLAIRE: What are the benefits of luxury hair tools? HARRY JOSH: Everything works to a certain

degree. The components in the tool itself create performance. Anything mass-manufactured in giant factories with robots putting them together will never have the craftsmanship quality of something that is artisan. MC: How can you avoid damage when using hot tools? HJ: High-end products are generally designed for high performance and protection. Expensive [tools], like mine, which are made in Korea, have custom heaters inside. That gives you more equal heat distribution, which means it works faster and more efficiently; there’s less damage simply because they pass through the hair less. MC: How do products improve styling results? HJ: High-quality tools used with thermal protectants will create optimal and lasting results. I truly think it’s time to invest in betterquality products and stop shopping so much.

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D 219 GH ler, $ Sty

COURTESY OF THE BRANDS

Josh

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Sure, these gadgets are pricey, but think about how much you’ve spent at the salon. Our favorite high-quality tools give you pro-level results at home.

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© J&JCI 2021

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$1,105; (646) 810-4785.

PE

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$495; staud.clothing.

$245; petit kouraj.com.

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REJINA

$2,290; fendi.com.

$675; rejina pyo.com.

W E AV E S U M M E R ’ S M E S H C A R RYA L L S I N TO Y O U R D A Y -T O - D A Y W A R D R O B E .

BRA $445; brahmin .com.

HMIN

NETTED BAGS MARIE CLAIRE: Why is the netted-bag style having a resurgence right now? DEBORAH REYNER SEBAG: Fashion is really inspired by le quotidien— our daily life. Netted bags first appeared at the grocery store, then they appeared on the runways and as the best of street style.

MC: How have they evolved over the years? DRS: Modernity comes from new materials like natural straw and leather and also with linings that are added so you can carry your belongings around without losing them. MC: What kinds of outfits would you pair with a netted bag?

DRS: They can look really amazing with a boho-chic outfit or a classic suit. I also like the idea of wearing one as an unexpected evening bag!

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

COURTESY OF THE DESIGNERS

The Expert: Deborah Reyner Sebag, fashion consultant, @thedailydeb

TODAY’S FORECAST: 100% CHANCE OF HYDRATED SKIN. Clinically proven to lock in hydration with Hyaluronic Acid.

Skin so supple and hydrated, it bounces back.

© J&JCI 2019

PRESENTED BY AUSTRALIAN GOLD

EDITOR IN CHIEF Sally

Holmes CREATIVE DIRECTOR Wanyi Jiang Payne CHIEF VISUAL CONTENT DIRECTOR, HEARST MAGAZINES Alix Campbell VISUAL DIRECTOR James Morris EXECUTIVE MANAGING EDITOR Ellen

Editorial DEPUTY EDITOR Danielle McNally DIRECTOR OF

VICE PRESIDENT

PRESIDENT Arnaud de Contades Elisabeth Leurquin Marie Claire

International

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MARIE CLAIRE

Comary, Inc.

INTERNATIONAL Jean

de Boisdeffre INTERNATIONAL DEPUTY & FINANCE DIRECTOR Félix Droissar INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING DIRECTOR Nicia Rodwell SYNDICATION MANAGER Thierry Lamarre INTERNATIONAL CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Sèverine Harzo INTERNATIONAL FASHION & BEAUTY DEPUTY EDITOR IN CHIEF Florence Deladrière Advertising SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Carol A. Smith VICE PRESIDENT/GENERAL MANAGER Anne Welch HEAD OF SALES Lori Fromm ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, CRO Matthew Talomie ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, DIGITAL CRO Justin Tarquinio HEAD OF MARKETING Brent Williams Allen ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER, MARKETING Erin Loop Petrausch EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ADVERTISING BUSINESS OPERATIONS Jeanine Triolo EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT/BUSINESS ASSOCIATE Dana Wentzel GROUP ADVERTISING DIRECTOR, BEAUTY Joanna Nowack Melissakis GROUP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FASHION & LUXURY Aaron S. Kransdorf SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LUXURY Kate Slavin EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FASHION/ RETAIL Paula Fortgang EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Cindy Beesmer EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, BEAUTY Sandra Mauriello Broderick , Tammy Cohen , Judy Sage, Jill Schlanger-Slivka INTEGRATED ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Courtney Gibson , Alison Gluck FASHION ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Michael Riggio DIRECT MEDIA SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Angela Hronopoulos SALES COORDINATORS Rachel Motola , Natalia Pavlina SALES ASSISTANTS Katherine Hogan, Owen Pan-Kita

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

Integrated Marketing EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, INTEGRATED MARKETING Heidi Kanefsky, Elizabeth Petrelli, Lindsay Sable SENIOR DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED MARKETING Dana Mendelowitz DIRECTOR, DIGITAL MARKETING Alexandra Kekalos DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED MARKETING Aimee Couture ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED MARKETING Sara Oldmixon SENIOR MANAGER, INTEGRATED MARKETING/ MERCHANDISING EDITOR C o re y G o l d e n MANAGER, INTEGRATED MARKETING Briana Rotello ASSOCIATE MANAGERS, INTEGRATED MARKETING Georgia Karacostas, Emily Letchford, Courtney McMorrow

Brand Development

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BRAND

Nicole Spicehandler SENIOR DIRECTOR, BRAND DEVELOPMENT Alexandra Stetzer MANAGER, BRAND DEVELOPMENT Melanie Singer DEVELOPMENT

Events & Brand Partnerships

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,

EVENTS & BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Terrence SPECIAL EVENTS Jessica

Charles MANAGER,

Heinmiller

Creative Services EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CREATIVE SERVICES

Thea Karas SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Jessica Tsouplakis ART DIRECTORS Luisa Huayamave, Alice Stevens EDITOR, FEATURES & SPECIAL PROJECTS Megan DiTrolio Advertising Operations ADVERTISING SERVICES DIRECTOR

Michael Nies ADVERTISING SERVICES & OPERATIONS MANAGER Michelle Luis Circulation & Production VICE PRESIDENT, RETAIL SALES Jim

Miller VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP CONSUMER MARKETING DIRECTOR Rick Day OPERATIONS ACCOUNT MANAGER Andrew Joyce BRANCH OFFICES Southwest MANAGER Dawn Bar, Wisdom Media (214) 526-3821 West Coast EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Sandy Adamski WEST COAST DIRECTOR Beth Ann Cohen EXECUTIVE WEST COAST DIRECTOR Marjan DiPiazza ASSISTANT Elisabeth Spielvogel (310) 6642973 Midwest EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, INTEGRATED SALES Abby Burdick ASSISTANT Isha Kapadia (312) 964-4958 Published by Hearst

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE

Steven R. Swartz CHAIRMAN William R. Hearst III EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN Frank A. Bennack, Jr. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Mark E. Aldam OFFICER

Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. PRESIDENT AND TREASURER

Kate Lewis Kristen M. O’Hara SECRETARY Catherine A. Bostron PUBLISHING CONSULTANTS Gilbert C. Maurer, Mark F. Miller Debi Chirichella

CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER

CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER

CUSTOMER SERVICE CALL: 800-777-3287 EMAIL: MARCUSTSERV@CDSFULFILLMENT.COM VISIT: SERVICE.MARIE CLAIRE.COM WRITE: CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT, MARIE CLAIRE, P.O. BOX 6000, HARLAN, IA 51593. PUBLISHED AT 300 W. 57TH ST., 24TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10019; (212) 841-8314, ADVERTISING FAX (212) 492-1390.

MARIE CLAIRE IS PUBLISHED BY MARIE CLAIRE/HEARST, A NEW YORK GENERAL PARTNERSHIP WHOSE PARTNERS ARE HEARST MAGAZINE MEDIA, INC., AND COMARY, INC., A SUBSIDIARY OF MARIE CLAIRE ALBUM S.A. MARIE CLAIRE IS A TRADEMARK OF, AND IS USED UNDER LICENSE FROM, MARIE CLAIRE ALBUM, 10 BD. DES FRÈRES VOISIN, 92130 ISSY-LES-MOULINEAUX, FRANCE; 011-33-141-46-87-90. COPYRIGHT ©2021 BY MARIE CLAIRE/HEARST. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN U.S.A.

You might think of aloe vera as an after-sun soother, but this plant-based SPF 50 from Australian Gold is formulated with the powerful ingredient and coconut oil to keep your skin soft, smooth, and safe. Slather, sun, swim, repeat.

AUSTRALIAN GOLD Plant Based Lotion Sunscreen SPF 50, $13.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA; FASHION EDITOR: CARALINE ZEIZEL; MODEL: VIDA S AT FREEDOM MODELS; HAIR: JAVIER MARTÍNEZ FOR RANDCOBLEU AND T3; MAKEUP: JULIANA GONZALEZ AT CREATIVE MANAGEMENT FOR CHANEL BEAUTY

CONTENT STRATEGY Jenny Hollander MANAGING EDITOR Carl Kelsch COPY & RESEARCH CHIEF Sarah Strzelec SENIOR NEWS & CULTURE EDITOR Neha Prakash EDITOR, FEATURES & SPECIAL PROJECTS Megan DiTrolio ASSOCIATE EDITOR Rachel Epstein ASSISTANT EDITOR Chelsea Hall Fashion FASHION DIRECTOR Joseph Errico ACCESSORIES DIRECTOR Julia Gall FASHION FEATURES ASSOCIATE Sara Holzman MARKET ASSISTANT (ACCESSORIES) Katie Attardo FASHION ASSISTANT Taylor Ayers Beauty BEAUTY & HEALTH EDITOR Taylore Glynn Entertainment EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TALENT, HEARST Randi Peck ENTERTAINMENT DIRECTOR Maxwell Losgar Art DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Hanna Varady ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Susanna Hayward VISUAL DESIGNER Morgan McMullen VISUAL EDITOR Bridget Burns DIGITAL IMAGING SPECIALIST Rebecca Iovan Administration EDITORIAL BUSINESS DIRECTOR Juli Chin Hearst Visual Group DEPUTY VISUAL DIRECTOR Fiona Lennon SENIOR VISUAL RESEARCHER Megan A. Victoria VISUAL RESEARCHER Nicole Clacken Public Relations EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS C h r i s t i n a Lombardi Contributors CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY & HEALTH DIRECTOR Ying Chu CONTRIBUTING FEATURES EDITOR Maria Ricapito CONTRIBUTING CREDITS EDITOR Shelby Comroe CONTRIBUTING BEAUTY ASSISTANT Tatjana Freund

First E D I TO R ’ S N O T E

Brighter Days Ahead

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

A photo from our “Holidays in the Sun” shoot in Portugal EMILIO PUCCI TURTLENECK, $730, AND LEGGINGS, $715; EMILIO PUCCI.COM.

that dopamine-producing vacation vibe with beauty products that impart a sun-kissed glow (p. 60) and scents that promise to transport you (p. 4). My own summer plans are hardly exotic: I will be planted on my Brooklyn stoop with friends, wearing perhaps, as the Inspiration (p. 16) suggests, a Chanel jacket thrown over my second-skin athleisure—exactly where I want to be, and that fills me with joy.

SALLY HOLMES Editor in Chief

MODEL IMAGE: PHOTOGRAPH BY FEE-GLORIA GRÖNEMEYER; HOLMES: PHILIP FRIEDMAN

With the days lengthening and more and more loved ones getting the COVID-19 vaccine, I’m starting to feel decidedly optimistic. After a year of being a hermit, I’m determined to live my best life this summer, which, for me, means rosé outdoors with friends, limited screen time, and embracing clothes that don’t contain the word sweat. My hope is that with a year of intense challenges behind us, the months ahead can be about finding joy.

Who better to usher in a season of happiness than Tracee Ellis Ross, the actress, CEO, and comedic queen, who writer Lola Ogunnaike describes as the “living embodiment of the phrase ‘Go big or go home’ ” in our cover story (p. 66)?

Ross is already living her best life—“I feel the sexiest I’ve ever felt; it’s going to waste in the pandemic,” she declares— and while it may have been a journey riddled with self-doubt and plenty of noes, today she is exactly where she wants to be. The founder of a groundbreaking beauty brand and noted fashion fanatic, Ross has a keen perspective when it comes to style: “I have always had a lot of courage, joy, whimsy, and bold confidence when it comes to fashion,” she says in the story, a sentiment that is celebrated in the accompanying photo shoot.

Deeper in the magazine, we travel to Portugal (p. 74), where photographer FeeGloria Grönemeyer reminds us what getting dressed can look like: bright, playful, and, simply, beautiful. Though many of us won’t be traveling to such far-flung locales this summer, we can still capture

All Set for Summer There’s no better way to prep for summer than by waxing. For Katharine, enjoying wax services at European Wax Center is an essential and convenient part of her summer self-care routine.

“I feel more confident when my skin feels smooth, silky, and fresh. And I’m always ready to hit the beach or sit by a pool instead of needing to use a razor at the last minute.”

Get Bikini–Ready Katharine’s favorite summer European Wax Center services are bikini and underarm waxing. “I love that my skin looks and feels smooth after waxing, but even more importantly, it makes me feel great. And to be honest, waxing at European Wax Center doesn’t hurt a bit— even on my bikini area.”

YOUR EASY SUMMER ROUTINE

BY EUROPEAN WAX CENTER

1.

BIKINI WAX

Whether you do just your bikini line or get a full Brazilian, make sure you prevent any pesky hairs from peeking out.

2.

BROW WAX

Beautifully waxed brows are the perfect complement to a “no-makeup” makeup look. Open up your face this summer with the right arch, volume, and shape.

3.

UNDERARM WAX

Summer is all about wearing sleeveless and strapless, so make sure your pits are smooth.

Wax every four to six weeks and forget all about that five-o’ clock shadow under your arms.

Kat’s Top Waxing Tip “Don’t shave or tweeze between waxes. If you wax regularly, hair will grow back finer and thinner. The more you wax, the less hair grows back. It’s a win–win!”

GET YOUR FIRST WAX FREE!

Choose from a bikini line, underarm, nose, ear, or brow wax. For more information and to book your free wax, visit waxcenter.com

OPEN for a summer self-care routine from European Wax Center

WORK UP A SWEAT

Katharine stays active by practicing yoga, swimming and taking long walks. “I get a great workout from yoga, and I love the added benefit of being able to focus on breathing, quieting my mind, and meditating.”

RECIPE FOR ENERGY

As a new mom, staying healthy is more important than ever. “I love hard-boiled eggs, salad, cheese, and roasted veggies, and most days I make a delicious flaxseed smoothie with almond butter, collagen powder, chia seeds, bananas, and berries.”

HEAD-TO-TOE MASSAGE

Katharine enjoys using skincare products to maintain her glow. “I love massaging oils into my skin. The massage stimulates collagen and blood flow, and the oil feels and smells amazing on my skin.”

Between waxes, you can actually slow your hair regrowth with Slow Coconut Body Oil. The super-conditioning, fastabsorbing formula reduces hair thickness, hydrates for 8-plus hours, and nourishes skin.

EWC Slow™, Coconut Body Oil with Hair Growth Minimizer, $16.00

P R ES E N T E D BY E U R O P E A N WA X C E N T E R

Smooth Confidence For singer and actress Katharine McPhee Foster, being a mom is her most joyous role. “I cherish it all—even when the baby wakes me up at night!”

Though her priorities have shifted, self-care is important. “I try to enjoy life, reduce stress, and stay mentally healthy.” For self-care, Katharine takes baths, pampers her skin, eats healthy, and exercises. “I appreciate what my body has done, and I love how I feel in my skin.” To keep her skin smooth, Katharine enjoys waxing at European Wax Center. “Waxing makes me feel fresh, and gives me pep in my step.” Find out her favorite European Wax Center services, and see what makes Katharine feel her absolute best.

WORK UP A SWEAT

Katharine stays active by practicing yoga, swimming, and taking long walks. “I get a great workout from yoga, and I love the added benefit of being able to focus on breathing, quieting my mind, and meditating.”

Smooth suits you.

R E V E A L YO U R B E ST, W I T H T H E B E ST.

YO U R F I R ST WA X I S F R E E . * | WA XC E N T E R .C O M *First-time guests only. Valid only for select services. Additional terms may apply. Please visit waxcenter.com for general terms and conditions. © 2021 EWC Franchise, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Chanel CLOTHING and ACCESSORIES; (800) 550-0005.

For more information, see Shopping Directory.

The Elegance of Ease

F O R C H A N E L’ S L A T E S T M É T I E R S D ’ A R T C O L L E C T I O N , L A D Y L I K E S O P H I S T I C A T I O N W A S R E M I X E D F O R A M O D E R N W O M A N ’ S WA R D R O B E , P R O V I N G E L E G A N T D O E S N ’ T H AV E TO M E A N U PT I G H T. FASHION EDITOR: JULIA GALL

ILLUSTRATIONS BY HYE KIM

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When it comes to high fashion, Chanel is the ne plus ultra. Of course, one could argue that there are brands with more cool cachet, covetable It bags, street-style cred, or celebrity stamps of approval, but none can lay claim to the preeminence of craftspeople who make up Chanel’s Métiers d’Art. In the mid-1980s, as an attempt to preserve the expertise and savoir faire of craftsmanship associated with French fashion, the company began to quietly acquire the small artisanal maisons responsible for creating the specialized elements in haute designs, eventually including varied workshops and manufacturers from Lesage (embroidery and tweed) to Lemarié (feathers and flowers), Massaro (shoes) to Maison Michel (millinery), Desrues (buttons) to Goossens (metalwork)—nearly 40 in all. Under the direction of the iconic Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s late creative director, in 2002 the house began to create special yearly

runway presentations to highlight these ateliers, thus creating a new category for Chanel. The Métiers d’Art collection falls somewhere between Chanel’s ready-to-wear, since it’s available to customers in boutiques, and the maison’s haute couture, as the technical aspects of each garment are painstakingly realized. The mastery and skill of the artisans actualizing these creations enabled Lagerfeld to dream up exquisite feats of fashion, taking inspiration for each collection from the location where it would ultimately be presented and oftentimes that place’s connection to Chanel. And although Lagerfeld has left us to join Mademoiselle Chanel in the great atelier beyond, the story continues. In fact, under the new artistic direction of Virginie Viard (Lagerfeld’s rightand left-hand woman for more than 30 years), Chanel’s Métiers collections seem to be capturing the zeitgeist more than ever before.

True to form, Viard selected a location for her second Métiers presentation, in December 2020, with an interesting history that intersects with the life of Gabrielle Chanel. She says that showing at the Château de Chenonceau, also known as the Château des Dames, in the Loire Valley was “an obvious choice.” According to Viard, “It was designed and lived in by women, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici. It is a castle on a human scale. And Catherine de’ Medici’s emblem was a monogram composed of two intertwined Cs, just like that of Chanel.” How fitting that the first woman to head up design for Chanel since the death of Mademoiselle should choose such a felicitous location, one with such a rich female history, and in a time when women are demanding, and finally receiving, their seat at the table.

Inspired by the magnificent gardens Diane de Poitiers created in the 1500s, Viard chose flowers and parterre designs to be embroidered on the wide lapels of a jacket.

The predominance of black in the collection was a nod to

both Gabrielle Chanel’s own cloistered upbringing by nuns in the orphanage of Aubazine and also Catherine de’ Medici’s extended mourning period following the death of Henry II; the widowed queen wore only black, apart from the occasional white lacy ruff, for the remainder of her life.

A ruffled collar is far from unknown at the house of Chanel, and it appeared on the runway in delicate organza and ornate lace. It was not only the famous women of the Château des Dames who influenced this collection but also the château itself. The black-and-white checkerboard design of its floor appeared on skirts and tweeds throughout the opening passage of the show, and the castle’s famous tapestries informed the rich hues of a tweed cape and were echoed on intarsia knits, while the château itself appeared as a trompe l’oeil motif on cummerbund sashes in dazzling embroidered sequins courtesy of the house of Montex.

All the workmanship of the various Métiers d’Art culminated in some seriously wow-factor finale looks that blended different eras, hearkening back to the romanticism of the Renaissance. And yet, one would be wrong to write this collection off as one for fashion nerds and history buffs. Just like Mademoiselle Chanel herself, Viard made clear from the onset of her appointment that she was designing for a modern woman. And in doing so, her work more closely embodies the spirit of Mademoiselle’s initial creations. As Coco Chanel once said, she wanted to dress women “in clothes that make them feel at ease, clothes they can wear to drive a car but that still emphasize femininity.” Her thoughtfulness about the lives of the women buying her designs is the reason the brand that bears her name continues to be such a global powerhouse over a century after it was founded. With this collection, Viard has tapped into the same spirit. While working with the Métier artisans, Viard created covetable couturelevel clothes able to be incorporated into the lives of women just emerging out of a year of leisurewear. By pairing intricately constructed jackets and dramatic floor-length coats with leggings and body stockings, Viard allows her clients to dream of a not-so-distant future when they can pop a new Chanel jacket over their WFH gear and get out to live their lives to their fullest, chicest potential. Ultimately, what can be more inspiring than that? —Joseph Errico

COURTESY OF THE DESIGNER

The runway finale of Chanel Metier d’Arts 2021 at Château de Chenonceau

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THE EVERYDAY ICON Initially a reinterpretation of Gabrielle Chanel’s 2.55 handbag, the double-C-clasped 11.12 has, since its introduction in the 1980s, become a highly coveted wardrobe staple itself.

The embellished quilting on the gray flannel pictured here is the perfect accompaniment for anything on the spectrum from tweed suiting to sweat suiting.

ILLUSTRATION BY HYE KIM

Chanel JACKET, $7,550, SKIRT, $4,200, LEGGINGS, $800, BELT, $3,650, SHOES, $2,700, and BAG; (800) 550-0005.

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

Ready Wear to

The Essentials

Dsquared2 CAMISOLE, $1,460; dsquared2.com.

The Pendant

Beatrice V PENDANT, $2,700; beatricevjewelry.com.

LIGHTEN UP We’ve grown accustomed to the comforts of sweats and timeworn tees, but this season we’re peeling off the layers. Liberating ourselves via clothes, author and lingerie expert Cora Harrington explains, is a convention steeped in history. Following the darkness of World War I, sultry skin-baring silhouettes demonstrated a lighthearted ethos. “The 1920s were an era when people were exploring themselves, exploring sensuality and kind of this new spirit of the world,” says Harrington. A century later, as we get ready to let loose once again, our wardrobes will follow suit. Ditch your sleepy hibernation clothes for a handful of free-spirited pieces: a slight standalone silk camisole that’s surprisingly easy to hand-wash (see page 24), a roomy pair of khakis, and a radiant pendant necklace that will brighten the mood.

—Sara Holzman Photographs by DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA Fashion Editor: CARALINE ZEIZEL

The Ballet Flat

Larroudé BALLET FLATS, $250; larroude.com.

The Day Clutch

Fendi CLUTCH, $3,890; fendi.com.

The Baggy Khaki

Dsquared2 PANTS, $875; dsquared2.com.

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Beatrice V BRACELETS, from $1,100 each; beatricevjewelry.com.

MODEL: VIDA S AT FREEDOM MODELS; HAIR: JAVIER MARTÍNEZ FOR RANDCOBLEU AND T3; MAKEUP: JULIANA GONZALEZ AT CREATIVE MANAGEMENT FOR CHANEL BEAUTY

The Silk Cami

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Ready Wear

CENTER: Valentino TOP, $1,300, and SHORTS, $1,600; (212) 772-6969.

True & Co. BRA, $44; trueandco.com. Tretorn SNEAKERS, $65; us.tretorn.com. FAR RIGHT: Jeune Otte TOP, $250; jeuneotte.com. Base Range BRA, $60; baserange.com.

Alaïa LEGGINGS, $1,050; maison-alaia.com. Maslo Jewelry EARRINGS, $55; maslojewelry.com. Beatrice V RING (on left hand), $980; beatricevjewelry.com. Soko RINGS (on right hand), from $108; shopsoko.com.

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

LEFT: Tibi BODYSUIT, $375; tibi.com. Dolce & Gabbana PANTS, $3,245; (877) 70-DGUSA. Luis Morais CHARMS, from $4,200 each; luismorais.com.

Boma BRACELET, $68; bomajewelry .com. RIGHT: SelfPortrait COAT, $595; self-portraitstudio.com.

The Proper Label T-SHIRT, $20; theproperlabel.us.

Chanel CAP, $775; (800) 550-0005.

Dooney & Bourke BACKPACK, $288; dooney.com.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

LAID-BACK LACE

T H E OT H E R W I S E F O R M A L FA B R I C TA K E S O N A N A I R O F E A S E W H E N PA I R E D W I T H C A S UA L P I E C E S LIKE WHITE COTTON SOCKS, LEGGINGS, AND A BACKPACK.

to

© 2020 The Caldrea Company. All Rights Reserved.

1. CHECK THE TEMP

Start with cold water to help prevent shrinkage and color bleeding .

Take Care of It

2. SOsoAmPe suUdsP

Make le by adding a gent e detergent like th ate Laundress: Delicsin. ba ur yo to Wash

3. SUDS ’N’ SOAK Gen

tly lath your garm er up en then leave ts, them submerged the soapy win for up to 30 ater minutes.

HOW TO HANDWASH SILK

I T ’ S T H E B E ST WAY TO KEEP THE QUALITY O F YO U R M O ST D E L I CAT E PIECES HIGH AND YOUR D RY- CL E A N I N G BI L L LOW. DON’T PSYCH YOURSELF O U T: F O L LO W T H E S E FOUR SIMPLE STEPS TO TA K E YO U R D E L I C AT E S FROM FUSTY TO FRESH.

BY TAY LO R AY E R S

24

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4 LOOdon’t s

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

ID Sarrieri DRESS, $490; sarrieri.com.

Luis Morais BRACELETS, from $5,290 each; luismorais.com.

STEP 1 AND 2: Chanel RINGS, from $3,100 each; (800) 550-0005.

STEP 3: Cartier BRACELET, $6,600, and RING, $2,120; cartier.com.

PH OTO G R A PHE R : J E F F R EY W EST B RO O K/STUDIO D. ST YLIST: MIAKO KATOH .

Presenting your three-pronged approach to achieve healthier, more youthful looking lashes, brows, and hair: First up, line your lashes with RevitaLash Cosmetics RevitaLash Advanced to protect against breakage and fortify your lashes with strengthening peptides for a more dramatic look. Next, swipe on the brand’s conditioning RevitaBrow Advanced, developed by a physician, for brows that look fuller, bolder, and more defined. Finally, top it off with RevitaLash Cosmetics Volume Enhancing Foam; work it into your roots to help beat brittleness and build volume. Hair goals, achieved.

REVITALASH COSMETICS RevitaBrow Advanced Eyebrow Conditioner, $110, RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner, $150, Volume Enhancing Foam, $149.50, revitalash.com (RevitaLash Advanced not available in California) RevitaLash Cosmetics gives back to the breast cancer community, all year long.

Small Business Spotlight

A NEW KNIT Kayla Sade, the designer and founder of Almost on Time, has a knack for turning nothing into something. In her hands, cozy pieces typically reserved for the couch become items to be worn out on the town. “I create structured sweater knits while playing with contrasting materials and new shapes that excite me,” she says. Take the butterfly cutout sweater, pictured here, which is made of upcycled secondhand cable knits and features a boned bodice and lace-up details. That modern interpretation of corsetry, influenced by feminine silhouettes and streetwear, pushes the standard fashion boundaries. “[My brand] is a call to end fast fashion. It is a part of the slow-fashion movement and places emphasis on purposeful creation of clothing.” —Shelby Comroe

PHOTOGRAPH BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

Almost on Time SWEATER, $375; almostontimesf .com. Les Tien SWEATPANTS, $146; lestien.com.

Cartier EARRINGS, $7,300; cartier.com.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

SHINE & STRAW Sure, bags and hats in summer’s go-to material pair well with breezy cotton dresses, but why follow the rules? Add them to a sparkly look to make it more daytime friendly.

Louis Vuitton TOP, $1,690, PANTS, $2,640, VISOR, $990, SHOES, $860, BAG, $5,200, and BIKE; (866) VUITTON.

Summer 2021

M ARIECLAIRE.CO M

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ng ets a

mo d

ON MODEL: Lauren Ralph Lauren T-SHIRT, $35; ralphlauren.com. When Smoke Clears TIARA, $912; whensmokeclears.com. Tiffany & Co. STARFISH BROOCH, $3,900; tiffany.com. Georg Jensen ABSTRACT SILVER BROOCH, $595; georgjensen .com. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP, additional BROOCHES: Wouters & Hendrix, $199; wouters-hendrix.com. Lady Grey, $144; ladygreyjewelry.com. JW Anderson, $285; jwanderson .com. Patou, $260; patou.com.

Agmes, $290; agmesnyc.com.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY DIEGO ARMANDO MENDOZA

The late Elsa Peretti was vivacious and exuberant, much like her jewelry. Take her famed starfish brooch (pictured below), for instance; designed in the ’80s, each starfish was unique, imbued with individual personality.

Though brooches fell out of fashion for a while (their typical opulent and byzantine designs could feel garish and outdated), they’re enjoying a revival, with many coming in sculptural shapes and clean, solid metals— much like Peretti’s.

Today’s brooch is a simple detail that will add laid-back elegance to a casual look. Pin to a baseball cap, fasten to a bag, or take a cue from our model and use it to roll a T-shirt sleeve.

—Katie Attardo

Our favo rite pi

. ver keo ma ern

b u j S e c e t h t h c o o Br

The movers, shakers, and

rule breakers you need to know

THE

SACRED BOOM With the demand for mystical services on the rise, a growing number of women are channeling their spiritual gifts into full-blown careers.

Growing up, Amber Finney dreamed of landing on the masthead of a glossy fashion magazine. In college, she interned at two and thought it would be easy to find a paying job in the industry. It wasn’t; she says she felt undervalued as a plus-size Black woman in fashion. She

By TATIANA BONC OMPAGNI ended up working as a brand manager in the jewelry industry. The energy at the job was “toxic,” and though the money was decent, Finney knew there was something better in the cards for her.

Finney, now 28, had grown up watching her mother read tarot; she often created vision boards to manifest her goals. So, while still toiling away at her nine-to-five, she began practicing African spirituality, harnessing gifts that had long run in her family. “My great-great-great-grandfather, a freed slave, was a renowned healer and medicine man, also known as a ‘root worker,’” she says. “He was the catalyst to the work that I do.” Finney turned to

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her godmother, a priestess of Ifa, a religion of the Yoruba people of western Africa and system of divination, to teach her about mediumship.

She took those learnings and, in 2018, launched Amber the Alchemist. Today, Finney has a full roster of hundreds of clients seeking spiritual guidance on love and career matters. She charges anywhere from $50 for a “mindful” consultation to $200 for a 45-minute session during which she may channel messages from a client’s ancestral guides. She also runs an online shop that sells crystals, incense, and “Florida water,” a traditional spiritual cologne composed of flowers, citrus, herbs, and essential oils that is historically used for energetic cleansing. Over the last year and a half, Finney’s Instagram following has more than doubled—from 6,000 to more than 13,000—and she estimates that her income jumped by roughly 50 percent from 2019 to 2020. “This pandemic was a sacred pause,” she says. “A lot of us were forced into doing some healing, and people just want a guide to help them in that process.”

It’s in the stars—and the data: After last year’s

CRYSTAL ILLUSTRATION SOURCE IMAGES: EYEWOLF/MOMENT/GETTY IMAGES, ARTESIA WELLS/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES, CRISSY 1982/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES, WLADIMIR BULGAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/ GETTY IMAGES, YAROSLAV DANYLCHENKO/STOCKSY, DANIEL GRIZELJ/GETTY IMAGES; WOMAN AT WORK: PEOPLEIMAGES/E+/GETTY IMAGES

massive social and economic upheavals (COVID-19, a contentious election, rampant racism and discrimination), many women are reconsidering their priorities and seeking different ways to find purpose; some are using their own spiritual gifts (and business prowess) to help. According to Google Trends, the number of searches for the word psychic in the U.S. peaked in March 2020. And research firm IBISWorld estimates the market for psychics will total $2.2 billion by the end of 2021.

Oliver Niño, 35, a healer based in Sedona, Arizona, and Laguna Beach, California, whose clients include Demi Moore and Laura Dern, says there’s been a tremendous surge in demand for his 30-day online course (which features lessons in how to shield yourself from others’ energy) and eight-week energy-healing certification program. Of the 5,000 total sign-ups, about 95 percent are women, says Niño, who has gained half a million new followers on TikTok since November. Shaman Durek, perhaps one of the most popular names in the realm of new-age spirituality (and most boldfaced: He’s Gwyneth Paltrow’s spiritual guide and the boyfriend of a European princess), has noticed an uptick in the number of women reaching out to him over Instagram to ask for career advice. “I do see [the use of spirituality] as an opportunity for women to level up,” he says.

The fascination with mysticism during the pandemic isn’t surprising. In fact, the recent reliance on spiritual practices correlates with past eras of political upheaval. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, an associate professor of history at the New School in New York City, draws a parallel between the counterculture movement and alternative medicine in the 1960s and ’70s and the renewed interest in all things new age that we are seeing now. “I think women in particular have been drawn to these practices because they have not been treated well by the medical establishment,” she says.

“There’s a history of women’s health being disregarded.”

Fifty years ago, women embraced natural childbirth, Eastern medicine, and yoga; today, we’re leaning into healing crystals, sound baths, and moon circles. The impulse originates from the same desire: “These kinds of activities help people feel in control of their own lives and health.”

Take Amanda Edwards, who in 2015 found herself in the hospital for six days, diagnosed with extreme fatigue, during which time she lost her job and, later, her health insurance and sense of career direction. “It was an eye-opening experience about my overall well-being, but also the weaknesses in our health-care system to manage women’s health holistically,” says Edwards, now 32, who spent her early 20s interning at Christie’s auction house and the famed Gagosian gallery in New York. “With the pressure from my family and also myself, I did what I thought I needed to be an adult. But I felt the life I had created for myself no longer fit me, like I’d outgrown a pair of shoes.”

In search of a better way to support her health and manage stress, she started studying energy healing, meditation, Chinese medicine, and herbalism and took a part-time job working for Deborah Hanekamp, a healer in New York known as Mama Medicine who boasts an A-list following that includes Emma Roberts and Alicia Keys. Learning

about energy work, Edwards finally felt like she was on the right path. Over time, she invested $11,400 in workshops and materials and eventually moved with her partner to France, where she launched a business making bespoke flower essences and body oils. A $234 “One-on-One” experience includes a 60-minute Zoom “plant guided meditation” session, during which Edwards blends a signature fragrance to match your “frequency” (in her words: “where you’re currently at in life”) and plays her singing bowls. Edwards works with a handful of customers each week and is collaborating (and cashing in) with four corporate clients.

Then there’s the fact that women—especially women of color—have borne much of the burden of the pandemic, often carrying more work on the home front and being forced to leave paying jobs. It makes sense that not only would women be drawn to alternative spiritual modalities to deal with their extreme stress, they would also be inspired to pursue them as a new career path. “In the current challenging economic times, women feel even more disposable,” says Lena Gurba, 51, a Long Island–based personal-transformation mentor and healer who spent most of her career working at big-name banks for bigtime paychecks before swapping pinstriped skirt suits for crystal amulets. “Money, title, projects, exposure were not meaningful enough. I did not believe what I was doing had value,” she says. Gurba quit her job in 2018 and started studying Tibetan Buddhism. Soon after, she launched Empowered You, a business offering personal-transformation mentorship services by word of mouth and, somewhat unconventionally, LinkedIn, in hopes of helping women struggling to thrive in C-suite-obsessed America. “Many are experiencing what I felt: being successful but not feeling successful. [Being in a highpowered corporate job] is not a position where you are empowered to thrive. You feel vulnerable and self-conscious.”

Malaurie Barber, 48, a psychic based in Orange County, California, has found fulfillment (and success) working as a psychic medium. Her first month in business (November 2020), she earned more than $4,000 performing sessions over Zoom; her following on Instagram has since tripled. “I was often reading friends and channeling messages for them; seeing and hearing spirits has always been part of my daily life,” says Barber. Next up? Expanding her online platform—which will allow her to work with more clients and pull in more income—and launching a podcast.

Though the past year has sparked mainstream attention and monetary growth, these practices are hardly a trend. The boom may in fact reflect a bigger societal shift: giving voice and conferring respect to marginalized Indigenous cultures. “It’s crucial to remember that so many—if not all—of these ‘alternative’ practices are ‘alternative’ only to Western medicine and religion,” says Petrzela. “The story of how everything from acupuncture to yoga to massage became mainstays of American wellness is one of reinterpretation, and sometimes flagrant appropriation, of other cultural products and forms. This can be forgotten, or deliberately obscured, when some of their biggest acolytes and popularizers are white Westerners.”

“This pandemic was a sacred pause.”

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“Our marketing is not just a reactive, responsive thing,” says Peloton’s Dara Treseder.

Leading the Ride

EVERYONE YOU KNOW EITHER HAS A PELOTON, USES THE PELOTON APP, OR IS TALKING ABOUT PELOTON. DARA TRESEDER IS THE REASON. Sourdough starter and TikTok have nothing on Peloton. The fitness brand, with its fervent following, has owned the quarantine market, raking in $1.8 billion last year and growing in paid digital subscriptions by 472 percent since 2020. Dara Treseder, a former exec at Apple and GE, signed on as SVP, head of global marketing and communications, in that time. Now she’s driving the climb up the It-company leaderboard. —Megan DiTrolio Marie Claire: What was behind your desire to be an executive?

Dara Treseder: My mother used to say “ambition with contentment.” I’m not someone who’s ambitious [for the sake of] ambition. My ambition is grounded in positively impacting others. I seek impact, not glory.

MC: What is something you learned early in your career that shaped your journey?

DT: When I came into the corporate world, it was clear to me that I was undervalued.

Once, at my review, the leader of the organization said, “You’ve done such a great job. But your bonus is zero. You’re an immigrant. You should feel grateful that you’re here.” That was the moment for me that it clicked that there were two Americas: one

for the privileged that says you deserve everything, [and one] that constantly questions you and doubts you. While other people are going to be given opportunities, I have to create them for myself. I’m not doing it just because of myself; I’m doing it because it’s important that young Black women see me and think, I can be this too.

MC: Why did you decide to join Peloton?

DT: I want to be at a company that cares about things that deeply matter to me. What I love about Peloton is that we were one of the first brands to commit to becoming an antiracist organization. You can smell performative allyship from a mile off, especially as a Black woman. Our pledge is a four-year, $100 million investment in fighting racial injustice and inequality.

MC: What’s the plan once gyms reopen?

DT: Being a Peloton member adds value to your life. During the pandemic, it was helping keep you connected to people, helping with your physical and mental health. Guess what? After the pandemic, it’s still going to help you with that.

Interview edited for length and clarity.

ANDREW PERRY/COURTESY OF DARA TRESEDER

Anu Garg, 48, a Maryland-based yoga instructor, Reiki master, and quantum healer, speaks to both sides of the conversation: “When I first got into yoga, I was appalled by the way it was being appropriated—like the Om symbol being put on clothing, especially underwear. That’s desecrating a sacred symbol,” says Garg, who is Hindu. But Garg also acknowledges that she is adopting Japanese culture by performing Reiki. She believes the solution is to be conscious and respectful that certain practices are rooted in a particular culture. But she doesn’t like to overwhelm her clients with that education if they are not asking for it: “For me, as a practitioner, I have to ask myself, Are they coming to me for a history lesson or to be guided in healing?

If I feel comfortable, I might offer the education outside of the session.”

Although business is booming for some, not everyone experiences overnight success. Besides the major financial risk of starting your own business, practices that depend upon touch, like certain modalities of energy healing, have felt the impact of the pandemic.

(Some Reiki practitioners maintain it works through Zoom.) Even for those who have made it, the daily path of a new-age healer isn’t paved in rosecolored quartz. Finney talks of feeling drained after a long day of readings, especially during difficult political or cultural moments when people are seeking comfort; she wears a head wrap and cleanses her energy with a selenite wand after each session. It’s not easy delivering messages that clients don’t want to hear, adds Barber.

Customers may expect you to magically fix all of their problems—impossible, no matter how much good karma you have.

Still, despite the unique hardships, most healers feel satisfied by their work and the fact that they have the courage to do something that’s ultimately about helping others, especially during devastating times. “I think the pandemic has been a crisis for mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health,” says Hanekamp. “A lot of us have had to reevaluate how we are showing up in the world. More healing is needed now.”

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From finance to feminism,

today’s high-stakes issues

So You Want a Postnup NO, THEY’RE NOT PLANNING TO DIVORCE, YET MORE COUPLES ARE FACING THE AWKWARDNESS OF GETTING THEIR MARITAL FINANCES IN ORDER—AFTER THEY SAY “I DO.”

ILLUSTRATION BY DROR COF

By EMMA PATTEE When Maria and Charlie decided to get married, they’d already been together for nine years. During their relationship, they’d kept their finances separate and divided expenses equally. “Lots of Venmo-ing back and forth,” says Charlie, 29, a Ph.D. student. Because they each had

inheritances, Maria, also 29, suggested that they get a prenup. (The two are using pseudonyms to protect their privacy.) She thought it would help the couple get “into the nitty-gritty of each other’s finances,” she says, and promote discussion around financial goals and values.

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However, like many couples who got married during the COVID-19 pandemic, they scrambled to secure their marriage license and remote court date. “We ended up not having time to resolve all the things we thought were necessary before getting married, including a prenup,” Maria says. Now they are starting the postnup process.

Prenups are becoming increasingly common, especially among people ages 25 to 40. About half the attorneys surveyed by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers have seen an increase in prenup requests by millennials. This cohort is getting married later, has enormous amounts of student-loan debt, and saw firsthand how financially disastrous divorce can be: Nearly four in 10 millennials grew up in a divorced or singleparent household, higher numbers than in any previous generation. It’s no surprise that when it comes to their own unions, millennials are eager to protect themselves.

But what about couples who want to work out their financials after they’ve walked down the aisle? Enter the postnup, which is simply an agreement executed after marriage that gives instructions on handling financial issues in the case of divorce. This could include assets, debt, child care or custody, gifts, even pets. Essentially, it’s a prenup for already-married people; it can do everything a prenup can, but it can be signed at any time during a marriage. Once you’re wed, however, there aren’t a lot of bargaining chips if you and your partner don’t align on terms, warns Emily Pollock, a partner at law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres in New York City. She was drafting a prenup for a couple who disagreed over gifts from family members. Then, due to COVID, the two had a last-minute wedding. Now, without the wedding deadline forcing a resolution, the postnup negotiation has become complicated. “The leverage just isn’t there,” says Pollock. “They’re already married.”

“Most people are simply not aware that postnups exist,” says financial expert Erin Lowry, author of the Broke Millennial book series. Those who are may find them distasteful. Lowry says she’s not surprised that postnups are somewhat taboo. “If prenups are still discussed in hushed tones by most, can you imagine [talking about] a document that spells out the terms of a split after you’re already married?”

Despite the fraught associations, there are plenty of reasons a postnup might work for a couple not planning to get divorced. The motivation could be a big life change or unexpected windfall. Maybe getting your dream job requires your spouse to leave one and move (taking a lower-paying job). It might be that your partner starts a business and you want protection if that venture goes south. Leslie Geller, a wealth strategist at Capital Group and former practicing lawyer, says she frequently dealt with postnups when there was a big change in finances from a marriage’s beginning. “When people get married in their late 20s or early 30s before they have children, before they might have made a significant amount of money,” she says, “they’re thinking really differently five or 10 years into the marriage about their assets and the marriage itself.” Kelly Frawley, a partner at a law firm who specializes in family and matrimonial law in New York City, recently did a postnup for a couple buying a home. One spouse’s parents had given the down payment and wanted to ensure that the gifted money would go to their child in a divorce.

For many couples, children are the reason to seek a postnup. When Doreen Bloch, an entrepreneur in San Francisco, got pregnant, she and her boyfriend, Jeff, made the spontaneous decision to get hitched. “We just went to the courthouse nearby on a Friday morning,” says Bloch, 33, the founder of a data-analytics company. Even though she and Jeff, also 33, keep their financials separate, California law says they would have to split all assets equally in a divorce. They started looking into a postnuptial agreement because of her business and the experience of her parents’ split.

“My parents went through a terrible legal saga for years to finalize their divorce,” Bloch says. It was important to her that she and her partner be on the same page if they ended up uncoupling.

For Melissa Neacato, a 34-year-old finance and travel writer, a postnup protects the child she had in a prior relationship. She and her husband move around frequently for work and don’t want their location to determine the allocation of assets. “[It] isn’t a judgment on our commitment,” she says. “A postnup is just us deciding that we want to have a say in what happens.”

How to talk postnups with your partner Build trust and safety by talking about your money history.

Start with how your parents handled money and how you feel about the way it affected their lives.

Clarify your financial situation.

This may include income, expenses, assets, debts, and credit score, among other things.

Narrow down your top individual and joint goals and how you want to achieve them. Are there situations in which one spouse may have to make a big sacrifice?

Choose and execute a plan.

Have regular check-ins and an annual review.

Source: Adam Kol, host of the Couples Financial Coach podcast

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

ILLUSTRATION BY DROR COF

Even if you already have a prenup, you might want to consider a postnup. “Prenups are very limited in the situations they cover,” says Geller. When a couple enters into a prenup, they are basing their agreement on a specific set of facts—family circumstances, current assets, existing children, employment—that can change very quickly.

“The effectiveness of that particular prenup gets diluted as time goes on and things change,” Geller says.

Beyond being a legal document, a postnup is a framework for tough conversations about money, goals, and partnership. Annmarie Kelly, a self-help author, treats her postnup more like a marriage contract, one that she and her husband revisit periodically. Kelly, who is in her 60s, says she was reluctant when her now-husband sug-

gested they marry: “I didn’t want to lose my sense of freedom and my independence.” Ultimately she agreed— with a caveat: that they revisit, rethink, and renegotiate their marriage agreement every five years. “One marriage agreement was mostly about our businesses and money. Another one—after a rough patch—was about expectations, honoring values, and ensuring that those reflected how we lived, including household logistics, like picking up after ourselves.”

Of course, a postnup isn’t a magic pill for marital money woes. “If you’re only willing to do it because they might divorce you, that’s a big problem,” Frawley says.

Before you reach out to a lawyer, she suggests making sure that you and your spouse are on the same page. For newlyweds Maria and Charlie, the postnup discussion cast a negative light on their brand-new relationship status. “Maria’s excitement about getting a postnup was kind of distressing because we had just gotten married,” Charlie says. But Maria, who grew up in a family where one parent controlled the finances, knew she wanted something different in her marriage. “My mom has to ask for money for large purchases,” she says. “That dynamic is not fun for her.” Charlie ultimately realized that a postnup would help them share their finances more easily. “Knowing that no matter how much [of my inheritance] I spend on joint purchases, I’m not ever relinquishing control of it would make me more comfortable using it when necessary.”

So should every couple consider a postnup? Like lifeinsurance policies and wills, Lowry says, they “should be a routine part” of financial life.

For Bloch, financial protection is important, no matter how unlikely a divorce may seem. “We all obviously want our marriages to last forever, and no one wants to think about divorce, but it really is so common, and circumstances change,” she says. “It’s important to protect the assets that you’ve worked hard to create.”

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Pick the Right Spot ...

... And Right Time to Go During shoulder season (the time between peak and off-season at any given destination), you’ll get a better deal—plus, it will feel less touristy. For Belize, that means late spring to early summer. You can have the Mayan ruins (like Caracol, one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites, hidden inside the Chiquibul Forest) all to yourself. —P.J.

The Budget W E B R E A K D O W N O N E READER’S PLAN TO AFFORD A POST-PANDEMIC GETAWAY.

After the year we’ve had, we all need a vacation. Pronto. With vaccines becoming more widely available in the U.S. and abroad, the global tourism industry (which lost an estimated $1.3 trillion in 2020, according to the World Tourism Organization) is finally on the mend. Victoria, a 26-year-old e-commerce manager and the founder of travel and lifestyle blog At Your Leisure NYC, is plotting her summer escape from concrete-covered Manhattan to somewhere a little more lush. Mindy Yu, director of investments at personal-finance app Stash, and Patricia Johnson, trip designer at Reco, a travel concierge service by Tripadvisor, share tips for helping Victoria make her PTO pay off so she won’t have to pay up.

Annual Salary: $65,000

Monthly TakeHome Pay: $3,414 Savings: $15,753 Debt: $0

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Average Monthly Expenses: $3,050 (including rent)

Annual Travel Budget: $2,500 Allocated for small, sporadic weekend trips and two larger vacations a year.

MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

Avoid Holiday Weekends Holiday weekends are often the most expensive time to fly and book hotels. If you have unused vacation time at work, travel during the week, which can reduce costs.

You’ll snag flight deals if you travel on a Tuesday

or Wednesday, historically the cheapest days to fly, over Sunday, the most expensive. —M.Y.

Build a Vacation Fund Divide the expected cost of your trip by the number of months you have before leaving to figure out how much money you’ll need to save. This may mean dialing back on your discretionary spending leading up to your trip. The first costs I’d cut are unused subscriptions. —M.Y.

Or Get Your Trip for Free Well, kind of. Consider getting a credit card that earns you points that can go toward airline miles or your favorite hotel chain.

By using it regularly, you may end up flying or lodging for free. —M.Y.

Enjoy Local Activities Yes, sunning yourself on the beach is a bargain at $0, but a place like Belize offers low-cost, high-fun activities too. For example: In Ambergris Caye you can book a food tour for as low as $45. (The islands generally accept U.S. dollars.) For the same price, spend a half day at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley, a reef and local wildlife area, where you can kayak along the coast. Inexpensive yet memorable. —P.J.

Budget for This Trip: $1,000

Memories: Priceless

Victoria is hoping to visit somewhere tropical, like Tulum, Mexico, for a long weekend. When she travels, she prefers to spend her money on experiences and local food; she can live without luxury accommodations and seats in first class.

Cliché but true. According to Victoria, spending on life experiences and creating meaningful memories mean traveling has an ROI that can’t be quantified. For her, wanderlust is a worthwhile investment.

MATTEO COLOMBO/GETTY IMAGES

Tulum, Mexico, might not be the best destination for Victoria; since it’s a trendy luxury location, hotels can cost more than $500 a night. Instead, she should try Belize, a country on the Caribbean coast of Central America that is generally more cost friendly. Even better: With a population of just 390,000, the second-largest reef system in the world, and more than 200 islands to explore, Belize is the perfect place to relax (or snorkel) socially distanced. —P.J.

47% reduction in the appearance of free radical damage in just 3 hours!*

Your daily dose of naturally potent

Vitamin C for brighter, healthier looking skin

*As evaluated by the reduction in UV induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human ex vivo skin after 3 hour application with a sunscreen product (versus applying a sunscreen product alone). Premature signs of skin aging can be attributed to ROS (a type of free radical).

Prix d’Excellence

BEAUTY AWARDS 2021

....

What are simply the best of the best beauty products of the year? The 14 winners of the 35th annual Prix d’Excellence awards—out of thousands of products in contention, tested by 25 international beauty journalists—include outstanding clean hair formulas, comforting face masks, ecofriendly lipsticks, skin-renewing serums, and more. Read, play, enjoy!

By AURÉLIE LAMBILLON, YING CHU, TAYLORE GLYNN, and TATJANA FREUND Photograph by MÉLISSA DE ARAUJO

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ernation al Winners

The Int

The BeautySleep Booster

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair MultiRecovery Complex, $105

The Healthy-Hair Hero Aveda Botanical Repair collection (Intensive Strengthening Masque shown, $44)

It took a monumental six years to develop and launch Aveda’s new vegan range dedicated to damaged hair.

It was worth the wait. Active plant ingredients (sacha inchi, avocado, green tea) smooth and prevent breakage, delivering hair that feels truly baby soft as a result.

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

A pioneer in research on nighttime skin repair, Estée Lauder uses the latest science— the company’s discovery of a molecule that’s essential to skin’s natural repair system—to design a unique complex for its reformulated cult serum. The magic? It helps skin stimulate its own cell renewal and collagen production, ensuring plump, firm skin every morning.

The French Kiss

Hermès Rouge Hermès Lipstick (here in Rose Mexique, $67)

No question: For its makeup debut, luxury house Hermès made lipstick as covetable as its enamel bracelets and iconic bags— and no detail was spared. The collection offers a wide range of refillable lipstick shades, delicately infused with a lovely sandalwood and angelica scent created by in-house perfumer Christine Nagel, and housed in lacquer and brushed-metal tubes. Objets d’art, really. A true take on modern luxury.

The Skin Reboot

YSL Beauty Pure Shots (Lines Away

Serum shown, $88)

The Self-Care Escape

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFREY WESTBROOK; PROP STYLING: MIAKO KATOH

Chanel Hydra Beauty Camellia Repair Mask, $55

A real skin comforter, this creamy balm nourishes, hydrates, and soothes skin that craves calm and radiance. On the ingredients list: white camellia, which offers superior moisturization, and blue ginger to replenish skin with powerful antioxidants.

The DIY Facial

L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Laser X3 Ampoules, $42 Inspired by peels performed at the dermatologist’s office, these supercharged ampoules get the job done at home, leading to renewed skin in record time.

Thanks to 10 percent glycolic acid (the active of choice for exfoliating dead skin and speeding cell renewal), along with soothing moisturizing agents, glowy, smooth-to-the-touch skin is yours for the taking. (This new formula is currently available to buy only through international websites.)

This collection of skin boosters has you covered 24/7; there are three for day, one for night, plus four highly targeted serums created to protect against the environmental realities of urban life. Formulated with both active botanicals (Moroccan plants, cactus flower, mallow, iris extract, prickly pear) and proven dermatologist favorites (hyaluronic and glycolic acids, as well as peptides), these blends will leave your skin feeling recharged, while fine lines, dullness, dehydration, and loss of firmness are kept at bay.

The Eye Brightener Clarins Paris Total Eye Lift, $89 Our eyes—constantly exposed to screens and doing all the emotive work above our masks—no doubt deserve a high-performance treatment to care for them. Enter this fresh formula, which highlights a duo of active ingredients (organic harungana extract and Cassie flower wax) chosen for their lifting and smoothing properties. In product testing, most users saw brighter, smoother results in just one minute, an amazing achievement accomplished with a formula of 94 percent natural ingredients.

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The Lash Lifter

With a curved microbristle brush that grabs every tiny lash (even the lower babies at the corners) and a supremely lightweight gel formula, this mascara seems to effortlessly lift, lengthen, and fatten up lashes. It wears well too: Lashes stay perky, and there’s no sign of flaking or smudging, even after a full day.

The Sleep Substitute

The Smart Hair Repair

Mutha Up All Night Eye Cream, $90

Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, $28

There are many things to love about this eye treatment: Its velvety, almostwhipped texture spreads easily around the delicate eye area (lids and under eyes), making gentle massage a cinch, while peptides and hyaluronic acid go to work to help hydrate and smooth away fine lines. It may surprise you at first, but you’ll grow to love the peachy-pearly tint, which leaves eyes looking instantly more awake—and creates a subtle sheen on cheeks and brow bones over makeup.

The latest in this brand’s cult-favorite repair line is an intensely nourishing weekly mask that hydrates hair damaged by hot tools, chemicals, and styling.

With rose-hip-seed extract, meadowfoam-seed oil, plus a patented ingredient, this mask—when used weekly— reintroduces healthy moisture and shine. Apply it to damp, clean hair for 10 minutes and you’ll immediately feel the results: soft strands that are easy to style.

T

s

r e n U . he S. W i n

The Volumizer

The Instant Reset

Tatcha the Dewy Serum, $88 The Japanese concept of starting over, or shinsei, translates to “new birth”—and it’s a fitting inspiration for this complexionrenewing formula. A fermented proprietary complex of Uji green tea, Akita rice, and Okinawa Mozuku algae imbues the skin with AHAs like lactic acid that promote cell turnover and improve texture; hyaluronic acid and squalane punch up skin’s hydration and bounce. Our skin’s future is bright.

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RevitaLash Cosmetics Volume Enhancing Foam, $150 For fine or thinning hair, this foam works both immediately and in the long term to help create a healthy, dense head of hair. After just one use, fine hair appears fuller, without feeling weighed down. After a month of daily use, the ingredients in this foam, which help combat breakage, bolster stronger, longer results overall.

The Brow Artist Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze, $23

For the ultimate sculpted brow, this wax tames even the unruliest hairs and leaves them looking feathery and refined.

With a simple swipe, the clear gel provides unparalleled hold and gives brows a boost in volume for a dramatically full one-step soap-brow look. Its effects can last all day, even against humidity.

The MuseumWorthy Sculptor Danessa Myricks Balm Contour, $26 Trends in contouring are ever evolving, and this innovative formula sets the bar sky-high for sculpting in 2021. The weightless balm is blendable enough to create subtle angles on clean skin yet totally buildable, for more defined, lifted features. And if its melty texture almost feels like skincare, that’s because it is: Hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and meadowfoam-seed oil hydrate your complexion while you wear it.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFREY WESTBROOK; PROP STYLING: MIAKO KATOH

Lancôme Lash Idôle Mascara, $26

DEFRIZZ. DEFINE.

MOISTURIZE. FOR TOTAL GODDESS CURLS

UNCAP THE LOVE™

THE I N N O VAT I O N

A NEW SK-II

In the skincare world, there’s perhaps no essence with a more dedicated following than SK-II. That’s thanks to Pitera, the Japanese brand’s proprietary bio-ingredient that mimics skin’s natural functions.

Now, that signature ingredient has been infused into a plumping cream moisturizer with extracts of calla lily, dokudami, and peony for pampered mornings and evenings, leading to a hydrated, bouncy visage.

A star is born.

THE SCENT

THE CAUSE

SK-II Skinpower Cream, $235.

PLUS Body Wash Pack, $17.

A More Sustainable Shower

GUCCI The Alchemist’s Garden 1921 eau de parfum, $330.

When it comes to beauty waste, too much H20 is partially to blame; 42.1 billion bottles are used to ship the industry’s products in the U.S. annually, and many of these formulas are more than 70 percent water. That’s why the founders of acne-care brand Starface have launched Plus, a new bodycare label that employs entirely compostable outer packaging and leaves out the space- and energy-sucking liquid. Simply add your own water to activate the dehydrated formula, lather up, then toss its individual wrapper in the tub. It dissolves!

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

The roaring twenties are back—and not just on the calendar.

In honor of its monumental 100th anniversary, the house of Gucci is dropping a glamorous perfume with a luxe, flowery tilt named for the year of the iconic brand’s inception. The Italiangarden-inspired fragrance is green and neroli driven, blended with unexpected notes like limone cedrato, a floral citrus fruit from Florence, and oakmoss for a genderless impression.

—Taylore Glynn

MODEL IMAGE: ELLIOT & ERICK; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS

Centennial Woman

F I E L D T R I P : T H E A M A Z O N R A I N F O R E ST

SEEDS OF GROWTH

Ecuador’s Indigenous families have harvested rahua seeds for generations.

“My husband and I started Rahua as environmentalists more than anything else,” says Anna Ayers, cofounder of the hair-care brand named for one of the Amazon rain forest’s most secluded resources. The adventure began with her husband, Fabian Lliguin, a New York City hairstylist, returning to his home country of Ecuador to explore and soul search post-9/11. On his travels, he encountered the Indigenous people living in the rain forest along the Peruvian border. After gaining their trust (and finding record of his own ancestry there), he decided to dedicate his time to supporting their communities and land. He founded a nonprofit called Ecoagents and supplied the families living there with technology, machetes, and salt for curing meat. During this time, he noticed the Indigenous women’s flowing knee-length hair.

Their secret: rahua oil, harvested from the ungurahua tree. Rahua is a term that refers to both the seed of the tree and the ceremony around making the oil—thoroughly a family affair. Twice a year, the men of the community trek to the middle of the jungle and climb the trees to knock down the seeds by hand.

(They know their bounty is ripe when toucans start eating them.)

Once they’re back home, the women take over: Aligning with the moon’s cycle, they apply tribal makeup and fast before they begin the oilextracting ritual. The seeds RAHUA Scalp Exfoliating Shampoo, $38, and Legendary Amazon Oil, $42.

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are slowly cooked down in a large pot, then crushed so the purple protein-rich paste inside can be gleaned. Some of the paste is eaten or drunk in a traditional yuca beverage, and the rest is recooked until the oil separates and can be collected.

“We learned that the oil has a very fine molecular weight because of the way it’s cooked down, so it’s able to penetrate into the hair in dry areas and help to repair and thicken it,” says Ayers. Rich in omega-9, rahua oil is hydrating and strengthening, and a little goes a long way: After washing my hair with the brand’s latest release, a scalp-exfoliating shampoo with fruit enzymes and scrubby bits of star anise, I warmed a couple of drops of rahua-packed Legendary Amazon Oil in my palms and applied it to the shaft and ends of my damp hair. After drying, it felt thicker and silkier, almost as if each strand had been plumped.

The brand gives back more than it borrows: The Indigenous people who harvest the oil are paid for their time and product, and 10 percent of the brand’s profits go toward supplies for the community.

Rahua is also helping to spread the oilmaking tradition to other groups that haven’t had the ritual passed down so that they too can generate income. Lliguin organizes regenerative workshops in which skilled rahua makers are flown to a new area of the forest by jumper plane to teach new generations the practice; 500 families are now making rahua oil. The founders are determined to preserve the land itself, working with community leaders to help them secure title property documentation for more than 100,000 acres of virgin rain forest so it can remain untouched.

“We live and breathe this work,” says Ayers. It shows: They’ve managed to preserve much more than healthy hair.

MOUNTAIN BACKDROP: JOPSTOCK/MOMENT/GETTY IMAGES; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRAND

Rahua is the hair hero you haven’t heard of (yet).

TAYLORE GLYNN discovers the namesake brand that’s helping to preserve the land it comes from.

We make bundling simple.

Home + Auto = easy Bundling your home and car insurance is super easy with GEICO. Not only could it save you money with a special discount, but you’ll also save time by having all your coverages in the same place.

scan the code to learn more! geico.com | 1-800-947-AUTO | Local Office Some discounts, coverages, payment plans, and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. Homeowners, renters, and condo coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, DC 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko® image © 1999– 2021. © 2021 GEICO 21_580819020

THERE’S NOW AN IDEAL SUNSCREEN FOR EVERY SKIN TONE, S O — F R I E N D LY R E M I N D E R—Y O U S H O U L D B E W E A R I N G O N E . A M B E R R A M B H A R O S E P L AYS P R O D U CT M ATC H M A K E R W I T H H E L P F R O M TO P D E R M ATO LO G I STS. I didn’t wear sunblock until my mid-20s. It didn’t blend on my olive skin; I’m Trinidadian and Irish, tan year-round, and always deep mahogany by August. And because my skin rarely burned, my mom would let me roam Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York, every summer without subjecting me to the ghostlike cast of SPF. I was grateful then, but I’m not suggesting you do the same now. Our understanding of skin—of all shades—and the need to protect it from the sun has advanced dramatically. And 50

MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

accordingly, so has sunscreen technology. In fact, a look at the beauty industry today reveals that the present state of sunscreen is inclusive (at long last), multitasking, and ever-expanding. We’re seeing brands use nanotechnology to make once-pasty physical blocks easier to apply and blend. And new tinting breakthroughs alongside ingredients like iron oxide, says dermatologist Uchenna Okereke, can help color-correct inflammation, work well with melanin-rich skin, and protect against hyperpigmentation.

MURIEL LIEBMANN/THE LICENSING PROJECT

FINALLY, SPF FOR ALL

defy Defy hiding your period — it’s natural.

Choose U by Kotex ,

U by Kotex® Security® pads Gentle on skin

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U by Kotex® CleanWear® pads Move with you

® Registered Trademark or * Trademark of Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. © KCWW.

A BROAD(ER) SPECTRUM

Dr. Purvisha Patel recommends applying sunscreen generously, “as if you’re icing a cake.” choice for those with rosacea or redness, as it also deflects heat. The downside is it requires more frequent reapplication.

Our experts recommend every two hours when you’re outdoors or in the sun.

Even with recent advances to physical SPF, chemical sunblock tends to come in thinner, more elegant formulas, making it more pleasant to apply. It also encompasses a wider range of active ingredients, including avobenzone, oxybenzone, and octinoxate, explains dermatologist Adeline Kikam. (A new ingredient, Parsol Shield, otherwise known as bemotrizinol, or BEMT for short, is being reviewed by the FDA and has created excitement within the derm community for its ability to block both UVA and UVB rays, even at low concentrations.) Unfortunately, chemical sunscreen in general is more likely to be associated with irritation, says Kikam, who suggests that allergy-prone folks or people with photosensitive condi-

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Pro Protection Picks Dry Skin:

TIZO Photoceutical AM Replenish Lightly Tinted SPF 40, $48.

“Tizo SPF contains vitamins E and C and ceramides.

It’s a creamy and highly moisturizing sunscreen that does not leave a white cast on darker skin types.” —Dr. Adeline Kikam

Deep Skin Tones:

ELEVEN

BY VENUS WILLIAMS Unrivaled Sun Serum SPF 35, $50.

“The Eleven block is a lightweight mineral sunscreen that goes on with a light, whitish cast that fades away once rubbed in. It’s great for all skin types, and in terms of appearance it’s easily my top sunscreen now.” —A.K.

Sensitive/ AcneProne Skin: ELTA MD UV Elements BroadSpectrum SPF 44, $37.

“Elta’s formula is great for sensitive skin.

It doesn’t contain any dye, fragrance, or parabens. It’s also oil free and noncomedogenic, so it’s great for acneprone skin as well.” —A.K.

tions such as lupus should stick to physical blocks. These ingredients may also clog pores, making them risky for those dealing with acne. That said, chemical screens are more resistant to sweat, adds Davis, and usually come blended with other ingredients such as peptides to offer additional skincare benefits.

ARE ALL SPFS CREATED EQUAL? Regardless of your choice of sun protection, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends SPF 30 or higher, says Davis, who prefers lotion and cream formulas over sprays. “Since you have to manually rub them in, it increases [the chances of ] getting maximum coverage over the applied area.” Davis also personally enjoys using concentrated sunscreen serums and drops, which can be mixed with your moisturizer or foundation or applied to the skin directly. The caveat?

Make sure there’s lots of rubbing in. Purvisha Patel, a dermatologist in Germantown, Tennessee, and founder of Visha Skincare, recommends applying sunscreen generously, “as if you’re icing a cake.” And she loves sunscreen sticks for areas that burn easily, since the formulas tend to be stickier and harder to move.

One sun-care approach that experts warn against? Using makeup that includes SPF as your only form of protection. “Because we generally do not apply makeup thickly, makeup with SPF is not as effective,” says Patel.

SUNNY DAYS AHEAD Having come so far on the SPF aesthetics front, what’s next is an uptick in sunscreens featuring antioxidants that work to neutralize and repair free-radical damage caused by environmental pollutants, according to Okereke. The future looks bright with smarter, finer formulations that offer even more skincare benefits for us all. Time to slather up.

WATER: ABSTRACT AERIAL ART/GETTY IMAGES; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS

Instead of picking a sunblock based on what you don’t want (say, bright white or greasy skin), you now have a choice of SPFs that offer the most benefits for your specific skin type. As a general rule, physical block is gentler on skin and is catching up to chemical block aesthetically.

A breakdown of the two: Physical block uses minerals such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to deflect UV rays—both UVA and UVB—from the skin, explains Dallas dermatologist DiAnne Davis, whereas chemical block seeps into the skin and subsequently absorbs UV rays, then converts them to heat, which your body can release. Because the former sits on top of the skin, it’s unlikely to clog pores or cause irritation. It’s a great

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OUTER GLOW

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1. SOLLUNA Feel Good Digestive Enzymes, $35. “I love Kimberly Snyder’s digestive enzymes for mealtime. I’ve been working with her for almost a decade.”

2. MOLESKINE notebook, $15.

“Balance is an elusive bitch, so me and my daughters have been gratitude journaling each night; we’ve filled up two of these notebooks in two months. It has changed my life, making us notice small wins in a way that we weren’t before. It’s nice to recognize those things, especially when there are such large forces to contend with for everybody now.”

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5. GARNIER Whole Blends Legendary Olive Replenishing Shampoo, $4. “I started buying this for my daughter Olive. One day I ran out of my own shampoo, so I grabbed it from her shower.

After I washed and dried my hair, it felt like I had my old texture back, and I felt so good about myself.”

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3. HYDROMATE water bottle, $22. “Hydration is my boost to get me through the week. I love this thing so much, even though I’m always losing it running around my studio.”

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4. TALIKA Eye Therapy Patches, $60, and FLOWER BEAUTY Chill Out Smoothing Color Corrector, $10.

“I have really dark circles under my eyes—like a crazy Crypt Keeper— so these are my obsessions. Nothing holds a candle to these depuffing patches, and I wear my brand’s neutralizer under my concealer.”

MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

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6. JOANNA VARGAS Rejuvenating Serum, $100. “It’s the best-smelling thing I’ve ever used in my life—like you went to a spa filled with roses.”

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PREP THE SAUCE Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a pan, then throw in a couple of cloves of garlic with the skin on—a tip Barrymore learned from chef José Andrés to ensure you don’t burn the garlic.

Add in a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved. As your tomatoes cook, add some basil (fresh or dry), salt, and a couple of dollops each of harissa and tomato paste and stir. Keep stirring until the tomatoes are blistered.

COOK THE PASTA In a separate pot, boil water, add your chickpea spaghetti, and cook per box instructions, reserving a little water at the end. Add the drained noodles and pasta water to the sauce, and stir until pasta is fully coated. Enjoy!

BARRYMORE: BEN WATTS/CBS MEDIA VENTURES & THE DREW BARRYMORE SHOW; PASTA: CLAUDIA TOTIR/GETTY IMAGES; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE BRANDS

“Find days when you can indulge yourself—those are lovely occasions that should be recognized and appreciated,” says Barrymore.

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

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This plant-based exfoliator uses Brazilian cane and coconutpalm sugars to give the body a robust allover scrub. Formulated with hydrating almond, jojoba, and apricot oils, it improves overall tone—and won’t clog pores. Look forward to smooth, soft-to-the-touch limbs.

THE LONDON GRANT CO. Body Polish, $26.

BACKGROUND: NIKOLA VUKOJEVIC/GETTY IMAGES; REMAINING IMAGES: JEFFREY WESTBROOK/STUDIO D

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This body wash is made to calm—not create—flare-ups.

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But that’s not where the story ends. Yvette shared with us how the transformation of her outer appearance led to a more meaningful inner transformation of self-love & appreciation.

What I Love About Me PRIYANKA GANJOO,

Growing up in Delhi, India, I didn’t really feel invited into the beauty space because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me being celebrated. Eurocentric beauty standards and the male gaze influence what’s considered beautiful in South Asian culture: pale skin, dainty noses, light-colored eyes, and straight hair. Makeup and beauty were for the “pretty girls,” not me, because I had none of those things.

Skin bleaching was just considered normal; all of our mothers and aunties used Fair & Lovely, a really popular lightening cream. When I started working, people told me I looked tired all the time because I had dark under-eye circles, which are genetic for many South Asians. So as I aged, my relationship with makeup became about using it to cover so-called flaws and look like someone I’m not. But I moved to the U.S. at 24, and my expertise in consumer strategy led me to work in the beauty industry at Estée Lauder and Ipsy.

I was surrounded by all this product and, more important, by people who truly love beauty for what it is: a medium for self-expression.

A new challenge emerged once I started appreciating makeup: finding shades for my skin tone and undertones. A lot of the cult-favorite blushes and bronzers out there didn’t carry shades that worked for me. Ultimately, I said, “If no one’s going to fix this, I’m going to try to do it myself.”

In April 2019, I left my job to start Kulfi. I wanted to educate people and familiarize them with South Asian beauty.

Many people immediately think of wedding makeup and really coordinated looks, but that’s not the day-to-day norm. So when you see our campaign images, you’ll notice how we’ve stayed away from the overly glamorized tropes of South Asian beauty. This February, we launched the brand with eyeKULFI Underlined Kajal Eyeliner in Tiger Queen, $20.

liners inspired by saris and regional textiles. Concealer is next; I think every product in the makeup aisle needs to be reinvented or retaught to embrace our features.

Things that were pointed out as flaws growing up are, ironically, now considered trends on social media. Think about the viral TikTok videos re-creating the kind of dark circles I was once criticized for. Or the current obsession with big, bushy brows. All we were sold were hair-removal products. I constantly see symbolic practices like hair oiling and kajal liner and ingredients like turmeric and ashwagandha being appropriated without necessarily crediting the communities that have used them for ages. And this is one of the worries South Asians have: What happens when these things are no longer trending? Do we go back to those old standards, or are we creating real change where people are authentically embracing the features we naturally have?

That’s why self-expression is so important for our community. Kulfi is about making us feel heard and talking about mental health; how it pertains to beauty is part of that. There are so few organizations that are focused on our mental wellness, so we partnered with the South Asian Sexual & Mental Health Alliance (SASMHA) to do guided workshops around our cultural beauty norms and intersectional mental health and beauty. We want to make people feel like they’re finally thriving. —As told to Taylore Glynn To support Kulfi and SASMHA, go to kulfibeauty.com.

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

BADAL PATEL

FOUNDER AND C EO O F C O SM E T I C S B R A N D KU L F I B E AUT Y, IS ON A MISSION TO MAKE SOUTH ASIANS FEEL HEARD IN THE BEAUTY SPACE.

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Beauty & Health Director Y I NG CH U

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NATIVE Coconut & Pineapple Mineral Face Lotion Sunscreen, $16.

JERGENS Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer, $9.

NARS Monoï Body Glow II beauty oil, $59.

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PRODUCT STILL LIFE: JEFFREY WESTBROOK/STUDIO D; TREE: SYLVAIN GRANDADAM/GETTY IMAGES; LEI: SK ODONNELL/GETTY IMAGES; WOMEN ON BOAT: ARIEL FUCHS/GAMMA-RAPHO/GETTY IMAGES; BEACH: SAOWAKHON BROWN/GETTY IMAGES; WOMAN IN HAMMOCK: CLASSIC STOCK/GETTY IMAGES; FLOWERS: VIDEOWOK ART/GETTY IMAGES; CHU: COURTESY OF THE SUBJECT

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2. My definition of a mental-health day is being 3. My happy place is the

around nature.

library.

10. The one person I know I can always be myself with is

my dogs.

11. I feel the most confident when I’m well-dressed

feel fresh and groomed.

and

films.

13. My comfort food is pasta and a huge salad with olive oil and lemon.

5. The not-so-great coping mechanism I had to abandon is 14. The song I put on for positive vibes is ”White Rabbit,”

by Jefferson Airplane. I adore Grace Slick! [nothing]. I don’t abandon anything; I fight for it!

6. When I’m being pulled in many directions, I immediately 15. My advice to myself when I’m feeling low is always try to dream. know what to do!

16. When I’m down, I want my friends to tell me 7. The workout I turn to, to calm down, is walking in interesting stories. my garden.

17. I think meditation is probably not for me.

8. When I can’t fall asleep, I read, watch movies, sketch.

9. If I’m stressed before bed, I eat chocolate ; if I’m stressed 18. My mental-health mantra is “Keep going, keep going, keep going.” when I wake up, I eat chocolate.

4. On a good day, I deal with rejection by watching a wonderful movie; on a bad day, I deal with rejection by reading a fabulous book. When you feel rejected, you must do things you find joy in!

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MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

12. In my time of need, I turn to 1930s

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Summer 2021

Fresh Sense

PHOTOGRAPH BY FEE-GLORIA GRÖNEMEYER

• Tracee Ellis Ross on the mission that motivates her • Portugal’s southern coast is blooming with style inspiration • Annie Murphy moves from sunny Schitt’s Creek to a darker new series • The online movement that’s promoting a questionable approach to childbirth

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By Lola Ogunnaike Photographs by

Christine Hahn Fashion Editor:

Shiona Turini

Tracee

de

Tracee Ellis Ross—award-winning actress, CEO, daughter of a legend— lives her life boldly, no ish about it.

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T

RACEE ELLIS ROSS SELDOM SITS still. And when she’s particularly excited—which is more often than not—her large eyes dance, her sinewy arms swoop about like untethered kites, and her wide smile beams brighter than a billboard in Times Square. She’s the living embodiment of the phrase “Go big or go home.”

And though she looks nothing like a certain iconic redhead, I’m so struck by her emotiveness and physicality during our conversation that I suggest she should’ve been cast as Lucille Ball in the upcoming Aaron Sorkin biopic. “Do you know how many people would be upset if a Black woman played Lucille Ball?” Ross exclaims. “But I want to so badly. Do you know who else I wanted to play? I wanted to play Miss Hannigan in Annie. Oh my God. It was my dream!” Ross throws her hands in the air and bursts into song: “Little girls, little girls…” She feels a deep connection to legendary comediennes like Ball, Carol Burnett (the OG Miss Hannigan), and Lily Tomlin. “My mom used to let me stay up late to watch Carol Burnett,” Ross says.

“And, no, none of these women are Black or looked like me, but I saw myself in them.” I wonder, when did she first realize she was funny? “I still don’t think I’m funny,” she confesses. “Standup comedians are funny. What do I call myself? I have a real sense of freedom. I express through my body, and nothing embarrasses me. So I can be ridiculous.”

Being ridiculous has been good business for Ross. This afternoon, she’s tucked away in her Los Angeles home’s signature blue room—a tranquil indigo-walled space that her 10.2 million Instagram followers will immediately recognize— discussing how hectic her life has been for the past few weeks.

“I’ve been in a growth curve around CEO stuff,” she says of her role at two-year-old hair-care company Pattern Beauty, which she also founded. “And then I’ve got to get up at 5 a.m. and go to work [as an actress] and be pretty. Wooo, I want to go to bed. Oh my God, I just want to wear my glasses for the day.”

At 48, Ross continues to break new ground career-wise. She had her first leading film role in last year’s The High Note, a dramedy about an aging pop star fighting to remain relevant.

Also in 2020, she signed a multiyear, multiplatform production deal with ABC that gives her equity in the work she helps create.

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Filming for her celebrated series on the network, Black-ish, resumed in mid-August, and when she’s not starring as matriarch Dr. Rainbow Johnson or executive producing the show’s hit spin-off Mixed-ish, she’s running Pattern. The brand, dedicated to curly, coily, and tight textures, took more than 10 years, loads of product development, and plenty of noes to get off the ground. One beauty-industry executive, Ross recalls, not only made her cry but also questioned why anyone would buy hair-care products from an actress. Nevertheless, she persisted, landing investors who understood her vision while retaining creative control and majority ownership of her company. Rather than acting as a celebrity spokesperson, she’s fully leaned into her role as head of the enterprise. “As a CEO, it’s a lot of this,” she says, pointing to her temple, “but I have to remind myself to stay connected to my heart and my gut.”

She’s determined to lead with a focus on compassion, empathy, and joy. No dictatorial diva antics will be occurring in her C-suite. “I don’t know many people who thrive when they’re yelled at,” Ross says. “I shop the most when I feel good. I’m not sure why we have a marketing system that is based on shaming people. I don’t get it. When I feel small, I don’t want to do shit.”

Ross is bringing that ethos to Ulta Beauty (where Pattern launched exclusively, to much fanfare, in 2019). In February, she was named the company’s diversity and inclusion adviser. Mary Dillon, the CEO of Ulta at press time, tapped Ross to help the company with BIPOC brand development and supplier and leadership diversity. “She’s going to bring passion, experience, and perspective to this work,” says Dillon.

“She’s going to give us counsel and inspiration, and she’ll also help to drive accountability.” Ross sums up her reasons for taking on the additional role with two succinct sentences: “Because I want the world to be a better place. And I want Black people to feel really good walking into a retail space.”

Being in Ross’s presence (even over Zoom) feels good.

Within the first six minutes of our conversation, I’ve told her about my COVID weight gain, my complicated relationship with my butt, and my raging Snickers addiction. She listens empathetically, taking it all in. Ross admits that she, too, has put on a few pandemic pounds. “That’s why I’m eating radishes right now,” she says, snacking on hummus and veggies. “I want to be eating chocolate.” During a recent meditation session, the memory of a friend who had struggled with losing her post-baby weight came to Ross. She recalled that her friend, in an effort to make peace with her new figure, wrote a thank-you letter to her body for all it had done for her.

This prompted Ross to take stock of the collective trauma we’ve all endured in this unprecedented era and address her own “pointed and rude inner dialogue” about weight. “We’ve seen things and witnessed things with our eyes and our hearts that are unfathomable,” Ross says. “So many hard edges in the world that perhaps the softness of our bodies is actually worthy of a thank-you. Perhaps our bodies are wiser than we are and are doing all of the work that we cannot do in these moments to allow a gentleness and a softness and a cushion around our heart and our most delicate and soft spaces.”

Allergic to sound bites, Ross prefers to speak in the type of long, thoughtful soliloquies that make her catnip for the TED Talk and Oprah Super Soul Sunday crowds. During our winding conversation, we discuss everything from her love life to her love of Lay’s potato chips, but we inevitably and

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repeatedly return to the evolution of her relationship with her hair and how it functions as a metaphor for her selfacceptance journey. Ross spent her formative years wrestling with her untamed curls, attempting to “beat my hair into submission,” she says. Weekly salon trips and chemical straighteners were par for the course. To combat frizz, she says, “my mom would wake up on Wednesday morning with the hot comb on the stove and try and get my edges straight.” The image of her megastar mother, Diana Ross, one of history’s most glamorous women, hovering at a stove with a hot comb in hand tickles me. I’m also sadly reminded that more than a few of the beauty rituals in our community have been inextricably linked to pain. Ross believes a great deal of that pain comes from Black people being forced to “fit into a standard that does not have space for us.” She quotes poet Audre Lorde (“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence; it is self-preservation and is an act of political warfare”), then makes her own powerful declaration: “Learning to love my hair in a world that doesn’t mirror that celebration has been a form of both resistance and the claiming of my identity, my selfhood, my legacy, my ancestral lines, the history that I come from.”

W

ITH AGE HAS COME ENVIABLE self-assurance, but it’s been hardwon for Ross. When I ask about her early days on the audition circuit, she drops her head into her hands. “I was so scared,” she shares in a childlike semiwhisper.

Her tone grows sober as she recounts the constant rejection she faced in her early 20s. An agent dumped her. A well-known manager wouldn’t take her on as a client. Her inability to show up in the room as her authentic self was her greatest hindrance, she now realizes. “I was so uncomfortable in my own skin,” she reveals. “I was so busy trying to be who I thought everybody else wanted me to be, and there was no space for me. I had wreaked havoc on my soul, and it was torturous.”

She traces the roots of her inner turmoil to her unique childhood. Yes, growing up the daughter of a music icon came with all sorts of amazing perks: ritzy boarding schools in Switzerland, holidays in Paris, personal Andy Warhol portraits. Ross says her A-list mother was a committed, hands-on presence. “My mom put us to bed and woke us up and was there for dinner, never left for longer than a week,” she says. “She recorded after she put us to bed.” Despite this, Tracee, the second of Diana’s five children, struggled with having to share her with the world. “I was scared of the bigness of that life that was around me. Even with the safety of my siblings and my mom, there was a lot happening. A sense of having to be a particular way because everyone was always watching.”

Samira Nasr, Ross’s best friend of nearly three decades and editor in chief of Harper’s Bazaar magazine, says that a gilded upbringing didn’t mean opportunities were automatically handed to the actress. “The assumption is, ‘Oh, you’re the daughter of someone famous. It must’ve flung open all the doors for you.’ It certainly brought a level of curiosity, but I think when she walked through the doors, people were like, ‘Now what?’ And she really had to figure out who she wanted to be as a performer and what she wanted to say.”

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Fashion has long been Ross’s preferred language. She credits her mother with introducing her to the transformative power of fashion and says that playing dress-up in her mom’s splendid closets enabled her to hone her personal style. Ross’s own closet is as covetable as you would expect, says Nasr. “It’s impeccable,” she gushes. “Impeccable. You’ll never meet a person who can fold a more perfect sweater or T-shirt in your life. Everything has a place. It’s actually a great closet to steal from because you can see everything.”

“I have always had a lot of courage, joy, whimsy, and bold confidence when it comes to fashion,” says Ross, who modeled and worked as a stylist and fashion editor in New York City in the ’90s. “It’s been a part of my identity since I was in…Hold on one second.” Ross is on the move again. This time, she’s gone to retrieve a framed black-and-white photo of herself as a toddler.

Baby Tracee is fully naked, clutching a stuffed animal and sporting her mother’s heels. “This has been going down for a long time,” says Ross, grinning mischievously. “A tush and a smile, that’s all it takes.”

But Ross isn’t immune to insecurity about her sartorial choices. She even admits that she’s prone to brief flashes of dread when she debuts an exceptionally daring look on the red carpet. The fuchsia Valentino Haute Couture duvet gown she wore to the 2018 Emmys, for example, turned heads and cemented her status as a contemporary style darling, and yet, for a moment, Ross second-guessed the choice. “I loved it,” she says, “and then 10 minutes into the carpet I was like, Oh, my God, everyone’s laughing at me.” They weren’t, of course, and a good friend she’d brought as a date calmed her nerves. But Ross says, “I don’t miss the frenzy of the red carpet. I don’t miss the panic of the red carpet. But I miss beautiful clothes. I miss that form of creative expression for me. I miss glamour.”

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when Ross wasn’t a red-carpet favorite and couldn’t get booked on a single latenight talk show. The television landscape of the early 2000s was significantly more segregated, with shows like Friends, NBC’s juggernaut, drawing largely white viewers and Girlfriends, which ran for eight seasons on the CW and UPN networks, drawing a predominantly Black audience. Ross shone as neurotic attorney Joan Clayton, but being the lead on a “Black show” meant very little acknowledgment from mainstream gatekeepers. “I was told by the Jay Leno talent person for The Tonight Show, ‘We love Tracee. Call us when she gets something.’ And in my head, I was like, Get what? What do I need to get? Do I need to make my hair straighter? It was very hard at the time to not personalize that, to know that it was a societal thing, not a me thing.”

The abrupt cancellation of Girlfriends during the 2007–2008 writers’ strike hit Ross hard. “It just disappeared,” she says sadly.

“Eight years of our life was just over. There was no wrap party; there was no nothing. No ‘bye.’ We’re just gone.” She assumed that she’d be inundated with work or at least that a stack of scripts would be waiting at her door. Neither happened. In fact, Black-ish didn’t arrive until six years later. It was worth the wait.

The series has earned her a Golden Globe win, four Emmy nominations, and—after more than 20 years in the business—the crossover success that once proved so elusive.

It’s also garnered her a giant megaphone, and in recent years the outspoken Ross has used her considerable platform to rail against racism and antiquated ideas about women needing a marriage and a baby carriage to be worthy. She’s childless, contentedly single, and proud of it.

[CONTINUED ON P. 97 ]

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HOLIDAYS IN THE

SUN

Pack up your best and brightest for a far-flung adventure.

Photographer Fee-Gloria Grönemeyer sets the scene in Faro, Portugal.

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Everybody

Annie

Loves

Sitcoms have never looked as sinister, thanks to the actress formerly known as Alexis Rose. In the new dark comedy Kevin Can F**K Himself, Annie Murphy stars as a housewife over the bullshit—but she’s as adored as ever. No laugh track required.

By NEHA PRAKASH Photographs by LELANIE FOSTER Fashion Editor: J. ERRICO

AT

THE

END

of 2019, Annie Murphy laid out her plans for the year ahead: read 40 books, hike, write. She dubbed 2020 her “year of creativity.” Instead, she won an Emmy and binged five seasons of 90 Day Fiancé.

Those are unrelated incidents, but they’re nonetheless demonstrative of the seemingly opposing sides of Murphy.

The first: a glamorous, highly sought-after actress who soared to stardom as Schitt’s Creek’s Alexis Rose. The other: an exceedingly affable Canadian who envies pandemicborne sourdough bakers for being “beautifully crafty.”

It’s a Sunday morning, and Murphy is seated in the chic Manhattan hotel room where she’s been residing while filming the second season of the popular Netflix series Russian Doll. She’s wearing a kelly-green version of Lady Di’s black-sheep sweater. Have the designers behind the jumper (Warm & Wonderful in collaboration with Rowing Blazers) sent Murphy a yet-to-be-released colorway, hoping that television’s newest darling will reinvigorate the look first made iconic by the people’s princess in the ’80s?

Alas, no: “My best friend’s mom made this,” she excitedly shares. Murphy commissioned the knitwear because “what a fucking statement.” (She clarifies: “[It was a statement] when Diana wore it. Not when I wear it.”)

That Murphy seems unaware of the power she also wields—for instance, to make fashion statements—does mark her as a bit of a black sheep in Hollywood. But it’s not false humility or an identity crisis. She just happily exists in a limbo of sorts, between capital-f Famous Person and grounded artist looking for work.

Before her 2020 plans were derailed, she was doing just that. After wrapping the final season of Schitt’s, she temporarily relocated to Los Angeles for pilot season—her first time auditioning in six years. “It’s really a daunting place to be, to have done this one character—and on a show that has become so beloved—for such a long time. So I was like, ‘Oh, fuck, can I do anything else?’”

The job prospects felt “bleak.” Like many actors who become synonymous with their on-screen counterparts, Murphy insisted her next role be different and challenging. But 86

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the parts coming her way either felt a little bit Alexis or were just plain bad. “There was a lot of me reading scripts, being like, ‘Oh, man, is this what’s getting made right now?

It’s not about anything. It’s not exciting.’”

Enter Kevin Can F**K Himself, an eight-episode dark comedy premiering on AMC in June. In the series, created

by Valerie Armstrong, Murphy plays Allison McRoberts, a working-class wife who desperately yearns for something outside the four walls of her home—something more beautiful, more invigorating, more loving. Something her schmuck of a husband can’t understand, much less provide, because he’s too preoccupied with his Patriots paraphernalia. So she plots his murder.

The show turns surreal thanks to Armstrong’s concept: toggle between multicam setups (used in the laugh-trackscored scenes often set in the McRoberts house, where Allison’s needs and wants are subservient to her husband Kevin’s) and single-cam shots (to capture Allison’s increasingly distraught perspective). As Allison’s eyes are opened to the truth of her relationships, Kevin’s sitcom world reveals itself to be claustrophobic and cruel.

It struck all the right notes for Murphy. Through the alternating vantage points, “you get to see the impact that these so-called jokes are having on a human woman. These sitcoms have shrouded misogyny and racism and bigotry and sexism under laugh tracks.” Allison’s demeanor felt like just enough of a departure from Alexis’s. “She’s a very angry, very frustrated character, as opposed to Alexis’s bright, cheerful character. So it checked all the boxes for what I was looking for.”

Allison’s back and forth between happy homemaker and woman who wants to burn it all down is what propels the show’s narrative. But it’s Murphy’s ability to balance on the knife-edge—of hopeful and despondent, angry and ambitious, flawed and funny—that accomplishes the show’s job: making the sitcom wife a real person.

Armstrong explains: “We described [Allison’s] operating procedure as ‘Thank you, sorry, thank you.’ Somebody who’s trying to do something for themselves but is held back by all of these notions she has about herself…[and] she had to play frustrated as funny because we couldn’t have those moments of rage be a pure downer.

“We wanted to root for someone. And the easiest way to get you to root for someone is to cast Annie Murphy.”

E V E N I F Y O U N E V E R A C T I V E L Y WA T C H E D multicam family sitcoms in their ’90s heyday—Murphy didn’t—their archetypes have likely burrowed into your psyche. There’s the beer-guzzling Joe Schmo married to the likes of Leah Remini or Patricia Heaton—which is to say beautiful by even Hollywood standards—who is best defined by her naggy ways and buzzkill attitude. The genre is centered so firmly on the husband, you need only look to the series’ names for proof: Everybody Loves Raymond. According to Jim. The Dick Van Dyke Show.

There’s enough material there that Kevin Can F**K Himself could’ve stopped at simply flipping those tropes. But Armstrong chose to peel back more layers, settling not for, as she explains it, “What are the circumstances that led the wife here?” but rather what psychology keeps a woman sticking around.

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W O N ’ T

B Y R E B E C C A G R A N T

C A L L

T H E

M I D W I F E

WITH HIGH R AT E S O F M AT E R N A L M O R TA L I T Y AND COERCION I N H O S P I TA L SETTINGS, MORE AMERICAN WOMEN ARE EXPLORING CHILDBIRTH WITHOUT ANY MEDICAL A S S I S TA N C E W H AT S O E V E R .

THE FREE BIRTH SOCIETY PROVIDES C O M M U N I T Y, RESOURCES, AND VA L I D AT I O N FOR THESE CONVENTION BUCKERS. BUT EXPERTS WA R N T H AT CHOICE C O M E S AT THE EXPENSE O F S A F E T Y. 91

THE JEEP

PULLED UP TO THE

EMERGENCY ROOM at Maui Memorial Medical Center around 4:30 a.m. on January 31, 2018, and Emilee Saldaya steeled herself for battle. She had never been to this hospital and knew that showing up in active labor with no records or relationship with a doctor could create problems if she wasn’t careful.

As Saldaya’s sister drove the car down the mountain, Saldaya and her husband, Jonny, made up a story to tell hospital staff: They had arrived on Maui when Saldaya was 38 weeks pregnant and planned to interview midwives, but labor had started out of nowhere; Saldaya had tried pushing and got nervous that her cervix was swollen, so she came to the hospital to be assessed. The last part was true, but she didn’t mention that she’d already been in labor for three days.

Saldaya declined requests to put on a hospital gown and pee in a cup, as well as offers for an epidural. The doctor performed a vaginal exam and announced that Saldaya was 9.5 centimeters dilated and that there didn’t appear to be any swelling; it was time to deliver the baby.

The doctor told Saldaya to pull her knees up and start pushing.

That was all Saldaya needed to hear.

“Whatever funk I’d been in is totally gone,” she says, recounting the experience. “I’m clear and totally in power again. I look over at Jonny with a shiteating grin on my face and say, ‘You want to get out of here?’ He doesn’t skip a beat and says, ‘Hell yeah, I do, let’s roll.’”

Saldaya thanked the staff for their help and said she was declining to be admitted. According to Saldaya and Jonny’s memory of the conversation, the ob-gyn said, “But the baby could be born 92

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in the parking lot. Where will you go?”

“Home,” Saldaya said.

“Who will deliver you?” asked the doctor.

“Me,” Saldaya responded.

“Do you have any experience?”

“Not exactly.”

“Don’t you understand how dangerous that is?”

“That’s debatable, but I don’t have time for this,” Saldaya recalls saying. “I imagine you want me to sign your AMA [Against Medical Advice] form, so please write it now. I have to go have my baby.”

Saldaya shuffled out of the room to the nurses’ station, growling like a “wild woman.” The doctor handed her the AMA and said, “This is completely against my medical recommendation, but I can’t stop you, so if you need help, come back and we will help you.”

Saldaya and Jonny grabbed hands and made their way out of the labor and delivery ward. Every so often, Saldaya had a contraction and stopped to howl in the hallway. Nurses tried to send her in the opposite direction, assuming she was lost, not leaving. Twenty minutes later, they were home. Saldaya waddled to the bedroom and dropped to the floor.

Within an hour, her daughter was born.

Saldaya is the 35-year-old owner and founder of the Free Birth Society (FBS), an educational platform and online community dedicated to unassisted childbirth. That is, birth with no medical help at all: no doctor, no nurse, no licensed midwife present. While some unassisted births are not planned, a “free birth” is an active choice. It’s a deliberate rejection of the health-care system and a commitment to an ideal of childbirth that is autonomous and undisturbed. This is a radical idea that many people, and certainly the medical establishment, view as extreme, reckless, and naive. While home birth with midwives is becoming more widespread, free birth remains a fringe choice.

But the free-birth community is growing. Of the 35,000 births that occur in the home each year, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)

estimates that one in four of those are unattended. The Internet now boasts social-media groups, podcasts, webinars, videos, and books about unassisted childbirth. The Indie Birth Association, a group oriented toward birth outside the medical system, has nearly 100,000 followers on Facebook, and a video of a woman free birthing in a stream has attracted close to 100 million views on YouTube. Saldaya’s FBS has a mailing list of 16,000 people. Her podcast has more than 3 million downloads, and the Instagram account, filled with photos of euphoric, sweaty women hugging newborns, has 60,000 followers. Thousands of people have purchased the group’s course, “The Complete Guide to Freebirth,” which costs $399.

“I didn’t have any idea the free-birth community was as big as it was,” Saldaya says, reflecting on the launch of her podcast and Facebook group four years ago.

“Then it took off like wildfire.”

FOR AS LONG AS WOMEN have given birth, they have given birth alone or without professional medical support. Unassisted childbirth is not new, but the organized ecosystem around it is. In a country with an advanced health-care system, why would anyone choose to forgo it completely?

One reason is the belief that birth is a physiological process. The body knows what to do, and interventions—like electronic monitoring, vaginal exams, labor induction, episiotomy, and epidurals— impede birth from unfolding as nature intends, a free birther would argue.

“A free birth is nothing special,” Saldaya says. “It’s just staying home and having your baby. But in a very short

“ W H AT I A M S O O B S E S S E D W I T H I S W AT C H I N G THESE WOMEN GET FIERCE AND BE LIKE, ‘F--K THE SYSTEM. I DON’T NEED THIS. MY I N T U I T I O N C A N B E M Y G U I D E .’ ”

THIS SPREAD: ALEXANDER GRABCHILEV/STOCKSY; PREVIOUS SPREAD: ELOISA RAMOS/STOCKSY

amount of time, we have convinced ourselves of the need to leave our homes.”

A tenet of free birthing is that doctors, nurses, and midwives don’t have more expertise or authority about what’s needed during birth than a mother, an assertion medical professionals push back on. Physicians go through years of rigorous education and training that enable them to identify issues when (or before) they arise and suggest courses of action. “We as OBs, midwives, trained birth attendants, and registered nurses know what to do in life-threatening scenarios,” says Toni Golen, acting chief of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. While a patient’s participation and input are essential in deciding when to intervene, she continues, “management of complications requires training and knowledge in order to make sure the mother and baby are safe and unharmed. There are specific maneuvers that take practice to become proficient, and they are not easy.”

As modern medicine advanced over

the course of the 20th century, pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S. became a much safer experience, with rates of maternal mortality declining roughly 99 percent from 1918 to 1984. It also became a highly medicalized one. Today, 68 percent of pregnant women get epidurals or other spinal anesthesia, around 30 percent of pregnancies result in induced labor, and 32 percent of births are by Csection, a number the World Health Organization (WHO) and ACOG say is too high, in part because it poses a greater risk of maternal mortality and danger in future pregnancies. For most mothers, giving birth in a hospital, surrounded by trained professionals and modern technology, is what makes them feel safest— and they have positive birth experiences.

Since 1987, however, maternal deaths have steadily risen, and the overuse of unnecessary medical interventions may be a contributing factor.

“We have this scientific reality, which is that women are dying in childbirth,” Golen says. “Certainly there are lots of reasons why that may be the case.

Among them is that perhaps in the hospital environment, we are not listening to patients as well as we possibly can.”

One WHO report found that one in six women in the U.S. experience mistreatment during childbirth. Another survey of more than 2,000 doulas, childbirth educators, and labor and delivery nurses in the U.S. and Canada found that almost 90 percent had witnessed a health-care provider engaging in procedures “without giving a woman a choice or time to consider,” and nearly 60 percent had observed providers performing procedures “explicitly against the wishes of the woman.” Studies show that women, particularly Black women, are less likely to have their medical concerns taken seriously by doctors.

The fear of being pressured into unwanted and unnecessary interventions is one of the factors leading women to explore home birth. Out-of-hospital births represent under 2 percent of all births in the U.S. Although that’s a small portion, home births have increased by nearly 80 percent since 2004. The rise has accelerated since the outbreak of COVID-19, with midwives seeing surges in interest and demand; Saldaya says she has observed an uptick in interest in FBS since April 2020, with more people buying her course.

The safety of home versus hospital birth has been hotly debated for a century. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend a home birth of any kind, stating, “Hospitals and accredited birth centers remain the safest settings for births in the U.S.” When asked for comment, ACOG said it does not have a committee opinion on unassisted childbirth but warned that among women who make no provisions for professional care, home births are associated with high rates of perinatal and neonatal mortality.

Patchwork state regulations and datacollection methods make it difficult to compare births across settings, and data around free birth does not exist, perhaps because women who participate in it want to remain outside the system. One landmark study of 16,924 planned home births found that for low-risk women, a planned home birth with trained midwives is not associated with “an increase in adverse outcomes.” However, homebirth midwifery is not widely accessible.

In 14 states, certified professional midwives (CPM) are at risk of criminal prosecution for practicing. More than two thirds of planned home births are not covered by insurance, putting them out Summer 2021

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JESS, 24, WHO IS USING HER first name only because of privacy concerns, was pregnant with her first child in 2017 and planned on having a home birth with midwives. Although Jess liked her midwives, there were moments when she felt like they were pathologizing her and her pregnancy in a way that made her uncomfortable. She says they were concerned about the shape of her uterus and her history of anemia, factors Jess considered variations of normal. They also brought up statistics about Black women facing higher rates of preterm labor and maternal mortality. Though she appreciated the information, Jess says she wanted to be treated like an individual rather than being foisted into the category of “high-risk.”

“It was this white-savior thing: ‘Oh, we need to save you from this,’ ” Jess said in an episode of the FBS podcast. “But it’s not applicable to me. They assumed it was applicable to me because of the 94

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color of my skin, but them focusing on that didn’t serve me.”

Toward the end of Jess’s pregnancy, her baby was in a breech position, and her midwives told her to go to the hospital for an ultrasound. Jess didn’t want to because she knew the norm with breech babies was a C-section. She researched breech vaginal birth and still wanted to give birth at home, but her midwives said they would not or could not assist Jess if she chose not to go to the hospital, citing safety and licensure guidelines.

That was the moment Jess felt they “turned” on her. Her options seemed to be a C-section or free birth, with nothing in between. “I was trapped,” Jess says. “I had no idea how to navigate speaking what I felt was right.”

Yolande Norris-Clark is a mother of eight who has free birthed six of her children and is a leader in the free-birth community. She maintains that efforts to codify safety create a narrow definition of normal; it’s not that safety is beside

the point but rather that women should be trusted to determine their own parameters of acceptable risk.

“We get caught up in this giant monolith of concern-trolling: ‘How can we keep women and their babies safe?’”

Norris-Clark, 40, says. “There is no person more invested in the outcomes of a birth than the woman herself.…Medical professionals believe they have a monopoly on what constitutes safety, and that idea is so repugnant to me.”

Golen argues that the role of physicians and nurses is to anticipate when something may be life-threatening and provide the patient with good advice.

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, about 8 percent of all pregnancies involve complications that may harm the mother or baby if left untreated. In the case of infections, shoulder dystocia, cord prolapse, or hemorrhage, having a medical professional present can be the difference between life and death.

“A complication can happen so quickly, I worry someone could die before getting the proper attention,” Golen says. “I

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of reach for low-income families. (Hospital birth is also expensive: Women with employer-sponsored insurance pay an average of $4,500 out of pocket for labor, delivery, and postpartum care.)

For some free birthers, giving birth unassisted is the only affordable or accessible way to have a home birth. Others view licensed midwifery as an extension of the same medical model they want to avoid, referring to them as “medwives.”

States that license home-birth midwives have rules about which mothers those midwives can serve. If a pregnancy goes past 42 weeks, if a mother is having a breech baby or twins, or if she had a previous C-section, a midwife may not be allowed to take her on as a client. There are also requirements involving if or when a midwife must transfer a patient to a hospital. To regulators, those restrictions are in place to protect both mother and baby; to free birthers, they give the state authority over personal health-care decisions. Some people come to FBS because they don’t think they can retain control over their birth any other way.

“I think women are really waking up, and they are tired of being abused,” says Saldaya. “What I am so obsessed with is watching these women get fierce and be like, ‘Fuck the system. I don’t need this.

My intuition can be my guide.’”

think for those of us who see a lot of childbirths, it feels like it happens enough that there’s a benefit to being in a place where we can optimize the chances of recovering.”

In theory, women who give birth in hospitals or with licensed midwives can determine which interventions they do or don’t want. A long history of judicial (and ethical) precedent states that all patients, including pregnant women, have the right to refuse treatment. In reality, refusing treatment as a pregnant woman can be a fraught endeavor. There have been multiple instances of courts ordering women to have C-sections or of hospitals threatening to call child protective services to coerce compliance. The risk of legal or state intervention for forgoing prenatal care or refusing medical interventions is borne particularly by poor women and women of color.

That risk was on Jess’s mind when she went to the hospital at 37 weeks for an ultrasound, which confirmed her baby was breech. The ob-gyn said the baby looked too small, estimating he weighed three or four pounds, and recommended a C-section. Jess still wanted to try for a vaginal birth, but she says no one on her care team took that seriously.

She worried that if she pushed back, she would be labeled an unfit mother. “If you don’t consent to their ideas for solutions, then [to them] you are a bad mom and don’t care about your baby,” Jess says.

She signed the paperwork and went into surgery. Her baby was born weighing six pounds, not four, and although no one can know the outcome had Jess tried to deliver her breech baby vaginally, she says she ultimately felt manipulated, lied to, and abused. When she got pregnant with her second child, in 2020, she wanted to avoid the painful experience of her first delivery. She had followed Saldaya on Instagram for a few years and felt drawn to the ethos she put forth. That summer, she applied to join the Free Birth Society.

S A L D AYA I S P E T I T E , W I T H A free-spirited vibe offset by the intense energy with which she does everything.

She spent the first part of her career as a doula and midwife’s assistant in Los Angeles but became disillusioned by what she witnessed. “I attended births in captivity for over 10 years and saw so

much violence, abuse…so much oppressive stuff in the wealthiest hospitals and some of the poorest—every race and socioeconomic class across the board,” she says. “The licensed midwives had bullshit reasons for transferring women to hospitals or being abusive themselves.

I thought, Oh my God, there is no fucking way I can be part of this system.”

Around this time, Saldaya and Jonny were planning to have a child of their own. Saldaya realized that she did not want to participate in the birth system as a professional or as a mother. She

order to monitor members. They got the story on the radar of a blogger for the faith-centered site Patheos. According to the Daily Beast, nine posts about the incident appeared in a two-week span with headlines like “Mother Decides to Have an Unassisted Childbirth and Kills Her Baby.” Saldaya was berated by hostile messages and death threats and accused of being a “baby-killer.” (The posts have since been removed from the Patheos website.) Saldaya decided to shut down the Facebook group.

At the time, it seemed like that might be the end of the Free Birth Society. But for all the strangers who sent vitriolic messages, Saldaya also received messages from women who said the space and connections it provided meant a lot to them. So on November 6, 2018, she relaunched FBS as a private social network with an admissions process and an

“ A C O M P L I C AT I O N C A N H A P P E N S O Q U I C K L Y , I WORRY SOMEONE COULD DIE BEFORE GETTING T H E P R O P E R AT T E N T I O N . T H E R E ’ S A B E N E F I T TO BEING IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN OPTIMIZE T H E C H A N C E S O F R E C O V E R I N G .”

Googled “home birth without midwives” and discovered women, including Laura Kaplan Shanley, Marilyn A. Moran, and Jeannine Parvati Baker, who had been thinking, speaking, and writing about free birth for decades.

“That gave me language for all the stuff in my heart,” Saldaya says. “I thought, Hell yeah, I’m going to free birth. I take responsibility for my life in every other way, and I’m taking responsibility for my birth.”

Saldaya launched FBS in March 2017.

Soon, she learned she was expecting. As her pregnancy progressed, so did FBS. But with growth came visibility that led to the public group’s dissolution.

In October 2018, a mother posted in the FBS Facebook group that her attempted free birth had ended in a stillbirth at a hospital. As reported by Emily Shugerman in the Daily Beast that November, there were “sock puppet” accounts in the group who had joined in

annual membership fee of $108. She vets every applicant via video interview. The new group has nearly 600 paying members who span geography, demographics, and experiences. There are women who live in New York City and those who live deep in the woods, women who came to free birth after traumatic hospital experiences, first-time mothers drawn to the group’s ideals, and doulas disillusioned with mainstream medicine.

In interviews with 15 members of FBS, most said they received serious pushback from family, friends, coworkers, medical providers, and/or spouses when describing their plan to give birth unassisted.

Because of the tremendous stigma, online communities have been a source of validation, support, and advice. “I went from the person [my colleagues] were so happy to hear was having a home birth to the crazy person. They questioned my rationality,” says Kayla Abeid, a 28-year-old chiropractor from South Carolina who free birthed her first child in May 2019. “I trust these other women [in FBS] to help me through my vulnerable moments and stay strong as a [CONTINUED ON P. 96] mother.”

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A FTER JE SS’S F I RST D E L I V E RY , she was wary of midwives but still made an effort to hire one for her second child.

She interviewed five midwives but didn’t find any who were willing to be as handsoff as she wanted. She went through her pregnancy without any prenatal care (referred to as a “wild pregnancy”) and at around 36 weeks resolved to have a free birth. Jess labored at home with her husband, her mom, and a friend present.

Four and a half hours later, her daughter was born. “I had a freaking blast giving birth. I loved it so much,” Jess says. “The intensity was so beautiful and so difficult.”

Certainly, not all births go smoothly.

There are mothers in FBS who have experienced loss, although they declined to speak for this story. The group doesn’t shy away from the topic, but it’s framed as something inevitable that must be accepted rather than something preventable that must be avoided at all costs. “The Free Birth Society understands that death is a part of life, and all paths contain their own risks,” Saldaya says. “Are babies dying in physiological birth? Yes. Are babies dying in over-medicalized birth? Yes.” A common criticism of free-birth groups is that they serve as echo chambers where members encourage and reinforce dangerous behavior and emphasize autonomy to the point of harm. In some cohorts, “no assistance talk” is a rule, meaning members are not allowed to “talk about birth-related medical professionals or their opinions” or “suggest a member seek assistance/go in/seek care/ get help/visit a midwife…unless they specifically ask for opinions of that nature.”

In February 2020, NBC published an article about free birth that focused on a woman named Judith whose baby was stillborn after she tried to deliver at home at nearly 45 weeks along. (The standard medical recommendation is to induce if pregnancy reaches 41 weeks.)

Judith had taken a digital free-birthing course, participated in social-media groups dedicated to unassisted childbirth, and watched free-birth videos, including one denouncing induction as “an eviction from the womb.” As she passed the 43-week mark, she received messages 96

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of reassurance from people in those groups telling her to trust her body and listen to her instincts. To reporter Brandy Zadrozny, Judith said, “I think I brainwashed myself with the Internet.”

The free birthers interviewed for this story emphasized that they would go to the hospital in the event of an emergency but that they wanted it to be up to them, not a doctor or midwife, if or when they went. “I would never blindly or neglectfully choose to be outside the system,” Abeid says. “I wasn’t against any kind of outside assistance, but I would only choose that route if necessary.”

Knowing when assistance is necessary may not always be clear, however, particularly to someone in the throes of labor.

Messages about the importance of “trusting birth” can insinuate that asking for help signals a lack of intuition, strength, or courage. Even Saldaya says that as she drove to the hospital, she felt like she had failed. Now, though, she appreciates her story because she gave birth on her own terms. Her claim is not that free birth is the right choice for everyone but rather that it is the right choice for some. “Free birth is not a gold standard. All I tried to do was carve out a space.”

But that space is designed to be insular, made up of members who share similar beliefs, a place to discuss what Saldaya calls “edgy topics.” The rejection of the medical system, the emphasis on autonomy and personal responsibility, and the glorification of womanhood tend to be part of a broader worldview. Some members do not vaccinate their children and many homeschool, for instance. The group is involved in efforts to oppose the Equality Act, which would define woman as a matter of gender identity rather than biological sex.

Saldaya is also expanding the group offline, trying to foster in-person connections through courses, workshops, and retreats. In 2020, Saldaya and Norris-Clark launched the Radical Birth Keeper School, a 12-week online training program that at least 150 women have attended. It’s billed as providing information and tools students can use to support one another during births—something that had started happening organically. They aim to scale that dynamic by creating a sort of underground network of “authentic midwives” who operate outside the traditional maternal health-care system.

In creating a system of their own, the women in the Free Birth Society are striving to maintain control over their fates.

But the question remains: Are they controlling fate or tempting it?

[CONTINUED FROM P. 86]

That meant exploring subjects like mental health—not in the Instagramplatitudes way, but in a way that real women may approach it. “Allison sees therapy initially as a sign of weakness and giving up. Like a selfish thing,” Murphy says. “I felt that way [during] my first few therapy sessions. I wanted to ask the therapist, ‘What about you?’”

Murphy doesn’t shy away from speaking about her own mental-health regimen, which includes therapy and antidepressants—practices she put into place as a response, in part, to the toll of Hollywood rejection. “You have to be able to unburden yourself of some of these fears and anxieties. It’s not a sign of weakness. It’s just being a human. It’s okay to need help being a human.”

That vulnerability is part of what makes Murphy so good at her craft. As her Schitt’s costar Catherine O’Hara describes her: “[Annie] came in open, assuming nothing. It’s the most beautiful thing to see someone get the opportunity to do what they didn’t even know they’d always been capable of doing.”

What else is Murphy capable of ?

She’s got that high-profile role on Russian Doll—she teases that she plays a “1982 version of a character”—she has some voice work lined up, and her fingers are crossed for a second season of Kevin Can F**K Himself. From theater to superhero films, she’s not ruling anything out. “For the first time, I have prospective work going forward as opposed to not. I’m open really to whatever comes down the path.”

As for her status as an Emmy winner, she hasn’t had time to process it (or even hold the statue) due to her busy filming schedule. She’s still not sure where she’ll display the trophy. “I don’t want to build a mantel to put an Emmy on. But I don’t want to be one of those people that’s like, ‘Meh, it’s in my bathroom. I’m using it as a doorstop.’ There has to be some kind of middle ground, between pretentious and rude.” For now, she settles on a bookshelf, placed between a few unassuming knickknacks and those novels she’s been meaning to read.

SHOPPING DIRECTORY COVERS On newsstand cover: JW Anderson

[CONTINUED FROM P. 7 2]

“I feel the sexiest I’ve ever felt; it’s going to waste in the pandemic,” she jokingly laments before bursting into a suggestive body roll. Because of her unconventional upbringing, I ask if she once longed for a more traditional life—the picket fence, the husband, 2.5 kids. “Well, how could you not? Our society spoon-feeds it to you.

I used to put myself to sleep dreaming of my wedding,” she says. “And I would still love all of that, but what am I going to do, just sit around waiting? Shut up. I’ve got so many things to do.”

Ross knows she’s at her best when she’s at her busiest, so she’s considering adding even more to her packed roster. Stand-up comedy and a music album could both be on the horizon, she shares. “It gets me all wild and scared, but right now I want to dive into the singing from Tracee,” she says. “That’s uncharted territory. I did it as a character [in The High Note]. Now I’m like, What if I tried that? ” What if? “I chewed on ground glass to make it through the discomfort of not knowing how to share myself with the world,” she says. “And so taking a risk to try something new, I know it’s not going to shatter who I am. Now it’s like a hit. It’s like, ‘Ow, that was really uncomfortable. I’m going to take a nap. I’m going to cry for a couple of days, and I will be back.’” She’s clutching her side as if she’s been grazed by a bullet and pretending to limp off to her bedroom. It’s hysterical and classic Ross.

“At this age, a mistake can be processed as a mistake, not ‘I’m a mistake.’ This is the beauty of it. I’m 48 years old, and there’s so much more to try.”

top; jwanderson.com. Khiry ring, $365; khiry.com.

Walters Faith rings, $1,850 each; waltersfaith.com.

On subscriber cover: Chanel coat; (800) 5500005. Cartier earrings, $39,600; cartier.com.

READY TO WEAR 15, ON LEFT: Chanel jacket, top, $1,650, skirt, $2,600, leggings, $800, choker, $2,550, middle necklace, $750, long necklace, $3,775, bag, $9,600, and shoes, $2,700. ON MIDDLE: Chanel cardigan, $4,900, jumpsuit, $6,150, skirt, $4,450, leather belt, $1,050, chain belt, $3,925, necklace, $875, bag, $4,700, and shoes, $1,025. ON RIGHT: Chanel top, $4,250, pants, belt, $1,350, choker, $975, rectangular necklace, $2,025, long necklace, $2,950, cuff bracelet, $1,725, bracelet, $1,250, and boots, $2,125. All, (800) 550-0005.

JOIE DE TRACEE 67: Collina Strada bodysuit and gloves, collinastrada.com. 69: Hanifa blouse and pants set, hanifa.co. Balenciaga earrings, (212) 328-1671. 70–71: JW Anderson top and pants, jwanderson.com. Walters Faith rings, waltersfaith.com. Khiry ring, khiry.com. Gianvito Rossi shoes, gianvitorossi.com. 73: Louis Vuitton vest and windbreaker, (866) VUITTON. Max Mara pants, maxmara.com. Bulgari earrings, rings, and bracelet, bulgari.com.

CROSSWORD KEY

HOLIDAYS IN THE SUN 74: Missoni dress, missoni.com. Falke tights, amazon.com. 75: Fendi shirt, swimsuit, and belt bag, fendi.com. 76: Gucci vest and skirt, gucci.com. 77: Balenciaga dress and shoes, (310) 854-0557. 78: Eres briefs, eresparis.com. Chanel belt and necklaces, (800) 550-0005. 79: Chanel coat and shoes, (800) 5500005. 80: Dior dress, headscarf, belt, and shoes, (800) 929-DIOR. 81: Louis Vuitton blouse, (866) VUITTON. 82: Dolce & Gabbana dress, necklace, earrings, bracelet, and shoes, (877) 70-DGUSA. 83: Givenchy knit wrap, givenchy.com. Fleur du Mal bra, fleurdumal.com. MSGM pants, msgm.it.

EVERYBODY LOVES ANNIE 84: Alaïa bodysuit, maison-alaia.com. Khaite shoes, khaite.com. 85: Versace blazer and turtleneck, versace.com. 87: Khaite blazer and pants, khaite.com. Cartier necklace, cartier.com. Pierre Hardy shoes, pierrehardy.com. 88: Max Mara top and pants, maxmara.com. Cartier ring and bracelet, cartier.com. 89: Salvatore Ferragamo sweater and skirt, ferragamo.com. Jennifer Fisher bracelet, jenniferfisherjewelry.com.

All prices are approximate. For help finding the items in this issue, email marieclaireshops@hearst .com. No subscription inquiries, please. For subscriptions, log on to subscribe.marieclaire.com.

Puzzle on next page.

Marie Claire (ISSN 1081-8626) is published 7 times per year (with combined issues in Spring, Summer, and Winter) by Marie Claire/Hearst, a New York general partnership whose partners are Hearst Magazine Media, Inc., 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019 U.S.A., and Comary, Inc., c/o Marie Claire Album S.A., 10 boulevard des Frères Voisin, 92130, Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Hearst: Steven R. Swartz, President & Chief Executive Officer; William R. Hearst III, Chairman; Frank A. Bennack, Jr., Executive Vice Chairman. Hearst Magazine Media, Inc.: Debi Chirichella, President and Treasurer; Catherine A. Bostron, Secretary. © 2021 by Marie Claire/Hearst. All rights reserved. Marie Claire is a registered trademark of Marie Claire Album S.A. Periodicals postage paid at NY, NY, and additional entry post offices. Canada Post International Publications mail product (Canadian distribution) sales agreement No. 40012499. Editorial and Advertising Offices: 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3797. Subscription Prices: United States and possessions, $19.97 for one year. Canada and all other countries, $39.97 for one year. Subscription Services: Marie Claire will, upon receipt of a complete subscription order, undertake fulfillment of that order so as to provide the first copy for delivery by the Postal Service or alternate carrier within 4–6 weeks. From time to time, we make our subscriber list available to companies that sell goods and services by mail that we believe would interest our readers. If you would rather not receive such mailings, please send your current mailing label or an exact copy to Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. For customer service, changes of address, and subscription orders, log on to service.marieclaire.com, or write to Customer Service Department, Marie Claire, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. Marie Claire is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or art. None will be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Canada BN NBR 10231 0943 RT. Postmaster: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 707.4.12.5); Non-postal and military facilities: Send address corrections to Marie Claire, P.O. Box 6000, Harlan, IA 51593. Printed in the U.S.

Summer 2021

M ARIECLAIRE.CO M

97

Last

FLIP BOOK Lazy afternoons are the ideal time to crack open a novel—or wind down with this tomethemed puzzle.

BY CHANDI DEITMER 98

ACROSS 1. Apex 5. A real hooligan 11. Conversational filler 14. Actor Kelly Marie of recent Star Wars episodes 15. Late pioneering pilot Earhart 16. Manhattan campus, for short 17. Fancy found footwear made fashionable again 19. Website update feed 20. Travels in leaps and bounds, literally 21. Ram attack 23. Titles too hefty for the beach, like the Odyssey and the Mahabharata 24. Share on social media 25. Draft picks?

26. Roman “good” 27. Soviet space station 28. Over yonder 29. Card game get-together 33. Garment coloring 34. Load for a roadie 35. Big feature on a basset hound

MA R IE C L A I R E .COM Summer 2021

36. A story’s path 39. Buddhist structure meant to inspire unity and love 45. Skin irritations 47. Expensive Super Bowl spots 48. Eager, as a reader 49. Event emceed by Reba McEntire in 2020 50. High points of The Sound of Music?

52. Latte option made with half-and-half 53. Natural force?

55. Rapper not known to have a medical background 56. Word after bitter or back 57. Ideal beach reads … and an apt description of the circles in this puzzle 60. 2010 U.S. health-care legislation: abbr.

61. Wiped out?

62. Boston, relative to Chicago 63. Doc’s rec 64. Helpful computer key 65. 1 in CA and 66 across the U.S.

DOWN 1. Off-roader, for short 2. Spot to stay cool … if you’re a cucumber 3. V-shaped swimwear made famous by Borat 4. Tempted 5. From ___ to riches 6. Letters on many Black churches 7. Store with a really good foundation?

8. There are 76 in this puzzle!

9. Target 10. Squad featured in The Closer and The Shield 11. Like printer paper, as opposed to notebook paper 12. 57 Across as penned

by Agatha Christie or Sue Grafton 13. A lot of TV shows, at least per their promos 18. Ways for H.S. students to get some cred 22. “___ humbug” 23. Tide as it goes from high to low 24. Socialite of U.K. headlines 27. “Grumpy Cat” or “Success Kid,” e.g.

28. Top model with a media empire 30. In-between spaces 31. Woody group of instruments 32. Ceremonial bugle song 36. “What ____!” (it was hilarious) 37. 57 Across as penned

by Danielle Steel or Stacey Abrams (as Selena Montgomery) 38. Little lobster look-alike 40. Salad with basil, tomato, and mozzarella (yum!)

41. Comedian Heidi of SNL 42. Go hard at the buffet 43. Representative 44. Refreshing citrusy beverage 46. Telepathy, e.g.

50. Woke, in a sense 51. Aboveboard 52. “Yikes, it’s cold!”

54. Pundit’s piece 55. Bro at the beach 58. Vietnamese Lunar New Year 59. They’re found among rds. and blvds.

This puzzle was developed in partnership with the Inkubator, which publishes crosswords by women—cis women, trans women, and woman-aligned constructors. For more info, visit inkubatorcrosswords.com; to see how you did, turn to page 97.

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