V122 WITH KRISTEN STEWART, NAOMI SCOTT, AND ELLA BALINSKA

V MAGAZINE

PLUS CRUISE AROUND THE WORLD COUTURE REBORN AND HOLIDAY MAGIC! WINTER 2019

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GIRL POWER STARRING THE NEW CHARLIE’S ANGELS

KRISTEN STEWART NAOMI SCOTT AND ELLA BALINSKA IN CHANEL CRUISE GUESS JEANS AND CARTIER JEWELRY PHOTOGRAPHED BY CARIN BACKOFF STYLED BY KAREN LANGLEY

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ALL ABOARD

Editor-in-Chief / Creative Director Stephen Gan Managing Editor / Production Director Melissa Scragg Editor Devin Barrett Features Editor Samuel Anderson Photo Editor Goran Macura Editor, Entertainment Greg Krelenstein Contributing Editor-at-Large Derek Blasberg Copy & Research Editor Lynda Szpiro

Digital

Deputy Editor Mathias Rosenzweig mathias@vmagazine.com Consulting Digital Editor Ian David Monroe ian@vmagazine.com Digital Editor Abraham Martinez amartinez@vmagazine.com

Art/Fashion

Art Director Gabriele Baldotto Designer Shibo Chen Contributing Fashion Directors Paul Cavaco Gro Curtis Fashion & Market Editor Aryeh Lappin Fashion Assistant Sam Knoll Contributing Fashion Editors Nicola Formichetti Anna Trevelyan Amanda Harlech Jacob K Joe McKenna Melanie Ward Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele Jane How Clare Richardson Panos Yiapanis Tom Van Dorpe Beauty Editor Stella Pak Consulting Creative / Design Greg Foley

Photography Corey Olsen

Advertising/Finance

Associate Publisher / Advertising Director Nicola Bernardini de Pace nico@vmagazine.com Advertising Office, Italy and Switzerland, Magazine International Luciano Bernardini de Pace luciano@bernardini.it Daniela Sartori daniela@bernardini.it Marketing & Special Projects Manager Sara Zaidane sara@vmagazine.com Managing Director Todd Kamelhar Business Manager Kelly Keegan kelly@vmagazine.com Distribution David Renard Office Manager / Distribution Assistant Julie Gray Press & Events Remi Barbier remi@remibarbier.com Consulting/PR Purple PR Andrew Lister Jocelyn Mak Amy Choi amy.choi@purplepr.com

Contributors

Carin Backoff Sølve Sundsbø Nathaniel Goldberg Patti Wilson George Cortina Karen Langley Jamie Morgan Blair Getz Mezibov Marcus Ohlsson Christelle de Castro Matthew Sprout Karolyn Pho Andreas Laszlo Konrath Cameron McCool Sean Knight Mat+Kat Akihito Igarashi Corey Olsen Matthew Mazur Lynette Nylander Graham Pollack Julia Gray Marissa G Mueller

Special Thanks

CLM Jasmine Kharbanda Jackie Chachoua Art + Commerce Annemiek Ter Linden WYO Artists Karen Long Serlin Associates Philippa Serlin IMG Lens Skylar Pittman Felix De N’Yeurt Exposure NY Stacy Fisher Brian Brewer The Lindsay Thompson Company D+V Sarah Clements Next Kyle Hagler Gabriel Rubin IMG Kevin Apana Luiz Mattos Derek Walker Jamie Ellis The Society Alec Mather DNA Jon Tutolo Tony Craig Ford James Wood Sam Doerfler Daniel Omphroy Muse Derek Troy NYMM Stephen Lee Duane Gazi Heroes Jonathan Reis The Lions Clayd Yila The Wall Group Gregg Rudner Clarke Leisy Morgan Selzer Elena Lakomkina Rachel Foster Streeters Rayna Donatelli Gabriela Moussaieff Christian Banks Daniel Weiner Paula Jenner Management + Artists Shae Cooper Statement Artists Danielle Williams Vivana Cartagena Starworks Artists Samantha Jeudy Jessica Jadron Forward Artists Ashlee Cooper Spencer Spaulding Jennifer Remark Bridge Artists Katelyn White Bryan Bantry Carole Lawrence Crowd Management Lee Palazzo Art Department Carrie Cubarle Layla Carroll 13Market Management Kristin Hrycko Bri Winters Artlist Paris AudreyPetit Grard Agence Carole Artists Unit Sonia Hamidi

Interns

Czar Van Gaal Dania Curvy Joahnnalee Ucol Nicole Territo Vincent Le Hannah Morrolf Lilly Schoenbaum Nicole Pagoumian Caroline Mack Morgan Harrison Raina Bell Shane Bundrant Monica Tsai-Ni Lee Heejung Yoo

Set designer Abby Walton Location TWA Hotel

Editorial

Bag Giorgio Armani La Prima Leather Shoulder Bag ($1,595, Armani.com)

CARRY ON

Bags Gucci Small bucket bags with horsebit detail ($1,980, Gucci.com)

It’s our favorite time of the year. Resort collections are flowing into stores, Hollywood blockbusters are hitting theaters, Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is on repeat. And while it’s natural to feel nostalgic around the holidays, we’re feeling a spark of energy this year. After all, the 2010s are nearly behind us. And with a new decade on the horizon, we’re welcoming fresh fashion and culture. Our cover trio is certainly emblematic of this new era. They’re the new, impossibly cool Charlie’s Angels, photographed by Carin Backoff and styled by Karen Langley in sunny Los Angeles. Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska star in the soon-to-be released action-comedy flick, directed by Elizabeth Banks and hitting theaters November 15. It’s a cinematic anthem of feminine power, set to the soundtrack of Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Lana del Rey’s "Don’t Call Me Angel." Also appearing on the soundtrack is Normani, whom Backoff captured in Cruise collections as her solo artist career is setting sail. While her days in Fifth Harmony are behind her, Normani’s mix of beauty and talent, visualized here in high, bodacious relief by stylist Patti Wilson, is nothing if not harmonious in the body-rocking wake of “Motivation.” And speaking of talented triple-threats, Nicki Minaj made a print-tastic splash this season with her Fendi collection—a whimsically meta collaboration, dubbed “Fendi Prints On,” after Minaj’s own lyrics, and worn here by three towering beauties, Ugbad Abdi, Abby Champion, and Lineisy Montero. On the other side of global fashion, stylist Gro Curtis documents the biggest Cruise spectacles of the season, from Dior in Marrakech to Armani in Tokyo. Also in this issue is an entrancing stop in East London with Sølve Sundsbø and Gro Curtis, capturing the Couture collections on Lily Nova, and a heritage coat maker dancing up a storm, conjured by Jamie Morgan and Anna Trevelyan. Rain or shine, 2020 couldn’t be more on time.

MR. V

MSGM.IT

PRECIOUS CARGO

V122

Bags Prada Bowling bags ($1,750 and $2,450, available at select Prada boutiques)

36 Cat People 38 Generation V 39 Wish List 40 Exchange Rate 42 The Looks of Cruise 46 V Girls 50 DaniLeigh 52 Calling All Angels 60 Triple Threat 64 Wandering Couture 74 Normani 78 Cruise Around the World 90 Make It Rain 96 What V Want

CAT PEOPLE

Photography Cameron McCool Fashion Sean Knight Text Samuel Anderson Makeup (Francesca) Kirin Bhatty (SWA Agency) Hair (Francesca) Clayton Hawkins (SWA Agency) Grooming (Robbie) Sunnie Brook (Forward Artists) Grooming (Mette) Bethany Garita (Maven) Grooming (Les Twins) Alexa Hernandez (Forward Artists) Stylist assistant Taylor Erickson Production Vivianne Lapointe Location Universal Studios

Having performed for the likes of Rihanna, BeyoncĂŠ, and the royal family, the dancers of Cats take a broadway blockbuster to the big screen

Francesca wears Jacket Gucci Dress Alberta Ferretti

We all recall that first-day-of-school stress—the white-knuckled social interaction, prayers of escaping embarrassment.

The self-consciousness you felt then may seem out of proportion now, the circumstances banal in hindsight. Now imagine that, instead of napping and playing name-games, you’d been obliged to get on all fours and meow like a cat. This is what the cast of the forthcoming film revival of Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s whimsical Broadway classic, encountered. On set, “cat school” was a daily, compulsory ritual. “On the first day, I did have a ‘What is happening in my life?’ moment,” says the film’s ballet-star lead, Francesca Hayward, here making her feature-film debut as Victoria.

As prima ballerina at the Royal Ballet, Hayward is a titan in her field, as are the other pro-dancer Cats—including Robbie Fairchild, Mette Towley and the Les Twins; Fairchild was New York City Ballet’s male lead and Towley and the twins are respectively Rihanna and Beyoncé protégés. But there’s no preparing for seeing Dame Dench snack on ribs in full Deuteronomy regalia, as Fairchild did one day between takes. “We were in what she called the ‘naughty step’— basically British for ‘time out zone,’ because we weren’t needed in the shot…The crew came by with ribs, and Judi just lit up—she loves a rib,” he says. “Judi was in her motion capture suit and big fur coat, eating ribs...I was like, what the fuck, where am I? You couldn’t dream this up.”

Laurent and Larry Bourgeois, collectively known as the Les Twins, had their own secret weapon backstage: their adopted Sphynx kitten turned adjunct “cat school” faculty member. “He was with us every day, and became our little mascot on set. We actually studied his movements and behavior through the entire [shoot],” the Les Twins tell us.

Shot on location between London and Universal’s L.A. backlot (seen here), Cats, opening this Christmas, promises to push the limits of the star-studded blockbuster. But, as Towley reminds, there’s more to the story than the technical innovation glimpsed in the film’s trailer, a cause célèbre this summer; beneath the big-budget uncanniness and internet frenzies are a few hundred dedicated humans. “I want people to look to the different faces of the cats; each one represents someone’s seven months of work,” says Towley. “Because they’re not cats…Each ‘cat’ is an individual.”

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Larry wears shirt Versace Pants Maison Margiela Jewelry his own Mette wears shirt SSS World Corp Pants Stella McCartney/Men’s FW19 Earrings her own Francesca wears all clothing Louis Vuitton Robbie wears coat and pants Prada Shirt Givenchy Tie Alexander McQueen Laurent wears shirt and pants Louis Vuitton Hat and jewelry his own

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Makeup Erin Green (Art Department) Hair Helen Reavey (Management + Artists) Hair assistant D’Angelo Alston

GEN ERA TION V For the musical wave of now, authenticity is king.

These four emerging musicians each have a distinct sound and voice. Listen up Photography Andreas Laszlo Konrath Fashion Aryeh Lappin Text Julia Gray

Ama Lou Spanning from Ella Fitzgerald to Disney Channel movies, Ama Lou’s influences lack a common thread. Still, she’s intent on sharing the essence of her creative process via images and music. “Visuals are a way for people to see what’s inside my head,” says the U.K. singersongwriter. She released her debut EP, DDD, with a film to introduce her artistic and political perspectives as well as her sound. “Art is the best way some people can contribute,” she says of the project, whose themes range from relationship struggles to the Black Lives Matter movement. “I speak out on issues that are important and personal,” she adds.

TOP TRACK: “TRIED UP” Ama wears Tank Tommy Hilfiger Jeans AG Shoes Church’s Jewelry her own

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Destiny Rogers On the surface, Destiny Rogers’s “Tomboy” is about a young woman who skateboards and hangs with the guys with ease. But with lyrics like“Mama said marry a rich man and I was like, ’Mama I am the rich man,’” the song is just as much about defying expectations. “I want to inspire other girls and women to step out of their comfort zone,” says Rogers, born in California’s Central Valley and raised on church music as well as early Justin Bieber vlogs. Now at work on a debut LP, Rogers has just begun fulfilling her destiny:“Not many people know who I am. But [all I want] is for people to move with the music.”

TOP TRACK: “TOMBOY”

Destiny wears Top AG Jeans Guess Boots Dr. Martens

Deb Never It’s hard to pinpoint Deb Never’s sound; her songs are dreamy indie by way of SoundCloud R&B. Evoking musical idols like Nirvana, Blink-182, and Kid Cudi, her debut EP House on Wheels is also the product of Never’s emotional life. “Happiness, heartbreak, the hours between 2 and 5 a.m., long drives, nights partying and going home alone,” she recaps. Rattling off a long list of influences, the Washington state native distills them into two simple values: devotion to herself and her craft. “Be happy with who you are and be honest with [yourself],” she says. “There’s no reason to make music for anyone else.”

TOP TRACK: “UGLY” Deb wears Tank Calvin Klein Jeans Tommy Hilfiger Boots Giuseppe Zanotti Jewelry her own

Lolo Zouaï Lolo Zouaï’s contemporary trap beats draw from the present as well as the past, recalling, for example, her FrenchAlgerian heritage, the ’98 emo-electro hit “Blue (Da Ba Dee),” or mid-2000s hip-hop.

“The first song I ever put on SoundCloud was a T-Pain cover,” she says of her varied career, which included stints at restaurants and American Apparel prior to the release of her debut LP. Sung in both French and English, High Highs to Low Lows amounts to Zouaï’s sonic diary.

“My music is about a feeling; it’s moody and vulnerable yet confident,” she says.

“When you bring your [whole] self to the table, it’s not hard to stand out.”

TOP TRACK: “CAFFEINE” Lolo wears Shirt and skirt Guess Shoes Dr. Martens Socks Falke

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WISH LIST For the final holiday season of a naughtybut-nice decade, this shortlist does nothing in moderation, with effervescent collabs, dizzying timepieces, and more Photography Graham Pollack

CLOCKWISE (FROM TOP) Freshly Fallen Oliver Peoples OP Aspen Collection in matte black and black mirror ($390, available at Oliver Peoples NYC Soho) Gaga Gifted Haus Laboratories Glam Attack Liquid Shimmer Powder in Dynasty and Aphrodite, Le Riot Lip Gloss in Scream ($20 and $18, Hauslabs.com) Kings of Cool Moschino x Budweiser Hat, towel, and duffle bag ($140, $160, $1,375, Moschino.com) Real Tan Celine by Hedi Slimane Teen Triomphe bag in Triomphe canvas and tan calfskin and Flap Origami wallet in Triomphe canvas ($2,450 and $460, Celine.com) Manhattan Time Omega Constellation Manhattan collection ($7,150—$21,600, Omegawatches.com and U.S. boutiques) 39

EXCHANGE RATE Artist Mickalene Thomas and Dior Artistic Director Maria Grazia Chiuri discuss their recent collaboration and taking inspiration from the magic of North Africa Photography Mat + Kat Fashion Aryeh Lappin Text Samuel Anderson

In April, Dior broke new ground with Cruise 2020, the house’s first-ever show in Africa.

Besides mixing actual travel and travel-inspired fashion, the Marrakech-set show offered an intimate view of Morocco’s artistic lineage—one long referenced and romanticized from afar. From a score of Sufi music commissioned by Michel Gaubert to a stray cat’s unexpected runway debut, the impressions comprised what Artistic Director Maria Grazia Chiuri calls a “map track[ing] a journey through different sets [of] traditions.”

Adding to this cultural odyssey was the collection itself, which included artist collaborations with British menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner and the New York-based Mickalene Thomas. Thomas, who also contributed to the house’s latest Dior Lady Art bag range, is known for her hybridic, inclusive portraiture. Here, she and Chiuri discuss the global landscape of art and fashion.

V Tell us a bit about your collaboration for Cruise 2020.

MARIA GRAZIA CHIURI Mickalene’s look is an iconic silhouette—the Bar Jacket, originated in 1947—[reimagined as] a sort of material and feminist interpretation of Monet.

MICKALENE THOMAS It [encapsulates] my collage aesthetic [while] embrac[ing] the elegance that Dior represents; it’s about the hybridity of luxury and culture.

V Mickalene, what is the thought behind your referencing French artistic traditions?

MT Around the late 19th and early 20th century, sitters for the classic nude genre ceased to be anonymous props, asserting their identities through the gaze. My work has always been about representing figures largely absent from the canon—[namely] African American women...Returning to the past [is] a way of determining what is missing from the conversation, and what I can add to it.

V Did you have a certain “muse” in mind when creating the jacket?

MT As a matter of fact, it was my partner Racquel Chevremont. For all my Dior projects, I ask myself, what would Racquel carry or wear? She loves to have her back exposed, so I wanted something that would be light and airy while striking on the back.

V What was your relationship to Morocco prior to Cruise 2020?

MGC My first encounter with Morocco was as a reader of [Moroccan-French novelist] Tahar Ben Jelloun. By researching further, I discovered how the extraordinary architecture, landscapes, and colors of Morocco have shaped Dior collections over the years.

When I visited, I was in love.

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Luisana wears all clothing and accessories Christian Dior in collaboration with Mickalene Thomas

Makeup Ingeborg using Dior Makeup Hair Evanie Frausto Model Luisana Gonzalez (NEXT) Manicure Maki Sakamoto (The Wall Group) Set Design Tim Ferro Production Kendall Thompson Photo assistant Alex Hopkins Location ROOT NYC

THE LOOKS OF CRUISE This resort season signaled a major return to visual storytelling, with pre-collections serving romantic intimates, seductive leather, ladylike dresses, and an update on an American classic Photography Mat + Kat Fashion Aryeh Lappin

States of Undress

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Mical wears Bikini Missoni Earrings and bracelets Chanel Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti Tricia wears Dress Erika Cavallini Shoes Jimmy Choo Najiyah wears Bodysuit and socks Gucci Earrings Bottega Veneta Bag Balenciaga Marlee wears Dress Alexander Wang Necklace Tiffany & Co. Shoes Bottega Veneta Elizabeth wears Dress Giorgio Armani Bracelet Tiffany & Co. Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti

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TRENDS

Leather Weather FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Liyah wears Jacket Michael Kors Pants Coach 1941 Gloves Perrin Elizabeth wears Coat, dress, boots Burberry Sunglasses Alain Mikli Marlee wears Dress and boots Fendi Earrings Messika Tricia wears Dress Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Necklace Bottega Veneta Shoes Jimmy Choo Najiyah wears Top, coat, necklace Bottega Veneta Boots Alexander Wang Gloves Perrin Mical wears Dress Louis Vuitton Sunglasses Alain Mikli

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TRENDS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Najiyah wears Dress and shoes Christian Dior Gloves Sermoneta Tricia wears Dress Chanel Gloves Sermoneta Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti Mical wears Dress Miu Miu Bracelet Tiffany & Co. Socks Pan & The Dream Shoes Gucci Elizabeth wears Dress Sacai Necklace (worn as bracelet) Messika Gloves Carolina Amato Shoes Giueseppe Zanotti

Refined Romance

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Makeup Ingeborg using Surratt Beauty Hair Evanie Frausto Models Mical Bockru (NEXT), Tricia Akello (Muse), Najiyah Imani (Heroes), Elizabeth Ayodele (IMG), Marlee Bell (The Lions) Liyah James (Muse) Manicurist Maki Sakamoto (The Wall Group) Set design Tim Ferro Production Kendall Thompson Photo assistant Alex Hopkins Location ROOT NYC

Marlee wears Shirt and skirt Valentino Necklace and bracelet Tiffany & Co. Shoes Jimmy Choo

TRENDS

Denim Overload

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Tricia wears Shirt and pants MSGM Earrings and bracelets Balenciaga Bag Chanel Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti Mical wears Jacket Guess Shirt Etro Pants AG Boots Giuseppe Zanotti Marlee wears Jacket and pants Dsquared2 Earrings and bracelet Balenciaga Shoes Alexander Wang Najiyah wears Shirt and pants Celine

by Hedi Slimane Elizabeth wears Dress (worn as shirt) and pants Christian Dior Necklace Messika Shoes Giuseppe Zanotti Liyah wears Jacket and pants Givenchy Watch Omega Boots Jimmy Choo

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V GIRLS

Jessica wears Dress Moschino Earrings stylist’s own

With youth, influence and project-driven careers, these promising actresses have our eyes glued to the screen. Here, the behindthe-scenes stories of how they found their craft Photography Matthew Sprout Fashion Karolyn Pho

Jessica Barden Jessica Barden is calling in from the airport, fresh off screening her new project, Jungleland, at the Toronto International Film Festival. “It’s a boxing movie, but it’s not your stereotypical, macho boxing movie,” she summarizes. “These characters are total underdogs; the world is against them. There was something I loved about that.” Also starring Charlie Hunnam and Jack O’Connell, Jungleland follows two brothers as they “[experience] vulnerability in their relationship and in their world, [while] trying to have their American dream,” Barden adds.

The opportunity to act alongside Hunnam and O’Connell was a main draw for Barden, who felt a kinship with them off the bat. “The three of us are not your typical, English upper-class actors who went to drama school,” says Barden. “[Hunnam and O’Connell] are not only amazing actors, but also really nice men. I actually just waved [Hunnam] off to Mumbai downstairs, where he’s going to make a movie. I [felt] like he was my parent!”

In real life, Barden’s parents were always supportive of her acting dream—one that flourished during her picturesque upbringing in Yorkshire. “I have amazing parents who found a way to support anything my brother and I wanted to do. They wanted us to have skills that we could have for the rest of our lives. That way, we wouldn’t have to do stereotypical office jobs,” says Barden. But the 27-year-old was never idealistic about the path to success: “I worked my way up,” she says. “At age 11, I began as an extra on kids’ TV shows. I worked my way up like a normal job.”

Barden subsequently found success in the teen cult series The End of The Fucking World. A darkly comedic exploration of human psychology, the series became a hit on the U.K.’s Channel 4, before finding an international audience on Netflix, where it aired in 2018.

Like World, Jungleland explores human nature: “Boxing—[the instinct] to fight—is something that will never go away,” Barden says. This winter, Barden also reprises her role on The End of The Fucking World—a title that, two years after the show’s debut, feels as ominous as ever. Despite her projects’ sobering themes, Barden’s attitude towards her career is one of pure elation: “I really love being an actress and that I get to use my imagination,” she says. “I feel like a kid playing with dolls.” Devin Barrett 46

V GIRLS

Taylor wears Coat Batsheva Jacket, dress, pants Missoni

Taylor Russell Mixing the heightened style of Euphoria with sweeping melodrama, Waves made a splash on the festival circuit this year. Centering on a deceptively broken South Florida family, it teases out a panoramic view of dysfunction. Canadian actress Taylor Russell plays Emily, younger sister of star-athlete Tyler. “Emily is kind of the lost child, in that her parents don’t pay as much attention to her,” says Russell, “because they know she’ll be okay. I naturally connected with [that].” As Tyler’s golden-child armor erodes under mounting personal and societal pressures, Emily displays a quiet mettle, finding nonparental solace in characters played by Alexa Demie and Lucas Hedges. Those actors also served as Russell’s de-facto family off screen: Russell calls Demie a “best friend,” and she and Hedges are now dating. “Lucas is so funny and loveable,” she says of the latter. “People may think he’s much more serious than he is, based on his roles. But he’s, like, the funniest person in the room, always.”

Russell also found companionship in Demie, who is Russell’s age, despite playing a character far ahead of Emily in age and maturity. “We hung out every single day after work, making matcha lattes and meditating and praying,” says Russell. Besides being kindred spirits, they were also each others’ film-loving equals. For their pivotal scene, originally sans dialogue, the actresses channeled Swedish cinema. “Alexa and I had watched Persona and were completely obsessed with it, so we asked [director] Trey [Edward Shults] if we could improvise the scene,” Russell says, referring to the psychologically realist film by Ingmar Bergman. “We thought we blew it, but it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie.”

Waves itself doubles as an ode to artistic renegades, particularly in its soundtrack, co-curated by Trent Reznor and featuring Frank Ocean and Kanye West. For Russell, the film’s music conjured her teen years, which included a brief, musically rebellious phase: “I played bass guitar in 7th grade, and these high-schoolers would make fun of me every day on the bus—like, ‘There’s that weird girl with a bass guitar that’s the same size as her,’” she recalls. “My family moved 16 times in all, so I had a lot of opportunity to reinvent myself.” Now an in-demand actress with a film scholar’s shrewdness, Russell’s process of reinvention is bound to continue. “I love Spike Jonze and P.T. Anderson,” she says. “I love movies so much, and hopefully I’ll be able to work with those people someday.” Samuel Anderson 47

V GIRLS Willa wears Coat and shoes Moschino Ring Cartier Earrings (throughout) Sophie Buhai Belt stylist’s own Tights Calzedonia

Willa wears Top Lou Dallas

Willa Fitzgerald The novelistically named Willa Fitzgerald (an accidental portmanteau of Willa Cather and F. Scott) does not merely project booksmarts; Fitzgerald’s sharp mind propelled her from Nashville, where her parents were indie musicians, to Yale, where she laid groundwork for a more-than-a-new-face breakthrough. “I wasn’t entirely sure that I wanted to be an actor by profession,” she says. “There were other, more academic things that made me deeply happy. I had also seen how hard it was to have a life as an artist [by watching my parents].”

But once in New Haven, Fitzgerald immersed herself in the raw materials of the dramatic arts, balancing psychology classes with starring in mainstage Shakespeare productions. “I have always just [been a] critical think[er], which I really enjoy bringing to my work [now]—breaking down scripts and [finding] the tendons that hold the story together,” she says.

The fictional narratives she’s tackled include Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, a recent Netflix series of country classics expanded to episode-form. “I got to learn how to ride horses, talk in a southern accent, and be a firecracker farm girl,” she recalls. “And that was really fun—[especially] because Dolly was, rightfully, such a presence growing up in Tennessee, and [in person] she is so amazingly authentically who she appears to be: the best storyteller and just so incredibly generous.”

Outside of ivy halls or Dollywood, Fitzgerald’s gigs have ranged from tutoring stressed-out New York City kids (“I have never witnessed such stress,” Fitzgerald recalls) to adapting literary achievements.

After playing Meg in BBC’s 2017 Little Women reboot, Fitzgerald was the upper-crusty love interest Kitsey Barbour in this fall’s The Goldfinch. “I have always been a voracious reader,” she says, “but it’s definitely a happy accident that I [also] really love the process of adapting novels into TV and movies.”

For her next project, based on the neo-noir novel Dare Me, Fitzgerald is back on literary terrain.

“She’s at the center of the mystery, and the shit show that she really brings to [this] town,” says Fitzgerald of Dare Me’s Collette, a departure from the put-together Kitsey—unless you’re a critical thinker.

“Collette is very repressed, like Kitsey,” Fitzgerald adds. “Are we sensing a theme? Maybe we are all very repressed! Maybe that’s the moral of the story.” SA 48

V GIRLS

Makeup Deanna Hagan (Bridge Artists) Hair Lizzie Arneson (13 Market Management) Manicurist Kayo Higuchi (Bryan Bantry) Production Tessa Kenney (Exposure NY) Photo assistants Matthew Perino, Michael Stewart Stylist assistant Victoria VanKesteren Location Milk Studios

Julia wears Coat, dress, earrings Moschino Tights Calzedonia

Julia Fox In Hollywood, the other-woman character has either been an outright villain or one whose redeeming qualities—beauty, youth, influence—do not spare her condemnation. But in the Safdie Brothers’ film Uncut Gems, Julia Fox is a magnet for audience empathy as the quick-witted concubine of Adam Sandler’s Howard Ratner, a hard-up gambler in New York’s Diamond District.

While Gems marks Fox’s big-screen debut, it’s no surprise that she delivers a convincing performance; after all, the character of Julia de Fiore is Fox’s literal namesake circa 2012. “Back then I was a bit of a wild child, and dating an older, married man, [so] I do feel like I am playing a 2012 version of myself,” says Fox, who met the Safdies on New York’s going-out circuit. As they developed the script for Gems, Fox would feed them personal anecdotes. “Josh [Safdie] would ask me, ‘What would you do if you were in a fight with your boyfriend, and you needed to manipulate him?’” Fox recalls.

But where her onscreen counterpart deals in chintzy jewelry and memorabilia by day, running amok at 1 OAK by night, the real-life Julia was an it-girl of the niche variety. In addition to rolling with artist-types like Carly Mark and Richie Shazam, Fox found buzz as a jewelry designer and photographer.

But just as the Safdies were shopping Gems around Hollywood, Fox was growing weary of her city-kid milieu—marking this creative juncture with the conceptual exhibit, “RIP Julia Fox,” on the Lower East Side. “That was a rebirth, in a sense—when I decided I wanted to do film, and write,” she says. “Staging my own funeral [was to say] ‘That girl—the exhibitionist [in me]—is dead.’”

By then, the Safdies were angling to cast Fox in the role she was, quite literally, born to play. “I remember thinking, if someone else can play me better than me, then what am I even here on this earth for? I got really dramatic,” she recalls. Ultimately, it may have been Fox’s inner, attention-getting it-girl that gave her the edge: “It was my role,” she says. “It just had to be me.”

Having played other-woman and it-girl, Fox is aspiring to selflessness in her creative next-steps, like building on the themes in her recently completed short film. The short, shot on location by Fox and her co-director, explores Reno’s underground child-trafficking ring. “I cannot [talk about myself] anymore,” Fox attests. “I want to do ‘other people’ things.” SA 49

DANI LEIGH

Top and pants GCDS Bra Desigual Jewelry her own

Moving and shaking in this fall’s hottest Technicolor, R&B’s resident flygirl reps the second coming of fullbody choreography

Photography Christelle de Castro Fashion Anna Trevelyan Text Samuel Anderson

Today’s pop stars need not be singing and dancing double threats, with complicated choreography routines increasingly becoming a thing of the past. After all, last year Drake launched a viral dance “challenge” after barely moving a muscle. But 25-year-old DaniLeigh is, quite literally, shaking things up.

A former backup dancer for Daddy Yankee and Pitbull, the R&B singer is known for her fiery choreography. She says of her new single “Cravin” with G-Eazy, “It’s definitely a choreography video, and I know that people will be teaching it at dance studios. It has that vibe to it...it’s all about exuding confidence and saying, ‘I’m the shit.’”

Now residing in Los Angeles, DaniLeigh was raised in Florida by Dominican parents who had previously lived in New York City’s Washington Heights. For a time her mom participated in the neighorhood’s gauntletstyle street dancing scene. “I’ve always been a hard worker and a go-getter, and my mom is like that, too,” she says, adding that her older brother and younger sister are also musically inclined. “But then my dad was where we got our singing from.”

When DaniLeigh was 16, she moved to L.A. with her mother. “We rented a room for a month, and literally ended up staying for the rest of the year,” she recalls. There she picked up gigs as a backup dancer for various musicians, before a producer invited her to sing. “I stopped dancing for other artists when I was like, 19,” she says. “I was like, I need to focus on one thing. And music was really what I wanted to do.” But the transition wasn’t easy. “With my being a dancer, a lot of people didn’t respect me at first because they thought I was just a little dancer,” she says. “Just stepping into the music scene was the first challenge. But the [setbacks] were just a chance to say, ‘What’s next?’” That determination only continues to pay off, like in September when DaniLeigh placed on Rolling Stone’s list of 25 breakthrough artists. “That definitely meant a lot,” she reports. “Things like that—like the Rolling Stone thing—make me think, Wow, I’m doing it. I’m winning by working hard.”

In addition to executing her own street-infused moves (as she did recently for V) DaniLeigh partakes in more online-based forms of dance, from re-uploading less-established dancers’ routines to her social feeds (Her 2018 hit “Lil Bebe” is a favorite among the YouTube dance community) to putting her spin on the “Kiki Challenge,” a viral chain of short dance videos set to Drake’s “In My Feelings.”

Unlike most who participated, DaniLeigh’s Kiki footwork was the first step in forging a creative connection: “After that, Drake and I became cool,” she says. “Working with him is definitely [a] goal.” Being the quick-onher-feet talent she is, it’s just one of many: “I just want to continue seeing wins, and be the best me I can be.”

50

Top Natasha Zinko Jacket and pants Desigual Choker (worn in hair) GCDS Jewelry her own

Visit vmagazine.com for an exclusive music video

Makeup Maki Royke (Streeters) Hair Latisha Chong Manicurist Eichi Matsunaga Photo assistants Douglas Segars, John Daniel Powers Stylist assistants Kristtian ChĂŠvere, Jalil Johnson Production Sara Zion

CALLING ALL ANGELS The anything-but-angelic heroines behind Charlie’s Angels take a dip into resort’s most heavenly looks Photography Carin Backoff Fashion Karen Langley

Kristen wears bra (this spread), briefs, hat (this spread), socks Gucci Shoes Coach 1941 Jewelry (this spread) Jillian Dempsey

On eyes Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliner in Noir Intense Chanel Le Volume Ultra-Noir de Chanel Mascara in Noir Intense

“Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry.

Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since.”

-Normani

Naomi wears coat and pants Balenciaga Shoes Jimmy Choo Necklace Cartier On hair R+Co Normani Sailwears Soft dress Area Wave Shoes Spray Balmain

Jacket, top, skirt Noir Kei Ninomiya Necklace Bulgari Hair clips (throughout) Stylist’s own On face, Estee Lauder double wear radiant concealer

Ella wears top and shorts Prada Hats Miu Miu On lips Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Rose Pulpe

The latest recruits for the feminist-utopian Charlie’s Angels franchise, Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska bring serious muscle to winter’s biggest action-comedy.

Here, they spill intelligence on their superempowered characters, which include a tech-company whistleblower, an ass-kicking humanitarian, and the Charles Townsend Detective Agency’s first-ever queer heroine.

NAOMI SCOTT Hi Kristen! First question…How did you get involved with the film?

KRISTEN STEWART [laughing] Well, you already know this. Like, why are you asking me this weird question that you know the answer to?

NS I actually don’t know!

KS You really don’t know? Ok, well a few years ago, Liz [Banks] and I met at [a party at] the Venice Film Festival—she was on the jury, and I had a film there. I was with [actor] Nicholas Hoult, who’s a raucous good time, so we were, you know… dancing. Not my default setting, as you know.

NS Oh? I thought differently... [all laugh] KS Right, so she saw me at a moment where I’d run out of dancing steam. It was late, but it wasn’t that I was tired. I was...You know when you’re dancing, and suddenly you think, “What am I doing?” I had just stepped out of my body—that perspective of being glaringly self-conscious.

It might have not been obvious, but she came up and was like, “Hey, chill, just have fun…” She saw it, even though we’d never met before. She basically said, “Everyone else is an idiot, too. And also, you’re wonderful and I love you.”

So we became such fans of each other in that moment. To be visible to someone, and have them highlight you in that way, in that kind of environment, is like a tender act. And subsequently, she hit me up about the idea of doing a Charlie’s Angels movie, when the script was very [different]. She said, “I don’t exactly know what this is going to be, but I know that I want your energy in it.”

And just so everyone knows, [Elizabeth] really possessed the story [after that].

She made it completely her own.

NS To piggyback off the script originally being different...I actually taped for [Charlie’s Angels]…Maybe three years ago? Before I knew that [Elizabeth Banks] was attached.

KS [Our characters] weren’t really in it, at that point…[Luckily] I really trusted [Elizabeth]—I am a huge fan. But the thing about me and Liz is that we are so different. I’m shocked that she even likes me, or can relate to me in any way.

Because we’re opposites.

ELLA BALINSKA I definitely [always] knew both of you were on [the project]…Like, you had been announced. I got an email, via my team, about the project‚ but not with the actual name of the project…

NS Yep! What was it?

EB “Silver Cloud”?

KS For a long time, I thought that something called “Silver Cloud” was going to be [involved in] the movie, and was like, am I missing a detail?

EB Sorry Kristen, I know you’re going to hate me for this, but quick question…Did they have a code name when you guys were making Twilight?

KS Oh, I don’t know…

NS You can’t remember?

KS To be honest, when we were doing Twilight, they were just calling it “Twilight”.

NS [laughs] Because they had no idea what would come of it…

KS Yes…So, you both made it through to “Silver Cloud.” What happened next?

EB Yeah, I found out I’d gotten [the chance to audition for] “Silver Cloud,” and then at the bottom of the email, it was like, “Oh and by the way…It’s Charlie’s Angels.” Like, let’s cut the bullshit [laughs]. Then I pretty much just sent my tape off.

KS Which I saw.

EB You saw it?

KS Oh, yeah.

EB Oh my god…

NS I can just imagine her watching it, going, “She’s so fucking cute!”

KS Actually I went, “Wow!” I was really impressed with your tape because those are so hard to do. The scene[s] [are always] utter crap. But I was like, “Wow, she’s really owning this shit.”

EB Thank you. You’ve seen me in a very vulnerable place. There you go…Anyway, then I flew out and met Elizabeth, very naughtily…I was shooting something else at the time.

NS Gotta do what you gotta do, girl.

EB I would do it again. Elizabeth and I had a great meeting.

KS You can’t hire someone that you don’t vibe with, even if they’re a brilliant actor.

If you don’t like the person, you’re just setting yourself up for four months of bad vibes. Ok, next question…

EB Out of all of the roles you’ve played, does one stick out as your favorite?

KS Absolutely not...it’s too hard...That’s like picking your favorite stuffed animal.

NS My girl [Kristen] over here... She’s like, “Of the twenty roles…”

KS ...It’s [more] like fifty. [all laugh] ...If I wasn’t amongst the very best of like sisterfriends, I would never have been such an asshole [just] now.

NS And let’s be honest, I’ve got like three [roles] to choose from! I haven’t had enough serious roles to [answer] this question...

KS But what’s your fave?

NS Well my fave would be, 100 percent, Princess Jasmine.

KS Aw! Well that makes sense. You’re playing a Disney character…And you’re such an unbelievable singer. For me, to be seriously honest though…in terms of having a true affection for a character—one not based off a real person—I genuinely love Sabine, my character in Charlie’s Angels, so much.

NS I love your character so much, too.

KS She’s the nicest person.

NS She’s a version of you though, Kri. KS Yeah, for sure.

Ella wears jacket Tom Ford Shorts Chanel Boots Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Earrings Cartier Kristen wears jacket Miu Miu Swimsuit Norma Kamali Belt Chanel Shoes Gucci Naomi wears swimsuit Norma Kamali Pants Michael Kors Belt Chanel Shoes Salvatore Ferragamo Bracelet Tiffany & Co.

Naomi wears dress Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Shoes Christian Louboutin Kristen wears dress Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Shoes Christian Louboutin Ring Pomellato Ella wears top and shoes Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello Shorts Chanel Earrings and necklace Cartier Visit vmagazine.com for an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

Makeup (Kristen) Jillian Dempsey (Starworks Artists) Makeup (Naomi) Jo Baker (Forward Artists) Makeup (Ella) Vincent Oquendo (The Wall Group) Hair (Kristen) Adir (Starworks Artists) Hair (Naomi) Bridget Brager (The Wall Group) Hair (Ella) Lacy Redway (The Wall Group) Manicure Stephanie Stone (Forward Artists) Set designer Evan Jourden Producer Benjamin Bonnet (Westy Productions) Production Manager Zoe Talay (Westy Productions) Digital technician Daniel Goldwasser Photo assistants Sean O’Neil, Fred Mitchell Stylist assistants Cody Allen, Stephanie Drew Manicure assistant Mel Shengaris Production assistant Greg Bonner, Darius Popenhagen Location Randy Simon House

EB Sabine is so spontaneous, and that made it so much fun to just be with you on set, in general. It was [you], when you’re in that mood of being like, “Dude…”

KS Well, she has a very pragmatic and stoic [side], [which you see] before [the Angels] become a family; at first, we don’t rub each other the right way—until we all come together and realize that we need each other desperately. Sabine puts herself out there, [at the risk of] getting seriously smacked around.

NS She’s like one of those friends who’s never fake—there’s not a bad bone in their body, but if you cut them, they [instantly] bleed. That’s what I loved about your character [at first], and then when I watched the movie, I felt a lot for you [and your] parents…

KS Because she was isolated [growing up]...

NS Yeah, exactly…The discovery of that vulnerability was lovely…

KS You think she’s a hard-ass, but she actually just doesn’t quite know how to [connect].

EB I feel like so many people can genuinely relate to that.

KS Maybe not anymore, but my younger self could’ve related to that immensely.

[Even now] I know how to hide, and not [be] in the center of things.

But now I feel like I have this very solid, modest ‘square-one’ [in my life]—this [foundation] upon which to dance, radically...I know how to treat people and, you know, that sometimes takes a long time. Like, even just knowing how to really be open with the people in your life, or having them as close to me as possible...

That is really important. I have family and all of my friends. My dogs are a very centering factor in my life.

[So] my square one is very solid, but I [also] like feeling off-kilter. It’s not about creating chaos—I am just on a constant search.

NS I saw so much of Sabine’s mindset as being independent, like, “I’m all good, I’ve got this sorted—no help needed.”

EB Do you [Naomi] feel like you related to that as well?

NS Yeah, 100 percent... Do you know what’s so weird? You [Kristen] and I always say that we are very different [people]; like, “Oh, Naomi’s so responsible...” [But] there is another side of me, too, that’s [more like Kristen] and so intrinsic as well…

KS You’re a deeply questioning person, deeply, constantly searching.

NS What assumptions do people have about you, that you would most like to correct?

KS You know, this [question] is going to make me immediately angry. You guys will be like, “People think [you’re] this” and I’m gonna be like, “Who the fuck thinks that?” But no, for some reason I actually love how pathological this question is…

Let’s just be really real about this…

I think mine’s really obvious…I’m going to [say it] and then you tell me if it’s right: that I’m, like, over-serious. Because I can be over-serious!

NS No, you’re not though.

KS Ok, but [let’s just] get all our assumptions out there, and then we can go about dismantling them, one by one.

NS Well, one of my favorite things to do, when people ask, “What is Kristen like?” is to just say, “Let me tell you how cool this person is…” The frustrating part is feeling like you understand this person [in a way others don’t].

EB To be honest, I hadn’t seen many of your [Kristen’s] other movies before we worked together…but then I went back, and realized [just how] talented of an actress you are—which I know sounds awkward, because it’s not like I didn’t think so before. But I just didn’t fully grasp the depth [of your talent]. That made me go, “Oh shit, I need to come up a bit.” To meet you at your level.

But you bring that out of [your costars]—it’s empowering to be in a scene with you, in that way.

KS I require a lot of you.

NS I think that’s also partly because this character was so you—you were a part of its conception, and it’s so right for you. It was written around you and for you.

EB I don’t want to give too much of your [Kristen’s] character away, because I want people to be surprised, but I remember thinking, when I read the script, “I hope they keep your character [Sabine] this way.” I was like, please don’t compromise.

KS Liz wrote it [that way]. I was so lucky... Ok, this was a really gorgeous non-sequitur that I really appreciate a lot. But what do people think about you [guys] that makes you go, “I don’t think that’s true?” [Silence] Well, actually—I feel like you [Ella] have said a couple times that you don’t think you’re funny.

EB Yes. KS I’ve had this conversation with you a couple of times, like on set before, like early mornings when Nay wasn’t around. Where you’re like, “Yeah I just feel like, you know…”

EB That I’m a weirdo. I’m very analytical.

KS You think you’re a nerd and people aren’t interested [in nerds], but actually nerds are the most interesting. Sometimes, Nay and I can be a bit of a runaway train with each other, not even saying anything that funny, but laughing hysterically somehow. And then [Ella] will jump in and say something like, legit funny.

[But then] you’ll critically assess yourself afterward, as if you’re not [funny]. I’m like, “No, you’re killing the game!”

NS [Ella is] so intelligent and there’s so much in her that has yet to even surface.

Like, how old are you? Twenty...

EB 23.

NS And you have the makings of…[trails off] Sometimes, when you’ve been brought up among white kids, people might [fixate] on one certain thing about you. Like, “She’s beautiful,” or “She’s a gamer or a geek.” [But] you’re a mix of so many incredible things. You’re black, British, super-duper intelligent, incredibly beautiful and you’re nerdy and a tomboy as well…and you don’t even know it.

Yeah, that’s what it is. You’re kind of like a fantasy, but you don’t even know it yet.

For me, it’s probably just that I’m annoying. Something like that [laughs].

EB No. NS But here’s the problem: I am annoying.

KS Shut your fucking mouth. [all laugh] We’re in a semicircle, cross-legged on a couch and we’re expressing our feelings about one another, honestly. And that’s the position [we’re] assuming.

NS Can I be really honest? I am going to piss my pants.

KS We all genuinely did become, like, best friends on this movie. And, like, I cannot [tolerate] anything that is remotely judgmental or shit-talkie [about] one of my besties. So [Naomi is] not annoying at all. She’s just, like, a lot of energy. Because someone put a nickel in her...or more like 75 cents, maybe.

TRIPLE THREAT 2019 called for many memorable moments, including Silvia Venturini Fendi’s partnership with Nicki Minaj. Here, a trio of our favorite girls test drive the year’s most eclectic collaboration and recall their cultural highlights of the year Photography Nathaniel Goldberg Fashion George Cortina

All Clothing (throughout) FENDI Prints On

Best TV series:“I

really loved watching Euphoria!”�Ugbad Abdi

On Eyes La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift

Best song:“‘Broken

& Beautiful’ by Kelly Clarkson” �Abby Champion

On Hair R+Co Balloon Dry Volume Spray

Makeup Lloyd Simmonds (Agence Carole) Hair Marc Lopez (Artlist Paris) Models Ugbad Abdi, Abby Champion, Lineisy Montero (NEXT) Manicurist Typhaine Kersual (Artlists Unit) Producer Michaël Lacomblez (Louis2) Digital technician Aurèle Ferrero Photo assistants Corrine Mutrelle, Isaac Berzosa Stylist assistant Fiona Hicks Production assistant Pierre Sénechal (Louis2)

Best concert: “BTS!

I have been so inspired by the art and culture out of Korea.” �Lineisy Montero

On Skin Tata Harper Hydrating Floral Essence

Armani Privé On hair R+Co Centerpiece All-in-one Elixir Spray

WANDERING COUTURE Entangled in the history of a storied East London railway station, Lily Nova falls under the spell of Haute Couture’s mystical artistry. Charged by an intriguing contrast between darkness and light, voluminous fashion electrifies empty space Photography Sølve Sundsbø Fashion Gro Curtis

Maison Margiela Artisanal

Gaultier Paris

Giambattista Valli Haute Couture

Dior Haute Couture

Fendi Haute Couture On face L’Oréal Glow Amour Glow Boosting Drops in Daybreak

Givenchy Haute Couture On eyes L’Oréal Crushed Foils Metallic Eye Shadow in Diamond Dust

Chanel Haute Couture

Makeup Val Garland (Streeters) Hair Stylist Martin Cullen (Streeters) Model Lily Nova (IMG) Set Designer Max Bellhouse (The Magnet Group) Production Sally Dawson Digital Technician Lucie Byatt Casting Director Shaun Beyen Photo assistants Samuel Stephenson, Jamie Rowan, Sebastian Kapfhammer Stylist assistant Aureli Mason-Perez Makeup assistant Elizabeth Hsieh Hair assistant Kei Takano Production assistant Cleo Lim Retouching Digital Light Ltd

Valentino Haute Couture

NORMANI With off-the-charts talent, the Fifth Harmony breakout has sealed her pop MVP status.

Here she reflects on her star-powered ascendance and her soon-to-drop debut LP Photography Carin Backoff

Fashion Patti Wilson

Text Lynette Nylander

When a music video is good—like, really good—it has the power to alter the zeitgeist. But with labels’ shrinking budgets and the lengthening of pre-roll ads, recording artists face intense pressures. So it’s all the more impressive when a music video today becomes a smash hit—as Normani’s “Motivation” indisputably did earlier this year. Besides conjuring the glory days of music videos with its conversation-starting visuals (from the singer’s butting of a rogue basketball with her hips to her twerking while hanging from a chain-link fence),“Motivation” represents a rallying cry, declaring Normani as pop’s new MVP. Yet, the 23-year-old is no rookie. Here’s her backstory: In 2012 after auditioning to appear as a solo artist on the U.S. version of talent competition show The X Factor, Normani was instead assigned to perform with four other singing hopefuls: Ally Brooke, Lauren Jauregui, Dinah Jane, and Camila Cabello. This was the genesis of Fifth Harmony, which soon became one of the biggest-selling female groups of the 2000s.

But Cabello’s departure in late 2016 augured internal disharmony. And in 2018, while the suddenly misnomered foursome went on an indefinite hiatus, Normani snagged a solo record deal and recorded a pair of number-one hits: “Love Lies” with Khalid and “Dancing with a Stranger” with Sam Smith.

Then came August’s release of the video for the Max Martin–engineered “Motivation,” on which Normani showcases herself as the voice and body of a generation. With her all-consuming moves and references to the seminal videos of Britney, Beyoncé, and Aaliyah, it is an homage to the artists and influences that have shaped Generation Normani, presenting its star as their bootylicious leader. If the Twitter-sphere wasn’t ready, Normani certainly was. “This is why I put videos out like ‘Motivation,’” she says. “To the rest of the world it’s like, Oh my gosh, where has she been? What is this? For me, this is what I knew I’ve had within myself for such a long time. I have just been bottling it up, and I’m so eager to share it with the rest of the world. God, like, saved me until he knew that the moment was right—which is now!”

If Normani’s trajectory toward solo stardom has been somewhat indirect, then the release of “Motivation” marked a full-bodied triumph. “Before I was scratching the surface. I feel like [‘Motivation’] was the perfect opportunity to reintroduce myself.” The public agreed, judging by the frenzied glee in response to the video. But Normani’s struggle to make it began long before she joined Fifth Harmony. Born Normani Kordei Hamilton to a flight attendant mother and union director father, she grew up in the American South.

When she was a toddler, her family moved from Atlanta to New Orleans, where she came under the wing of her grandmother, who shuttled her to dance class starting at age three. “My grandmother actually still lives with [me]. She played a really huge role in my life—from making my favorite oatmeal to taking me to dance,” Normani says.

In 2005 as Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on their adopted city, Normani and her family fled to Austin. “It was such a devastating turn; I don’t think I could really grasp it because I was young,” she recalls.

“I was being taken away from my home and from everything that I knew: my school, my dance classes, my friends. I had really great relationships with everyone that I knew down there.”

But amid the tragedy, music was always part of her family circle. Her grandmother and father were avid singers and Normani reminisces today about being in the back seat of the family car, with the tunes of Ashanti, Destiny’s Child, and Toni Braxton blasting. She recorded her first single, a gospel track, at age 13.

This year she also performed “Bad to You” on the soundtrack for the new Charlie’s Angels movie, along with Nicki Minaj and Ariana Grande. (The latter is a close friend and served as a co-writer of “Motivation.”)

“When Ariana asked me to be on it, I was like, ‘duh!’” Normani says, laughing. “It is definitely a female anthem and there is a lot of estrogen on the record.”

Normani’s debut LP is slated for an early 2020 release, and If this fall has witnessed Normani’s unveiling as pop machine 2.0, the album promises to be Normani uncovered. “I am definitely going to be prioritizing real-life experiences and making sure it’s my truth—me as a woman, right now,” she emphasizes. It “will finally [allow] people. . .to get to know the real me, the real Normani.”

Normani wears coat Fendi Bra and briefs Kiki De Montparnasse Necklace Bulgari On Body Fenty Beauty Body Lava Body Luminizer in Brown Sugar

“For me, this is what I knew I’ve had within myself for such a long time. I have just been bottling it up, and I’m so eager to share it with the rest of the world.”

—Normani

Dress Area Shoes Balmain

Makeup Grace Pae Hair Cesar Deleon Ramirez (CrowdMGMT) using Wildform Manicurist Tracylee (Bri Winters) Digital technician Greg Granaghan Photo assistants Kyle May, Matthew Cylinder Stylist assistant Taylor Kim Location Root Brooklyn

Clothing and accessories Versace On Eyes Anastasia Beverly Hills 14 Color Eye Shadow Palette Visit vmagazine.com for an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

CRUISE AROUND THE WORLD Six collections and 516 looks across four continents.

Minus the jet-lag Fashion Gro Curtis

Christian Dior in Marrakech Artisanal craft in Agafay Desert, Morocco Photography Marcus Ohlsson

Makeup Sabrina Bedrani (The Wall Group) using Dior Beauty Hair Stylist Rajae Senhaji (L’institut Casablanca) Models Alyssah Paccoud (Ford), Iva Vrban (Elite), Rocio Marconi (Next), Alisha Nesvat (The Society), Nana Skovgaard (IMG), Imari Karanja (IMG) Production Kitten, MFERS Digital Technician Max Rovenko Photo assistants Mohammed Belamdioui, Mehdu Sefrioui Production assistant Laila Lamb Retouching Madly Unda (IWonderUStudios)

Makeup Lauren Reynolds Hair Andrea Martinelli (Julian Watson Agency) Models Akito Mizutani (Donna Models), Barbora Fialovå (The Claw), Otto, Elizabeth Romanova (MP Management), Liz Ord (Storm) Manicure Jenny Longworth (CLM), Sylvie Vacca, Jessica Scholten Digital Technician Filip Hanning Retouching Madly Unda (IWonderU/Studios) Photo assistant Max Rovenko Makeup assistants Rikke Jensen, Georgia Hope, Camilla Romagnoli, Riona O’Sullivan Hair assistants Benjamin David, Christel Man Location Palazzo Brancaccio

Gucci in Rome Flights of freedom at Palazzo Brancaccio Photography Marcus Ohlsson

Makeup Morgane Martini (The Wall Group) Hair Luke Chamberlain (Statement Artists) Models India Graham (IMG), Lilla Molnar (IMG), Celine Bethmann (The Society), Justice Kochevar (The Society), Scarlett Costello (NYMM) Digital Technician Nikki Tappa Photo assistant Eric Bouthiller Makeup assistant Shoko Sawatari Hair assistant Ben Martin

Louis Vuitton in New York Neo-futurism in Central Park Photography Blair Getz Mezibov

Giorgio Armani in Tokyo Zen-inspired simplicity at Tokyo National Museum Photography Akihito Igarashi

Models Rina Fukushi (Ipsilon), Reina Nishimura (Satoru), Amane (Unknown model management), Siqi Huang (Bravo), Ai Suzuki (Name Management)

Chanel in Paris Parisian ease at Grand Palais Photography Marcus Ohlsson

Models Sara Grace Wallerstedt (Elite Paris), Yasmin Wijnaldum (Elite Paris),Tami Williams (Elite Paris), Verena Kreiml (Elite Paris) Retouching Madly Unda (IWonderU/Studios) Photo assistants Arturo Astorino, Jérémie Léon

Prada in New York Ladylike elegance on West Side Highway Photography Blair Getz Mezibov

Makeup Kristi Matamoros (The Wall Group) Hair Luke Chamberlain (Statement Artists) Models Chun Jin (Ford), Manu Miloqui (NEXT), Kyla Ramsey (MUSE), Kalia Wyatt (The Society), Natalia Montero (The Society) Digital Technician Anthony Miller Lighting Director Ricardo Fernandez Photo assistant Michael Skigen Hair assistant Ben Martin Makeup assistants Magdalena Major, Ambreen Khwaja

RA IN Make it

Have you ever danced in the rain?

With the help of French heritage brand K-Way, this colorful routine yields rain and shine Photography Jamie Morgan Fashion Anna Trevelyan

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Zheng, Umi, Xuly, Megan, Jess, Lucas, Grace, Morocco wear all clothing K-Way

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Morocco and Xuly wear all clothing and accessories K-Way

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Jess, Grace, and Umi wear all clothing K-Way Visit vmagazine.com to watch these images come to life

Makeup Maki Ryoke (Streeters) Hair Shingo Shibata (The Wall Group) Talent Megan Wright, Jess Hu, Lucas Klinge, Umi Akiyoshi (Stetts Management), Grace Valentine (NY Model Management), Morocco B (DNA Models), Xuly Williams (Ford Models), Zheng Zhang (IMG) Manicure Eichi Matsunaga Set Designer Chelsea Maruskin (Art Department) Production Nathalie Akiya (Kranky Productions) Choreographer Nicole Von Arx Digital technician Jeanine Robinson Photo assistant Haren Mehta Stylist assistant Kristtian Chevere Makeup assistant Mikaila Hutchens Hair assistant Mai Kimura, Julianne Laney Set design assistant Zachary Maruskin Production assistant Vivian Song, Jeff Rabinak, Hannah Holbrook Choreographer assistant Eric Berry Location BKLYN Studios by SLATE Studios

WHAT V WANT

Kim wears jacket, skirt, gloves, custom bag Balenciaga Top and headband her own Customize your own Balenciaga bag from December 4–8 at Balenciaga Miami Design District

This holiday season, we can’t get enough of Kim Petras’s holiday-themed mixtape “Turn Off the Lights Vol. 2.” The dark and dancey album picks up where last year’s Halloween-themed volume one left off, completing a sonic journey from macabre electro to nightmare-before-Christmas. Of the track “Massacre,” Petras says, “We discovered ‘Carol of the Bells’ was public domain, so we made our own gorey version of it.” As the belle behind several shopaholic bops, Petras’s Christmas-music foray is bound to spread good cheer.

Also on our holiday wish list is our very own Balenciaga Hourglass handbag—seen here with Demna-designed customization and modeled by the “I Want It All” singer herself. FOR MORE ON “TURN OFF THE LIGHTS VOL. 2” AND KIM’S ONGOING CLARITY TOUR, HEAD TO VMAGAZINE.COM

Makeup Gilbert Soliz (The Only Agency) Hair Iggy Rosales (Opus Beauty) using Bumble and bumble Manicurist Kim Truong (Star Touch Agency) Stylist assistant Marc Eram

Photography Carin Backoff Fashion Matthew Mazur

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