Zoë Kravitz, the multi-hyphenate star chats openly about forging an identity separate from her parents, making her directorial debut this summer with Pussy Island, and learning to tune out the trolls online. “If I start being afraid of what other people are going to say or think, I’m no longer doing my job as an artist. I’m not experiencing the world and putting that into art,” says Kravitz, who is working on her upcoming solo album. Now 33 and newly divorced, she is all about self-discovery and living by her own timetable. “There’s a lot of beauty in surrendering to the fact that you have no idea what’s going on,” Kravitz admits. “I hope I’m always playful and mischievous, even when I’m 70 years old. The point of being alive is to experience life and play with it.”
Kravitz is far from the only fiercely unapologetic woman in this issue. Comedian Catherine Cohen talks about filming her first Netflix special and her love of laughing over shared experiences; Las Vegas-born makeup and performance artist Madrona Redhawk explains how dazzling cityscapes inspire her avant-garde aesthetics; Yellowjackets star Sophie Thatcher opens up about navigating newfound fame and social media; and award-winning R&B artist H.E.R. shares insights on her activism, creative process and beauty essentials. Plus, we check in with Toronto-based chef and restaurateur Suzanne Barr, whose new memoir, My Ackee Tree, delves into her exploration of how food can heal.
With winter’s dry winds behind us, this edition looks at the latest in skin rejuvenation, including the overnight Korean beauty practice of slugging and a guide to ditching powder products in favour of creams and balms for a fuss-free makeup routine. We also talk to Canadian entrepreneurs Monieka Bos and Terry Chan, the duo behind Skinskool, an algorithm that analyses ingredient lists to help people find similar beauty products at different price points.
Readers looking for tips beyond their skincare routine can enjoy articles ranging from how to manage and grow your savings, to a roundup of the season’s buzziest new books written by Canadian women that are more than deserving of a spot on your bedside table.
In fashion, our writers explore how the metaverse opens up new possibilities for self-expression, and we dive into the history of the sailor shirt (and how it is still making waves on today’s runways). Hoi Bo founder Sarra Tang shares her approach to creating timeless, handcrafted garments with minimal waste; and Mejuri co-founder Noura Sakkijha talks about her company ethos and her desire to democratize jewellery one diamond at a time. Finally, a lookback at the legacy of Thierry Mugler, a master of the haute couture spectacle whose timeless odes to female empowerment defined the era of power dressing.
This edition will take readers everywhere, from the capital of Tuscany as a mother and daughter soak up Florence’s creative renaissance; to the Yukon, where a new award honouring visual artists is calling attention to the territory’s thriving contemporary art scene; to the maternity wards of Canadian hospitals, where underfunding and nursing shortages are leaving new mothers feeling disillusioned and unsupported.
The May issue of ELLE Canada will hit stands and Apple News+ on April 11, 2022.
Read digital issue HERE.
