Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2020 i ELLE

1. MARIE-CHANTAL X BORGO DE NOR Crown Princess Marie-Chantal’s tasteful line of childrenswear has long been a resource for stylish, in-the-know mothers. One of those moms: Zoë de Givenchy, who, along with her daughter Ines, served as model and muse for the brand’s new mother-daughter collab with popular resortwear label Borgo De Nor. The feminine ruffles and cheerful floral prints are sure to delight women of any age. 2. VALEXTRA + LA DOUBLEJ Cult fave Milanese brand La DoubleJ brings its retro-print fire-power to Valextra this season, in the first of six collaborations that will be unveiled throughout the year. Designer JJ Martin chose the Tric Trac bag as the canvas for her 1970s print, she says, “because it doesn’t look like any bag that would be designed today, but…

Perfumers often use analogies to describe their craft. Calice Becker, the nose behind Dior’s famous J’adore, likens her work to that of an architect. Stephen Nilsen, who created Vera Wang Lovestruck, thinks of it as writing music: He groups single fragrance notes into chords—or accords, as they’re called in the business—and arranges a finished composition. Francis Kurkdjian believes perfumery, at its heart, is storytelling. And that may be one reason he’s wary of a recent development in fragrance: the use of artificial intelligence. On a recent Friday evening, the co-founder of Maison Francis Kurkdjian calls from a Paris café to explain. Oui, he knows of several fragrance companies that use AI. And oui, he’s smelled some of those creations. He remains unimpressed. “So far, I haven’t seen anything unusual, daring,…

Like spandex bike shorts, ampoules fell out of fashion long ago, but they’ve recently staged a comeback. “Ampoules are singleuse dispensers that contain a high concentration of a specific active ingredient,” says New York dermatologist Michelle Henry, MD. Part of the reason for their return is a renewed fixation on potency. Because the contents aren’t exposed to air until you use them, the ingredients stay fresh, making ampoules a small but mighty weapon in your beauty arsenal. Crack open the nib atthe top (use a tissue to protect yourself from the glass edge), pour out the serum, and apply it to skin after cleansing. Ampoules came to cosmetics in the 1950s from the medical field, but today’s formulas are much stronger, offered in 7- to 10-day sets for a visible…

LONDON’S REIGNING KING OF GOSSIP, Dan Wootton—executive editor at the British tabloid The Sun—was a week into his Christmas vacation in New Zealand, where his parents live, when he got a tip that Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were planning something huge. He immediately contacted Buckingham Palace to let them know he planned to write about what he’d learned: that the Sussexes were about to step back from their roles as senior royals to live an independent life abroad. The press office asked for time to verify the story, and as December thawed into January, Wootton was still waiting. “It was a very quiet time of year, and I appreciated that,” he recalls. “But as the holiday went on, my contacts were more and more insistent that I was…

Days after arriving in New York City to film The King of Staten Island (out next month), Bel Powley was given an insider’s tour of the borough from the king himself, Pete Davidson, who cowrote and stars in the semi-autobiographical movie. Davidson took the 28-year-old London native to the local mall and movie theater that served as his teenage hangouts. And last Fourth of July, Powley rode in a taxi with her boyfriend (actor Douglas Booth), her sister, and Chris Evans to a party at the Saturday Night Live star’s house. (The guest list also included the cast of Queer Eye, comedian John Mulaney, and seemingly all of Davidson’s extended family.) “They had a bouncy castle in the street,” recalls Powley, sitting down in a rustic-chic restaurant on New York’s…

“My favorite stones are emeralds [May’s birthstone]. I love their graceful imperfections—how their inclusions make their color more remarkable. Their beauty has never ceased to enchant me.”—NIKOS KOULIS TAURUS Apr 20–May 20 With your genius activated by the Sun and Uranus in Taurus, brilliant ideas flow in by the second—so record them. Once Saturn and Jupiter turn retrograde on the 10th and 14th, respectively, you’ll slow down enough to assess which projects are worth pursuing. Venus, your galactic guardian, turns retro from May 13 to June 25. Invest energy in people who make your world feel exhilarating and expansive. A relationship hits a peak moment near the full moon on the 7th. GEMINI May 21–June 21 Life fuels art this month, as Venus spends the entire time in your sign,…

Exactly a year ago, Dua Lipa appeared on the cover of this magazine. She was a new sensation on these shores, propelled by some of the catchiest hits around. Now? She’s a bona fide pop star, with an ’80s-inflected album, Future Nostalgia; a celebrity boyfriend (Anwar Hadid); and a dance-heavy tour. “It feels like a new chapter,” she tells Lizzie Widdicombe in our cover story, which paints a picture of an ordinary, family-oriented London girl who just happens to be one of the biggest names in music right now. Two other inspiring women join Lipa in our pages this month: Charlie’s Angels actress and Cartier ambassador Ella Balinska, and model-turned-designer Imaan Hammam, who is keeping mum about those Drake dating rumors but does have an A+ copy-and-paste response to men…

Don’t let your hard-earned eyeshadow look slip and slide. Create a smooth base with Hourglass’s new Veil Eye Primer. The ultra-lightweight formula will intensify your color and keep it from fading, no matter how jam-packed your agenda might be. Nourishing and long wearing, it’s the crucial first step for crease-free (and carefree) makeup, all day long.…

Lashes that speak volumes. The award-winning Revitalash® Advanced Eyelash Conditioner has earned cult-favorite status among beauty junkies, and for good reason. A proprietary blend of peptides, lipids, biotin, and green tea extract condition and enhance the look of your lashes while protecting them from breakage caused by products like mascara and your lash curler. Just one swipe a day gives lashes everything they need to flourish and thrive. Ready for the lashes you long for? Bat an eye at that.…

KAHLANA BARFIELD BROWN @kahlanabarfield Influencer and beauty editor “My go-to product is Kérastase’s Elixir Ultime Original Hair Oil ($50). It’s lightweight and controls frizz, smooths, and adds shine without making my hair feel or look greasy. I use it on my ends and to tame flyaways, especially in the front and on top of my head. I sleep with a silk scarf on my head, so I usually apply it right before I tie my hair down for bed. In the morning, the flyaways are gone, and my hair has a nice shine.” “I’m always in a rush, and it’s one of the few products I can rely on to pull my hair together when it’s a hot mess. I use it to touch up my daughter’s hair, too.”—KAHLANA BARFIELD…

What happens when the man who coinvented the Clarisonic cleansing brush spends two years dreaming up his next big skin-care invention? “We’re breaking the bottle,” says Robb Akridge, PhD, of Opulus Beauty Labs. The brand’s innovative new Opulus device debuts this fall, with a waiting list set to launch this month. The Opulus device is like a Nespresso machine for skin care, but it fits in your medicine cabinet (it’s smaller than a tall latte), and there are no leftover pods to toss. The process begins much like your morning cup of joe: Place one of the “opoules” (a play on the word ampoule), made up of ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, and hyaluronic acid, into the bowl, replace the lid, and twist it shut. Press the activation button, and…

I HAD ALWAYS VIEWED becoming a mother as perhaps the least extraordinary thing a woman could do. This was not to say that I didn’t want to have children—I did very much—but I was wary of the consequences, of becoming obsessive about diet and back problems, the endless conversations about strollers, teething, the right kindergarten. It all just seemed so dull. So when I learned I was pregnant, two years after accepting an international correspondent job with CNN’s London bureau in 2015, I was determined to be different, to take pregnancy and childbirth in stride. I didn’t broadcast the news to my colleagues right away. It was too early to be confident the pregnancy would advance, but I was also a little apprehensive about how it might change everyone’s perceptions…

The Series: Run PREMIERESAPRIL12 THE CAST: Merritt Wever, Domhnall Gleeson BEHIND THE SCENES: Created for HBO by Vicky Jones, a frequent collaborator of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s (Waller-Bridge will guest-star). THE GIST: Two thirtysomethings follow through on a pact to abandon their everyday lives and travel across America. PERFECT FOR: Young professionals fed up with it all, Fleabag fans, and train enthusiasts. The Film: Run PREMIERESMAY8 THE CAST: Sarah Paulson, Kiera Allen BEHIND THE SCENES: Directed and cowritten by Aneesh Chaganty, the breakout director of the 2018 Sundance hit Searching. THE GIST: Just in time for Mother’s Day is this story of a homeschooled girl who realizes her devoted mom might not be what she seems. PERFECT FOR: Disaffected teens, American Horror Story obsessives, and anyone over Mother’s Day sentimentality.…

FAMILY REUNION Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots, by Morgan Jerkins Morgan Jerkins, who was raised in New Jersey, traces the roots of her family tree and the way in which the Great Migration shaped the black experience in Wandering in Strange Lands (Harper, May 12). Traveling throughout the country, she explores the path that her family took as well as her cultural identity as a black woman. Her desire to understand both her personal and cultural origins will inspire you to do the same. HEADING HOME Stray, by Stephanie Danler A memoir from the author of the best-selling novel Sweetbitter, Stephanie Danler’s Stray (Knopf, May 5) chronicles both her tumultuous childhood as the daughter of two addicts and her adult life after…

In a small dance studio a few blocks south of Times Square, Dua Lipa is getting into the zone. She’s flanked by six backup dancers in black exercise gear. Tall and gangly, wearing a sports-bra top, poufy black sweats, and white Nike Air Maxes, and with her semibleached hair piled up in a scrunchie, she doesn’t give off a diva vibe. More like a high school volleyball captain from the mid-1990s. A small gaggle of staff—her manager, choreographer, and vocal coach—watch from the edges of the room as Lipa locks eyes with herself in the mirror. Her gaze narrows to a feline stare. She sets her shoulders back, and before our eyes, the lanky young woman transforms into a regal, imposing beauty. Then the beat drops, and the room fills…

While in the City of Light for couture week, ELLE’s editor-in-chief chose the Hôtel Plaza Athénée as a fitting base. The famed hotel boasts a Dior-themed couture suite, as well as the Dior Institut spa. But what really bowled Garcia over was the three-Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse restaurant, featuring dishes with produce from the gardens at Versailles and fantastical pastries by chef Jessica Prealpato that rival the runway’s most extravagant creations. Best of all: the surrealist mirrored interior, which inspired her picks this month. Be sure to check out more fashionable eateries on page 52.…

I met Susanna Merrick-Klinkbeil while waiting for the phone booths at The Wing in New York’s SoHo. I asked her what kind of work she did, but she demurred, implying that she didn’t have time to explain just then, but I could come find her later if I was still curious. This reticence piqued my curiosity; some of the girl bosses I’ve met there barely say hi before cheerfully downloading their entire CV into your brain. The possibilities set my imagination whirling. Was Susanna a spy? A therapist? A Republican political strategist? When I saw her the next morning, I rushed over to get answers. Susanna, it turns out, is an intuitive energy reader, meaning that she perceives visible auras and their colors. She believes these halos of energy reflect…

As Avril Lavigne’s “What the Hell” blares, Charli D’Amelio and three Prada models stride toward the camera. The tune, from 2011, probably qualifies as a golden oldie for D’Amelio, who was about six when it hit the airwaves. The 15-year-old TikTok star was a front-row guest this season at Prada, posting several videos of herself dancing in front of the show’s floral backdrop. She boasts 33.4 million followers, making her catnip to fashion brands. And like Emma Chamberlain (YouTube), Aimee Song (Instagram), and Tavi Gevinson (blogs; remember blogs?) before her, she’s coasted on that loyal following—all the way to Fashion Week. The TL; DR if you’re over 30: TikTok morphed out of the lip-synching app Musical.ly and is now a space where users can post brief videos of themselves doing…

Open and tap for ideas PERSONALIZE IT Your space is a reflection of you and all you’ve accomplished; it’s also an opportunity to share your passions and hobbies with the people who matter most. Shelves filled with your favorite books or vinyl. A tabletop vignette displaying treasures from your travels. Even that work-in-progress jigsaw you’ve been puzzling over. They’re conversation starters and, potentially, party-starters. The more interesting, the merrier! BRIGHTEN IT Fresh blooms, potted herbs, and natural accents are an easy way to bring any room to life. Fun fact: being around and caring for plants is a known stress-buster and a proven mood-booster. Make tending an indoor garden part of your personal ritual. Get creative with different containers, cuttings, and clippings, and explore what can be used in your…

Semipermanent Highlighter Inspired by selfies, the LitLift is a custom combo of Botox and hyaluronic acid fillers injected across the face, right where highlighter makeup normally goes. THE EXPERT: Dara Liotta, MD, facial plastic surgeon in New York City THE BEST CANDIDATE: Because the LitLift is more of an enhancement, as opposed to an antiaging treatment, it’s ideal for millennials. Demand is especially high before weddings, galas, and red carpets. THE PLAN: Liotta begins by injecting Botox into the forehead and below the arch and tail of the brow to smooth and lift the eyes. Next, she injects filler in a thin line down the bridge of the nose and along cheekbones to remove undereye bags and smooth the skin (which makes light bounce off better). Then she moves on…

“THE BIGGEST DAY on the internet ever,” at least according to Jumperoo62, a commenter on the British gossip forum Tattle.life, took place last November. The rabbit hole of a site where 53,000-plus members dissect the lives of influencers with the meticulous if selective attention of Renaissance cartographers was consistently critical and often cruel. The Tattle Lifers were never disinterested. They were always distant observers. Until last November, when the site went from being a lesser moon in the influencer solar system to playing a central role in a rapidly unraveling series of events one commenter dubbed Instamumistan. “Inject this shit into my veins,” wrote Swipe Up! “Better than a soap opera,” wrote Plinkplonk. It was also, quite possibly, one of the worst days of Clemmie Hooper’s life. At the time,…

“Gross,” Princess Nokia The first step to tackling any big project is acceptance. Your place is a mess. Gross, even. “I got stains on my teeth and my clothes,” admits Nokia at the start of this track off Everything Sucks. She owns it. You can, too. “Motivation,” Normani Let this buoyant bop, rumored to be on Normani’s forthcoming debut solo album, be your inspiration to collect every cleaning supply in your house and prepare for an epic purge. You’ve got this. “Rare,” Selena Gomez You do not need that ill-fitting cardigan or broken lamp. While you’re at it, get rid of that distant lover who is just taking up space in your psyche. Repeat after Gomez: “There’s somebody else out there…to make me feel rare.” “The Steps,” Haim “Every time…

The thing with models is, they’ll mess you up. It doesn’t matter if they’re backstage at Prada or behind you at a New York Pilates class—stare for one second, and the symmetry of their bodies might just stop your brain. The universe expands and contracts all at once in their faces, distilled in a perfect ratio of brows and lids, lips and lashes. And you, a cool, capable adult woman with a rich and full life? You may find yourself asking—fleetingly, futilely—“What if I were exactly the same woman…only instead, I looked like her?” It’s with that unwelcome stab of “What if” that I’m dispatched to speak with Imaan Hammam during Paris Fashion Week. The 23-year-old runway star grew up in Amsterdam with Moroccan and Egyptian roots. She has happy…

COVERS On Dua Lipa: Dress by Gucci, $5,300, select Gucci stores nationwide. Necklace by Roberto Coin, available by special order, 212-486-4545. On Lipa: Guitar by Moschino Couture, moschino.com. Bracelet by De Beers, debeers.com. On Imaan Hammam: Jacket, $995, skirt, $725, belt, $725, by Versace, versace.com. Hoop earrings by Cartier, $7,000, ring, $3,650, available by appointment only, select Cartier boutiques nationwide. TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE 23: Shirt by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent (NYC). Hoop earrings by Cartier, 800-CARTIER. PAGE 26: Jacket by Balenciaga, Balenciaga (NYC). Earrings, bracelets, rings by Cartier, cartier.com. Boots by Alexander Wang, alexanderwang.com. EDITOR’S LETTER PAGE 34: Dress by Marc Jacobs, marcjacobs.com. Bracelet by De Beers, debeers.com. ACCESSORIES PAGE 68: Watch by Hublot, $120,000, Hublot (NYC). PAGE 70: Necklace by Grace Lee, $2,588, gracelee.com. Necklaces…