Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i ELLE

In 2017, during the Cannes Film Festival, Nicole Kidman made a promise: She would focus on working with more female directors. Kidman was prompted by the statistic that fewer than 5 percent of the top films released in the previous year had been directed by women. “There’s a lot of talk, but I need to do; I’m a doer. I also just love women,” she tells Tyler McCall in our cover story. Since then, Kidman has made good on her word, collaborating with directors like Sofia Coppola and Susanne Bier—and, for her latest project, Lulu Wang, whose series Expats Kidman stars in and coproduces. “She said, ‘I don’t want it to be anything other than your vision,’” Wang says. “‘That’s why I came to you, and whatever you feel that…

There’s a moment in the life of every clotheshorse when a dedication to sartorial acquisition crosses into a different breed of hunger. For me, for a while, it was an altruistic mission. There I was, in a Thrift Town in San Antonio, Texas, in the late ’90s, a recent transplant from Hong Kong in my teens. The article of clothing was a strong-shouldered black cashmere Byblos cropped jacket from the ’80s. I ignored the sizing, scandalized briefly to have seemingly leapt sizes, and slid it on. The silk lining was cool despite the hundred-degree weather, and the fit exquisite. Life-affirming. To this day, I can invoke the kinesthetic delight of massaging the shoulders of the jacket to learn—with curiosity, then astonishment—that the shape wasn’t due to foam piles dangling precariously…

No one needed to make sunglasses cool—it’s in their DNA. And now a new breed of cult-favorite brands is making the standby accessory even cooler. Jacques Marie Mage and Max Pittion are at the higher end of pricing, and their frames are highly collectible, given their limited-edition production batches. Wearers of Mage’s designs—whose inspirations include Art Deco and the American West—are more than customers, but fans. To re-create the 1940s-era frames from Pittion’s 100e collection, its factory in Japan had to rebuild vintage machines and employ skilled craftsmen to get everything down to the brass hinges exactly right. Newer entrants have created their own niche designs, at price points that are more accessible but still denote high quality and a unique identity. A travel diary about Tangier inspired Port Tanger,…

There’s a French culinary phrase, “mise en place,” that I think of every morning as I get ready for the day. It means “everything in its place,” and refers to a prepared setup of ingredients that a chef arranges within hand’s reach. Here’s a selection of our ideal beauty “mise en place,” including pieces from Diptyque’s new vanity collection (DIPTYQUE Hand-Care Tray, above left, $105, diptyqueparis.com), plus all you need in your April quest for a vacation-like glow, tropical scents, and dewy skin.…

Rachel Martino knows how to throw a party. The biggest fête currently on her calendar is a disco-themed celebration of a career milestone. She kicked off her months-long planning process for it—before deciding on the decor and signature cocktail, or even choosing an outfit—with Emface, a non-invasive treatment that targets facial skin and muscles simultaneously. “Getting your skin in tip-top shape is a marathon, not a sprint,” she says. For the event, Martino’s goal is to achieve a “youthful, lifted, and smooth” complexion, and Emface is making it a reality, she says: “I’ve noticed that my skin feels tighter, and I look more rested and refreshed. That makes me feel more confident and camera-ready.” TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EMFACE AND TO FIND A PROVIDER, VISIT EMFACE.COM…

For Emily Weiss, founder of the billion-dollar beauty brand Glossier, motherhood can be summed up in a word: relinquishing. It’s “this relinquishing of expectation, of control, of plans,” she says. Giving birth to her daughter, Clara, in 2022 marked a transition from “spending most of my adult life being quite organized, ambitious, fast, decisive, and I won’t say controlling, but—wink, wink,” she says, leaning in conspiratorially. “Being that kind of woman and then becoming a mom, it’s sort of the polar opposite,” she says. “You could read a million books and still feel unprepared.” Weiss is someone who is used to being prepared for everything. In fact, she’s generally operating several tactical steps ahead of the rest of us. During our overlapping time at a fashion magazine, she helped style…

On what should have been the 51st anniversary of Roe v. Wade in late January, the press pool gathered near the wing of Air Force Two at Joint Base Andrews, awaiting the arrival of Vice President Kamala Harris on a marine helicopter. The pool was almost all women that day—a rarity, I was told, though not a surprise given the subject matter of the trip. The VP would soon take off for Waukesha County, Wisconsin, where she would launch her Fight for Reproductive Freedoms, a nationwide tour in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the long-held right to abortion in America. After a nearly two-hour flight and some decent breakfast burritos, we landed on an icy runway and traveled by…

“I have a very full life with people that I love. I’m raising daughters. I’m a wife, I’m a best friend. I’m a sister, I’m an aunt. I have deeply intimate relationships, and I’ve always been that way. And that, to me, is the meaning of life.”—NICOLE KIDMAN Bare feet tucked up on the couch, hands burrowed into the sleeves of her Balenciaga suit, multi-award-winning actress Nicole Kidman looks me dead in the eye and, with great relish, delivers one of her most iconic lines: “Heartbreak feels good in a place like this.” In case you’ve been living under a rock, or haven’t been to the movies in the last few years, that quote is from a spot Kidman filmed for AMC Theatres at the height of the pandemic. It’s…

April’s birthstone, the diamond, is known for its durability and strength. Set inside single gold pendant earrings—each in the shape of the iconic Prada triangle—these laboratory-grown gemstones serve as an eternal symbol of opulence and luxury. ARIES MAR 21–APR 19 You’ve never been shy about taking charge, but in April, you’ll be more impactful as the quiet force in the room. Keenly observe, then craft a proposal that supports the collective goal. The Aries total solar eclipse will shift a personal dream into the fast lane. TAURUS APR 20–MAY 20 Stability is your comfort zone, but this month could shake the ground beneath your feet. Unexpected memories could surface, but rather than cling to them, commit to doing whatever it takes to heal from (and release) the past. Invite change,…

1 THE BAG Woven from strips of Italian leather, Michael Kors’s vacation-ready bucket bag is a minimalist jet-setter’s dream. Bucket bag, Michael Kors Collection, $2,800, michaelkors.com. 2 THE SHOE Hermès delivers the ultimate IYKYK sandal, with a platform inspired by the windows of its fashionable rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré headquarters. Platforms, Hermès, $1,525, hermes.com. 3 THE PENDANT Beirut-based fine jeweler Joelle Kharrat creates her stackable, modular “totems” from wood, diamonds, and 18-karat yellow gold. Pendant, Joelle Kharrat, joellekharrat.com.…

Consider the humble cactus. A resident of this planet well before humans emerged, outliving both us and the elements, it’s playing nature’s ultimate version of the long game. For Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez Duarte, it also might be the spiky secret to solving fashion’s waste problem. After meeting while studying abroad in Taiwan—and bonding over the fact that they had the same birth date—the two men became fast friends. Cázarez Duarte went on to work in fashion, and López Velarde in the automotive space. “We were not happy about all the contamination that we were causing the environment,” Cázarez Duarte says. “We started asking, ‘How can we improve this industry [from within]?’” The solution turned out to be in their own metaphorical backyards, in their shared home country…

The Cargo Rough-and-tumble bottoms look luxe when belted and paired with polished leather accents. The Jean Spring’s denim is long, loose, and layered. The detail of the moment? A sharp front crease.…

There’s a $65 candle inspired by a unique feeling (and it’s not love). Scented with bamboo and thyme blossom, it’s meant to capture the euphoric sensation of arriving home after a long day and flinging off your bra—move over, Baies, it’s all about Braless. That elusive feeling is difficult enough to evoke in a candle, but a surgery? Yet that’s what the “internal bra,” a procedure that’s become more popular in recent years, might bring to mind—perhaps along with the lyrics to Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” In actuality, doctors offer more nuance on the subject. The “internal bra” refers to the process of surgically inserting a material into your body for breast support—sometimes called “mesh” as shorthand, although that’s not a scientific term, explains Rady Rahban, MD, a plastic surgeon in…

CULTURE Amanda Gorman For using poetry to create social change. Amanda Gorman rocketed into public consciousness, stealing the show with a performance of her poem “The Hill We Climb” at President Biden’s 2021 inauguration—in head-to-toe Prada and jewelry gifted by Oprah, no less. But she doesn’t want that poem to be all she’s known for. As amazing as the experience was, the now 26-year-old can’t fathom having peaked at 22. “That is not the plan,” she says with a laugh. In the years since, as she’s published four books, she’s worked to forge an identity beyond her splashy debut. “While I’ll be eternally grateful for that opportunity, I am more than what I did that day,” she says. “I am more than my most famous moment. I am all the…

Senator Tammy Duckworth still hasn’t seen Barbie. Last summer, she made headlines when she told Politico that a broken elevator prevented her and other wheelchair users from accessing a movie theater, ruining a planned outing with her daughters. That kind of thing happens to her a lot. “Don’t you want my money?” she asks of the businesses that can’t accommodate her. “We’ve made a lot of headway. But I don’t think people understand that there’s still a long way to go.” Duckworth, born in Bangkok to an American dad and Thai-Chinese mom, became a double amputee in 2004, when she was deployed to Iraq with the Illinois National Guard. In 2014, she had her daughter Abigail, followed by Maile in 2018, becoming the first sitting U.S. senator to give birth.…

Quinta Brunson, the creator, actress, and mastermind behind the hit sitcom Abbott Elementary, seems to reside atop a boundless well of good ideas. Her critically acclaimed, audience-adored series, now in its third season, is one of ABC’s biggest success stories in recent memory. With Abbott’s meteoric rise came Brunson’s adjacent ascent, from 2010s meme-maker to modern Hollywood titan. In 2022, the West Philadelphia native signed a multiyear deal with Warner Bros. Television to develop future shows, and this year, she made history at the Emmys as the first Black woman to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in more than 40 years (and only the second Black woman to win the award since its inception), all while shepherding Abbott’s influence in the lives of real-life…

THAT’S AMORE Don’t miss From the Heart to the Hands: Dolce & Gabbana, an exhibit of the Italian designers’ handcrafted creations opening at Milan’s Palazzo Reale and then set for an international tour. The show looks at how everything from opera to ballet to the duo’s beloved home country has influenced their work. April 7–July 31, palazzorealemilano.it. HAUTE HOUSE Roger Vivier proves that couture doesn’t have to stop at your outfit. For the brand’s Pièce Unique project, shown at Paris Couture Week, creative director Gherardo Felloni festooned one-of-a-kind editions of the Viv’ Choc bag with bejeweled flowers inspired by his own jewelry collection. Dejeuner Sur L’Herbe Pièce Unique Viv’ Choc Bag, Roger Vivier, rogervivier.com. LET THERE BE LIGHT Artist Matthew Fisher took cues from Ariadne’s mythic thread of jewels,…

It was 2004, the year of “Nipplegate” at the Super Bowl halftime show and sexist late-night talk show barbs. Ambition, Tory Burch recalls, was a dirty word for women back then, to the point where she recalls “shying away when a journalist asked me [about it] in a sort of negative way” as she was launching her namesake brand. That turned out to be a galvanizing moment for her, she says now. “I think it really cemented in me the desire to make it known that it was great for women to be ambitious.” Growing up in pastoral Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, with three brothers and parents who told her she was equal to any man, Burch says, “I didn’t realize that women would be treated differently” in the workplace. When…

Kit Kemp’s new hotel, nestled in the heart of Tribeca, was meant to be seen. “If you went to the top of One World Trade Center, it would stand out,” she says, laughing. It’s just the latest from Firmdale Hotels, the British-based company Kemp cofounded and co-owns with her husband, Tim. The Warren Street Hotel, which opened in February, is part of Firmdale’s roster of nearly a dozen hotels—eight in London and three in New York City—and has 57 rooms and 12 residences meant for long-term stays, as well as the 150-seat Warren Bar & Restaurant. Its facade is powder-steel-coated in a delicious shade of blue, with all mechanicals hidden within a large bright yellow box on the roof. The color is classic Kit Kemp. Color, character, craft, comfort, and…

Abby Phillip wishes she knew, when she was starting out, that there was more than one way to be a journalist. You know the type—the television anchor with bombastic energy who loves the camera. “There are a lot of personalities in television who want to be famous and want to be seen,” the CNN anchor says. “I am not that person.” Nor does she want to be. If you’ve had the pleasure of seeing her calm and cool demeanor onscreen—now as anchor of the prime-time show CNN NewsNight With Abby Phillip—you’ll know that she occupies a different lane. But staying true to herself wasn’t always easy. “I spent a lot of years comparing myself to others,” she says. “I learned some years in that I could lean into my ability,…

Last summer, writer and performer Shaina Taub was in the middle of band practice when she got the call that would change her life. “I can’t believe it, but we were rehearsing my song ‘She Persisted,’” Taub says, when she answered the phone and learned that Suffs, her musical about the fight for women’s suffrage from 1913 to 1920, was officially headed to Broadway this spring. “I fell to the floor,” Taub says. The next step was finding producers to help bring this often-untold chapter of American history to life. “There really wasn’t a conversation,” Taub says. She wrote letters to Hillary Clinton and Malala Yousafzai, two longtime women’s rights advocates who became enamored with Suffs after seeing the show during its sold-out run at the Public Theater. Clinton says…

At the meeting point of teens wanting adult skin-care routines and grown women craving the youthful energy of coquettecore sits author–turned–executive producer, showrunner, and production company owner Jenny Han. In the past few years, Han has been creating a romance-fueled media empire that showcases young women coming into their own—their intense desires, and the “big feelings” they’re learning to deal with for the first time. Over the years, Han has had many chances to turn her best-selling books into adaptations, but she repeatedly said no to offers until she could do it her way—with Asian protagonists, and with control and ownership over how her stories were told. “Just 10 years ago, people didn’t understand that it was important for a main character to be played by an Asian person. I…

THE COVER LOOKS: NICOLE KIDMAN Jumpsuit, $5,590, gloves, $1,590, Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, ysl.com. Earrings, $2,390, necklace, $3,450, Cartier, cartier.com. Jacket, $4,995, tights, $115, scarf, $515, sandals, $1,045, Dolce & Gabbana, 877-70-DGUSA. Earrings, $2,390, necklace, $3,450, bracelet, $18,900, rings, from $3,850, Cartier, 800-CARTIER. INSIDE COVER Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com. Bracelet, Cartier, $18,900, cartier.com. NEW ARRIVALS PAGE 29: Pendant, Joelle Kharrat, $12,400, joellekharrat.com. WEST DRESSED PAGE 45: Earrings, Sidney Garber, $9,900, sidneygarber.com. Cuff, Christina Alexiou, $15,885, musexmuse.com. Ring, Belperron, $13,500, belperron.com. AT LEAST WE CAN ALL AGREE ON NICOLE KIDMAN PAGES 77–89: Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent (NYC). Cartier, cartier.com. Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com. Watch, Omega, $20,500, omegawatches.com. Bracelet, Cartier, $18,900, 800-CARTIER. Dress, Balenciaga, $14,500, balenciaga.com. Fleur du Mal, fleurdumal.com. Balenciaga, balenciaga.com. Omega, omegawatches.com. Loewe, loewe.com. Gianvito Rossi,…