Month: February 2022

As a kid growing up in downtown New York City, Scarlett Johansson would regularly see Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen on David Yurman billboards overlooking Soho. So it was “a very nice, really big deal” when she was handpicked—along with actor Henry Golding—as the latest David Yurman muse to get her very own XL ad, along with a short film where she gets chased by the paparazzi, rolls around in bed, and sings “New York, New York.” (Yes, besides fighting Thanos and fighting for fair pay, Johansson can also sing very well.)

To talk about the new campaign, Johansson called us from home in New York—we love a local girl!—to discuss male gazes, female expectations, and what happens when she really needs to talk to someone.

You’ve posed in a bed for Dolce & Gabbana, for your recent Amazon commercial, and now for David Yurman. Did they come to you and say, “Okay, it’s a bed shot!” or at this point, is that just a given?

Oh yes, you know, I’ve tried to do every campaign in my life from bed. [Laughs.] Yeah, I find it really great to roll out of bed, and then go through about six hours of hair and makeup, and then just get back into a bed.

So the secret to bedhead is six hours of glam.

Yes. You look better when you get back into the bed after all that hair and makeup! I’m sure there’s a quote from Marilyn Monroe or Liz Taylor about wearing diamonds in bed…But yeah, I guess advertisers—I mean, I guess, male advertisers or men who are advertising executives, love to see me in bed with lots of jewelry. I guess it’s a thing.

I assume when you actually go to bed…

I take off all my jewelry. Yes. So this idea that I’m asleep wearing such incredible jewelry, all this amazing David Yurman, it’s cool, but I’m sorry to say, it’s sort of counterintuitive! And yes, most nights I have like, a ring or two that I wear to bed. But eight gold bangles on each arm? No. And a giant gold and diamond hugger? No. I don’t just have diamonds kicking around in my bed. That would get kind of dangerous.

Speaking of dangerous, do you ever subscribe to superstitions when it comes to jewelry? Some people believe certain pieces are haunted.

I have that feeling about some material objects. When I was younger, I used to collect Victorian jewelry. When I started, like, making my own money, if I traveled somewhere, I would track down antique collectibles and rare pieces. I remember working in England, and working in New Orleans, and finding pieces of Victorian jewelry and…I don’t know, it’s like, the jewelry would choose me. Suddenly, I’d be really drawn to a particular piece and I wouldn’t even know why. I think only jewelry can do that to you!

The theme of the campaign is “come closer,” which I suppose is something you can do in a bedroom. But also, how have you had to adjust your idea of coming closer during these past two years in isolation?

I’m always a face-to-face girl. If I need to tell you something important, I want to tell you face to face. So on the one hand, thank God for video chat and FaceTime and all that. That’s been a lifesaver. On the other hand, even though I love seeing my nieces and nephews grow and I can do that via video call, I hate talking about anything important on the phone! I want to see you in person. Either that, or I want to send you an email or write to you. I do like writing long letters to people.

Is there an element of “come closer” that’s also connected to being famous? Like, you’re a real person, but you’re faced with images of yourself every day, even though they’re not exactly you, per se.

I have an advantage because I’ve been [acting] for such a long time that it doesn’t phase me as much. It’s not that I’m jaded, but I just see that “image” as an extension of my work, you know? It’s like, “Okay, I’m in this thing. My face will be everywhere. That’s marketing; that’s not me.” To be honest with you, it might also come from growing up in New York where there are images everywhere, and then the next day, they’re gone and new billboards or posters go up…I think it’s probably weirder for my daughter, because if it’s not your [job] and you’re not used to it, those moments can be extremely startling. And you know, I’m sure I do have a lot of other feelings about this! [Laughs.] But I guess I’m used to it.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

The iconic supermodel is on a mission to tell her CoolSculpting story.

Linda Evangelista, who says she’s been living in seclusion for the past five years, has opened up further about her life-altering experience with the fat-freezing procedure known as CoolSculpting. “I loved being up on the catwalk. Now I dread running into someone I know,” she says in her exclusive interview with People.

The story features several photos of the supermodel demonstrating how the experience left her “deformed” due to Paradoxical Adipose Hyperplasia (PAH), an often-overlooked side effect of CoolSculpting, which delivers the exact opposite results one is looking for when undergoing the non-invasive, multi-treatment procedure. Instead of eliminating fat cells, the fat-freezing process actually causes the tissues to eventually thicken and expand.

Said to affect less than one per cent of patients, Linda Evangelista says she was diagnosed with the condition by her doctor about four months after finishing the CoolSculpting process, which she says she underwent in a dermatologist’s office from August 2015 to February 2016. When the areas she had hoped to shrink started seemingly growing, as well as hardening and becoming numb, she says she finally visited her doctor in complete shock and anguish.

In response, a representative for CoolSculpting, whose parent company Zeltiq Aesthetics Inc. is being sued by Evangelista for $50 million in damages, told People that the procedure “has been well studied with more than 100 scientific publications and more than 11 million treatments performed worldwide.” The company also added that known rare side effects like PAH “continue to be well-documented in the CoolSculpting information for patients and health care providers.”

Evangelista also says that the company offered to pay for liposuction in June 2016 in an effort to correct the PAH damage, however when asked to sign a confidentiality agreement as part of the deal, she declined. Instead, she footed the bill for multiple surgeries herself, but the results were disappointing, to say the least, and the effects of PAH returned. Now, she says she can no longer even place her arms are her sides or wear a dress comfortably due to the hardened bulges that cause incredibly painful chafing. “I don’t look in the mirror,” she told People. “It doesn’t look like me.”

Arizona Muse’s life has changed tremendously in the years since she rapidly ascended the fashion world hierarchy after both opening and closing a Prada show in 2010 as a newcomer to modeling. Magazine covers and campaigns for brands like Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander and Fendi soon followed. But now her days are filled with discussions of soil, crop resiliency and everything else relating to regenerative agriculture, a practice that she believes could significantly help fight the climate crisis.

In 2021, Muse formed Dirt, a charity devoted to promoting biodynamic farming. “I’ve been a model for a very long time. I started educating myself about the fashion industry and about the negative impact that we as a whole are having on the climate and all the people who work along our supply chains. Everything kept bringing me back to soil,” she says. “I started volunteering on farms — a specific type of farm called a biodynamic farm. I just fell in love with biodynamics and really believed that this type of regenerative agriculture has the potential to be one of the major solutions to climate change.”

Muse has taken on the task of being an ambassador for biodynamic farming, a concept that few outside the agriculture industry are fully familiar with. “Regenerative farmers are amazing because they’re not using any chemicals at all. They’re composting and building soil fertility that way,” she explains. “Then you have biodynamics, which takes another leap in another direction off of regenerative. What you have is a type of agriculture that uses all the techniques within regenerative, like crop rotation, like mobile grazing for animals, like composting and then it takes another layer as well. It says, okay, so plants have a physical being that I can touch, eat sometimes even. But there’s undeniably something inside them that’s keeping them alive. They look very different when they’re dead for instance. Biodynamics has these medicines that farm the life within the plants.”

Her career as a model has dramatically shifted as Muse has become increasingly involved in climate activism. Now 33, Muse finds that the kind of modeling offers she receives are different than those of a decade ago, as are her priorities. “The work I do accept as a model now is few and far between, and I’m very careful about who I like to work with. I really also try not to travel long distances. It rarely happens anymore that I would accept a shoot that was in a far-off country. It just doesn’t seem worth it to me,” she says. “But I do still model a little bit and I’m grateful to the modeling that I did for fueling my activism, because I recognize that my activism would not have been the same had I not been a model first. If I’d gone to become a farmer at age 20 instead of a model, I would’ve had a different impact as an activist.”

• BEAUTY TIP: For sleek yet soft hold, spritz hair with Aveda Texture Tonic ($28) and comb through.

Muse recently relocated from London to Ibiza. The pandemic lockdowns left her feeling fatigued and time spent staying on a farm convinced her that a different way of living might be best for her and her family. “We were in London for the second two lockdowns. It was so boring and it was so blatantly obvious that cities are meant to have people in them and meant to be thriving. You’re not meant to all be sitting at your homes all the time,” she recalls. “I wanted my kids to grow up in a place that was close to nature. Ibiza is so beautiful and we have quite a lot of friends here and that’s why we chose it.”

What Muse would truly love would be to incorporate her new home into her modeling work and to shine a spotlight onto the local fashion industry. “I really encourage everyone who wants to shoot with me to come to Ibiza because it’s really beautiful. Even more than that, I encourage them to use local teams here because there’s some great talent here in hair and makeup and photography. The production companies here are amazing. So that feels really great to be contributing to the growth of the local industry here.”

While Muse has been working as an activist for years, forming Dirt has given her a renewed sense of purpose. “With activism, it was difficult to measure impact. I became an educator. I absolutely love sitting on panel discussions, giving talks and making videos for my Instagram about the stuff I’m learning,” she says. “But you never know who’s impacted by it and whether they really shift in their behavior after listening. With the work I do with Dirt, the impact is so there. It’s about how much land can we be farming biodynamically. How many raw materials, food and fiber can we transition to be biodynamically grown so that the earth is not being harmed and is in fact for generating? It’s huge. I’m so happy. I love this so much.”

Hair by Lorenzo Barcella and Makeup by Luciano Chiarello, both at Julian Watson Agency; Manicure by Sally Derbali; Casting by Shaun Beyen at Plus Three Two; Model: Arizona Muse at DNA; Produced by Bjorn Frederic Gerling at Production Paris.

A version of this article appears in the March 2022 issue of ELLE.

It’s high time to elevate your puff game.

The high-puff hairstyle is a timeless go-to that’s both classic and playful. Like any other ponytail, it’s achieved by simply gathering the hair at the top of your head into a “puff.” However, our current obsession with minimalist beauty has us all seriously questioning the high puff’s versatility.

A simple “high puff hairstyles” search on Pinterest is sure to inspire even the most amateur inquirer with a stream of innovative ways to elevate the classic look. In fact, the social platform predicts these trending “puff love” searches will continue to fuel this look’s popularity in 2022. “It’s been around, but I think what’s making high-puff really cool now is all the creative variations of it,” says Janet Jackson, a pro hairstylist and L’Oréal Paris hair expert.

Looking to elevate your puff? Scroll on.

Stock the right tools

While there are many ways to reach high puff perfection, there are a few key items that can help set the foundation. Stock up on elastic bands of various sizes so you can customize your look to your hair texture. (You can even cut and tie traditional cloth elastics to get the perfect fit.) Other necessities? Hair pins, a hard brush and a slicking product, if you want to achieve that ultra-sleek finish. “For ultimate polish with this style, I like using pomades and cream pastes, which allow you to manipulate the hair a lot easier than with a gel,” says Jackson.

Build your foundation

All curls are not created equal. Though Jackson says any hair type can pull off this look, your curl pattern and hair length may affect the way you do your ‘do. Type 3 or 4 textures naturally have that puff look, whereas those with looser curl patterns may have to put in a little extra work. “If you have type 3 or 4 hair, depending on the length, you can simply pick it out or use hairspray to set it into place. Those with type 1 or 2 hair can still achieve that puffy texture by pre-braiding, teasing or even creating knots on top of their head and pining them in place,” says Jackson.

Elevate, elevate, elevate!

How you style your hair is a form of self-expression, so let loose! If your puff isn’t quite as voluminous or as long as you’d like, textured hair extensions can be a great way to cheat the system. Elevate your extensions by switching up your colour to add a bit of creative flair, suggests Jackson.  You can also double the fun by creating two puffs for a space bun look. “Instead of parting your hair straight down the middle, switch it up by parting on an angle or even creating a zig zag part,” says Jackson. To spice things up even more, consider incorporating braids either at the base of your look, or outside your puff.

Make it shine

Up the ante by getting experimental with your baby hairs and accessories. The styling possibilities are endless when it comes to shaping baby hairs, with countless variations of loops and swirls to play with. “You can definitely go wild with baby hairs and you can even add accessories,” says Jackson. Let Euphoria be your guide and try adding rhinestones atop your baby hairs and throughout your look to turn your casual days into editorial evenings.

This article was originally published when Anna Sorokin aka the “Soho Scammer” was on trial in 2019. She was convicted on eight counts, including second-degree grand larceny, theft of services, and first-degree attempted grand larceny. Sorokin was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison, and was released in February 2021 for good behavior. “The thing is, I’m not sorry,” she told The New York Times after her sentencing hearing. “I’d be lying to you and to everyone else and to myself if I said I was sorry for anything. I regret the way I went about certain things.” According to Insider, Netflix paid Sorokin $320,000 to adapt her life story for the Shonda Rhimes-created series Inventing Anna. The show chronicles her upbringing, her time in New York City, and her trial—during which she famously wore designer clothing. Below, we spoke with Sorokin’s trial stylist Anastasia Walker, a former fashion magazine staffer and celebrity consultant.

---

Anna Sorokin, alias Anna Delvey, looked more like a millennial shopper on Mercer Street than an accused criminal in Manhattan Supreme Court this week. While many defendants alter their appearance to imply their old, nefarious ways are far behind, the alleged grifter—who reportedly duped Manhattanites into believing she was a German heiress for nearly four years—did the exact opposite.

On Wednesday, she swapped out her drab Rikers uniform for a plunging Michael Kors shift dress. The following day, she paired a sheer black Saint Laurent top with Victoria Beckham trousers. She accessorized the nerdy-chic ensemble with a black choker necklace and her signature thick Céline frames.

It didn’t take long for Sorokin’s trial looks to get an Instagram account. Twitter users described her courtroom aesthetic as “iconic.” Tabloid headlines ignored the charges against her (grand larceny and theft of services totaling $275,000), instead focusing on her “incredible prison makeover.”

But who was sending Saint Laurent to Sorokin in prison? We confirmed the 28-year-old enlisted assistance from Anastasia Walker, a former Glamour magazine staffer who has dressed everyone from Courtney Love to G-Eazy.

“Anna and I talked on the phone about what she was interested in wearing,” Walker tells ELLE.com. “I couldn’t show her photographs, but as people interested in fashion, we spoke in references about the themes she wanted to come through [in her outfits]. I selected some timeless pieces, given that everything is so public today and [trial] photographs can be saved, potentially, forever.”

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Walker offered to help after The New York Post reported last week that Sorokin’s legal team “panicked” about her outfit, fearful a taupe corrections uniform would insinuate guilt. Sorokin’s lawyer, Todd Spodek, had an associate hit a nearby H&M to “spend $200 on something that didn’t scream ‘inmate,’” according to the outlet. The associate came back with a respectable black blazer, capris, beige sweater, and white sneakers.

The H&M outfit was fine, but Walker felt Sorokin deserved to be tried wearing designer labels. Walker’s close friend Neff Davis—described by Paper Mag as Sorokin’s only true friend in New York—connected her to Spodek.

“[Sorokin’s case] is interesting and unique, but the main reason I decided to help out was because of our mutual friend,” Walker says. “I’m always happy to help, and I love what I do. If it works and I can make it happen, then why not?”

As a former fashion magazine editor, Walker was used to assisting on cover shoots—not styling micro-celebrity alleged criminals. Over the phone, she and Sorokin decided an all-black ensemble would send a sartorial message of seriousness. Plus, Walker opined, a monochrome look would be “timeless,” an important consideration given that Sorokin’s trial photos would likely appear in the tabloids (they did), and that her style could potentially play a big part in the forthcoming Netflix project about her.

“I really tried to focus on classic silhouettes and classic pieces in general,” Walker says. “[The all-black] may change in the future—we may go lighter. It is mysterious chic, and although it’s getting a lot of media attention, this is still her real life. People have made comments that she doesn’t take life seriously, but to me black is just a strong and powerful color. It’s serious.”

Walker sent the Victoria Beckham slacks and Saint Laurent sheer blouse to Sorokin a week before she was set to appear in Manhattan Supreme Court. The choker was “all Anna’s idea,” Walker says, and her client already had the Céline glasses, which she believes allow her to retain “some part of her old self [identity].”

“Those are her signature, if you will,” Walker says. “Or made to be seen as such.”

Logistically, it’s tricky dressing Sorokin, who remains in jail without bond. “She has this really nice hair color and I feel like lighter colors will really play up on that as well, so after this first week we can explore what else may be available. But it’s still prison, and there’s tricky logistics of getting her clothes in prison,” Walker says. “There’s a system of what goes in and what’s allowed and what is not. So, we will just see what we can do within the confinement of policy… [There is a] very real possibility and likelihood that if something doesn’t fall within the parameters of what they deem appropriate or safe it will not be allowed.”

Sorokin has been held at Rikers since she was charged with grand larceny and theft of services totaling $275,000 in 2017. Jessica Pressler’s May 2018 New York Magazine article detailed her infamous rise to socialite status in New York; Sorokin spent lavishly on vacations and clothing despite not having the fortune she said she did.

Walker is hesitant to reveal the exact details of her arrangement with Sorokin. However, she disclosed that she’s getting paid for the gig—and they’ll continue working together in the future.

“[Anna] is very lucky to have a team and people that support her,” Walker says. “There are so many people that don’t.”

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io

RiRi is rewriting the rules.

When it comes to maternity style, Rihanna is not here to play by any prescribed set of rules. And are we surprised? After all, this is the woman who announced her pregnancy on January 31 with a street style photoshoot in which she rocked vintage Chanel and a bejewelled baby bump. The viral pictures of Rihanna and her partner A$AP Rocky were a foreshadowing of the jaw-dropping pregnancy style to come.

And come it has! All of RiRi’s looks have accentuated her baby bump as an accessory that complements her self-expression. It seems that for the fashion killa herself, pregnancy is a welcome style challenge.

If Rihanna is any indication, we’ve officially entered a new era where dressing for pregnancy doesn’t mean you can’t dress for yourself. Here’s a rundown of the mogul’s latest street style ensembles (plus, how her wardrobe plays into the evolution of maternity fashion).

Cue the cut-outs

The singer was spotted out and about in Los Angeles on February 6 looking fly as ever in an all-black hooded outfit. Sporting sunglasses, a zip-up jacket by Carhartt x Wardrobe.NYC and ribbed leggings by The Attico, the look was under the radar but made a statement nonetheless. The main attraction, of course, was the Jean Paul Gaultier lace-up cardigan baring her baby belly (expect to see more of this pregnancy style from Rihanna).

Vintage vibes

Can we get some commotion for the coat? On February 9, the beauty mogul stepped out in a fabulously over-the-top vintage Roberto Cavalli patchwork coat with denim, leopard print and fur. She paired it with a fur-trimmed front-tie crop top (of course) and low-rise baggy jeans. The Y2K-reminiscent look was completed with a Dior tie-dye saddle bag, a camo trucker hat from Awake NY and plenty of gold body jewelry. Not to mention, snakeskin Tom Ford heels strapped over her jeans. It’s a look for the fashion history books, right alongside the iconic heart-shaped Saint Laurent fur coat she wore in 2016.

A slinky set

Businesswoman that she is, Rihanna attended a Fenty Beauty x Fenty Skin event on February 12. Wearing a custom top and pant set by The Attico, the ensemble’s green drape square sequins sit perfectly over her budding baby bump. As for accessories, we’re talking diamonds (and lots of them) — including Chopard diamond drop earrings and a gold and diamond body chain by Jacquie Aiche. A$AP Rocky was also there, admiring her pregnant glow just like the rest of us.

RiRi in red

Savage X Fenty, Rihanna’s lingerie brand, is opening physical stores across the U.S. And on February 12, she rolled up to the retailer’s LA store opening in another monochromatic moment. Rihanna wore a long, custom Alaïa red leather hooded dress with colour-coordinating Amina Muaddi heels and matching red eyeliner. Honourable mention to A$AP Rocky, who donned a sparkling suit and red Prada sneakers to match the mom-to-be.

Sheer for the Super Bowl

On Super Bowl Sunday, Rihanna showed support for the Los Angeles Rams in a navy blue bomber jacket with yellow faux-fur trim by Balenciaga. She paired the look with a blue headscarf, a sheer tulle button-up by Jetpack hom(m)e and baggy straight-cut jeans. Along with her belly-grazing body chains, she accessorized with several medallions and rings by Briony Raymond.

The star’s viral form-fitting, skin-baring ensembles feel like a fresh take on pregnancy style, and we’d expect nothing less from Rihanna. But while she is a fashion risk-taker in her own right, the evolution of maternity wear has been underway for centuries. From styles that were intended to hide baby bumps to flowy garments to eschewing maternity designs altogether, there’s a long fashion history when it comes to those who are expecting. So how did we get here?

In an interview, fashion historian Kass McGann told historical fashion YouTuber V. Birchwood that before the modern era, all women’s clothes were maternity clothes. Because clothing took so long to make (we’re talking four years for a shirt), it wasn’t efficient to have pieces made specifically for pregnancy.

According to Elle, it wasn’t until the early 14th century that specific designs were introduced to make clothing more pregnancy-friendly. In the following centuries, adjustable garments like aprons and lace-up panels were added to women’s clothing to accommodate a growing baby bump.

But then, styles became more restrictive. In the 1700s, corsets came into style, and it was common for women to wear them while pregnant. In fact, maternity corsets were a mainstay well into the 1900s.

In the following decades, women’s clothing designs were flowy and doubled as maternity wear that covered and concealed baby bumps. It wasn’t until the 1950s that fashion began to lean into maternity wear, and in the decades that followed, maternity designs included tent dresses and empire waistlines.

In the 1990s, baby bumps were (finally) more normalized, thanks in part to celebrity influence. When a pregnant Demi Moore was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair in 1991, the controversial release arguably revolutionized how pregnant people were regarded in North American society.

From the ‘90s into the early aughts, designers began to celebrate pregnancy, and more celebrities stepped out in form-fitting maternity wear, like Jada Pinkett Smith at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards in 1998. At this time, expecting celebs wore crop tops, body con silhouettes and babydoll dresses.

Over the past two decades, we’ve seen plenty of statement-making maternity looks — Kim Kardashian’s 2013 Met Gala floral Givenchy number and Emily Ratajkowski’s unbuttoned street-style outing in 2020 come to mind.

Of course, no celebrity’s fashion-forward pregnancy look comes without a little scrutiny from the public. But as we look back at history, there’s no doubt we’ve come a long way. In 2022, it seems we’re entering the age of personalized pregnancy style. Lead the way, Rihanna.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” costume designer Donna Zakowska on what to expect from season four’s costumes.

“You know what’s great about me? It’s when I’m me.” These are the words that delightfully sing-song across the screen during The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season four trailer. And you know what? It’s true. Main character Miriam “Midge” Maisel is at her best when she’s loud, bold and unapologetically herself — as are her costumes.

It’s already a widely known fact that the Prime Video original has one of the best wardrobes on TV right now. So much so that in 2020, two of Midge’s most iconic looks from season one — her pink coat from the pilot and black dress from her first comedy show— are now stored in the Smithsonian. Helmed by costume designer Donna Zakowska, fashion fans have flocked to the series for its intelligent use of colour, late fifties aesthetic, and incredible attention to detail.

So after a two-year break and a global pandemic, expectations are sky-high for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season four premiere on February 18. And based on the photos we’ve seen so far, the costumes won’t disappoint. As a press release teases, “It’s 1960, and change is in the air. Looking to hone her act, Midge finds a gig with total creative freedom. But her commitment to her craft — and the places it takes her — creates a rift between her and the family and friends around her.”

In anticipation for the new season, FASHION spoke with costume designer Donna Zakowska on dressing for a new decade, Midge’s fashion muses and the importance of pink. Plus, we’ve included all the on-set fashion we’ve seen so far below.

Coming into the fourth season, has your creative process changed at all?

What’s changed is there’s a different storyline and a different momentum to the characters. It’s the same journey we started back in season one, but now we get to watch Midge bloom into her true identity.

How many costumes do you create for each character per episode?

For the principal characters, it’s anywhere between six to 14. Everything is custom made because we want to stay true to the time, but it’s important to infuse new angles, fabrics and colours into pieces to keep it fresh.

It’s 1960 in season four. What changes to the costumes can we expect to see?

In the fifties, everything was much curvier and more feminine. Then you hit the sixties, and fashion became much more cubic and square. The most challenging part was finding that middle silhouette of 1960/1961. So this season, I wanted to work with shapes that captured the feeling of the new decade but still had the curves of the past decade. It’s very different from what I’ve done in the first three seasons.

You’ve said in past interviews that Audrey Hepburn inspired Midge’s costumes from season one. Season two was Grace Kelly, and season three had a bit of Marilyn Monroe. Who was your muse for season four?

I found myself gravitating towards French movie stars like Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve. Not so much the women themselves but the things they wore and, again, the shapes of that period.

In your book Madly Marvelous: The Costumes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a whole chapter is dedicated to Midge’s pink costumes (how light pink came to represent Midge’s domestic past, and dark magenta was named “post-Joel pink” after she left her husband). How did you approach using the colour in this new season?

In the book, I talk about how this one colour, which wasn’t even one of my favourite colours, became this sort of emotional thread for Midge. There would inevitably be pink in the new season, but it’s more subtle and is often tied to her emotions and a bit of a return to her old domestic identity. But The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel season four is very much about her breaking out and trying to be a professional on her own.

Last season Midge traded her usual little black dress for a pink one when performing at The Apollo. Is this the end of her “comedy uniform,” or will it reappear in season four?

As season three progressed, [creator Amy Sherman-Palladino] began to feel that we needed a colourful and dramatic fashion moment to support the drama that happens at the end of the season. The Apollo was also such a big theatrical venue that Midge needed colour not to get lost. And from there, I went for the over-patterned fabric, sequins and large bow — it was the “blown up” version of Midge. In a way, it became a bit operatic because, of course, this beautiful scene ended as a tragedy. But this is absolutely not the end of the black dress! There’s no question that it will return, and every now and then, it might have a little more flair.

“Fashion, for me, is really the people behind the craftsmanship.”

Known for its vibrant colours, detailed embroidery and exquisite silk fabric, the traditional Afghan chapan, a long coat worn by many men in central Asia, is Afghan-American designer Zolaykha Sherzad’s bestseller. Sherzad, based in New York, founded Zarif Design in 2005. She works directly with local Afghan artisans in Kabul, designing pieces for both women and men that merge Afghan attire with a contemporary modern twist. Her work is applauded by many including French designer agnès b., performance artist Marina Abramović, and acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Dr. Deepak Chopra (here’s a picture of him wearing the signature waistcoat).

For Sherzad, Zarif Design is more than just fashion — it’s fashion with a purpose. It’s a deep-rooted desire to help her fellow Afghans economically while creating pieces that embrace authentic Afghan craftsmanship. But in August, after 16 years of effort, investments and sacrifices evaporated in a matter of hours as the Taliban came back into power.

During the first Taliban regime, which began in 1996, women virtually disappeared from the public eye. They were banned from working and were not allowed to travel without a male guardian. The violation of these rules resulted in severe punishment.

That all changed for the better when the Taliban were overthrown in 2001, inspiring Sherzad to help Afghan artisans apply their skills in an industry that would allow them to grow and take advantage of economic prosperity that had been previously inaccessible (in fact, some of the female workers in her Kabul workshop are the primary breadwinners for their families). But two decades later, in the aftermath of the Taliban’s resurgence, Sherzad’s main concern is her team back in Afghanistan.

“The first month everything was just upside down. Emotionally too,” Sherzad says. “Nobody knew what was going to happen…everything just stopped… I worry about how long I can help these people get through this challenging time, and hope that things will soon change.”

Prior to August 2021, the team consisted of 52 weavers, tailors and embroiderers. Within months that group fell apart as some members fled the country and others are now too afraid to work. Production has significantly slowed down and Sherzad is no longer able to export pieces from Kabul. To keep spirits alive despite the situation, Sherzad assigned some of her team members to focus their efforts instead on intricate embroidery, which generally takes longer to create.“I wanted to give them something that they would enjoy during the day, from tailoring to embroidery,” Sherzad says. “So that when they see those pieces they feel a sense of accomplishment.”

Sherzad sources all of her fabrics from Afghanistan, including the impeccably detailed handmade embroidery. She also employs and trains Afghan women and men to practice “slow production” in the form of hand-crafted work and detailing. Slow production, also known as slow fashion, is the approach of producing clothing that takes into consideration all aspects of the supply chain. It means spending more time on the design process to ensure that each garment is of high-quality. It’s the opposite of what we consider fast fashion, in which the clothing quality is cheap, mass-produced and the environment and employees are exploited. Instead, at Zarif Design, tailors, seamstresses, embroiderers and weavers are given a place to train and master their skills to preserve cultural designs.

“What I love is that we are all interconnected, no one is doing anything alone,” Sherzad says. “The purpose of this project was not just the jacket itself. It’s how the jacket comes together.”

In addition to the brand’s signature jackets, Zarif Design also produces modest and gender inclusive unisex pieces. “It’s more about the character of who you are, so therefore gender is not something that pushes my design,” Sherzad explains, “It’s the fabrics, the flow, the details, the shapes, and the sense of freedom.”

Take for example the signature waistcoat. Although the waistcoat is listed separately for both men and women, the design is almost identical. The straight lines, silk trim detail and hand-made buttons (replica of antique coins) give off an adrogynous feel. In fact, some of her fashion inspiration comes from Japanese-based designer Yohji Yamamoto who, similar to Sherzad, creates timeless androgynous pieces. “I don’t follow the seasons, I don’t believe in that,” says Sherzad, who actually lived in Japan for little over a year. “Yamamoto is a designer that I really respect for how much he has been able to carry the essence of the culture, the tradition and connecting the times.”

Sherzad is doing exactly that — carrying the essence of the Afghan culture and tradition in a timeless manner. The one of a kind signature jackets, traditionally worn by men, are recreated in a modern way for women while still staying true to traditional design. The jackets come in red, navy, and in multi-colours and are all handwoven. “It’s all connected to the past,” Sherzad says, “I was using some of those traditional fabrics and cutting them in a certain way and it became very modern, so there was this juxtaposition between past and present.”

In New York, Sherzad is currently setting up pop-up shops to help sell some of the garments. For further exposure, The Chopra Foundation, led by Dr. Deepak Chopra, set-up a GoFundMe page to donate money to send emergency relief to artisans and their families in Afghanistan. The page has already raised a quarter of its $100,000 goal.

While the future of Zarif Design is unclear, Sherzad continues to use her platform to ensure that the brand continues to inspire, and empower Afghan communities.

“Fashion, for me, is really the people behind the craftsmanship,” Sherzad says. “It is the artisans that really matter the most.”