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RISING STARS 84 Alanna Masterson 86 Tove Lo 90 Bebe Rexha 94 Camren Bicondova 98 Petite Meller 104 Tove Styrke 106 Nervo 112 Melanie Martinez 116 Lynn Gvnn 118 Betty Who 122 Elliphant 126 Isabella Manfredi 128 Kerris Dorsey 130 Kimbra 134 Grace Chatto 136 Jess Glynne 138 Rosie Lowe 144 Meredith Graves
148 Pins 152 Justine Skye 154 Jesse Jo Stark 158 Neon Hitch 162 Hannah Cohen 164 Elle King 168 Tamera Foster 172 Lenka 174 Jacquie Lee 176 Holland Roden 180 Jessica Szohr 184 Dead Sara 185 Lizzie Brochere 186 Flo Morrissey 188 Ophelia Lovibond 192 Gemma Chan
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COVERS NAOMIE HARRIS
INDIRA CESARINE Editor in Chief & Creative Director
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Naomie Harris wears a dress and belt by Kristian Aadnevik, a cape by Zeynep Kartal, and a ring by Maria Francesca Pepe. Styling by Deborah Latouche. Hair by Renda Attia, makeup by Kenneth Soh. Photographed at Saint Martin’s Lane Hotel, London, UK.
FASHION DIRECTOR Indira Cesarine CONTRIBUTING STYLE DIRECTOR Phillip Bloch
CHARLI XCX
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Charli XCX wears a black dress by Sass & Bide with earrings by Alexis Bittar. Styling by Karen Levitt. Hair by Ryan Kazmarek, makeup by Colby Smith. Photographed at Haus, New York.
BEAUTY EDITOR Roberto Morelli SENIOR COPY EDITORS Marianne White, Sophie Saint Thomas
LIZZY CAPLAN
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Lizzy Caplan wears a red sequin turtleneck by Dior, sapphire and diamond rings by Effy Jewelry, and studs by Melinda Maria. Styling by Kelly Brown. Hair by Christian Marc, and makeup by Rachel Goodwin. Photographed at James Goldstein Residence, Beverly Hills.
CONTRIBUTING FASHION EDITORS Deborah Latouche, Jules Wood, Karen Levitt, Kelly Brown
BANKS
FASHION ASSISTANTS Ginevra Valente, Laura Hernandez
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Banks wears a dress by Jason Wu, worn over a bralette by Georgine. Fashion Editor: Indira Cesarine. Hair by Hanjee, and makeup by Nina Park. Photographed at The Untitled Space, New York.
CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS Anabel Maldonado, Elizabeth Hazard, Jessica Natale, Julie Walker, Liz Belilovskaya, Lydia Snyder, Madison Bloom, Marianne White, Sophie Lloyd, Sophie Saint Thomas
REBECCA FERGUSON
Photography by Iris Brosch. Rebecca Ferguson wears a corset and knickers by Agent Provocateur, kimono by BLK DNM, bracelet by Mawi, and necklace by Rosantica. Styling by Deborah Latouche. Hair by Carlos Ferraz, and makeup by Caroline Barnes. Photographed at Blake’s Hotel, London.
ADDITIONAL COPYEDITING Lydia Snyder EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS & INTERNS Courtney Podvin, Eduardo Morel, Hannah Chusid, Jessica McKinney, Kasaya Nacharoen, Marissa Desimone, Michael Cruz, Patrica Gloum, Sandra Werb, Taylor Campbell, Yulia Yurasova
MARINA & THE DIAMONDS
Published by UNTITLED MEDIA
LYDIA HEARST
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Marina & The Diamonds wears a dress by Roberto Cavalli. Fashion Editor Indira Cesarine. Hair by Anthony Joseph Hernandez. Makeup by Roberto Morelli. Photographed at The Carlton Hotel, New York.
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Lydia Hearst wears a dress by Zimmermann, a gold necklace by Erickson Beamon with rings by Melinda Maria. Fashion Editor Indira Cesarine. Styling by Kelly Brown. Hair by Frankie Payne, and makeup by Stephen Dimmick. Photographed at the Avalon Hotel, Beverly Hills.
45 LISPENARD STREET NEW YORK, NY 10013 www.untitled-magazine.com
SHARAYA J.
Email: info@untitled-magazine.com
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Sharaya J. wears a metal jacket and long skirt by Rubie Singer, necklaces by Tuleste, with heels by Christian Louboutin. Fashion Editor Phillip Bloch. Hair by Al X Graham, makeup by Felicia G., nails by Jessica Allen. Photographed at The Untitled Space, New York.
ISSN: 2167-1990 PRINTED IN THE UK BY PUREPRINT
SAY LOU LOU
DISTRIBUTED BY PINEAPPLE MEDIA
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Elektra and Miranda wear a complete look by Saint Laurent. Fashion Editor Indira Cesarine. Hair by Hanjee, and makeup by Bobby Bujisic. Photographed at The Morgans Hotel, New York.
REPRESENTED BY BIG MACHINE MEDIA www.bigmachineagency.com Special Thanks to Gloria Martinez, K & M Camera and all additional contributors.
AIMEE OSBOURNE
Photography by Indira Cesarine. Nude bodice by Cheng-Huai Chaung, layered with a coat from Lie SangBong. Fashion Editor Indira Cesarine. Hair by Anthony Joseph Hernandez. Makeup by Robert Morelli. Photographed at The Untitled Space, New York.
ALL INTERVIEWS by INDIRA CESARINE and The Untitled Magazine editorial team unless otherwise noted in credits.
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The #GirlPower Issue is a celebration of femininity in all its forms. This is truly one of the most unique issues I have worked on since launching The Untitled Magazine. Not only does it feature some of the most inspirational women on the radar today, it was also photographed exclusively by female photographers and written exclusively by female journalists. I can truly say it is an act of sheer female willpower. I wanted to shape it with the perspectives and voices of women today - what makes us tick, what inspires us and what challenges our ideologies. Over twenty years ago, upon graduating from Columbia University with a triple major in Art History, French and Women’s Studies, I was at a crossroads: to pursue the path of my mother, and go to law school, or to follow my passion and pursue a career in photography. I decided to take the challenge of the far more risky path. I packed my bags and moved to London, armed only with a camera and a dream. At the time there were almost no female fashion photographers. I was determined to make an impact with my work – to present a female voice against the mass of male domination in the photo industry. Back then, the vast majority of images that women saw in magazines were those that were taken by men. The “male gaze” ruled the media industry, and aside from a handful of exceptions, fashion images of women by women were rarely seen. Over the years I worked not only in London, but also New York, Paris, Milan, and many other international cities. Throughout my freelance career, many models told me I was the only female photographer with whom they had ever worked. This issue was by far my most challenging to date, partially because when I set out to produce an issue photographed exclusively by women, I didn’t realize how hard that was going to be. I was shocked to see that many photography agencies in the industry still do not represent any women whatsoever. Many mainstream magazines still only publish fashion photography shot by men. Some photo agencies told me that they don’t bother to represent women as it’s too hard to get them work. I truly believe that not only are women just as talented as men when it comes to photography, but that readers are truly interested in seeing images created by female photographers. Despite it being over a century since women have gained the vote in many countries, including America, gender bias continues to be an issue in almost all sectors of employment. In the past twenty years since I started working in the photo industry, the statistics have hardly changed. Women still make up less than 13% of represented fashion photographers today. Female film directors have actually declined in numbers since the ‘90s with statistics reporting less than 8% of hired directors are women, and less than 5% of studio films are directed by women. To date only one woman has ever won an Oscar for Best Picture. In the field of journalism male domination still rules the landscape of reporting with less than 30% of bylines by women on average across the medias of TV, print and digital. I felt the timing couldn’t be better than now to create this issue, celebrating so many truly inspirational women. It is time for women to be fairly represented in the work forces of the media, to gain equality on all fronts, and not to have to fight for these rights, but to be able to take them as a given. One thing there was no shortage of while curating the #GirlPower Issue was phenomenal women to feature. The issue presents exclusives with women across the arenas of fashion, film, music, art, business, politics, tech and sports. We talked to Bond actress Naomie Harris; Rebecca Ferguson, star of Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation; Lizzy Caplan of Masters of Sex and Sophie Turner, star of Games of Thrones. Musicians Charli XCX, Banks, Marina & The Diamonds, Carly Rae Jepsen, Nervo, and Tove Lo opened up about their paths to success and inspirations along the way. Street artist Swoon talked to us about art and activism, while we gained insight from fashion moguls Carmen Busquets, Alexandra Wilkis Wilson and Lauren Santo Domingo. These are just a few of the incredible women we interviewed for this issue, who not only inspired us, but who have succeeded in paving the way for future generations of women to follow in their footsteps. I was honored to work with such a diverse selection of fearless and accomplished women and to feature their honest and candid interviews in this issue. I hope you appreciate the wealth of incredible talent on these pages – made by women, but for all to enjoy. This issue is dedicated to my mother Gloria, who has been a personal inspiration for me throughout my career. A National Merit Scholar, she was one of the few female graduates of The University of Chicago Law School in 1959. She was the editor-in-chief of The National Student Lawyer Journal published by the American Bar Association. Over the years she passed the bar in numerous states, including New York, California, Massachusetts, Texas, Iowa and South Dakota. She was instrumental in creating the first constitution for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and was recognized by Presidents Kennedy and Nixon for her work setting up youth education programs throughout the United States. At the age of 79, she continues to practice law across the country, hosts her own legal TV and radio shows, and epitomizes nothing short of “Girl Power”. ndira Cesarine
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Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, 27 From Djursholm, Sweden Photography by Indira Cesarine Tove Lo wears a sequin detailed top by Sally LaPointe.
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“I’m always going to be honest and upfront in my music. Some people are going to be offended and some people are going to relate, and I think that’s just how it’s going to be.” Swedish pop star Tove Lo’s bare-all approach is the driving force behind her barrier-breaking song writing and far-reaching appeal. Her debut album, Queen of the Clouds, was released in the U.S. on September 30th, 2014 and received a profusion of praise and play. An autobiographical album that traces the singer’s past failed relationships, Queen of the Clouds is sectioned into three different themes: “The Sex,” “The Love” and “The Pain”. The confessional quality of Tove Lo’s album is best represented in her popular single “Habits (Stay High)” which appears under “The Pain” section of the album and reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “[A relationship] starts passionately and intensely, and you fall in love because of the passion. It’s when you start to fall for someone for more than just the attraction that it starts to get a bit scary. That’s when you get to ‘The Love’ section. ‘The Pain’ is when something that’s been very passionate and very intense ends. I don’t think there’s any way to end something like that on good terms.” Tove Lo started her career at Sweden’s prestigious music academy Rytmus Musikergymnasiet where she became friends with Icona Pop’s Caroline Hjelt. “It was all music from day one. We were put into bands. Caroline from Icona and I were put into the same band on the first day. There was a drummer, a guitar player, a bass player, and two singers. Caroline and I were the singers, so that’s kind of how we became friends.” Along with penning songs for Icona Pop, Tove Lo had success as a songwriter for the likes of Girls Aloud and Cher Lloyd before starting her solo career as a performer. “When I decided to release stuff on my own, I thought it would be more of like, my indie career on the side. [Something] that I would just have for fun because I needed it. Then that started taking off, so it’s been really quite a ride!” That ride continues this fall when she’ll embark on a headlining tour across North America in support of Queen of the Clouds. After going through a Nirvana phase, Tove Lo credits fellow Swedish female artists such as Robyn and Lykke Li as her inspiration. Her concoction of grunge and pop is best illustrated in the video for her controversial drug-infused breakup anthem “Habits (Stay High),” which she filmed during a night of partying with lovers and friends. “I could have done [“Habits”] in a way where I looked perfect in every angle, where it’s super retouched and it’s beautiful, and it’s just a sexy video. But it’s not a sexy video,” says Tove Lo. “It’s all anxiety, which is what I wanted. I want to show the imperfections, so that people can see that I’m serious when I say that I’m honest about who I am, and that I think about my mistakes and my flaws. If I don’t dare to show them, no one is going to take me seriously.” Such an honest hold-nothing-back attitude propelled her into the international spotlight, grabbing attention from critics and fans alike. There’s been much buzz about the controversial lyrics of the song, which describes maintaining a high to numb the loss of her breakup. Of the controversy it stirred, Tove Lo calls out the industry’s double standard. “What I always wonder is, there are so many dudes singing about the same subject. I wonder if they get the same question or is it because I’m a girl that people...some people ask me, ‘Don’t you feel like you have a responsibility to be a role model?’ And I think: do I have that [responsibility] more than dudes because I’m a girl and I sing pop? I think there’s a kind of denial on how much drugs are a part of people’s lives. I see alcohol as a drug as much as anything else. Even though that may not be my drug of choice, for me, that’s as much of a drug as anything else.” “Habits (Stay High)” was followed by a string of hit singles, such as “Time Bomb.” “It really kind of romanticizes the one-time love or the one-night stand, where it’s like, we’re not forever; you’re not the one, but we could be the best thing ever.” Another hit from the album is her track “Talking Body.” During a recent performance of the song, Tove Lo flashed the audience as a nod to the #freethenipple campaign making us love her all the more for her fearless self-expression against double standards. “It’s like, you should play hard to get, and you’re not supposed to be the one who messed up, or the one who made a mistake. I think it’s changing a lot now because there are a lot of young girls coming out and saying, ‘Hey, this is me.’” When people ask her, “Why are you not embarrassed?” She replies, “Why should I be embarrassed? I’m just thinking of what I, in my gut, feel is right and wrong. I’m just going with what I think is right, and what is me.”
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“The album is basically just a storybook. Each song leads into the next, and it all tells the story of this girl Crybaby’s life… it’s kind of like the transition from her being this emotional vulnerable girl to being comfortable with being absolutely insane… kind of unapologetic for being crazy, because she’s embraced that.” Twenty-year-old alt-pop singer Melanie Martinez’s art has imitated her life. She recently released her debut major-label album, Cry Baby, after starting out by writing songs in her bedroom. Quite the transition indeed. Growing up listening to hip-hop and The Beatles, Martinez eventually started writing and recording her own work. Her tinkering would eventually lead to her securing a spot on season three of The Voice. “I saw an ad online and I literally wasn’t doing anything at the time other than school… I loved writing and singing but I didn’t really show anyone any of my music. My best friend and I would post videos on YouTube occasionally, nothing too serious. I just went out on a limb and went to an open call for it. I kept getting further and further, and it was very unexpected.” She was chosen as a member of “Team Adam,” and despite making it through several rounds on the show, she was eventually eliminated. This wasn’t the end however. It was just the beginning of what would become a defining music career. Martinez’ full-length debut Cry Baby is an emotional ride that offers a glimpse into her soul. “Especially being a girl, I am just absolutely insane sometimes. We have hormones and shit. Cry Baby is definitely a reflection of emotion and being okay and comfortable with yourself.” Her song, “Carousel”, a melodic track featuring swooning accordions, was also featured in promos for American Horror Story, which landed the single a Top 10 spot on the iTunes Alternative Chart. “The contrast is interesting because it’s all these titles based on childhood themes, but the content of the songs is that they’re all really dark and mature and honest.” Her music video for her single “Dollhouse” is a visually arousing experimental piece, in which Martinez plays a doll in a little girl’s dollhouse surrounded by other plastic figurines. She sings, “Everyone thinks we’re perfect,” as if reassuring her younger self that it’s all an illusion. “A lot of people are kind of blinded by the fact that just because people are in the spotlight doesn’t mean that they don’t have emotions and they’re not real people. I want to be able to tell people how I feel and show them that I’m a real human being and that I have a heart.”
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Melanie Martinez, 20 From Baldwin, NY Lives in New York, NY Photography by Annabel Mehran
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IVY LEVAN
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NAOMIE
HARRIS PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDIRA CESARINE
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Naomie Harris, 38 From London, UK Naomie Harris wears a dress and belt by Kristian Aadnevik, layered with a cape by Zeynep Kartal, and a ring by Maria Francesca Pepe.
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Jillian Rose Banks, 27 From Los Angeles, CA Lives in Los Angeles, CA This page: Banks wears a beaded gown by Jason Wu layered over a leather bralette by Georgine. Opposite page: She wears a sheer turtleneck by Roland Mouret.
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BANKS PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDIRA CESARINE 249
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Charli wears a black dress by Sass & Bide with earrings by Alexis Bittar.
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SOPHIE
TURNER
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSIE CRAIG
“I
don’t really know any woman who isn’t a feminist. I just think it’s without question that a woman or a man should be a feminist.” Sophie Turner, the British actress who plays Sansa Stark on Game of Thrones, describes herself as a “big pushover,” but she clearly takes a definite stance on important issues. Sophie was just thirteen when she started on the hit HBO show, which has steadily gained a huge base of dedicated fans. It’s a show which often grabs headlines for controversial displays of sex and violence, but it’s also become known for complex character development, in particular of powerful women. It’s the show’s strong female characters that Sophie loves about it. “They’ve taken a time period where women didn’t have the same rights as men, and they weren’t as powerful economically, or politically. But they’ve taken this time period, and they’ve put in these strong female characters who do have power, and who can achieve what they want. They’ve done it really subtly, and I really love that about the show.” From the name recognition she garnered from Game of Thrones came a slew of movie deals, with several due out in 2015 and 2016, giving Sophie an opportunity to expand her acting range and get out of the Game Of Thrones schema, which can take a psychological toll on her. While playing Sansa Stark, she got a little bit too accustomed to acting depressed. “I’m so used to crying and being sad a lot of the time in every scene I do, when I have to do something that’s happy, I can’t do it.” The comedy, Barely Lethal, starring Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jessica Alba, gave Sophie a chance to loosen up a bit and improvise. “We really had a chance to play and be stupid on set.” She will also star as a teenaged Jean Grey, a telekinetic and telepathic mutant, in the new X-Men: Apocalypse. Her character is “fiercely intelligent, and stands up for what she really believes in.” When asked what she would do if she had Jean Grey’s telekinetic powers, she said, “I would make everyone accepting of other people’s religions, that’s what I would do. I would put that into their brains somehow, that other people would be different, and that will be okay.” Wise words that show maturity and depth from a girl
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often bullied for her character’s actions. “People would sometimes come up to me and be like, ‘listen, I really hate you.’ And I’d be like, ‘alright, fair enough.’ It’s awkward, but fine.” She manages to take it positively. “I sometimes just take it as a compliment – that they think I’m so annoying...that I’m just playing myself. I hope I’m authentically annoying.” In the new season, which premiered April 12th, Sophie’s character, Sansa, has “definitely evolved into this kind of manipulator, who’s very powerful now.... So although there are a lot of downfalls for her, she picks herself up very, very, quickly, because she knows what to do, and how to get what she wants.” Sophie relates to her character in the sense that she pretty much grew up with her. “Our stories are quite similar. I was never abused, but...when I got the job on this show, I didn’t know anything about acting, and I was kind of thrown into this world. It was finding out what this fairytale for me would be like in reality. And the same thing happened to her in a sense...we kind of – I’m talking about her as a different person – we bonded in a way.” Being thrown into such a big production while still so young, she has come up against some uncomfortable situations. “There was one scene that was really awkward. It’s the one that sticks out the most in my mind. There’s a scene where terrible street men try to sexually abuse me. And that was the day that my dad decided to come up on set. My mom was always up on set with me, because she was my chaperone, but my dad decided to go as well. So the producer, Dan [D.B. Weiss], the creator, he just kind of sat on this chair watching the monitor, and he had my mom on one side, and my dad on the other, while I was just lying on the floor screaming.” She learned that despite being young, she wasn’t going to be coddled. “I always thought that my hand would be held the whole way, and everyone would forgive me for things...But it’s very much like an adult industry, and people treat you like an adult, and they work you like an adult, which I love.” Completely without pretension, Sophie says, “It sounds so cheesy, but I do actually learn something new every day that I work on a film set.” She says, “I never really found a mentor in one person.... I would watch how Lena Headey works, or watch Natalie Dormer, or even my friend
Sophie Turner, 19 From Northampton, UK Lives in London, UK Sophie wears a shirt by Paul & Joe layered under a vintage suede jacket by Rokit.
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Lizzy wears a dress by Jason Wu, BB strap shoes by Manolo Blahnik, and all jewelry by Melinda Maria.
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Sharaya J Howell, 31 From Hawaii Lives in Jersey City, NJ This page: Sharaya wears an optic multi color pattern suit by Rubin Singer, and a necklace by Tuleste. Opposite page: She wears a blue crop top by Alexander Wang.
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MARINA & THE
DIAMONDS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY INDIRA CESARINE
“I
’m very unapologetically female, and I want to talk about real things from a female perspective. We don’t live in the 1600s. You don’t have to dumb yourself down just to please the industry.” In an age where gender pronouns are evolving, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the politics and lose sight of the core of any cultural revolution: the freedom to think, act, and speak as one wishes, unconstrained. Marina Diamandis, aka Marina & The Diamonds, has embraced this sentiment in her music and her life, and the world has followed. Her third and most recent album Froot is Marina’s first to break Top 10 on the US Billboard 200, debuting at No. 8. “I didn’t want to write an album just because I had a record deal and needed to release a record. I wanted to write a record about my life. It wasn’t for the love of other people, or so that I could have more fans or sell more records, it was because I wanted to document my life in this way.” Froot was released by Lizzy Plapinger’s label, Neon Gold Records. Marina grew up in Wales with her Welsh mother and Greek father. “With Mediterranean culture, there’s a ton of punishment. Family is incredibly important, so it’s not true that the role of the woman is not important, it’s actually very important. The mom is a very essential figure to the family. But it’s more of the role of the mother.” That basic but powerful female archetype planted a seed in Marina, that would eventually blossom into an exploration of modern womanhood through music, notably on her 2012 sophomore album, Electra Heart, which debuted at No. 1 in the UK. A concept album, Electra Heart is also a character who interrogates various female stereotypes, with tracks such as “Teen Idle,” “Primadonna,” “Homewrecker,” and “Housewife” each exploring various female archetypes through the music and lyrics. It was the first project in which she was given more creative control. “I definitely felt undermined as an artist and as a songwriter, because although I was very pleased with the outcome, before Electra Heart, I was always encouraged to co-write with people and they were always men, always male producers, always male writers.” Her personal creative vision is all-encompassing. Every aspect of her project, the album art, music videos, and even how she styles herself, has a unified and distinct theme that correlates with her inimitable sound. “For me, it’s such a pleasurable way to put my music across, or my ideas across...it has to be a 360 degree approach, otherwise it’s not going to work.” For Froot, this included neon fruit imagery, suggesting raw sensuality. In the music video for the title track, she wore classic Hollywood gowns. “I like taking something classic and feminine and almost re-crafting it in a digital and cyber way,” she says. “It’s relevant to our world today.” Marina uses deeper and broader strokes when she speaks of bringing people together, and the concept of unity was the inspiration for her moniker. “The ethos of it was to create something very inclusive. Because to me, music is about unifying people and making an environment that isn’t very hierarchical, it’s about togetherness. I like the idea of Marina & The Diamonds. It was more like a group.” The one place where she does enjoy solace is when she’s writing. Froot was penned entirely by Marina. “The main reason was because
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Marina Lambrini Diamandis, 29 From Brynmawr, Wales Lives in London, UK Marina wears a jumpsuit by Charlotte Ronson and bracelet by Pluma Italia.
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