GARDEN PUNK BY ORI PAUL LEVI

Vintage Giorgio Armani Jacket, Christopher Kane Chiffon Bow Shirt, Marc Jacobs Boxer Short, Adidas Socks, Doc Martin Boots, Vintage Hat

 

Photography: Ori Paul Levi @oriocreams

Styling: Patrick Lopaze @ihavepatrick_

Grooming: Ty Marie Frost @mercytobel

Model: Brock Walters @Photogenics @brock.walters

Special Thanks: Paumé Los Angeles @paumelosangeles

 

Vintage Giorgio Armani Jacket, Christopher Kane Chiffon Bow Shirt, Vintage Hat

 

Maison Martin Margiela Coat, Ann Demeulemeester Sheer Shift Dress, Vintage Black Veil, Calvin Klein Briefs, Adidas Socks, Doc Martin Boots

 

Marc Jacobs Blazer, Comme des Garçons Grey Kilt, Cruize Necklace, Eddie Borgo Padlock Necklace

 

Yohji Yamamoto Double Collar Jacket, Vintage Sailor Beret, Vintage Spike Collar Necklace, Doc Martin Boots

 

Vintage Feather and Vinyl Cape, Marc Jacobs Boxer Short, Junya Watanabe Denim Pants, Doc Martin Boots

 

Helmut Lang Holster Tank Top, Ann Demeulemeester Sleeves, Comme des Garçons Black Satin Wide Leg Trouser

 

Maison Martin Margiela Exaggerated Shoulder Coat, Ann Demeulemeester Sheer Shift Dress, Vintage Black Veil Calvin Klein Briefs, Adidas Socks, Doc Martin Boots

MORGAN SLAVEN BY CHRIS FUCILE

Shirt: Atelier Cillian

 

Photography: Chris Fucile @chrisfucilephotography

Model: Morgan Slaven with DNA Model Management @morgan.slaven

Stylist: Fred Kim @_fredkim

 

Shirt & Pant: Atelier Cillian

 

 

Shirt: Bobblehaus, Pants: Mr. Saturday, Boots: Lucchese, Jacket: Faith Connexion

 

 

Coat: Teddy VonRanson, Shoes: Florsheim, Underwear: Model’s own

 

Sweater: Calvin Luo, Jeans: Faith Connexion, Sneakers: Saint Laurent

 

Shirt & Tie: Connor McKnight, Jeans: Levi’s, Boots: Dr Marten

 

Blazer: Bonobos, Tank: Calvin Klein, Shorts: Wrangler, Boots: Brother & Sons, Necklace: Sentient

 

Pants: Teddy VonRanson

 

Sweater: Aknvas, Pants: TOMBOGO, Sneakers: Converse

 

Boots: Brother & Sons

AUSTIN MAHONE BY MARCUS DERRICOTTÉ

Turtleneck. Dries Van Noten
Sweater. Kiko Kostadinov

 

 

Photographer: Marcus Derricotte @mderricotte
Stylist: Douglas VanLaningham @dvlstylist
Styling Asst: Jose Santiago 
Hair: Stefani Annaliese @stefaniannaliese
Makeup: Paloma Alcantar @palomamua

 

 

Cardigan. Marni
Tank top. Dries Van Noten
Trousers. OAMC

 

Tank top. Dries Van Noten
Trousers. OAMC
Belt. Maison Margiela

 

 

Tank top(in hand). Dries Van Noten
Trousers. OAMC
Belt. Maison Margiela

 

 

Sweater. Maison Margiela
Jeans. Maison Margiela
Necklace. Vitaly

 

 

Sweater vest. Dries Van Noten
Trousers. Raf Simons

 

 

Blazer. Raf Simons
Shirt. Maison Margiela
Trouser. Maison Margiela

 

 

Shirt. Bottega Veneta
Trouser. Botter
Belt. Maison Margiela

 

 

Tshirt. Saint Laurent
Underwear. Calvin Klein
Jeans. Martine Rose

 

NEO NOIR

Sweater by Louis Vuitton, Shorts by Balenciaga, Socks & Sneakers by Prada, Sunglasses by Gentle Monster

Photography by Alejandro Cabezut @alejandrocabezut
Styling by Charlie Ward (@charliewardstyles)
Makeup / Grooming by Jenny Sauce
Hair by Jenni Wimmerstedt
Model Sehan @ Wilhelmina
Styling Assistant Zach Mauer
Photo Assistant Katherine Solomon

Total Look by Calvin Klein 205W39NYC

Coat by Helmut Lang, Shirt by Kenzo, Pants and Belt by Lanvin

Reflective Leather Coat by Sies Marjan, Tropical Shirt by DSqaured2, Leather Pant by Balmain, Belt by Gucci, Gold Chains by DSquared2

Jacket, Shirt, & Pants by Bottega Veneta, Shoes by Gucci

Coat by OAMC, shirt & pant by Dries Van Noten, sneakers by Prada

Total Look by Prada

Tropical Shirt by Louis Vuitton, Sunglasses by Raf Simons

WEB EXCLUSIVE – CORDELL BROADUS AND THE NEW GENERATION


Photography by Eric White | Styling by Donte McGuine |Model Cordell Broadus | Production by Sahtia Rivers at the Jeffries Group | Grooming by Marcelo Gutierrez
Coat by ICOSAE at ODD92, Sweater and Shirt by Faith Connexion, Pants by Calvin Klein, Shoes and hat by Dior Homme

Cordell Broadus, son of Hip-Hop legend Snoop Dogg and a former football star, has made his entrance onto the global fashion stage. Collaborating with Joyrich, walking the Philipp Plein show, and being tapped to star in the MCM campaign – Cordell Broadus is a name on the rise. Blessed with dashingly good looks and a charming smile, not to mention star-studded genetics, it is no wonder that he has taken the fashion sphere by storm. Cordell Broadus took us on a trip through Brooklyn while donning some of the men’s wear season’s best. Take a step into the world of Cordell Broadus in this Iris Covet Book exclusive.

How does your experience in the fashion world differ from what your life was like as an athlete?

Everything is different – it’s different in every way… In football it’s all about the team, traveling, and a group mindset. Fashion is more individual and it’s about expressing yourself.

What has been the most exciting development in the fashion world? (ex. Diversity, gender fluidity, etc.)

ME! I’m an exciting development in the fashion world [laughs]. I really feel like I am because I was only considered a football player, people associated me with the football or the music industry. Now, my identity has changed and the way people see me has changed. I’ve lost over 25 pounds and dyed my hair red! That’s development.

How would you describe your personal style?

Funky. I like outfits that remind me of different eras. I love the ‘70s and the ‘80s. The collection I’ve created with Joyrich is very loud and colorful, like the ‘80s.

Who are your biggest sartorial influences?

James Brown. Self-explanatory.

You’ve recently been chosen to star in MCM’s campaign, how did you feel when you were chosen and what does the MCM brand mean to you?

It was kind of crazy when I heard they wanted me for the campaign. The campaign images are so cold – that shit was fire. Growing up, MCM was big in LA. Now I’m working with them in my new career path, so it’s deeper than just a picture.

Tell us about your runway experience with Philipp Plein.

Man, that shit was so lit! I walk out on the runway and Future is performing, all my homies are in the crowd making noise. I felt like a rockstar. Then when I turn around my grandfather, Poppa Snoop, is walking out. It was a grandfather-grandson moment that I’ll never forget. I really want to thank Philipp Plein for making all that possible and for having la familia involved.

Who is your dream collaboration and why?

Willow Smith. I love that she shows how vulnerable she is through her work.

Which do you prefer, New York or LA? Why?

Why choose?

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?

I’ve always been fascinated with real estate and the life of Conrad Hilton. I’d love to own a hotel. Cordell Broadus: real estate mogul, ya dig?

What problems do you see in the fashion industry and how do you think the “New Generation”, a tribe you dubbed on Twitter, can help address these issues?

I’m a positive person, I try not to see negativity, but the fashion industry can improve on it’s diversity on every level; I mean representing different genders, sexual orientation, race… everything. Inclusivity is everything to me. I’m all about the New Generation and giving young people a voice and a creative platform. I remember my first day of 5th grade at a new school… I didn’t know who to sit with at lunch. I had no friends. I didn’t know anybody, so I just followed these two kids the whole way so it didn’t look like I was by myself! [Laughs]. Every time they’d turn to look back at me – I’d feel so awkward! [Laughs] I don’t ever want anybody to feel like that. Everyone needs a seat at the table. I feel like that’s what the New Generation is going to bring to all platforms, not just to fashion.

When designing for Joyrich, where do you look for inspiration? What inspires you now?

I look for people who shaped the culture. My dad truly influenced hip-hop and I wanted to start with something inspired by hip-hop culture first. I’m excited for the Joyrich collab that will drop in January.

What are your thoughts about the recent outcry for equality and addressing abuse allegations both in Hollywood and in fashion?

I think #TimesUp. I’m inspired by and proud of the women and individuals who speak out in every industry, not just ones in the spotlight. I really want to support them and all women. I’m all about empowerment. Let’s make this a revolution.

Who is your biggest hero?

Muhammed Ali. I related to his decision to not go to the Vietnam War. He threw out all of his titles because overall none of that stuff meant anything to him. People thought I was crazy for quitting football my freshmen year, even though I had so much potential and probably would end up making it to the NFL. I thought it was more important to follow my heart and what I believe in. Muhammed Ali did the same – he shaped our culture and broke boundaries. He’s my hero. He was at my last high school football game, he watched me score two touchdowns in the National Championship, that’s all I needed. Now we’re finna walk these runways, take these pictures, and shoot these movies. Ya dig?

 

Coat by WalterVan Beirendonck, Hat by Beton Cire

Coat by WalterVan Beirendonck, Pants by ICOSAE at ODD92, Shoes Nike x Off White, Hat by Beton Cire

Coat by Faith Connexion, Pants by Calvin Klein, Shoes by Nike x Off White

Coat by Faith Connexion, Pants by Calvin Klein, Shoes by Nike x Off White

Jacket and Pants by Linder, Shirt by Calvin Klein, Shoes by Dior Homme

Coat by Faith Connexion, Pants by Calvin Klein, Shoes by Nike x Off White

Top by Y/Project at ODDBK92

Special thanks to Patrick Meijer and Kendall Werts @ The Jeffries Group

OISIN HUNT AUTUMN/WINTER ’18 LOOKBOOK

Oisín Hunt is an Irish fashion designer based in New York. During his education at the National University of Ireland he received a BSc in Business and Management, Oisin also worked under a prestigious tailer in Dublin City for 3 years. During that time, in 2013 Oisín started his first brand Dog Eat Dog (D.EA.D) which he used as an alias name to work and sell under.

Photography by Veselina Tsankova, Model Keenan Javon represented by State Management NY, Styled by Roberta Basilio, Grooming by Luzmyrna Crespo

 

T-shirt Helmut Lang, Pants Rag & Bone, Coat Oisín Hunt, Boots Calvin Klein , Jewelry stylist’s own

 

 

T-shirt  Drifter, shirt Public School, Pants Oisín Hunt, Sunglasses vintage, Boots and socks Calvin Klein

 

 

 

 

Sweater ACNE studios, Pants Helmut Lang, Coat – Oisín Hunt, Sunglasses vintage, Boots Calvin Klein

 

 

 

 

Shirt 3.1 Phillip Lim, Coat Oisín Hunt, Hat Urban Outfitters, Belt John Varvatos, Boots Calvin Klein

 

 

 

 

Hoody Oisín Hunt

 

 

Shirt Helmut Lang, Pants Oisín Hunt, Sunglasses vintage, Boots Calvin Klein, Jewelry stylist’s own

 

Shirt Rag & Bone, Coat and Pants Oisín Hunt, Hat Urban Outfitters, Belt John Varvatos, Boots Calvin Klein

 

CALVIN KLEIN

A legend, an icon, and an American champion of minimalism; Calvin Klein tells all to renowned writer George Wayne about his rise from growing up in the Bronx to becoming an international brand.


Interview by George Wayne | All Images Courtesy of KCD Worldwide and Rizzoli
© Steven Klein

He was born Calvin Richard Klein, a Hungarian-Jewish spawn out of the Bronx, New York in the 1940’s. This, the very same Calvin Klein, who was also the college dropout, after failing to graduate from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. And whose father owned a grocery store in Harlem and gave him that first $10,000 loan in 1968 to start his forever iconic fashion brand – Calvin Klein.

The fact that this All-American icon long sold his fashion business more than 14 years ago and no longer has any involvement with the brand Calvin Klein whatsoever is all in-consequential. For he still remains, to this day, that legendary force majeure! The real Calvin Klein remains that indispensable, and unequivocal – and undeniable master of our popular culture, and hence our zeitgeist!!

The debut of his coffee-table photo book CALVIN KLEIN this September will be an immediate collectible and the closest thing this notorious perfectionist and privacy obsessed legend will be willing to parse as a quasi-memoir or autobiography. As such it was very much a special and joyous moment for this particular arbiter to now be able to declare that the tête-à-tête that follows with Calvin Klein is a seminal moment. It was sheer master-class and brimming with CK revelations galore!

Calvin was breezy and open with the absolute funniest and most priceless anecdotes…and so without further ado…Here’s the man who has done it ALL, Calvin Klein.

Volume One, Rebellious, cover image of Kate Moss, 1993, ©David Sims ; Volume Two,

Calvin dearest. I suppose the first and most obvious query here would be WTF took so long?! I am sure this idea of a coffee table book legacy from the icon that is the real Calvin Klein has been germinating for decades. So why only now?

Well, I’ve thought about it on and off, as you said. Not for decades, but I thought about it after I sold the company and after I stopped contributing to the company, because I did that for a number of years. Then I took on projects that seemed to me more important at the time. I worked with the Harlem Village Academy. That’s a group of charter schools in Harlem. I did a lot of work giving them an image, setting up website, uniforms, doing all kinds of things, and that took a couple of years to do. I also was working on my New York apartment, which took four years to complete.

Right, right…

When I worked – I worked 24/7, and I was thrilled to do it because I loved the work. Quite frankly, doing this interview with you is exactly what I would have done if I was coming out with a new fragrance or a new product line, and it’s my way of communicating to people what we’ve created and why. And also, working with the most creative people I could find – photographers, art directors, models, stylists, to do something that explains what I was trying to communicate…the product, but also do it in a very creative, fun, exciting, and sometimes, often, provocative way.

There is no question that this new Calvin Klein coffee table book is destined to be an instant collectible! And it it so Calvin! The spare, white cover and the simple unassuming typeface. Was Calvin hands off with the design, and more importantly the images that made the final cut? Was it all left up to your longtime Creative Director Fabien Baron? We all know Calvin is the ultimate control freak so this is hardly the most profound question!

George, let me start from the beginning. Anna Wintour and Kelly Klein, my ex-wife, whom worked with me on the book a great deal, as she had worked with me on editing the original images that we did from the ‘70s on. They both convinced me I have to do this. The reason I felt I had to do it is because I speak a great deal at universities. Cambridge was one that I had a very good experience with this year, Oxford in the UK, I’ve spoken to the Architectural School at Harvard and the Business School at Harvard. I’ve touched on so many different areas from fashion design, to beauty products, to the world of jeans where we did so many different things, in addition to advertising and marketing, package design…and saying something through words, as well as visuals that would be exciting. What I realized, going to universities, is that the people I’m speaking to, they know the name. The name became world-renowned before the internet even existed, but they don’t always know exactly what I do because they weren’t born. I’m speaking to 20 year olds, and I’m also speaking to businessmen who want to be global. Which was another thing we managed to do before the internet! This book is really the story of my life.

And I love it!

I wrote introductions to each section and I ended with the section that has stories, which has photos, and why we did the photo, how it went, and all that influence it had on our pop culture.

What I really loved seeing were the gorgeous, sexy images of the younger Calvin Klein interspersed throughout the book. Because for this arbiter those images, to me, truly defined exactly what you were always trying to do with your campaigns throughout those many decades. Those images of you truly defined The Calvin Klein DNA. That summed it all for me.

Thank you. I spent over a year just going through 40,000 images in my archives. And then I narrowed it down to…I don’t know…500, 600 that I then sent to Fabian Baron and said, “These are the images that I feel are important to say what I want to say.” Fabien Baron is a genius that I’ve worked with for years. He said, “You know, I see the different side of Calvin.” He said, “There’s that minimalist side that runs throughout the collection. It is so pure, and sensual, and sexy, but in a very subtle way.” And then he said. “Then there’s the provocative and controversial side,” he said, “where we would do things like…it started with Brooke Shields, you know, ‘Nothing comes between me and my Calvin’s.’”

Hello! And that is where Calvin Klein as the agent provocateur all began! It was that legendary…did I say legendary and forever iconic campaign of yours With the prepubescent Brooke Shields and nothing coming between her and her Calvins. Recall those early days for GW…

The news media picked it up around the world. There was so much publicity over the fact that we provoke people and used a very young-looking Brooke Shields to portray different roles. A lot of people thought it was brilliant and funny, and other people were truly offended. I never set out to create controversy, I promise you.

© Mario Sorrenti, Natalia Vodianova, St. Barts, 2003

Unlike today when creating viral internet controversy to achieve fame and fortune is the typical modus operandi. Calvin – you did all this before there was YouTube! You, in fact, presaged all that and, in fact, set the template for what is now the norm here in the 21st Century!

I just wanted to do the best work I can do and make it exciting…and, yes, there is that side of me that loves to party – years ago during the Studio 54 years. There is that side of me that appeals to eroticism, but most importantly, is the side of me that’s more minimalist, because that comes through in my homes, in my selection of how I live – furniture – how I arrange flowers, for how I design clothes. That minimalist aesthetic was always really important, and from that, then I wanted to tell the story of what I was trying to say in designing these things, and that’s where the campaigns came in. That’s where my collaboration with Bruce Weber began.

Tell me about that. Tell me about that time, because Bruce Weber was so much a part of the pedigree and heritage of the house of Calvin Klein.

I always had this affection and passion for photography. It seemed normal to me that if I’m creating the product, whether it’s fragrance or fashion, that I would know who the right photographer is to communicate that message, who the model is and where the photoshoot should be done. I would be on the phone with Bruce Weber three, four, five times a day and we would be discussing every aspect of the upcoming shoot, but it always started from one question, and that was “what is the meaning of this product?” He would say, “Calvin, what are you trying to say?” And from that threw us into trying to do something new, exciting, and interesting. We pushed the envelope, for sure, but I didn’t set out to push the envelope. In fact, when you work with very creative people, it’s a natural process. I was always willing to take risks.

Well, that’s for sure! (Laughter). Calvin, you said in the introduction to the book… “I’m a non-conformist by nature.” How old were you as a kid in the Bronx and first realizing that you were nonconformist by nature?

I was born in the Bronx. It’s part of New York, of course. From the age of six, seven, I was drawing and sketching. My grandmother worked for a designer as a dressmaker. My mother knew how to draw and sketch, and she had a passion for clothes. There’s even a photograph in the book of my mother, father, and myself – and I’m wearing leggings…leather leggings with a tweed jacket or something! My mother…her life was about fashion, and a particular kind. That’s where I got this minimalist thing. She was very sophisticated and very tailored. In this photograph that’s in the book, she’s wearing a Persian lamb coat, she’s wearing pants, and flat shoes.

So you came from that?

And this was in the 1940s!

What I am saying, is that your basic style element came from growing up with two obvious ‘’Fashion Bessies’’– Calvin!. Every pun intended…it was clearly in your genes!

That’s very funny. The truth is now I can explain that to people because no one… When we did imaging or product development, you end up with what you end up with, and you hope people like it as much as I did, but they don’t know what the vision was. They don’t know where it came from, and my childhood. They don’t know the story of my life. I’ve done a lot of interviews over the years, but we would always talk about what we were creating and what was new and different. Rather than…this is a boy who was influenced at a very early age by his grandmother and his mother.

‘’New York City in the ‘70s and ‘80s was the most exciting city in the world,’’ you also say in the book…

Yes.

But what are your thoughts of the city that made you an international icon here and now in the 21st Century? For GW – Calvin Klein is the quintessential New York City icon!

I’m a true New Yorker. I was born in New York. I went to schools – at Art and Design High School, the Fashion Institute of Technology for college – everything that I did, I was influenced by my surroundings. New York, whether it was the ‘70s and ‘80s, which was such an exciting period. It was like Paris in the 1930s. Berlin was another city. New York had it, I think, in the ‘70s and ‘80s, but New York still has it. It’s still a center, magnet for creativity. That’s, today, it’s no different. Often I’m asked if, with the internet and all the changes of technology, could I have done what I did today. I truly believe that I could, because those things are all tools to make you more creative and to reach out to the world more easily, but in the end it’s about the product, it’s about finding something that people didn’t know they needed, but they do. Once they see it, then they know they would like to have it. It’s the combination of everything that I enjoyed being a part of. There wasn’t anything that ever had my name on it that I didn’t see, approve, or change, or help create from the very beginning, the middle, and the end…always.

 © Bruce Weber, Tom Hintnaus, Santorini, 1982

Wow! Well said CK! I will tell you this…I will always remember the first time, as a boy growing up in Jamaica and seeing for the first time in my young life a copy of Gentleman’s Quarterly [GQ] and seeing one of my first Calvin Klein underwear campaigns and being immediately aroused! And not understanding what it all meant. This young fifteen-year old boy in the bush in the West Indies. That ad I will never forget and was so happy to see it in the book.

That’s Tom Hintnaus. Let me tell you how it happened. I was driving along Sunset Boulevard and all of a sudden I see this young guy running on Sunset Boulevard. I stop my car, I jump out, and I say, “Hello. My name is Calvin Klein.” I said, “I’m in the fashion business.” I said, “Have you ever modeled?” He looked at me like I was crazy. He said, “No, I’m a triathlete.”

Pole vaulter…he did everything…swimmer, he was captain of the water polo team at Pepperdine. This guy was fantastic. I said, “I’m doing a shoot with Bruce Weber about a lot of new products that we’re doing. We’re going to do it in Greece, an island called Santorini.” I said, “Would you like to go?” He said, “Yeah, sure!” I, then, sent Bruce a picture a Tom. I said to Bruce, “I’m insane over this young man. He’s gorgeous and he’s an athlete…everything healthy, and he’s a good kid.” You could just tell. Fast forward…we’re in Santorini and we’re shooting Tom in our underwear which was really like the launch of the men’s underwear. Bruce places him against this architecture, a part of the house, that looked like a gigantic phallic symbol. Bruce and I look at each other, because we both knew what we had. Then, of course, he took the pictures. Those days the bus stop shelters had just started in New York. I get a call from the city because I placed hundreds of bus stop shelters. So the posters are placed behind glass and the city called and they said, “Mr. Klein, we want you to know your bus stop shelters are being broken. The people are breaking the glass and stealing the posters.” I said, “How much does that cost for each bus stop shelter?” They said, “Ooh, about $500.” I said, “It’s okay. Let them break whatever they want and we’ll pay for it!”

Calvin! This is genius anecdote that has never been told. GW will never forget this priceless anecdote! I looked through the book. Of course, I studied every image, and this image in particular is so timeless. And, so personal to my discovering and discerning and first grasping my own sexuality. It is all so Amazing!

Thank you George! It means so much to hear that coming from you and I mean that.

And then of course the era of Kate!

I’ll tell you the story of Kate Moss. I went to Paris to see some fashion shows because in New York, the Council of Fashion Designers, we were thinking of creating a venue where a lot of us could show in this one place. I wanted to see how it works in Paris. I was always looking for models and I was always finding new ones. Liz Tilberis, Anna Wintour and all the editors would call me, “Have you seen anyone? Who do you like?” When I went to Paris, I suddenly started to see young women, models, that I was working with that I thought were so special, but, in fact, they were doing every other show in Paris. I thought, “Well, if I were the buyer or the press, I wouldn’t be so excited about seeing them because you see them everywhere. Instead, I decided to find a different look. I didn’t want these girls – and then they were called supermodels – who had big bosoms. They augment their bodies. They used artificial implants and things. They were doing crazy things to their bodies. I found that offensive. I found it really unattractive, unhealthy, and a bad message to send. Let me tell you, the girls who had their boobs done – I couldn’t fit them into anything because they were sticking out in places that didn’t fit my design. I came up with this idea…this is that many years ago, in the early ‘80s? There was this French actress, Vanessa Paradis. I thought, “You know, she’s got a look that’s totally different than what I see out there. To me she’s a little androgynous. She’s got a boyish kind of figure, but there’s something so beautiful and so sensual about her.” It turned out she was working on a film; I couldn’t get her. I was discussing this with Patrick Demarchelier. A week or two after we talked about Vanessa Paradis and this body type that I was mad for, he calls me and he said, “Calvin,” he says, “I think someone just came into my studio that I think you should see.” He said, “I think this is what you’re looking for.” – Kate Moss. She comes to my studio and shows me photographs that Mario Sorrenti took of her, who was her boyfriend at the time. I was, at that time, trying to reinvent Obsession, the fragrance, because the sales were slipping, and the fragrance company said I have to do something. I said, “Do what?” They said, “Come up with a new idea.” I have to take it, I have to completely update it, and I looked at the photographs and I said, “You know,” I said, “I’d like to meet your boyfriend who took these pictures,” because to me they said “obsession”. He was obsessed, in a very good way, with her. Sure enough he comes up, I see him a day or two later, and he shows me more. These are supposed to be the personal pictures that no one is supposed to see, and they’re showing them to me. I said, “Have you done much with photography?” He said, “Nothing,” he says, “I’m not a photographer.” He said, “I never took a picture for anybody. I just took these of Kate.” I said, “Well, I tell you what,” I said, “We will show you what you need to know. I want you to go to an island with her and just photograph her and then film her. We will show you how to do a commercial for TV and print.” He related this story to me, which I had forgotten, about four or five weeks ago at dinner. He said, “You started my career.” He says, “I was never a photographer,” but I sensed something in him, and in the two of them. The advertising was fantastic. It was really hot. It was sexy. It was really kind of great, and the sales went through the roof after that.  

© Mario Sorrenti, Kate Moss, Jost Van Dyke, 1993

That truly defines – Obsession. Here he was – a young man in love with a young woman – and it so happens that certain new body type. You wanted to reinvent the wheel. You wanted to start to bring a whole new feeling to the model aesthete – you, ever the revolutionary visionary – flipped the script on the ‘’Glamazon’’ supermodel and took the world into a whole new direction! It is something you managed to do decade, after decade, after decade, Calvin! It is just amazing!

That’s also why I put an image…as I paginated the book… One of the things I said to Fabian is, “I’d like to show on one page, on the left side, maybe it’s from the 1970s, and on the right side of the page, it’s from 2000.” It’s to show that the vision was consistent, and yet it changed all the time. We always had to come up with new ideas, but there was the vision of mine – it’s what I saw, what I was able to see, and create through working with great photographer. Richard [Dick] Avedon…I had a blast working with Dick. My God, he was so much fun. I used to go to his studio every night…when we were doing the Brooke Shields’ “Nothing comes between me and my Calvins. ” campaign. When we did that that was the first controversial thing that I ever did. I didn’t think it would create any controversy. I thought it was fun, it was amusing. June Arbus, who was Diane Arbus’ daughter, wrote the copy. Every night I’d be up at Dick’s studio, and he was on the floor acting like Brooke Shields.

Lawd have mercy…! (Hysterical laughter)

I swear. Dick was Just like Brooke with the mimic speaking, and he was saying the words that Brooke would say. Then he would go through the gestures of his arms, his body. We had a blast!

Calvin this is beyond thunder-dome! I have not laughed this hard in a long, long time!

And then we did like ten commercials for the Eternity fragrance campaign. I said to the fragrance company, I said, “Look, we have to do 10, because I don’t care about the cost. You figure it out, but I need to do nine more in addition to the one we just did. They said okay. Honestly, they were afraid of me, because I had some difficulty with the fragrance company…it was the company I owned and then sold to a public company and took licensing royalties, but I did all the creation, all the product design, the scents, the advertising. I did everything except warehouse and distribution. But again, with the Brooke, when I started to show the campaign to people, they were laughing, they thought they were great, but we got thrown off the air within days. We didn’t set out to create controversy to get publicity, we just wanted to do something that was amusing, clever, and kind of sexy. But because she was so young and she was saying things like, “What comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing,” meaning she’s not wearing any underwear. People went crazy. That was the beginning of me getting this reputation for being provocative and controversial, which I had to defend all those years, because people would think I set out to do that, but I never did.

But then, of course, after all that…all that early controversy from the get go. The question became…what will Calvin do next? How could Calvin Klein possibly top this?!

Always. Always. That was always the problem. But I looked at is as a challenge. The truth is it’s those challenges that excited me. My real obsession was perfectionism. That was my true obsession. I wanted everything that we did to be perfect. Well, rarely is anything perfect, and it’s just in one’s mind. I was always trying to make things better than the last thing we did, rather than sit back and say, “Isn’t it wonderful how well we’re doing, and we’re successful?” I never thought that way.

I will ALWAYS consider it’s one of the greatest moments of my life being asked to be in the first CK One TV commercials.

I know! I loved that!

Steven [Meisel] and Fabien [Baron] tossed GW into those commercials at Silvercup Studios in Long Island City with Kate Moss and Joe D’Alessandro and Lady Bunny—such a motley crew and totally unforgettable!

We had Alex [Gonzalez] and Raul [Martinez] working on it, too! What happened is I wanted Fabian, and Steven wanted Alex and Raul, so I said, “You know what?” I said, “Let’s take the whole bunch of them. I don’t care,” because the truth is I knew what I wanted and I needed them to help me facilitate it. Steven, and Alex and Raul presented this idea for the campaign. Which one we talking about…Eternity or CK One? CK One, yes?

Yeah, CK One.

They showed me an example of, at a rock concert, the mosh pit, and this girl wearing jeans in the mosh pit, and all of this and that. I was thinking, without being insulting, what do I say to them, because I did this 10 years ago with Bruce Weber and I wasn’t about to repeat it. I’m looking around the room – we were in Steven’s studio – really thinking of what do I say to these people? Sure enough, I focused on a couple of images on the wall that had a pink shag rug, knotty pine walls, and a young boy and a young girl in their underwear. Even though we were doing CK One, I looked at that and I said, “Mmm, this is, already, pushing the envelope, because it looks like porn.” I said to everyone, “You know, the mosh pits a great idea.” I said, “Congratulations.” But look at these two images on the wall.” I said, “What about putting cut-off jeans on the boy and putting a short little jean denim skirt on her, and maybe in her bra.” Steven looked at me and he said, “You would do that?” I said, “Yes!” That became the campaign that created a lot of controversy, especially the commercials. But I need to tell you the story with another CK One print campaign. You know the one with all the models lined up next to each other? I was working with Dick [Richard Avedon] also, at the same time. I went to Dick’s studio because we were working on something else and Dick started screaming at me; he said, “How could you! How could you let Steven Meisel copy, rip me off of what work that I did at the factory at Andy Warhol?” He said, “And you let it happen.” I said, “Why don’t you relax?” I said to him, “Relax.” I said, “You should be thrilled that he looks at you as this icon.” I said, “He’s imitating in his own way. He’s inspired by what you’ve done. It’s not really a copy,” I said, “but it’s an homage to you.” and Dick replied “No, I wanted the work. I should have gotten the work,” he said to me. He was a riot. I loved him.

It was epic! And I will always remember Kate Moss, who was always late, And kept us waiting on set for two hours over those three days before she would show up! But she got the job done.

That casting was brilliant. We had people casting all over the world. I would use people from model agencies once in a while, but, really, hardly ever.

© Patrick Demarchelier, Kristen McMenamy, 1993

Was marketing research and all that integral to your campaigns and product launches?

I would always create the product first. We would do market studies with fragrances, for instance, to see what was trending. Was it a sexy fragrance that was going to be the next big trend? Was it a romantic fragrance, like Eternity, which was floral? We did research especially in the world of fragrance, because there you’re selling an idea. You look at it – it’s just liquid, and a bottle – but the scent has to be what people will want. My role was to apply it to my life. If it was

Obsession, it was about me at Studio 54 being obsessed with partying and doing things that I shouldn’t have been doing. If it was Eternity, it became about life continuing on to children and grandchildren. No one sold perfume with children. It used to be, when I started in the fragrance world, a typical fragrance advertising would be a young, pretty thing, walking through fields meadows someplace by herself. I used to think, “I don’t know if that’s why people would buy fragrance, to walk by themselves in a field of daisies?” No. I said, “It has to do with attracting a man,” so I always did men and women in the advertising for all fragrances. The campaign, whether it’s been choosing the name of the fragrance, or choosing the photographer, or the model, it really came from me. Maybe I was given this gift when I was born, of knowing how to do these things. Often I would get an emotional reaction. When I edit film – and Bruce Weber shot more film than anyone, ever – I would edit thousands of pictures. In working with people like Bruce, what would happen as I’m editing, I get an emotional reaction. My heart would start beating faster.

That was the key – the emotional reaction?

Yes. Totally.

Of all the talent you’ve worked with, which of them will always have a special place in your heart, Calvin?

You know, no one’s ever asked me that before. Which one…it’s hard to say one person. I’ve worked with just really brilliant people…I mean, I worked with Irving Penn! Let me tell you, my discussions with Penn were most memorable because he was so tough and people were terrified of him. The magazine editors, the people who did the shoots, they were so nervous around him. I didn’t intimidate so easily. I found him to be just a brilliant, brilliant photographer and I took such joy in working with him and listening to him. He was an artist. He and I sat in my studio and I would go to introduce the first perfume we did and the cosmetics that went along with it, in this red Bakelite packaging. I showed him the product – the makeup container and all the different things we were doing – and it was all in a beautiful shade of red. He said to me, “These are really something.” He said, “No one uses Bakelite anymore. They use cheap plastic.” Bakelite was something from the ‘30s and ‘40s, but it had a quality to it. You felt it. You knew that there was something special about those packages. He, then, sat next to me and he started to draw. He drew what the ad would be. He was just genius, as was Dick Avedon, in his way…genius, and Bruce Weber, to this day is still brilliant. How does one say one is better than another? They’re all different, but they’re all great.

At the end of the day, Calvin worked with all the greats because he was great himself.There was, obviously, a time when anybody who was anyone wanted to work with you…

Oh, I didn’t ever think that way, or even was aware. I’m becoming more aware of this now that I’m talking to you and you’re asking me questions. It’s different now than it was, and I’m learning what people thought about me. When I was working on the book, I thought, “Is anyone going to really be interested in this, other than Kelly [Klein] and Anna Wintour?” I didn’t know. I always tell students this, “If you’re insecure, act as if you’re very confident, because you’re never going to get anywhere if you show insecurity.” We all feel insecure. That’s a normal human emotion, but you have to convince people of what you believe in and chances are if you believe in something, it’s probably a good thing. You just have to convince others through your own confidence. I was just lucky with so many things, that I instinctively knew what model, what photographer.

You hit the nail on the head right there, Calvin – instinct. The gut instinct that you possess.

You’re right. It is gut instinct. That’s exactly what it is.

And it is still has no equal! It is one of a kind. That’s deft instinctual touch to titillate popular culture is just the most incredible gift! It is something that you have to be born with. It is something that’s part of your core, and it served you well…very, very well!

Oh, my God. George, that is so sweet. That’s so adorable. You made my day! (Laughter)

(Laughter) And you have made mine Calvin Klein! Thank you!  

Thank you George! This was so nice, I really enjoyed it!

© Peter Lindbergh – Courtesy of Peter Lindberg, Paris /Gagosian Gallery

George Wayne is an Associate Editor at Interview and the first Contributing Editor at Allure magazine, George is best known for his GW Q&A’s, which twenty-two years later remain the must-read column in Vanity Fair. His beat remains celebrity culture and the whirly world of fashion, music and style.  ‡

IRIS MAN – CHEYENNE JACKSON

Cheyenne Jackson is a master of his own destiny. From sleepy Spokane, Washington, to the lights of Broadway, and now in the luxe hills of Hollywood, Jackson has scaled the ladder of success to become a leading man on stage and in film.


Photography by Karl Simone | Grooming by Lacy Boughton | Interview by Benjamin Price
Sweater by Gucci and Coat by Firetrap

Cheyenne Jackson is a Grammy-nominated singer, actor, and songwriter who, as a musician, dancer, artist, writer, husband and father of twins, is the definition of a “Renaissance Man”. Cheyenne has starred in a litany of noteworthy television shows, theatre productions, and films including the American Horror Story series, the critically acclaimed The Most Happy Fella in New York City, and David West Read’s play The Performers opposite Henry Winkler, Ari Graynor, and Alicia Silverstone. His performance in Steven Soderbergh’s award-winning Behind The Candelabra, with Michael Douglas and Matt Damon, was multi-layered and added a new dimension to his on-screen acting reel. Whether it is singing and dancing onstage, or marrying Lady Gaga in a demonic hotel in American Horror Story: Hotel, Mr. Jackson brings new life to each character he plays.

Cheyenne will soon be on our television screens once again as one of Ryan Murphy’s elaborately crafted characters on American Horror Story: Cult, a new comedy series entitled American Woman, and he continues to work on his own writing, music, and an upcoming project in animated voiceovers.

In addition to all his artistic accolades, Jackson is fully immersed in several charities focusing on a variety of social issues. Cheyenne is a strong advocate for LGBT rights, marriage equality, animal welfare, and HIV/AIDS research. He is an international ambassador for The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) and serves as the national ambassador and spokesperson for The Hetrick-Martin Institute and the Harvey Milk High School. Jackson also actively supports “The Trevor Project” and the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network. Cheyenne Jackson sat down with IRIS Covet Book to discuss his journey as a small town boy on Broadway, our current political discourse, and dressing up as Wonder Woman.

How did your professional path as an actor take you from regional theatre in Seattle to the Broadway stage?

I had never had the guts to make the move to NYC up until 9/11 happened… and I didn’t want to waste any more time in my life. I was 27 years old at the time, which is considered late to be “starting”, I knew it was now or never. I decided to head to New York City because it is the home of Broadway. I was determined, I was prepared, and I was lucky. My first broadway audition was for Thoroughly Modern Millie and I booked it. I was on Broadway after six weeks of being in NYC. I was in the ensemble, was understudy to the two male leads, and it was heaven!

How did you make the jump from the theatre stage to television?

Tina Fey came and saw me in a production of DAMN YANKEES at the New York City Center when I was starring alongside Sean Hayes and Jane Krakowski, and she asked to meet me afterward. She said she liked my “big midwestern face” and my comedic timing, and I joined the cast of 30 Rock a few months later. It was the most amazing four years of comedy and television training. Baptism by friendly fire, as it were.

How young were you when you knew you wanted to be performing? Were there any signs as a child that you would be in the entertainment world?

As young as I can remember. I sang from the time I was 2 years old, and I knew music would be a big theme in my life. By the time I was 7 years old I was making my own Wonder Woman bracelets and tiaras out of cardboard, so there were signs that entertainment was in my future.

What is your favorite movie/musical and why?

It has to be Mary Poppins because it’s perfect and it reminds me of being a little kid when everything was safe and worry-free.

When your agent offers you a script or an audition, how do you decide which roles work for you?

For me, it is definitely a gut feeling that I need. If I find myself reading the material out loud rather than in my head, that’s usually a good sign. Then there is the logistics. I’m a new dad of twins so now I tend to pick things that will hopefully not take me away from them for too long. I took 6 months off to be a stay-at-home dad, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

You’ve had your time on the television screen, the stage, and the big screen, but is there a “dream role” that you would like to play?

I don’t think it’s been written yet. I’d love my own half hour dramedy series. Something that is topical, irreverent and funny. Like Veep on HBO.

Do you ever think of getting into the world of producing or directing?

I do sometimes. I love the whole process of film and television. I could definitely see myself pursuing something behind the camera at some point.

Speaking of behind the camera, how did you find yourself working with writer and producer Ryan Murphy on the American Horror Story series?

We met after he saw me in Xanadu on Broadway and he hired me for the second season of GLEE. We’ve worked together ever since. His mind is such a mystery to me, and I’m so thankful for him.

Can you tell us about your role in American Horror Story? What can we expect?

All I can tell you is my character’s name is Dr. Rudy Vincent and that I’m having a lot of fun this season. I’m sworn to secrecy, even in press, to give specifics, but I will say it was great fun to play a doctor. I learned a lot. It’s my third year on the show and it’s my favorite season so far.

Is there a dream actor that you would like to work with in your lifetime?

I’d love to have the opportunity to work on a project with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Nicole Kidman, or Robert Downey Jr.

What has been one of your favorite collaborations in your career?

I have a few so far. It was great working on Behind the Candelabra with Michael Douglas, 30 Rock alongside Alec Baldwin, a pilot called The Onion News Network with Jeffrey Tambor, and an episode I had with Gwyneth Paltrow on GLEE. These are just a few of the highlights.

When not on set or rehearsing for a role, how do you like to spend your time?

With my kids and my husband in a big dog pile in our TV room. I love traveling and I love to be outside. My mom lives in Laguna so we spend time with her.

Last year you became a father of two, how have they changed your outlook on life? Is it what you expected?

I always knew I was going to be a father. It’s the only thing I’ve ever been certain of. When it finally happened it’s as if my life began when they were born. Cliché? Maybe. True? Absolutely. It’s just so profound. My work is still important to me but my perspective has changed…the urge to provide for my family is stronger than ever, but the insignificant stuff I used to sweat in my career means so much less now that I know what’s really important.

You met your husband during at an AA meeting you both were attending, how did you two help each other cope with addiction during this period?

We were both newly sober and definitely at turning points in our lives. We found each other when we needed each other the most. In life, we just have to help each other get through this life together. He’s a magnificent person.

What advice would you give someone struggling with alcohol addiction?

Reach out and get help. There is no shame in asking for help; in fact, asking for help and admitting you need help actually takes more bravery than anything else.

What began your involvement with amfAR and Hetrick-Martin institute? Can you tell us about that work and why these charities are close to your heart?

I became personally affected by the disease when a friend of mine was diagnosed with HIV. I felt a desire to get more involved and help in any way I could. I contacted amfAR and asked how I could help. The Hetrick-Martin Institute came to me and asked me to come tour their facility and meet with their team. I went on the tour and loved the work they were doing, and I’ve supported them ever since.

You are involved with over a dozen charities focusing on social issues which include LGBT rights, marriage equality, animal welfare, and HIV/AIDS research, why do you find it so important to give back in this way?

Because I know how lucky I am to have what I have and live where I live. Giving back gets me out of my head and helps me focus on something other than what’s going on with me. I need to be of service in order to feel good about myself; it’s as simple as that.

Given the current state of the world in politics, environmental concerns, social change, etc. what advice would you give to anyone who want to get involved in giving back to their communities?

If you want more peace of mind, more relaxation, more harmony in your head, you should do some charity work. Being of service is the best way to get out of your own way and get some much needed perspective in this crazy world.

With the rhetoric coming from the White House that trans people should not serve in the military and legislature that will allow discrimination based on sexual orientation, are you worried that the LGBTQ community is in serious jeopardy?

How could one not be when under this abhorrent man that is our president? But I have faith in our community, and what I do know is that all this has lit a fire in many people who were previously fairly politically dormant. People are more awake than ever.

As a member of the media, and of the gay community, what do you think is your responsibility to the country when Hollywood and the LGBTQ world are under fire?

The best defense is to live out louder than ever. I am an open honest person and I live it out loud. I’m a gay father and I’ve been out of the closet for 23 years. I have no secrets and I treat people the way I want to be treated, and that’s what Jason and I are teaching our children. Live through example. Be open. Be interested in others.

What is next for you and your career? More music? More film? Maybe something completely different?

American Horror Story: Cult airs September 5th. American Woman airs early next year on Paramount TV. I’d love to continue to work on great television shows and continue to tell stories. I would also love to make more music. I am going to start writing again; I have a lot more to say now. I will always be open to making movies. Currently, I am getting into voiceover work now as well. I’m shooting my first animated pilot next month and have had the opportunity to work with some of the best animated voiceover artists in the country. It turns out I have all these voices in me. Who knew?

What advice would you give to a young actor/singer who is trying to make it in Hollywood or on Broadway today?

Be open. Do your homework. Be kind. Get a thick skin. Don’t google yourself. Don’t be an asshole. Work on your mix. Get it strong and consistent. (Singers will know what I’m talking about!)


Full Look by Calvin Klein

EVE HEWSON

Dress by Calvin Klein Collection

Interview by Dustin Mansyur | Photography by Kerry Hallihan @ Angela de Bona | Styling by Marc Sifuentes | Art Direction by Louis Liu

With her alabaster skin, raven hair, soulful eyes, and a face which is reminiscent of old Hollywood royalty, Eve Hewson, is every bit the part of a blossoming actress. Born from fashion and music stardom, Hewson was destined to become a talented woman to watch.

Eve is in LA when I phone in with her for the interview. I can hear the soft overlays of her Irish accent, though it’s almost a whisper since she transplanted to Brooklyn, after studying acting at NYU—advice she did not take from her parents (U2 front-man, Bono & fashion designer, Ali Hewson). Eve’s drive was stronger, and she pushed forward in pursuit of her dream. Poised to play Maid Marian in the upcoming 2017 Otto Bathurst-directed production of Robin Hood: Origins, Eve currently co- stars alongside Clive Owen in the Steven Soderbergh-directed drama series, The Knick and her last film project, Bridge of Spies was directed by Steven Speilberg. Prior to
that she co-starred with Sean Penn in Paolo Sorrentino’s film, This Must Be the Place. Skepticism aside, Eve Hewson, has inarguably amassed an impressively selective resume of evocative, blue chip film projects and directors with whom she’s already worked.

She reminisces some advice she’s followed to land these roles and work with some of Hollywood’s greatest, “You have to find a way of making this a career, not just a moment.” In an exclusive interview, I caught up with the ingénue actress to discuss her creative process and the trajectory she has set for herself.

Dress by Céline, Earrings by Proenza Schouler

When did you know you first wanted to become an actor?

The first time I realized I wanted to be an actor was when I went away to shoot my first film when I was fifteen years old. It was my tutor who had wrote this part for me, and I knew that I liked acting a lot but I didn’t know if I was going to do that or if I was going to do music instead. So I went away and shot the film and kind of fell in love with the whole idea of making movies and the process of it. That was when I got hooked.

So is music something you still dabble in as a hobby?

When I was younger I played the piano, drums, bass, guitar etc, but I don’t play like I used to anymore. When I moved to New York it was harder to get access to a piano or a drum set and I kind of replaced that hobby with acting.

You’re currently starring in The Knick, as Nurse Lucy Elkins. In comparison to working in film, what is the process like when you’re doing a series? Do you find that you get closer to your character?

I really think it forces you to sort of think of your character with the understanding that you never really know what your character is going to do on TV. You have to just go with it. You learn more about that character as you go on. Whereas in film, you have your script. You have a set out storyline of where your character is going and what they would or wouldn’t do, but in TV you have to say okay, this is who she is. No matter what scene comes up or gets written into the storyline, I have to incorporate and work that into my idea of her. You can never say, “my character would never do that.”

When you’re filming The Knick, has there ever been a scene that you found challenging due to the gory nature of the content?

Sometimes things are pretty gross. I’m terrified of needles and I hate getting blood drawn and I usually end up fainting! On set, we did it for 20 episodes – you get really used to it, it’s quite like the way nurses and doctors treat actual bodies. You get really comfortable with looking at blood and intestines. We’re all pretty used to it now, but it took us a moment. I love the way movies are made, to see everything that goes on behind the scenes and to see how the makeup department, the special effects team and Steven (Soderbergh) all work together to make it look real. Then when my friends or my family see me on the screen, they say, “I can’t watch. I can’t watch it, I’m so sorry, it’s just too gory!” Well then great, we did our job. It’s not real. That’s what I say to everyone, “It’s not real!” How amazing is that?

In regards to your character on The Knick, what has been the biggest surprise or challenge in playing nurse Lucy Elkins? Was it difficult to relate to her?

The biggest challenge playing Lucy was probably the corset. Doing any accent is challenging, but not being able to breathe at the same time made it harder. I’m really nothing like Lucy at all, but that’s what I enjoyed the most about playing her. Learning about someone that you wouldn’t normally relate to in real life is what acting is all about. I’m not interested in playing someone like me, I know who I am. Acting is like being someone’s therapist. And Lucy is full of surprises. She is so quiet in what she says, but incredibly bold in what she does, and that interested me.

Though in the early stages of your career, you’ve already worked with some amazing directors. Are there any directors you would like to work with in the future?

Yeah there’s like a lot actually. I have a hit list of my favorite directors that I would jump at the chance to work with. I love Joe Swanberg, he did Drinking Buddies. Have you seen that movie?

It’s on my list of movies to watch!

You gotta see that movie! It’s amazing! His whole process and how there is this element of improv – it’s a really cool way of making films. Who else do I love? I love, Khalif Brown, he’s a fairly new director. He did parts of Beyonce’s Lemonade. He’s pretty sick. The part where she’s drowning and her bed is underwater, I love how he did that. Of course, I am obsessed with Tim Burton. I really want to play a ghost and haunt someone in a movie and I feel like Tim Burton could help me do that. Another director would be Ang Lee. Oh, and I love Katherine Bigelow.

Are there any genres that you would like to explore on future projects?

All of them! I don’t really limit myself in terms of characters and genres. I would love to do a creepy scary movie, like Orphan. I love that movie. I also would love to do a romantic comedy, you know. Being a voice actor in an animated children’s film would be so fun because I really love to do accents.

Do you work with a vocal coach on accents?

Yeah I have an amazing vocal coach, her name is Coley Calhoun, she actually lives in Brooklyn as well. She lives in Park Slope. She’s kinda THE woman and she helps me with everything that I do.

Jacket by Giorgio Armani

You are also an experienced traveler, do you have any place in the world you like to retreat to when you need to recharge?

If I’m going to somewhere to recharge, I’m going to go home to Dublin. It’s lovely to escape New York and just be at home in Dublin with my family and read a book or watch movies. It is always green so there are a lot of scenic walks and beautiful trails and sites around the city.

When you’re away from Brooklyn is there any place that you miss now that it’s also home?

Definitely my home! I live in Williamsburg, and I walk along the water every day and I have my little coffee shop that I love, Toby’s Estate.

Have your parents ever given you advice that you didn’t follow and were you glad you listened to your own intuition?

Sometimes, but occasionally parents know best. They’ve always been really encouraging of anything that I wanted to do, they were skeptical of me going into the film industry just because it is so difficult. Now they’re very supportive and have always encouraged me to not just be an actor, but to write, direct, and produce. You really have to find a way of making this a career, not just a moment.

And you’re really embracing the process?

Yes! I had to fight to get my parents to let me go to NYU and study acting. Going to New York to learn more about acting and film was not something they thought was a good idea, which I felt was strange. I really just wanted to learn my craft and hone my skills.

Have you experienced any personal challenges that you’ve had to overcome and that have made you stronger in your career and craft?

I think experiencing rejection has changed me as an actor, because every time you get rejected you have to fight harder and you have to work harder. Any challenge I have come up against has only helped me to be a better actor. Whenever I go in for an audition, I think “Oh my God, this is so hard, I don’t think I can do this.” I work really hard to believe that I can do it. However, I think being in a career that pushes you to continuously be better is amazing. I love that Hollywood is so cutthroat and when you get that job, you have really earned it because you’re competing with the best! It’s so difficult but also very rewarding.

Are you working with any charities or involved in community activism? Your father (U2 front-man, Bono) is known for his work with the underprivileged, did you get that gene from him?

I’m a member of the ONE campaign (Bono’s campaigning organization that fights extreme poverty and preventable disease, particularly in Africa, by raising awareness), and I support the RED products (a licensed brand that seeks to engage the private sector in raising awareness and funds to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa). I definitely want to get more involved with women’s issues in particular. For example, abortion is illegal in Ireland, and a lot of people are not aware of that. It has to change. I want to help. I grew up in a house where we were told, “If you have a voice, you better use it.” So I’ve never been embarrassed to say what’s on my mind. I think I could use that trait for something bigger than my own ego.

How do you feel about your new role as Maid Marian? What are you most eager about for this new project?

All I can say about the Robin Hood part is that we are going to shoot next year. I’m excited because I’m so obsessed with the director Otto Bathurst. He’s one of the most interesting directors out there right now. I’ve been told I have to learn how to ride a horse which might be worse than my bike riding on The Knick, but I’m staying optimistic. I read with Taron (Egerton) for my screen test and it was just synchronistic. I’ve ALWAYS said I wanted to work with Jamie Foxx. It is such a good crew of talent, and I’m so fortunate to be a part of it.

Jacket by Giorgio Armani

Hair by Rolando Beauchamp @ The Wall Group | Makeup by Junko @ Joe Management | Manicure by Yukie Miyakawa @ Kate Ryan | Custom Headpiece by Elizabeth Ryan Floral | Production by Sacha di Bona @ Angela de Bona | Photographer’s 1st Assistant James Clark |  2nd Assistant Krystallynne | Digital Tech Andrea Bartley | Stylist Assistant Yu Tsao | Production Assistant Kirk Corbin

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