IN THE HEIGHTS STAR MELISSA BARRERA

Dress – Paco Rabanne

Photography by Dennis Tejero @ ADB Agency

Styling by Marc Sifuentes

Makeup by Talia Sparrow @ Kalpana NYC

Hair by Cameron Rains @ Forward Artists

Interview by Evan Ross Katz 

Melissa Barrera, one of the leads on Starz’s Vida and the upcoming film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, opens up about her journey to success and prioritizing her Latin roots within and outside of her work.

Dress, Belt and Boots by Versace

“It feels like so much more than an acting job,” Melissa Barrera says of her starring role on Starz’s hit series Vida. “I feel like it was a gift that I was given.” Barrera stars as Lyn Hernandez on the series which was recently renewed for a third season. “Barrera’s performance in particular blooms with searing clarity,” Vox wrote. The Hollywood Reporter called Barrera’s performance “absurdly funny.” The A.V. Club called the actress “a force to be reckoned with.” 

“It’s important to see Latin stories out there and to see the dreams that our people have and how hard we work. There’s more to us than just the negative things you see in the media or what certain people want to say about Latinx people.” But it’s not just Barrera’s work on Vida. Whether her upcoming role in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical In the Heights, her time on popular telenovelas like Siempre Tuya Acapulco and Tanto Amor or in regional theater productions in her hometown of Monterrey, Mexico, much of the conversation with Barrera seems to circle back to her Mexican roots—and it’s no coincidence.  

“I’m Mexican. I’m fully Mexican. I was born and raised in Mexico and now I happen to work in the United States. And I am proud to be a part of this Latinx wave of shows and films that are finally starting to get made and people that have never seen themselves represented on screen are finally getting to see themselves and I get to be a part of it. So I feel that it is important to wear my identity on my sleeve and be one of the faces of this movement and help people see themselves because a lot of people have felt erased in their stories or their stories are never told. I feel like it’s a responsibility of mine to be a voice for those people who have not had one for so long. And I want to.” 

Dress by Off-White

It’s this passion that emanates from Barrera, who thinks long and hard before responding to questions, constantly aware of the possibilities and pitfalls of a first impression and desiring to represent both herself and her roots with pride. This, according to her friends that I spoke with, is the Melissa they’ve always known. 

Though acting and singing seemed like the natural trajectory from an early age, Barrera did not limit her possibilities. “There was a point where I wanted to be a doctor,” she says, adding that architecture, interior design, even biomedical engineering were all career aspirations at various times. “I even at one point wanted to be a secret agent. I’ve wanted to be so many different things throughout my life. But that’s the thing about being an actor, you get to be everything.” 

She started auditioning for local regional productions in high school and was quickly cast in a musical version of Romeo and Juliet in Monterrey. That was her first taste of the rigor of the theater: working six days a week, with two-shows a day often the norm. It didn’t dissuade her, only making her hungry for more. She furthered her education attending New York University to study theater. She left New York University’s prestigious CAP21 musical theater program two years in after making it into the top 20 on La Academia, a popular Mexican competition reality series that catapulted her star meter. 

“That show definitely prepared me for the industry. It was a very difficult experience because it brought all my insecurities to the surface. It made me doubt if I had what it took to be in this business. It made me fight for it really hard. I’m very grateful I had that experience, even though sometimes I have PTSD about it. Whenever I have to sing in public I get stage fright and I never feel good enough because of all of the harsh judgments I had while I was on that show.” But she’s careful to stress the positives that came from it, like learning to fight for her dream. It’s also the place where she met her future husband, musician Paco Zazueta. 

Dress by Georgine

That show proved a career springboard, landing her roles in a number of popular telenovelas. “I’ve always felt that telenovelas, especially in Mexico, are looked down upon as a genre….but I personally love them,” she says, describing the rigor of the production process as boot camp. “It’s literally shooting 30 scenes a day, one after the other, and it forces you to go through a crazy rollercoaster of emotions, more so than anything else I’ve ever done. I think because of that school of telenovela, it made everything that’s come after much easier for me.”

And thankfully, the “everything” that has come after has been plentiful, from Vida to a recently-announced contemporary reimagining of the opera Carmen opposite Fifty Shades of Grey star Jamie Dornan, to the upcoming In the Heights, a role Barrera has been eyeing for over a decade before she was cast. “I remember going to see it on Broadway at least ten times. I remember the first time that I saw it, what I felt, it was as though my heart was going to explode with pride and hope. All my dreams of being on Broadway after seeing that show just felt so much more tangible.” From there, she set out to be casted, attending open calls for the show, but never quite landing a spot…until now, nearly a dozen years after the show’s first bow on the Great White Way. 

Dress by Tom Ford

“It’s going to be very different from the stage version,” she says of the movie, set for release next summer. “It’s been updated to reflect the situation of immigrants today, so it has appropriately been adapted to take place in 2020.” For Barrera, it’s about leveling out the audience with the content, noting the disparity between Latinx content consumption and shows casting Latinx actors, created by Latinx people and/or telling Latinx stories. To that end, Barrera says she hopes to begin producing her own work down the line. “Because [Vida creator] Tanya [Saracho] gave opportunities to people like me, I’m going to make sure that I follow in her footsteps.”

And with that, Barrera is back to set to shoot the final week of filming In The Heights. Though she’s not filming any scenes on this particular day, she says she just wants to be around it all, near the cast, watching the process unfold around her. Like much of the pride Barrera so often spoke about, it’s not necessarily about her, but about who she can be to and for those who come after her.

Dress by Victoria Hayes

 

Interview from Issue 12 of IRIS COVET BOOK available in stores and online by clicking —> HERE! 

CHLOE BY RAUL ROMO

Model – Chloe Blanchard @lilbabychloe @TheLions
Photographer – Raul Romo @raulromo
Fashion Stylist – Saulú Santana @itzsaulu
Hair Stylist – Rena Calhoun @rena.calhoun
Makeup Artist – Nicole Chew @chewchewtrain@ArtDepartment
Jacket by 2 Moncler 1952
Top + Belt by Zana Bayne
Boots by United Nude
Earrings + Ring by House of Emmanuele
Jacket by 2 Moncler 1952
Top + Belt by Zana Bayne
Boots by United Nude
Earrings + Ring by House of Emmanuele
Dress by Mark Fast
Choker by Zana Bayne
Trench by 3.1 Phillip Lim
Corset by Shahar Avnet
Choker by Zana Bayne
Trench by 3.1 Phillip Lim
Corset by Shahar Avnet
Choker + Belt by Zana Bayne
Tights by FALKE, Ring by On Aura Tout Vu
Shoes by United Nude
Jacket by I Love Pretty
Bralette by 3.1 Phillip Lim
Tights by Wolford
Earrings by A-Jane
Shoes by United Nude
Jacket by Victoria Hayes
Mesh Top by Marc Fast
PVC Vest by I Love Pretty
Tights by Wolford
Shoes by United Nude
Belt by Zana Bayne
Boots by Saint Laurent

FLORA BY KIMBER CAPRIOTTI

Photographer: Kimber Capriotti @kimbercapriotti
Model:  Flora @floralis.a @theidentitymodels
Stylist: Kingsley Osuji @styledbykingsley
Hair: Yukie Nammori @yukienammori
Makeup: Megan Kelly @megankellybeauty
Casting: Chad Thompson @communa_k
Top & Pants: Victoria Hayes
Bracelets: UNOde50
Earrings: Astrid & Miyu
Shirt & Coat: FLOU-FLOU
Blazer: Salisa
Full Look: Tom Ford
Shirt & Vest: Maryam Nassir Zadeh
Jacket & Jeans: Unravel Project
Boots: rag & bone
Hat & Dress: Claudia Li
Bracelet: UNOde50
Jeans: Nueque
Blazer (inner): Victoria Hayes
Blazer (outer): Tibi
Pants: FLOU-FLOU

Earrings: Ben Amun by Isaac Manevitz, Top & Blazer: Dirty Pineapple, Shorts: Tibi, Boots: Vince Camuto

WILLOW SHIELDS STAR OF NEW NETFLIX SERIES SPINNING OUT

Dress and Coat by Versace

Photographers: Fionayeduardo @fionayeduardo
Art Direction: Louis Liu @herecomeslouis
Styling: Marc Sifuentes @marc.sifuentes
Hair: Austin Burns @austinkburns
Make-up: Agus Suga @Agus Suga
Production Assistant: Benjamin Price @benprice4real
Location: Colony Studios @colonystudios

Interview by Regina Moretto

Top by Marc Jacobs

Hunger Games alum Willow Shields deftly navigates her acting career with the confident beauty and grace of an ice skater. 

The beguiling illusion of easy jumps and spins requires many hours of handwork and tenacity; quite similar to the dedication, preparation and training expected of an actor, which makes watching this young star transcend new roles all the more intriguing.  Starting out with a box office smash at the early age of 12, surrounded by the likes of Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, the precedent was set for Shield’s strong work ethic which helps drive her blossoming career. 

We sat down with Shields amidst her busy schedule to talk about her latest project; Netflix series Spinning Out.  Spinning Out, created by Samantha Stratton, is a series based on a figure skating Olympic hopeful struggling to balance her dreams of competition and the state of her family’s battle with mental health all while her dream of winning takes a dizzying hold.  Never one to remain idle for too long, Shields shared with us a few additional projects her fans can look forward to seeing her in soon. 

Sweater by Proenza Schouler White Label, Hat by Dara Senders

When did you know you wanted to be an actor?

I started acting when I was about seven but working on my first big film and experiencing the creativity and tight knit community involved in the acting world was when I knew I would love this job.

What was your first big break into entertainment?

I did an episode of a show called In Plain Site when I was about eight and that was my first experience on set. But I guess my big break into entertainment was two years later when I did the first Hunger Games film.

Fans know you from your role as Primrose Everdeen in The Hunger Games, can you tell us the best part of working on these films?

I truly feel like I learned so much from working on these films. I grew up on set for five years learning from the most brilliant actors from Jennifer Lawrence, to Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and so many more but aside from being able to watch and learn from them everyday I was also able to witness other brilliance from the technical side of filmmaking watching our director Francis Lawrence working. I feel like after those films I had more of an understanding about filmmaking and every detail that goes into making a great film.

Being cast in Hunger Games at age 12 and being surrounded by a cast of seasoned actors, what are the most important lesson you learned on set with this crew?

To work hard, show up on time but to also give yourself room to be creative and have fun at the same time.

Do you have any funny or memorable Hunger Games stories you could share?

We had so many cast members as a part of our whole series that there was always so many fun stories being told everyday on set. When you’re in a room with Jennifer Lawrence and Woody Harrelson, you know you’re gonna be laughing all day with those two.

Jacket by Zadig & Voltaire

 

Tell us about your new Netflix series Spinning Out and how did you land the central role as Serena Baker?

Spinning Out was a very exciting project for me after reading the script. The story elements are something I’d never seen in a show before and it deals with a lot of pivotal emotional and physical stories that I feel need to be seen.
I fell in love with the character of Serena because she feels like a real teenage girl who’s very complicated. She has a very unusual home life and deals with a lot of emotional ups and downs between her family life and her time in competitive figure skating. It felt like a bit of a dream come true to play a figure skater as well.

Your character is training for ice-skating  competitions, did you have any formal training in your past?

I did not. I came into this show with zero ice skating abilities but I trained for about two months everyday prior to filming the show. My goal was not only to be able to do as much of my own skating as possible but also experience what it was like to train that hard everyday. I came home black and blue all over my body from falling everyday but it helped me understand my character Serena and how figure skaters train.

The show brought on Sarah Kawahara, a former figure skater and Emmy winning choreographer who has worked on “Blades of Glory” and “I, Tonya”…what was it like to work with Sarah on this series?

Sarah is phenomenal. We were all so excited to work with someone so brilliant in this specific field. She helped us train in Toronto and choreographed all of our routines. The coolest thing about Sarah is she was right there with us on set when we filmed these scenes so any detail that was off she was able to help us fix in order to pull off all of the intense skating involved in our story.

Coat by Kenzo, Top by Zadig & Voltaire

 

Did you have any difficulties learning to ice skate or learning the choreography for the series and how did you work through these challenges?

It’s definitely one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. I trained for hours everyday and was so determined to learn as much as I could. But one of the most challenging things I did was for the final episode of the show I did a portion of my routine in front of an actual crowd of about five hundred extras so it really felt like a performance for me. Which is both stressful and exciting.

In what way is the character you play in this project different from the roles you’ve played in the past?

Her athleticism is unlike any character I’ve played in the past so that’s very different for me. But just like any young woman she’s full of so much life, emotion, drive, and confusion in her teenage life so those were similarities that I’ve seen in characters I’ve played in the past.

The series seems to focus on mental health.  What steps did you take to ensure your role was true to her character when handling her mother and sisters disorders?

My first step was to allow room for Kaya and January (my sister and mom in the show) to dive into those emotions and have room to experience that. I tried everyday to approach playing Serena in a very honest way, I thought through a lot of what she would go through on a daily basis living with her mom and sister who are both bi polar and how hard that truly is for a young woman who is struggling herself with things. But at the end of the day they love each other more than anyone and that was most important to portray.

Top and Skirt by Marc Jacobs

How have your fans reacted to your role in Spinning Out?

They are so excited! It feels great to have fans that follow and appreciate any project I’m a part of.

Can you tell us anything about your upcoming projects When Time Got Louder and A Fall From Grace?

I am currently filming When Time Got Louder in Vancouver and it’s been an incredible experience. Our story is complex and raw following my character Abbie and her family including her brother Kayden who has non verbal autism. Abbie leaves home to go to school and falls in love with a girl named Karly while at college but struggles with being away from Kayden after being there for him his whole life.

Do you have any other projects coming down the pipeline that you can tell us about?

Nothing I can talk about yet haha

Do you have a daily mantra?

Just to be open minded and open to learning from your accomplishments and mistakes throughout everyday.

Coat by Kenzo, Top by Zadig & Voltaire, Turtleneck by Victoria Hayes

 

OTHERWORLD

Puff Coat by VERDICT STILL OUT, Dress by Videmus Omnia, High Boots by Paula Torres, Headband and Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise

 

Photographer: Dustin Mansyur @dmansyur

Stylist: Julia Morris at Utopia @juliaamorris

Hair: Koji Ichikawa @koji_ichikawa at The Club New York using Laicale

Makeup: Daniel Avilan @danavilan at The Industry MGMT using Pat McGrath Labs

Floral Design: Marcos Toledo @influorescent

Set Design: Marcos Toledo @influorescent and Cristina Fitch @cafitch

Model: Reese Robert @reeserobert_ at Muse

Digital Tech: Johnny Vicari @johnnyvicari

Stylists Assistants: Beatrice Goudet and Bethany Mong

Hair Assistant: Megumi Kubo

 

Otherworld explores the existence of inner worlds through the lens of surrealism. The power of those called visionaries, artists, or mystics is the ability to identify this world, and through their works, synthesize it into reality. The internal fantasia is imagined as a surreal landscape, familiar but alien in its appearance. Layering imagery through the use of projections is a technique that furthers it’s quixotic, dreamlike interpretation. Heritage-inspired clothing depicts a world ambiguous of time. Floral themes reinforce the metaphor of the inception of an otherworld as germination of the seed, to its manifestation as it blossoms. Personal evolution occurs the more time spent inside this world. The idea of escapism becomes inverted, with an emphasis on the beauty and luxury of solitude.

– Dustin Mansyur

 

Dress by Aida Kaas , Jacket by Videmus Omnia, Hair clip and Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise

Jacket by Videmus Omnia , Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise, Floral arrangement by Influorescent

Floral arrangement by Influorescent

Beauty using Pat McGrath Labs, Jacket by Videmus Omnia

Dress and Veil by Victoria Hayes, Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise

Dress by Aida Kaas, Jacket by Videmus Omnia, Hair clip and Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise

Floral arrangement by Influorescent

Dress by Aida Kaas, Jacket by Videmus Omnia, Hair clip and Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise

Coat by Victoria Hayes, Jumpsuit by Elias Gurrola, Hair clip and Earrings by Rainbow Unicorn Birthday Surprise

Feather Coat by Khoman Room, Beauty using Pat McGrath Labs

WEB EXCLUSIVE – ON THE MOVE

VICTORIA HAYES jacket

Photography LILY & LILAC (@lilyandlilac)
Styling TATIANA CINQUINO (@tatianacinquino)
Model ROSE SMITH @ Marilyn Model Management

VICTORIA HAYES jacket and pants

VICTORIA HAYES suit  | HUF striped sweater | RAF SIMONS for ADIDAS slides | & OTHER STORIES socks

JOHN PAUL ATAKER coat | HUF button up shirt | GEORGINE pants | GUCCI loafers

JOHN PAUL ATAKER coat | HUF button up shirt

ANNA SUI @ FRAMD STUDIO Eyewear | VICTORIA HAYES jumpsuit | GUCCI loafers

FIORUCCI @ FRAMD STUDIO Eyewear | VICTORIA HAYES top | JOHN PAUL ATAKER pants

 

 

STYLIST OWN vintage shirt | KYLE’LYK jumpsuit | CAROLINA SARRIA fur & denim jacket | GUCCI loafers | & OTHER STORIES socks | STYLIST OWN earrings

GALILEO @ FRAMD STUDIO Eyewear | VICTORIA HAYES top | KYLE’LYK denim jacket and pants

GALILEO @ FRAMD STUDIO Eyewear | VICTORIA HAYES top

WEB EXCLUSIVE – VENUS OF VENICE

Dress and Boots by Moschino Couture | T-shirt by Black Beat Rags | Diamonds by Chris Aire Beverly Hills

Photographer: Emily Soto
Makeup: Natasha Severino @ Forward Artists
Hair: Dimitris Giannetos @ Forward Artists
Model:  Madison Tabeek @ Next Models

Dress and Boots by Moschino Couture | T-shirt by Black Beat Rags | Diamonds by Chris Aire Beverly Hills

Top and Skirt by Victoria Hayes | Belt by Prada | Earrings by Jennifer Fisher

Sequined Jumpsuit by Dundas | Boots by Moschino | Earrings by Chris Aire Beverly Hills

Choker by Moschino | Dress by Carolina Sarria | Fur by Georgine

Choker by Moschino | Dress and Fur by TKTKT

Top by Victoria Hayes | Diamond Stud Earrings by Chris Aire Beverly Hills

Top by Victoria Hayes | Diamond Stud Earrings by Chris Aire Beverly Hills

Dress by Off-White | Boots by Moschino | Earrings by Jennifer Fisher