Supermodel, actress, author, and activist Emily Ratajkowski takes the cover of Elle UK Magazine‘s December 2022 / January 2023 edition lensed by fashion photographer Petros. In charge of styling was Aurelia Donaldson, with beauty from hair stylist Sebastien Bascle, and makeup artist Naoko Scintu. For the covers Emily is wearing a look from Louis Vuitton with Cartier jewelry (image above), and Prada top (image below).
Most of my life, much of my job was presenting myself as beautiful and that’s how I made money. And then, as I wanted to be taken seriously as a writer, it was kind of the opposite. I would cover myself up or not put on make-up, because I’d want writers to think of me as somebody who didn’t care about those things. God, women can’t win. I bump against that every day. Even my mum: working in academia as a beautiful woman, it was something she talked a lot about, how she wanted to be perceived in the world. But, right now, I’m in a place where I do not care! I will wear whatever the hell I want, as much make-up as I want, and make myself feel good, which sometimes means being sexy and sometimes doesn’t. I can feel how uncomfortable it makes people. I made a TikTok where I was like, ‘I’m in my b*tch era,’ and I really mean it. We should all be in our b*tch era. I’m so tired of adjusting. Maybe this is coming out of Covid, being 31, or being recently single… We’ll see. Maybe I will regret it. – Emily Ratajkowski
Photography © Petros for ELLE UK, read more at elle.com
