W magazine chose three young stars for the cover of its future-facing April issue: Zendaya, Willow Smith (who Karl Lagerfeld just named Chanel ambassadress), and Kiernan Shipka. In her interview with the trio of up-and-coming creatives, Lynn Hirschberg explores how they embody high fashion but keep it fresh with their own take on style. Each teen was dressed in couture pieces (such as Givenchy, Chanel, Valentino, and Dior) for toned down and age-appropriate looks, thanks to small touches like white Tees and bare feet. Here, a peek inside the issue.
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- Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture, Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci, Chanel Haute Couture
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- Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture, Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci, Chanel Haute Couture
ZENDAYA
On her special-edition Barbie…
“After my Oscar moment, Mattel contacted us. They specifically wanted to make a Barbie that looked like me, in my exact outfit from the Oscars. I was so excited that Barbie wanted to diversify their brand. Now all little girls can have a Barbie that looks like them. My Barbie is in a box. I never let anyone touch her.”
On her movie star crush…
“In the non-weirdest way possible, Johnny Depp! Leonardo DiCaprio! Idris Elba! I have talent crushes. My room used to be full of Michael Jackson posters. Now I have a poster from the musical The Band Wagon.”
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- Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Valentino Haute Couture, Atelier Versace
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- Schiaparelli Haute Couture, Valentino Haute Couture, Atelier Versace
WILLOW SMITH
On her navy blue hair and safety pin barrettes…
“That was my idea. I was in my bathroom yesterday and saw some safety pins on the counter and was just like, ‘Let me stab a dread real quick.’ When I did it, I was, like, ‘Oh, this is dope.’ ”
On her fashion hero…
“My mom. When she was on tour with Ozzfest, she was very raunchy. I loved watching her onstage. I think the first song that ever made an impression on me was my mom performing “Bleed All Over Me.” I would sing it over and over.”
On Bruce Springsteen’s version of “Whip My Hair” on Jimmy Fallon…
“It was so freaking amazing! My parents were ecstatic! They woke me up and said, ‘Willow—this is the craziest thing.’ I can’t believe such an iconic person liked my song. But I don’t sing it anymore. It’s not in my heart anymore.”
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- Dior Haute Couture, Giorgio Armani Prive, Gaultier Paris
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- Dior Haute Couture, Giorgio Armani Prive, Gaultier Paris
KIERNAN SHIPKA
On her Mad Men audition…
“I was 6, and before any audition, I would get so excited. I was obsessed: I liked learning lines. That was fun for me. I remember my first day on set. I was supposed to run into the scene with a plastic bag over my head, and my mother on the show says something like, ‘Your clothes better not be on the floor.’ No one seemed to worry about the potential safety hazard of a 6-year-old with a plastic bag over her head! That was probably a little bit of foreshadowing, the darkness that was ahead for Sally.”
On Sally Draper’s style…
“Mad Men introduced me to the power of fashion. I realized that style could tell a story. In the last season, Sally wants to impress a boy, so she dresses up. In the scene, I had to smoke a cigarette—and I’m not a pro in the slightest. They used these herbal cigarettes, and during the first take, I smoked it backwards.”
