Showing posts with label British Vogue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Vogue. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 21, 2022


A skincare line is definitely a head scratcher.  I've read people complimenting Angelina's complexion but never Brad's. When the writer said
You look like you have great skin anyway. I can’t imagine it takes much!
BP: "No, not really, I don’t, but now… I mean I have my little, simple regimen."
He acknowledges that his complexion isn't great and I have seen past comments to that effect.  The non-tabloid reaction to this new skincare line reflects almost universal skepticism. 






The Le Domaine website says
The terroir is a unique approach to the sourcing of ingredients for Le Domaine. Key elements such as grapes and olive oil in the products have a 100% traceable origin. They are derived exclusively from the Perrin family’s lands and are also eco-extracted by natural means, by Le Domaine’s farmers.
it is not from Miraval.  It is all Perrin.  Even the bottle's distinctive "Oak tree cap is upcycled from the wood left over from the Perrin's (sic) wine barrels."  Brad is essentially just doing Marc Perrin a favor. 

Brad is unquestionably passionate about his art, but in addition to his furniture with Pollaro, he is hawking tea, cashmere, and now skincare "partnerships." He is on his way to establishing a rep as a dilettante.  Add to that his newly unveiled sculpture and overexposure may dent the value of more lucrative product endorsements like he had for Breitling, Brioni and DeLonghi.




It took a couple of hours but this has since been corrected.  It does show that Brad never bothered to read through Le Domaine's website. 

His answers to Vogue are evasive and vague.  He doesn't seem to know much about the products nor what could differentiate Le Domaine from "the familiar story of grape-based antioxidants that has long been mined by more established brands" -- to use a quote from Vogue.  He reverts to talking about Miraval.  The Vogue editor (and probably others in the junket) was charmed but she couldn't ignore the obvious, "Brad Pitt has not read the beauty tutorial memo."  Or any relevant memo.

His quote in Le Domaine's website was hardly more illuminating.

Le Domaine:
“The goal is to imitate the organic cycles of nature, its primeval beauty. There is no waste in nature. Anything left over or discarded becomes food for something else. This exemplary circular system is the inspiration for Le Domaine.”

-- Brad Pitt
He could be talking about compost.

It's obvious that Brad was never truly involved in the development of Le Domaine.  He was about as detached, i.e. clueless, as one can imagine a "co-founder" could be.  He probably was asked to help promote it shortly before it was ready to launch and didn't bother doing his homework for the press junket.  It's another instance of hubris thinking he could just wing it, but in his defense he had other things on his mind like the Tampere exhibit.

The Vogue article says "While he made a conscious decision not to front the brand as the “face” of Le Domaine" that's exactly what he did for the product launch and that, it appears, is the extent of his contribution.  Miraval's contribution to the effort is as a publicity prop.

He says, "we wouldn’t have done it unless we felt there was something valid here, something original, something that worked." But when asked "Have you always had a good skincare routine?"
BP [Very long pause]. "No."

Almost any good product would have resulted in "a real difference visually in my skin." Further, the base research was not robust and was limited to determining "which of the 13 grape varieties the Perrin family grows on their estates in Provence had the most relevant antioxidant properties." There could be other, better varieties not grown by the Perrins that were not considered. Le Domaine is essentially a Perrin house product they could sell alongside their wines in their vineyard store.


Caption this: Brad, meet the product you co-founded.







From Le Domaine



OUR GENESIS
LE DOMAINE STARTED WITH A SERIES OF ENCOUNTERS, ALL CENTERED AROUND A UNIQUE LAND, FARMED AND PROTECTED BY THE PERRIN FAMILY FOR FIVE GENERATIONS.

Le Domaine is a human tale, punctuated with chance meetings. Brad Pitt, owner of Château Miraval, fell in love with the unique beauty of Provence. In 2012, he began exploring the treasures of the vineyard. He worked with the Perrin family to restore Miraval, cultivating the estate’s grapevines and building a strong partnership. Spurred on by the same desire to preserve Earth and its ecosystem, to safeguard the riches of our world for future generations, Le Domaine and its distinctive approach to skin care were a natural step for them both.

THE TERROIR
The terroir is a unique approach to the sourcing of ingredients for Le Domaine. Key elements such as grapes and olive oil in the products have a 100% traceable origin. They are derived exclusively from the Perrin family’s lands and are also eco-extracted by natural means, by Le Domaine’s farmers.

This local approach to nature in cosmetics has a direct effect on the efficacy of the products, due in part to the unique freshness of ingredients that are picked directly from the terroir, but also their very specific properties: GSM10, the active compound with maximized antioxidative powers, is made from a combination of grape varieties carefully selected from the Perrins’ vineyards.

"Le Domaine’s terroir-based model also has an effect on the products’ ecological impact, focusing on local production and sourcing of know-hows. "



The Perrins are discovering that Brad's value as an endorser, especially post-FBI leak, has been greatly diminished.

As of Feb. 23, just 5 months after launch, the products have been discount heavily with the signature products now offered at 34% below launch price.





From the Le Domaine press junket Sept. 13, 2022










No ring on left hand, bee ring on right.  The interview in Miraval took place "last week" according to Baird-Murray's Sept. 21 instagram post. He was seen flying out of Tampere, Finland in the early afternoon of Sept. 18, Sunday for Marseille / Miraval.  He had to have spent a few days setting up his pieces -- maybe Thursday to Saturday in Tampere. So the interview could have been Tuesday, Sept. 13 since he had billboard on Sept. 14. The tree ring was back on his left middle finger in Tampere.


Kathleen Baird Murray is the Contributing Beauty Editor @britishvogue. US Vogue gave the article a different title and at least one interesting edit.


Vogue, "BEAUTY The Curious Case of Brad Pitt, Château Miraval, and a Compelling New Luxury Skin Care Line", September 21, 2022
British Vogue, "BEAUTY “I Love What Gwyneth Has Done With Goop”: Brad Pitt Unveils His Genderless Skincare Line Exclusively To Vogue" 21 September 2022


BY KATHLEEN BAIRD-MURRAY

Brad Pitt during his interview at Château Miraval in Provence. Gabin Rivoire for Enkirama Films

Vogue:
Brad Pitt has not read the beauty tutorial memo. We’re 25 minutes into a world’s first interview with the actor, producer, philanthropist, wine producer, and newly minted skin care brand founder at Château Miraval, the sprawling property and vineyard in the South of France that Pitt bought with Angelina Jolie in 2012, and after a few quick-fire questions we arrive at the inevitable part of any skin care founder interview: “What’s your regimen?” I ask, with a certain amount of trepidation. “Can we have a product demonstration?”

British Vogue:
Brad Pitt has not read the beauty tutorial memo. We’re 25 minutes into an exclusive interview with the actor, producer, philanthropist, wine producer, and newly-minted skincare brand founder at Château Miraval, the sprawling property and vineyard in the South of France that Pitt bought with his ex-wife Angelina Jolie in 2012, and after a few quick-fire questions we arrive at the inevitable part of any skincare founder interview: “What’s your regimen?” I ask, with a certain amount of trepidation. “Can we have a product demonstration?”

Pitt baulks, smiling. “I’m not doing that!”

“Maybe just talk about how your routine has evolved, then? Just don’t make it too QVC,” I suggest to the Academy Award-winner, hoping he might warm to the idea of applying face creams while being filmed.
“I wouldn’t know how to do that, unless it was a comedy,” Pitt says, laughing. “Actually, Sandy [Sandra Bullock] and I did once try to develop a whole idea of a husband and wife team, who were QVC’s most successful salespeople, but we’re getting a divorce, we hate each other, and we’re taking it out on air as we sell things… That’s as far as we got.”

While he made a conscious decision not to front the brand as the “face” of Le Domaine (there will be no campaign portraits, no Brad on TikTok, and very few interviews after this one), Pitt has been as hands-on as it gets with its concept and development, which is based around the familiar story of grape-based antioxidants that has long been mined by more established brands. But Le Domaine has approached the science in its own way, appointing one of the world’s leading wine and human health specialists, University of Bordeaux Professor of Oenology Pierre-Louis Teissedre, to determine which of the 13 grape varieties the Perrin family grows on their estates in Provence had the most relevant antioxidant properties.

That research began over 15 years ago, and may have resulted in the next big thing in skincare: GSM10, an exclusive molecule in Le Domaine’s Serum, Cream, Fluid Cream and Cleansing Emulsion that combines potent properties from the seeds of Grenache grapes with the seeds and skin of Syrah and Mourvedre grapes. It serves as a powerful antidote to oxidative stress, which can break down collagen and contribute to the myriad physical signs of ageing. Professor Nicolas LĂ©vy, a leading scientist in progeria – an extremely rare genetic disorder that speeds up ageing in small children – provided additional insights for the project. Having identified the way progeria affects the natural ageing process, he developed ProGr3 – Le Domaine’s other patented active ingredient – which is derived from grapevine tendril resveratrol, and aims to keep skin cells healthier, longer.

Finally, there’s the magical nature of Miraval’s soil itself – the terroir, as it’s called by oenologists when discussing the growing conditions unique to specific grapevines. In this case: terrace upon terrace of olive trees; miles and miles of otherworldly lichen-encrusted woodland; and air so thick with lavender that at one point I seriously wonder if it’s being artificially pumped in. No pesticides are used at Miraval, where all farming is done biodynamically. The clay and limestone-rich soil is ploughed and the vines aren’t irrigated, which encourages their roots to reach deep down into the ground for moisture. The deeper the roots grow, the better their interaction with the soil, which creates that much sought-after complexity in Miraval’s grapes, as well as in the olive oil that’s produced on the property, the combination of which makes up the base of the 96% natural, vegan and sustainable line.

“Through the ages, Château Miraval has always been this hub of creativity, it has so many places within it where you want to sit and think and expand and explore, and make beautiful things,” he says from one such vantage point in the well-appointed outdoor living area, which overlooks a football pitch he created for his family. That’s not necessarily reason enough to get into what is already a very saturated skincare market, Pitt concedes. But Le Domaine’s efficacy just might be. “I know there are new products nearly every day that people are trying to launch, but if I hadn’t seen a real difference visually in my skin, we wouldn’t have bothered.” Sitting just a few feet away from his clear, sun-kissed complexion, it’s hard to argue with that logic.

How did the Le Domaine project come about?
Brad Pitt: We had been talking about it for so long I don’t remember now how it originally started. I remember reading about the health properties of grape skins as something we wanted to investigate. But the initial idea, right from the beginning, comes back to this place. It’s just steeped in creativity and it’s so fertile. We make olive oil, truffles and honey here. Reinforced concrete began here. Reinforced concrete! That’s insane! In the 1840s Joseph-Louis Lambot invented ferro-cement, a precursor to reinforced concrete, and made a concrete boat that was eventually pulled out of the pond here and now resides in a museum in Brignoles. We had some pillars – test pillars – up in the courtyard. He went on to make the first two buildings in reinforced concrete, and now of course everything is built that way. It’s pretty extraordinary.

And was skincare meant to be a part of this creativity? Had you been secretly thinking all this time, “I must have a skincare brand?”
No, and truthfully we wouldn’t have done it unless we felt there was something valid here, something original, something that worked. I get sent stuff all the time and… ugh. It’s just all the same for me. But this last year we have been testing Le Domaine and I was really surprised by the results, and that for me, made it worth going forward.

Have you always had a good skincare routine?
[Very long pause]. No.

I was so sure you were going to say yes, because one imagines you would be well looked-after…
Well, when I’m looked after, I do [have a good skincare routine]. I just want to keep it simple, you know what I mean? That said, I’m actually thorough now. I’ve been whipped into shape by my dear make-up artist friend – we started together 30 years ago – Jean Black. She is pretty special. So whenever we’re on a film she keeps me healthy, and then she’s like, “try this”, and, “try that”.

You look like you have great skin anyway. I can’t imagine it takes much!
No, not really, I don’t, but now… I mean I have my little, simple regimen.

So, what do you do? Gua sha?
I don’t even know what that is.

Facials?
Rarely. I get antsy.

Did you ever imagine yourself as a beauty baron?
[Laughs]. I’m not sure what a beauty baron is…

It’s like if you were to achieve EstĂ©e Lauder-level success.
If Le Domaine is successful, do we get baron status? Yeah, no, I didn’t [imagine that]. Landing here – at Château Miraval – opened up a lot of ideas that I wouldn’t have normally considered. And a big part of it is sustainability, this idea of zero waste is something that is really important to this area and important to me. But listen, when we first got here, I mean, I never thought about having a winery either! I just wanted a beautiful base in this area and it happened to have a winery. And it happened to be hemorrhaging tonnes of money. So we had to go to work. And then we went out on a search and found Marc [Perrin] and his family.

A clever idea. You majored in journalism, I’ve read..
I did, I didn’t graduate, but I did.

Do you wish you had followed that career path?
[Laughs]. I think I’m pretty happy with where things landed! I wouldn’t have objected to that, but I’m feeling alright about my day job.

How do you feel about film star-fronted business enterprises in general?
When I started out it seemed shameful to do a commercial, for some reason. You were called a sell-out. I really think the hip-hop guys changed all of that. They made it okay – even cool – to spread your wings a bit, to try some other things. And now it’s really exciting that you can, you know, explore other corners [of your creativity] like the old Renaissance artists in a way. And I love what Gwyneth’s done [with Goop]. She is still a really dear friend, and she has built this empire. She has always had that in her as a curator, and it’s been a lovely creative outlet for her. In fact, come to think about it, she was probably the first one who got me to even wash my face twice a day… maybe.

What pressures have you felt personally around ageing in the film business?
I don’t want to be running from ageing. It’s a concept we can’t escape, and I would like to see our culture embracing it a bit more, talking about it in those terms. Something we discussed [in founding Le Domaine] was this headline of “anti-ageing”. It’s ridiculous. It’s a fairytale. But what is real is treating your skin in a healthy manner. And it’s something I’ve learnt to do for my business, but it kinda makes you feel better. I grew up with a country mentality, kind of you know, Dial Soap once a day and then move on. And I think that we’re learning that if we love ourselves, if we treat ourselves a little better, then there are long lasting benefits to that. So just age healthy, age in a healthy manner.

Speaking of, I watched Benjamin Button last night. Was it strange to see yourself looking older in that role?
No, no, it wasn’t at all, I was kind of fascinated by it, really. And by the way? All those prosthetics, six hours of prosthetics? Tore up my skin. They destroyed my skin!

How and why is it important to you that Le Domaine’s approach is genderless?
Again, I don’t know if it’s just that I believe in being all-inclusive as much as possible? Or maybe it’s about us guys needing help from others in understanding how we can treat our skin better? I mean, I probably got more from my female partners in the past. We kept the smell very neutral, very fresh, and very, very subtle. I mean, I’m the kind of person who will change hotel rooms if I can smell the cologne of the last person who stayed there! It’s too much! It’s too strong! Keep it subtle. Let people come to you. Don’t force it on others. That’s my feeling (laughs). For smells, I mean. I stand by that for smells!

Do you have any special memories of Miraval?
This past spring was special. We had a good five or six weeks out here. The stories you hear about Provence in the spring, why people come here. Well, it’s real. And I can’t quite describe it, other than the freshness in the air, the light, the… I don’t know, it’s just a real feeling of peace and harmony and the nights are so soothing. In summer you get the symphony of frogs, they lull you to sleep. I have a lot of artist friends from different disciplines, and they were here this spring, we were having a laugh. One was working on his music [at Studio Miraval], one was painting, one was designing a clothing line, and so on and so forth. They’d go off to their respective corners to work on their respective things, and then we’d come back here to cross-pollinate over a meal, or a game of petanques, in the spot we’re sitting in now. Making an artist community has always been the idea here, and it’s really nice to see that happen.

What’s the future looking like for you?
The older I get the more I think about quality of life, and time expenditure, and I sure would like to point it more in this direction. I think after lockdown it seemed to be on a lot of people’s minds, like, how are we spending our time, why are we grinding so much, what are we dedicating our lives to? And I think that family and friends at the end of the day is all that matters.



































Miraval Provence.com ca. 2017-2019














Other photos BradPittPlanB fan account

Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, October 28, 2021



Posted by at
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

British Vogue, March issue

Print, digital and online


- On Family barbecues: "Some of us are vegetarian, some are pescatarian, some eat all meat.  For those of us who no longer eat meat, Korean barbecue is the most missed meal."

- On her latest tattoo EPPUR SI MUOVE:  "'And yet it moves.' Galileo's reported words at the end of his trial, when he was forced to deny that the Earth moves around the Sun.  Certain truths are undeniable."  (An easy corollary to the filing she was forced to make, and their words and actions that belied the filing and point to their truth.)

- The dining room was set up to look like her study.  The papers in front of her look like scripts.

- Throughout the shoot she is mostly wearing jewelry provided by Vogue.  The exceptions are her mother's Cartier watch, a thick, masculine chain bracelet, and a thin gold band. (Recall that in Brad's GQ shoot, he took off the bracelets but kept the bee ring and a necklace.)

- She listens to punk rock and mindful meditation by Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh.

NOTES ON LOVE
Practices for Nourishing True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
Heart Like A River
If you pour a handful of salt into a cup of water, the water becomes undrinkable. But if you pour the salt into a river, people can continue to draw the water to cook, wash, and drink. The river is immense, and it has the capacity to receive, embrace, and transform. When our hearts are small, our understanding and compassion are limited, and we suffer. We can't accept or tolerate others and their shortcomings, and we demand they change. But when our hearts expand, these same things don't make us suffer anymore. We have a lot of understanding and compassion and can embrace others. We accept others as they are, and then they have a chance to transform. So the big question is do we help our hearts to grow?
More on the DeMille:

Today, DeMille and Chaplin’s lots have been divided once again into separate residences, with Jolie and her family living in DeMille’s former home, set on 2.1 acres. In addition to the 7,500-foot main house, the compound includes a tea house, studio, and pool house. The gardens, which are studded with jacaranda trees and feature a rose garden, slope down to a pool capped by arched fountains. Tucked away in the basement, meanwhile, is a vast wine cellar – a necessary amenity considering Jolie’s sizeable Provençal vineyards. Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the house, however, are the views. Visible from the private terrace off the master bedroom? The Griffith Observatory itself. If any house is fit for a Hollywood icon, it’s this one.



- “I’ve been focusing on healing our family" 

- "I wanted it to be close to their dad, who is only five minutes away." "You’ve met our kids."  They bought it (the DeMille) together.  

- "It’s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body."  







From L-R Vivienne wears a @LoveShackFancy cardigan and @Rails shorts. Zahara wears a @Vince top and BDG at @UrbanOutfitters jeans. Shiloh wears a @AnemosSwim shirt. Knox wears a @Molo T-Shirt. #AngelinaJolie wears a @Khaite_NY cashmere sweater, @MaxMara skirt and her own vintage @Cartier watch. Photographed by @CraigMcDeanStudio and styled by @Edward_Enninful, with hair by @HairByLorenzoMartin, make-up by @RachelGoodwinMakeUp nails by @Ashlie_Johnson, set design by @StefanBeckman, sittings editor @DenaGia, production company @Prodn_ArtAndCommerce and Vogue entertainment director-at-large @JillDemling.


Sunglasses and chain bracelet, Angelina's own.



Vintage @BrunelloCucinelli_Brand kaftan, Angelina's own. Thin gold band, Angelina's own.


Vintage Saint Laurent shirt, Angelina's own



 





scans Weibo 










#AngelinaJolie wears a coat and skirt by @MaxMara, a @Sablyn__ camisole, @RalphLauren shoes and jewellery by @Hoorsenbuhs, @JenniferFisherJewelry and @AnitaKoJewelry. Photographed by @CraigMcDeanStudio


“I’ve Come Through A Few Things. I’m Trying To Be Hopeful”: At Home With Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie is as much the all-action heroine at home and in the international arena as she is on screen. For the March issue of British Vogue, Edward Enninful caught up with the indefatigable star in her historic LA estate to discuss her latest directorial project, her book with Amnesty International and her continuing fight for the rights of women and children.

As the sun came up on Los Angeles on the first Tuesday of November last year, it brought with it the promise of an auspicious day. At 7am, the polls in California opened for a generation-defining American election, as the British Vogue team pulled up to a discreet estate tucked away in a quiet corner of Los Feliz, topped by an eye-catching Italianate Revival villa, built in 1913, and steeped in Hollywood history. Just like its owner.

Angelina Jolie – actor, film-maker, humanitarian – had invited us to spend two days with her, to let us into her world. To say the home she shares with her six children – Maddox, 19, Pax, then 16, Zahara, then 15, Shiloh, 14, and 12-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox – is full of life would be an understatement. Laughter, chatter, food, rabbits, dogs, lizards, political debate, music appreciation, impromptu haircuts and Zoom meetings are all part of the day-to-day. (The children ended up jumping into the photos, too.) As has been the way of late, I joined remotely from London to style the shoot. Angelina, who wears her clothes until they’re completely worn out and has a love for vintage, shared a few of her own treasured pieces.

#AngelinaJolie wears a @Burberry poloneck, @MaxMara trousers, @ChanelOfficial shoes, earrings by @MariaTash & @JacquieAiche and bracelet and ring by @AnitaKoJewelry. Photographed by @CraigMcDeanStudio  on the March 2021 cover of British Vogue.  

It was a remarkable day… and night… and day. As the hours ticked by, we were all checking our phones compulsively between shots, watching the election results creep in, feeling ever more tantalisingly buoyant. A few weeks later, Angelina, 45, and I caught up to talk, her warm laugh and thoughtful pauses as bewitching in conversation as they are on the big screen.

What follows is a portrait of a woman, a mother and a rebel at heart. With two decades of experience as a humanitarian and human rights campaigner under her belt, and with a host of new artistic projects coming, she was, I found, in a reflective and open-hearted mood, cautiously hopeful for both her future and the world’s. As ever, what strikes you most about Angelina is that, no matter what life throws at her, her fire remains undimmed.

Edward Enninful: Angelina, what a pleasure it is to be talking to you today. There’s a new president moving into the White House; some positive steps, in terms of vaccinations, are being made in the pandemic; and we’re on the cusp of a new season. Despite everything, are you feeling a little hopeful?

Angelina Jolie: Well, I put a lot of my hopes for the future on the younger generation. Maybe that’s because I live with six kids, aged 12 to 19, so I see that particular group – and I certainly see how much more pressure they are under than we were at their age. They’re quite overwhelmed with a lot of information that we were sheltered from. But I see Mad [Maddox] online speaking in Russian to someone or talking to Korea, or Shi [Shiloh] saying hi to her friends in Namibia, I see there’s this new way young people can connect and know each other in this global way. It’s how they’ll start to solve our problems.

How have the past few months been for you? I know you’ve been at home in Los Angeles with your children.

I think that like most families, we have had this bigger thing happening with the pandemic. But of course you also have these life markers. We went into it having just gotten out of the hospital with Zahara [who underwent surgery early last year], and we were so happy she was OK that we entered lockdown in a different state of mind. But, you know, there are also these other markers of life: Pax going into his senior year, but not being able to enjoy all that it is to be a senior; Zahara finally getting her driving licence, but she’s taking the test with the driver wrapped in the full outfit with the masks. It’s not how you imagine these moments. But birthdays go on, and I think that for many people, it’s made us all feel very human together. There’s something beautiful about that.

#AngelinaJolie wears her own dress worn as a top with earrings by @MariaTash & @JacquieAiche and bracelet and ring by @AnitaKoJewelry. Zahara wears a @Vince top and choker by @Adinas.Jewels, Vivienne wears a @Numero74_official dress and Knox wears a @Molo T-shirt. 

There definitely is. We had the great pleasure of photographing you at your home, which also happens to be the former estate of Cecil B DeMille. How wonderful…

I wanted it to be close to their dad, who is only five minutes away. I felt a little pressure moving in. Like I had snuck into where DeMille and Chaplin would hang out. I love most that there is no entertainment room, but lots of pathways and places to walk and think. I feel very fortunate we have that at this time.

Can you describe a typical day for your family?

Well, I was never very good at sitting still. Even though I wanted to have many children and be a mom, I always imagined it kind of like Jane Goodall, travelling in the middle of the jungle somewhere. I didn’t imagine it in that true, traditional sense. I feel like I’m lacking in all the skills to be a traditional stay-at-home mom. I’m managing through it because the children are quite resilient, and they’re helping me, but I’m not good at it at all.

Oh, I don’t believe that!

Well, I love them. I feel like we’re such a team. It may sound clichĂ©d, but you love and you try, and even if you burn the eggs, that doesn’t matter in the end. But also, you’ve met our kids. They’re pretty capable.

That’s a testament to you. You should be proud.

Thank you [laughs].

So, we had a wonderful time over two days shooting this story. I knew how important it was for us to reflect through the photography where you are now as a woman. Where do I find you in your life and your outlook?

I’m feeling that I’ve come through a few things. I’m trying to be hopeful. I think this is something we’ve all discovered through the pandemic.

One of the things I respect about you is the way you never lose sight of your passions. You’ll soon be publishing a book for children and young adults with Geraldine Van Bueren QC and Amnesty International – can you tell me a little about it?

It’s called Know Your Rights (And Claim Them). We want to help young people to identify who or what is blocking them from accessing their human rights, and how to try to overcome that. The message to young people is, no one has the right to harm you, to silence you.

Fantastic.

Young people are engaged and ready to fight. But there is a level of misinformation we never faced growing up. We want the book to help give them the tools to strengthen their fight and empower them in a very practical way.

Important work.

Maybe it’s just the young punk in me, but I like the spirit of the youth. I believe they can see right and wrong with more clarity. I see a lot of older people making excuses for certain behaviours, and it tends to be the younger person who is quicker to say, “But this is simply wrong, and we stand against it.” I’ve wanted to remain that person.

Vintage @BrunelloCucinelli_Brand kaftan, Angelina's own, Velvet thong sandals @TomFord, Gold and diammond necklace @JacquieAiche. Gold and diamond ring @AnitaKoJewelry.  Thin gold band, Angelina's own.  photographed by @CraigMcDeanStudio

You’re the special envoy for the UN Refugee Agency. You’ve been with them for 20 years, I think?

Twenty years this year.

Wow.

I started in my early twenties, putting on my boots and backpack, and going out to try and figure out what the hell was going on in the world. I tried to give myself a broader education than I’d had at school. I grew up in a very empty place, in many ways, so had to go to find a wider understanding.

Have you changed through it?

I went through a phase of being so shocked and angry about a system that tolerates millions of people being displaced by war, genocide and persecution. I’m still just as angry about injustice, but whereas my younger self wanted to tear down the system, I’ve learnt I have to fight to try to change it from within.

How do you feel when you look back on your work with the UN?

I have a love-hate relationship with the UN. I love when I see practical solutions and protection for those in most need. I love to see people from around the world risking their lives for that. What I hate is how little focus governments have on actually solving the reasons people flee. I hate it when we don’t speak out and defend the rights of all people equally. And I hate when I feel the focus isn’t encouraging people and countries to be independent, but seems to benefit from them being broken.

Do you feel the discourse around refugees has evolved at all during the past two decades?

I think if anything it has worsened. We speak as if refugees are a burden. But they’ve had to adapt. They have a different skill set, a different look in their eye. They’ve confronted their own humanity in such a profound way. They’ve stood up to oppression. We should honour their fight. Honour the people who’ve fled bombs and protected their kids.

You’ve directed films and documentary films, and you’re about to go back behind the camera for the biopic of war photographer Don McCullin. Don is one of my favourite photojournalists – what made you want to adapt his autobiography for the big screen?

I’m still very nervous. Even the other day, I thought to email him to ask him some questions, and I was composing my email to get it just right. He’s incredible. The story is about Don, but it’s also equally about the conflicts he has been witness to, and the lives of the people within the now-famous photographs, who they were, and the often darker truth of those conflicts.

And you’ll be playing a big-screen comic-book creation later this year in Marvel’s ‘Eternals’, with Richard Madden and Salma Hayek. I hear that there might be a gold bodysuit involved?

I love this cast, and that we all came together. I signed up to support ChloĂ© [Zhao]’s vision and Marvel’s commitment to expand the way we see “superheroes”. Running around in a gold bodysuit was not how I imagined my forties. But it’s good crazy, I think.

Do you feel as if you’re at a happy stage in your life?

I don’t know. The past few years have been pretty hard. I’ve been focusing on healing our family. It’s slowly coming back, like the ice melting and the blood returning to my body.

It’s a journey…

But I’m not there. I’m not there yet. But I hope to be. I’m planning on it. I do like being older. I feel much more comfortable in my forties than I did when I was younger. Maybe because… I don’t know… maybe because my mom didn’t live very long, so there’s something about age that feels like a victory instead of a sadness for me.

Absolutely.

So I like it. I’m looking forward to my fifties – I feel that I’m gonna hit my stride in my fifties. Though we were on the trampoline the other day, and the children said, “No, Mom, don’t do that. You’ll hurt yourself.” And I thought, “God, isn’t that funny?” There was a day I was an action star, and now the kids are telling me to get off the trampoline because I’ll hurt myself.

I love that. Kids will always tell you how it is.

Even at their young age they know that what matters is to feel safe and loved and stable. To not see those you love harmed. To know your own mind and truth and not to live a lie.

Angelina gives her eldest son, Maddox, an impromptu haircut at home in LA. 

Maddox wears jeans and jewelry, his own.

© Craig McDean

You’ve made a concerted effort to raise them to be global citizens. Why is it so important to parent them in this way?

They are from across the globe. When I see Mad in Cambodia, it’s his home. He is a Cambodian man, and at the same time, he is also an American citizen and a global citizen. But it’s not just important for him to go there, it’s important for his siblings to go there, too. We’ve been very blessed to have a family of different cultures and races. We are all learning from each other.

You’ve built a family out of individuals.

Aw, well I feel like it’s a big deal if they accept me, you know? I mean, that’s the thing for a lot of mothers, and for a lot of parents regardless. But I think even more so if you have adopted children. They have to choose you, too. It’s not the parents’ family and they’re in it. It’s our family.

#AngelinaJolie wears a @Dior trench coat and watch and jewellery by @AnaKhouri @AnitaKoJewelry and Elaine Neustadter Collection, photographed with her dogs, Dusty and Sophia by @CraigMcDeanStudio

What advice would you give to parents on inspiring their children to be socially and environmentally conscious?

Well, I know this may sound strange, but don’t make it a duty for them to do good or have to give back. If we can help children feel that it’s not about duty or service or charity, but the joy of an interconnected life with people you respect, then it feels very different.

It was wonderful to see on the shoot, the kids were all having so much fun with clothes. They all seem to have such distinct styles.

I couldn’t force anything on anybody, which is part of the fun. They are all very different.

They’re very cool, aren’t they?

They are [both laugh].

How have you found the changing shape of motherhood, as the children have grown up, say, from the beginning to now?

I was best friends with my mom. I loved having babies, but I love sitting up at night and talking to my kids. I like the teenage years. I like the older years. I love hanging out with them.

Do they challenge your opinions, sometimes?

[Laughs] Oh, yeah… They think that I’m a bit ridiculous, as they should. And they all know me in different ways. You know, they’ve all crossed into that moment when they realise that there’s nothing special about me. I’m just older. I don’t have all the secrets. I just mean well.

You’re Mum.

I’m Mom.

You’ve always been very considered in your fashion choices.

I invest in quality pieces, and then just wear them to death. Boots, a favourite coat, a favourite purse, I don’t change things often, you know? That’s one of my things.

Is there a sustainability element to that, too?

We’re all trying to figure out what the best way is, but I imagine there’ll be more and more regulations, and I think that’s the best thing that can happen. Because even a thoughtful consumer can be conned by a good promotion of something that is not in fact good, right?

Indeed.

Enjoying your vintage pieces, if you have them, and rediscovering some vintage shops seems like part of the way forward. And with beauty, Guerlain is really a favourite of mine. Z [Zahara] and I share the perfume products, such as the lotion and the body wash. I love that she and I will remember each other by a smell. Especially as my first memory of Guerlain was the scent of my mother’s powder.

You mention Guerlain. Could you tell us about your project with them and women beekeepers?

The goal is to help train women in different countries to work as beekeepers. In fact, one of the first women coming into the programme will be from the area where we work in Cambodia.

That’s fantastic. So tell me something people don’t know about you that might surprise them?

Oh my God. I’ve always heard people asked that question and I think in the back of my head, “I wonder what I’d say if anybody ever asked me?” But I’ve never prepared the answer. Hmmm. Somebody said the surprise about me is that I’m a closet foreign policy wonk. I’m a bit more boring than people would think… I’m a bit of a geek.

Lastly, as someone else who doesn’t tend to switch off a lot, I would love to know what you do to try and unwind, so I can take some lessons.

Ha! If somebody could tell me how to unwind, I would like to know. I have never learnt how, and I have decided, at 45, I’m never going to.

Agreed [both laugh].

I’m gonna go further, I’m gonna get more wound.

Love that.

I’m just gonna do it.

The March issue of British Vogue is on newsstands on 5 February.



Posted by at
Labels: , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)