ELLE UK

KAI-ISAIAH JAMAL IS THE COVER STAR OF THIS MONTH’S ELLE, which is our Hope issue. They’re someone I’ve wanted to celebrate on our pages since they made history as the first trans person to be nominated for Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards in 2023. That year, the list of nominees – which included models Paloma Elsesser, Mona Tougaard and Anok Yai – was hailed as the British Fashion Council’s most inclusive yet. Kai, who has walked the runways of Burberry, Louis Vuitton and Willy Chavarria, among others, stood out in a crowded landscape for their striking, singular mix of effortless cool, youthful eccentricity and ageless elegance, coupled with their inspiring activism for the trans community. When Kai and I had a call ahead of their cover shoot for ELLE,…

PAGE 110 The artist RONAN MCKENZIE A multidisciplinary creative and the founder of fashion label Selasi, Ronan Mckenzie finds her drive in amplifying others: ‘There are so many closed doors – if I’ve got a toe in, why not open it?’ The career advice she doesn’t listen to is ‘to network’: ‘I’ve always found that working with my friends and peers is the most rewarding and enjoyable, and has yielded the best results.’ In this issue, she photographed model and poet Kai-Isaiah Jamal for the cover. The author CALEB AZUMAH NELSON A star of literary fiction, Caleb Azumah Nelson is best known for his debut novel Open Water and follow-up Small Worlds, both of which are being adapted for television. His early inspirations included Malorie Blackman and John Williams, but everything changed when he discovered the…

DURING A JAM-PACKED SS25 SEASON IN PARIS, THE MOST whispered-about happening wasn’t a catwalk show or a rumoured changing of the creative-director guard, but a little pop-up sale held by vintage retailer Resee. The event, which offered an exclusive range of ‘Old Céline’, dominated chat on the front row – a place typically rife with Phoebe Philo fans. You might shrug the whole thing off as the Phoebe factor but, to me, it said a lot about what’s most desirable in fashion today. Just a week ago, we had watched the Prada show in Milan, where Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons resurrected some of the brand’s most iconic shoes from the Nineties and Noughties – including a pair of rubber-toecap Mary Jane platforms from AW12 that I will forever long for…

shop: HIGH SOCIETY Heels are no longer to be saved for after dark. The catwalk directive at Miu Miu, Dolce & Gabbana and Saint Laurent encouraged us to wear them from 8am. Are you ready to embrace the step up? Lead the charge in the season’s best – and tallest – footwear. order: SERVED SAVOURY Cocktail culture is moving away from the saccharine in favour of salt and spice. Think carrot-based liquors, sprout-infused spirits, lashings of chilli and brine-filled booze. Dip your toe into the trend with LPM’s iconic Tomatini, or try Seed Library for the most experimental concoctions – it’s one way to get your five-a-day. see: ARPITA SINGH: REMEMBERING Step into the world of one of India’s most celebrated artists and experience more than 60 years of her shifting style, ranging from bold…

NADINE MOSALLAM JUST wanted to make a dress; she didn’t set out to build a business. ‘It was based off my own body – that’s how I started. I never had the intention of starting my own brand. It was more that I could never find anything I liked, or that fitted me properly, or that spoke to who I am and who I wish to become – because I keep changing,’ she says. ‘I wasn’t ever thinking this has to be a real thing.’ That might have been the case, but once she launched her label Nadine Mos, the young designer realised she had a very real thing on her hands. There are already the accolades to prove it. A gaggle of international cool girls – artists, musicians, Taylor Russell…

With 13 Grammys, two Oscar nominations, four Billboard number-one hits and over 20 years’ of fashion collaborations, Williams, now the creative director of menswear at Louis Vuitton, is a multi-hyphenate whose impact and cultural relevance are enduring. This year, he’s adding a new collaboration with Moët & Chandon to his impressive and ever-growing list of projects. He sits down to discuss why he’s in a celebratory mood. WHAT IS MAKING YOU FEEL OPTIMISTIC FOR 2025? I’m optimistic about the power of collective joy and human connection. I believe that by celebrating each other we can create a more connected world. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GREAT LIFE LESSONS YOU’VE LEARNED? The importance of humility, empathy and gratitude. Human connection is about understanding and appreciating the people around us. It’s not about material gifts, but…