Category: film-tv

The ninth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars is here! Reprising on the main stage to compete for a $200,000 grand prize are eight queens from its first season to Season 14: Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Gottmik, Jorgeous, Nina West, Plastique Tiara, Roxxxy Andrews, Shannel and Vanessa Vanjie.

However, it wouldn’t be Drag Race without some twists and turns from Mama Ru. For the first time in the show’s herstory, the cash prize will be donated to the charity of the winner’s choosing — supplied through The Palette Fund, a private foundation “dedicated to breaking down barriers and advancing social change in communities that are under-resourced and facing significant challenges.”

The competition debuts today on Paramount+ with a two-episode season premiere hosted by RuPaul and produced by World of Wonder, with new episodes premiering every Friday, along with new episodes Untucked.

Below, PAPER followed the queens of All Stars 9 to NYC’s Top of the Rock to chat about why they chose their respective charities.

Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Season 14

Angeria Paris VanMichaels, Season 14

“I chose the National Black Justice Coalition. I wanted a charity that really speaks to me and represents who I am. I am black. I am queer. Okay! And we fight for the rights. Okay?”

Gottmik, Season 13

Gottmik, Season 13

“I am fighting for Trans Lifeline this season. As a trans individual, I am representing an organization that is trans people running for trans people. I wish I had them when I was first transitioning, so I’m honored to be able to give them a platform and raise money for them all at the same time. It’s gonna be iconic just like this gorgeous Jean Paul Gaultier look I’m wearing today. I love my Gaultier family so much. Thank you for making me look fierce.”

Jorgeous, Season 14

Jorgeous, Season 14

“I’m playing for National Alliance on Mental Illness. They advocate, educate and listen to people with mental illness and help them build better lives, with their families, too. Mental health is so important, especially after COVID. We’ve been through so much shit, like dealing with stuff by ourselves. And honestly, I deal with a lot of anxiety and depression, too. There’s so many people that go through it. I want to be a voice for those people to tell them that they are not alone, for real.”

Nina West, Season 11

Nina West, Season 11

“I am so proudly playing for The Trevor Project. I chose it because I was really isolated and alone as a queer kid growing up, and I don’t want anybody to experience that vulnerability and suffering and isolation. Did you know that suicide is the number-two cause of death for LGBTQIA+ youth and youth in general ages 10 to 13? And ages 14 to 20, it’s the number-three cause of death? The Trevor Project is so important, and they’re saving lives.”

Plastique Tiara, Season 11

Plastique Tiara, Season 11

“I chose The Asian American Foundation because I am Asian American.”

Roxxxy Andrews, Season 5 and All Stars Season 2

Roxxxy Andrews, Season 5 and All Stars 2

“I chose the charity Miracle of Love from Orlando, Florida, because under the umbrella is a thing called Divas in Dialogue, and they do so much for the trans community of color. I just see them do the work firsthand, and that’s why I love them so much. They need lots of money, and we’re going to earn that money for them!”

Shannel, Season 1 and All Stars Season 1

Shannel, Season 1 and All Stars 1

“I’m super excited for this season because it’s a charitable one. I am for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, which is very near and dear to my heart. Depression is something that a lot of us have, and it needs to have a voice. It isn’t just about medication. Instead, it needs help, and it needs all of the things that a lot of people feel like they don’t have, that they should have. It is an amazing organization that’s built up of just five people. You can contact them directly, and they can get you all of the tools and assets to help you feel like your normal self again. It’s going to be an amazing, amazing season with the best queens of all time.”

Vanessa Vanjie, Season 10 and 11

Vanessa Vanjie, Season 10 and 11

“I’m here in the mother fucking Big Apple. The look is giving All Stars 9. Ready for the kids! All Stars 9. Run me my money! All Stars 9. Everything is All Stars 9! I chose ASPCA because I work with animals now with my day-to-day job and because I’m passionate about animals. Growing up, when I felt a little crazy, which is every day, they were my comfort. Performing for my pets. Unconditional love. I get to put two things together that I love dearly: drag and animals. Educate the kids and give back.”

Photography: Devin Kasparian

This is So Chic, Very Chic, PAPER’s examination of Bravo’s sprawling cohort of fashion obsessives. From haute couture to TJ Maxx, they’ve literally worn it all. Sometimes they stunt, sometimes they turn the look, and sometimes they burn holes in retinas my ophthalmologist says might never heal

Hanging out with gay people can be one of two things. Either you’ll sit around in silence while Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” loops on YouTube against your will while everyone tweets about how it’s impossible to date without sex in New York City, or you’ll be at dinner at dinner and that one friend will start an open discussion about the word “trade,” as it’s used on RuPaul’s Drag Race, at least.

My mind lingered on the etymology and evolution of the word “trade” while watching the The Real Housewives of New Jersey this week. Their husbands all look like butch queens who think being a butch queen is what trade means. More specifically, they dress like the men RuPaul conscripts into the Pit Crew. They’re oiled and tan, sure, but also shoeless. I half expected one of them to turn to camera and start hawking Horse Meat Disco tickets, or complaining about how OnlyFans has ruined their community and stolen their 20s. (Just another thing butch queens on the internet and New Jersey small business owners have in common.)

I’m new to the East Coast and still learning about its culture. Namely, the men of Jersey’s tendency to look like that and do their hair like that, outside my knowledge of RHONJ and the extras in the background of Jersey Shore episodes. Even the gay ones! I used to think it was a joke until I moved to Philly and made my first inaugural trip to the Costco in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Inside, I caught a glance at a butch queen with spray tan stains on his muscle tee.

Of course, I like to show, not tell. So let’s take a looky-loo at some buff New Jersey residents.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey

Marge Josephs and Joe Gorga

I don’t know where Bravo producers got this picture of me with trade, but I got choked up when it flashed across the screen. When he started playing in my hair and makeup, I knew our days were numbered. It’s a slippery slope, once they get their hands on a shake-and-go wig and some lip gloss, but I remember him fondly, even if he did leave tan and oil stains all over my sheets.

Also, Marge’s hair is so blonde now it’s almost white, which I actually quite like. The dress is nothing to write home about, except if the people at home were desperately looking for the fake Hermès scarves they sell on Alibaba to women like this.

Melissa Gorga

Despite the cacophony of Teresa Giudice fans always threatening to call lawyers on Instagram pages or hiring private investigators to spy on people who disagree with their queen, I quite like Melissa’s whole vibe this season. Without the crushing weight of Teresa on her shoulders, she’s relaxed a bit — enough to slip into this latex dress, at the very least. It’s a fabulous color on her! It fits her OK enough to boot, even if I wouldn’t have plopped the braid over the shoulder, and even if we already saw Erika Jayne and then Meredith Marks in this look years ago. At least, I think it was Meredith, or someone with the same sort of fillers.

Teresa Giudice

Teresa gives Hera, the Greek goddess: a vengeful mistress who exercises her resentment of her husband on mortal women, constantly terrorizing some peasant or upstart minor deity whose eyes had wandered a bit too close to Zeus’ large, imposing … thunderbolt. The dress is patently ridiculous, as is the lopsided updo, but I’m smitten nonetheless. This is what I need from the CW reboot of The Argonauts, specifically that scene in book three when her and Artemis conspire over Jason.

That said, let me open a roundtable discussion on the bangle. I’m not quite sure how I feel about those sorts of charm bracelets for the rich, and I’d love to hear dissenting opinions.

Jennifer Fessler

Fessler, as she’s known by most, fucked James Gandolfini back in the day. I’m resentful of her for getting to take Tony Soprano out for a spin, but it is her claim to fame, and by god will she tell it to just about anyone in earshot. Anyway, here she is dressed like one of his side pieces. The statement necklace troubled me at first glance, when I initially thought it was attached to the dress. I’m not quite sure it’s not, but it could be. And that sort of trickery from a statement necklace is no laughing matter. Still, she’s never looked better, at least in my own estimation! Keep me on my toes, Jennifer. (Miss Fessler, if you’re nasty.)

Danielle Cabral

I really need everyone who will ever read this column to fix their eyes firmly on Danielle’s pants. Yes, she absolutely paid too much for 40 percent of a pant, but that’s not the international law she’s broken. Somehow, by witchcraft or villainy, the exposed threads in the rips have been dyed neon green. Why? Well, I’m no wicked soul, and thus the answer eludes me.

Summer House

Paige DeSorbo and Lindsay Hubbard

I’m normally quite hard on these two, because my affection for these crazy kids runs deeper than I might let on, but I’d like to give props where they are properly due. While it’s hard to fully get our eyes around Paige’s dress, it’s a beautiful, creamy silk, and the cut suits her perfectly. She’s still walking around dressed like a haunted American Girl doll, but I’m always talking about her. It must be working. (The haircut, likewise, was invented just for her.)

As for Lindsay, it’s like this Courrèges dress was hand dyed to look as excellent on her as a dress could possibly look. Her breasts are sat, her waist snatched, and all the other sorts of things I could possibly say about a girl boss queen who slays boots the house. I think she should let off the high ponytails just a bit, but only because I think a rough mane would have elevated what is already one of her better looks this season.

Just as quickly, she dashes me on the rocks. That’s the Lindsay Hubbard experience!

West Wilson

I’d like to take back every nice thing I’ve ever said about this philandering sports writer with a smile that could hide the nastiest of misdeeds. Of course, we’ve no idea if he’s really fucked around behind Ciara’s back, but his coy, shy, playful demeanor won’t fool me a second time! No matter how often he grooms himself like a tragic Dickensian orphan come to beg for scraps of bread.

The Valley

Some Guy, Literally

The Valley continues its current reign as Bravo’s least fashionable show, and I’d probably have it no other way. The most memorable sight this episode was Jesse’s beanie, seen above, which he picked up while doing ayahuasca in the woods with a bunch of men who were surely men’s rights activists. The beanie is just so predictable, isn’t it? This is the type of man you never swipe for on the apps, because they’ll trap you at a bar only college girls go to while he lectures you about why girls these days should lighten up, and maybe go do mushrooms with him in the woods while he dodges calls from his ex-wife. He often gives off the vibe that him and Louie — Teresa’s spooky husband on RHONJ — would get along quite nicely.

Kristen Doute

Last episode, Kristen donned her wrist brace and yoga pants and ate lizard food on camera while her boyfriend watched, a bit too eager for my liking. I worried she’d fallen into a pit she’d never escape from, until she popped up in a new confessional look this episode, signaling she’d made herself a nice little home down there. It’s her best, and breastiest, look in the booth in the eleven plus years she’s been on television. Kudos.

Vanderpump Rules

Katie Maloney and Ariana Madix

Look at these two! Ariana somehow topped her revenge dress last season, while Katie somehow drank the potion from Death Becomes Her, overnight transforming into a woman who radiates power, poise and literal glamor. She looks like the women they throw at James Bond, to get him to hand over the keys to the space laser, before she turns on him in the third act and runs off to do counterintelligence for the Russians. Ariana, meanwhile, is the plucky casino waitress he picked up while in Dubai, drafted by accident into espionage and trickery inside the Burj Khalifa by whoever they casted after Daniel Craig.

Dumb, Scheana Marie and Dumber

Tom Schwartz once again showed up to the reunion in a maroon t-shirt and poorly-fitted blazer. One trick pony? More like a tapped-dry beer keg. Brock is stuffed into his magician’s suit, and Scheana looks like the woman he’s about to saw in half for his direct-to-DVD special. (That’s a compliment, in case that isn’t clear.) She also got her highlights fixed, and the whole effect of the peachy gold dress is utterly fantastic for her complexion.

Photos courtesy of Bravo/ NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Amit Rahav feels emotions really intensely. When he gets overwhelmed or anxious, the 28-year-old actor can quite literally feel the blood exploding through his veins and rushing to his heart. “It’s sort of like an addiction to insanity,” he tells PAPER.

Maybe this is what makes him so good at channeling the dark, heavy roles he’s become known for. Since starring in the 2020 breakout hit Unorthodox, Rahav has gone on to play compelling characters within this historical drama space, first in 2023’s Transatlantic and now in the new Hulu series We Were the Lucky Ones. In the new show, which is based on a true story about a Jewish family that was separated at the start of World War II, Rahav plays a photographer who goes on a journey of self-transformation through his work.

It’s a character that was seemingly made for him. Being a queer Jewish actor, it’s vital for Rahav to infuse his culture and identity in whatever role he takes on. Having grown up hearing stories from his grandmother who is a Holocaust survivor, these stories are embedded in his DNA. “I always want to speak up for my identity and my heritage,” he says.

Below, we sit down with Rahav to discuss the new Hulu series, Chinese medicine and Lana Del Rey.

You kind of got your ‘big break’ when the pandemic just started. Your first feature with PAPER in 2020 was a Zoom photoshoot.

On my mini fridge in my bedroom that I just moved into. It was a new apartment and I was posing on my mini fridge, which is cute, but it’s also crazy to look back on and think that we just had to work with what I had. I literally just moved into this apartment and had this tiny, tiny fridge, and that was my photoshoot artistic choice.

What has your journey been like since then? Since starring in Unorthodox, doing auditions during COVID, and then the writer’s strike… What has it been like as a working actor?

For any actor in the past four to five years, it’s been like a rollercoaster. Unorthodox came out, and it was a massive thing. But I was in my apartment, and I hadn’t seen anyone. Then back home, I went back to acting school and did a bit of theater. Then came Transatlantic, which was such a refreshing shoot to have after the pandemic, because I was in the South of France and it was the most beautiful scenario to be in. For four months, it was the best weather, great cast and crew. I really enjoyed this as a sort of ending to the pandemic. But then right after that ended, I went to London for some meetings, which was my first time in three years meeting people in person and taking general meetings. Then I got We Were the Lucky Ones. But right when that wrapped, the strike happened, and right when that ended, there was a war on in the Middle East.

I think acting is a crazy job in itself. You never have the certainty of what’s about to come. You never know. That’s why I try to practice gratitude whenever I can. But it made me more resilient, in a way. I had to hold on to the actual things that are stable in my life. I started doing pottery, which was really grounding in a time of [uncertainty]. Again, acting is such a profession where you never feel that you’re in control. But then when the world is out of control, where do you find your own core? It was a whole journey through meditating and being with my friends and family and just being grateful for what I already have. It’s constant work that I’ve developed and I’m still exploring.

Do you think all actors are empaths?

What do you mean by that?

Just that they feel the energies of the world around them and that affects their work.

Yeah, it can be so exhausting. I don’t know about all actors, but I know about me. I feel emotions in such a strong way. Like physically in my body, I can feel my emotions. When I’m feeling great, I’ll feel extremely great. But when I’m feeling low or getting anxious, I feel it exploding in my body. I feel it in my veins and the blood rushing to my heart. I don’t know if most actors are like that, but it’s sort of like an addiction to insanity. I do think that empathy is a very big key for actors. That’s why I love being around actors and talking to actors because there are many similarities between us.

What do you think is your greatest strength as an actor?

I think what I just said is my blessing and my curse. I feel emotions so strongly, so it’s very easy to put myself into a heavy, dark state of mind. But also, in my day-to-day life when I’m supposed to just be a human being, I have to learn to control it a bit more. It’s like training a beast that lives inside me. And when I act, I have an outlet for it. Like I can let it off the leash. But then in my day-to-day life, I have to hold it next to me on a leash and sort of nurture it and make peace with it. That’s why I love acting, because then I can just let it go crazy.

Who are some actors that you idolize, or maybe you try to emulate in your roles? Maybe specifically for We Were the Lucky Ones.

For We Were the Lucky Ones, I watched The Pianist and Son of Saul, and in both of these performances I found something so delicate and small and intimate. That really helped me channel Jacob. Specifically in Son of Saul, the film opens with an extreme close-up on Saul’s face, and you see every wrinkle and every line and every tiny expression on his face. I loved how he overcomes the whole situation that he’s in. He’s swiping the gas chambers. That’s his job. And he needs to sort of lie to the Jewish people who are coming into the showers and are being executed. And then he goes in after they are executed and collects their belongings and looks for gold and diamonds. He has to be very practical and technical and very detached from his emotion for him to be able to do that unbelievable job. I could understand how this person got to that mental place through his performance, and it was very inspiring for me to watch before going on set.

How important is it to you to infuse your culture and your identity into your roles? Do you ever feel like it’s a sort of typecast situation, or no?

Not necessarily. I’m very grateful for every role that I’ve been doing up until now. I always want to speak up for my identity and for my heritage. Being Jewish, but also being queer, is such a main part of my identity. So telling that story tells a story of my own ancestors. But the Holocaust had so many more victims than the Jews. LGBTQ men were executed there. We can see it in the film Bent, which is so good. It’s about gay men in the Holocaust. It devastated me.

As a queer person, I feel like telling a story of racism and ignorance is important at any time. And again, in the Holocaust, it was against the Jews, but it was also against gay men and people with disabilities and people of color and the elderly. All sorts of minorities were affected by that, and it really means the world for me to tell these kinds of stories that represent me, where I come from and who I am.

You’ve been doing a lot of fashion editorial type shoots lately. Who are some of your favorite designers, or how big of a role does fashion play in your world?

I love fashion so much, because it just allows you to express yourself in such a wild way. And it’s in such a safe space, because it’s fashion. It requires you to expand your own limits and borders and to think outside of the box. But also, there’s always thought behind it. So it’s such a beautiful way of expression. I love Loewe and what Jonathan Anderson does. I really liked how he dressed everyone for the Met Gala. I really liked this team that he crafted. I think I’d want to be a part of this team.

Favorite look at the Met Gala?

Such a hard question. Hmm, Lana. I loved Lana’s look.

Yeah, hers was the best.

I also just really, really love her. She’s so good. It’s like when you listen to her, you can’t not be transformed. You hit play and you’re in a whole different world and state of mind. If you drive somewhere and you play her, which is what I do, when you leave that car you will be a different person. Listening to her words and her music, I don’t know, she smashes my heart every time.

The great poet of our time.

And also so relatable. We’ve all been through what she’s describing. I am subletting an apartment on Genesee, which she sings in “Sweet” on her new album. I listened to that song in the shower, and I was like, holy fuck.

Do you have any other niche interests or hobbies that people would be surprised to know about you?

I’m super into working out. I dislocated my shoulder on a film that I did three months ago, and I couldn’t work out because I had to recover. I enjoyed it at the beginning, but then it became horrible not being able to move. Now I’m just starting to get back into working out, and being in LA, everyone is so hot and so fit. Everyone looks like the Hulk. I’m objectively a tall guy, but being in LA, everyone here are giants. I feel very insecure going into the gym. And then being in LA and seeing all the supplements culture, I feel like I’m becoming an addict for aloe vera. Apple cider vinegar and medicinal mushrooms like cordyceps. Vitamins. I’ve become kind of like an LA cliché. I’m always preparing some kind of elixir. I’m always mixing something. Overnight oats. Something’s always happening in the kitchen.

In another life, if you weren’t an actor, what would you be?

Maybe a supplements shaman. Like a Chinese medicine specialist. I’d do acupuncture and cupping, and then I’d take your blood and tell you what’s bad for you, what’s good for you. I think I’d be that.

My grandpa got stung by 150 bees about twenty years ago, and he’s like the healthiest man ever. I think that’s why. Because in Chinese medicine, they sting you with bees on purpose because it really boosts your immune system.

Oh my god. This is the first time I’m hearing about that, and I consider myself very knowledgeable about these things. This reminds me that the other day, I felt a little bit of a cold, so I went to this place on Sunset and got vitamins injected into my butt muscle. I got vitamin B. It was red and sparkly. After that, I went to cryotherapy where you stand in minus 150 degrees for three and a half minutes. It was snowing in that small room. You can blast your ears with music to get you dancing. I was listening to “Prada” because I needed to get my body moving.

That’s like a Lana song title. “I Walked to Sunset Boulevard to Get My Vitamin B.”

Yeah, and then went to cryotherapy.

What’s your dream role?

I think that up until now, I’ve been doing a lot of heavy, sad, tragic things. I’d like to do some indie, maybe queer, maybe uplifting roles. But I do like heart-wrench, so maybe a modern queer Romeo and Juliet that doesn’t end with a tragic ending. I don’t know. There are so many amazing roles that I’d love to do. I’d love to be a bad guy at some point. A psychopath.

No comedy?

I love comedy. I always look for comedy when I act. That’s my default move, to look for where I can add a bit of lightness and humor. I mean, in my personal life, I’m so distant from the characters that I play. I think my friends would say that I’m funnier and lighter [than my roles]. So I do always look for where I can add [humor]. I think the best thing is when it’s a mixture of pain and death and darkness, but also humor and laughter. So I’m looking for a more complicated role than just comedy, although I would love to do anything. So I don’t know what I’m talking about.

Photography: Tyler Matthew Oyer

British grime MC Skepta is adding filmmaker to his list of accolades. He directed and produced his short film Tribal Mark, a coming-of-age story featuring an almost entirely minority ethnic cast and production team, a first in British Cinema according to a release on the film. The movie acts as an original story for an anti-hero character called Tribal Mark, a James Bond-ish debonair well well-dressed undercover Secret Service agent that embodies all the suave of the infamous espionage icon, but with a Nigerian immigrant back story, one Black movie-goers are more likely to relate to.

“I’ve always wanted to get into making films, and now feels like the perfect time,” Skepta says of his film debut. “We’ve been working on this project for a while, and it’s one that’s extremely important to me. It’s a story that many immigrants will understand and connect with, as it reflects a journey many have gone through – and this project is for them. Our goal is to expand this into a growing world of action and adventure. There are plans for TV shows and movies, and I hope that kids who watch it will come to see Tribal Mark as their new superhero. This has been a new experience for me, wearing many hats like producing, co-directing, and acting. I’m excited to keep moving forward with Tribal Mark and future projects with my team at 1Plus1 Production.”

Last month, Skepta celebrated the film with a premiere event in New York City at the Museum of Arts and Design followed by an after-party at chich night club Silencio, both hosted by Martell. The star-studded night featured a DJ set where “Jangrova” the theme and title track of the film played by Skepta, ODUMODUBLVCK and Idris Elba spun.

“The New York premiere was my favorite experience so far,” he shares exclusively with PAPER. “[It] brought together such a special crowd. Being able to bring this film across the world and see everyone’s reactions and excitement has been a blessing. This is just the beginning for Tribal Mark, and we’re excited to bring this to more eyes across the globe.”

Photography: Getty Images

Julia Fox’s new TV show, OMG Fashun, is here! Airing on E!, the design competition series follows “a new generation of designers who want to shake up the fashion industry.”

How it works is that each episode sees three different fashion “disruptors” creating a look based on thematic and socially topical challenges created by Fox herself, using unconventional materials and constructed in a short amount of time. Then, the looks are presented on the runway in front of the judging panel that includes Fox, Law Roach Roach and a guest judge. The winner with the most unexpected and subversive look is crowned the winner, awarded a $10,000 cash prize, and gets their garment modeled by Fox.

To celebrate the premiere of OMG Fashun, PAPER caught up with Fox to chat about supporting emerging designers, working with Law Roach, and turning the fashion industry upside down.

Hi Julia! How are you? Are you shook from this morning?

Oh my god, the earthquake. Yes. I literally thought, We’re all gonna die.

How has it been doing press for OMG Fashun?

It’s been so crazy.

Answering the same questions over and over again?

The same exact questions. You start to feel like you’re losing your mind a little bit. You know that Lady Gaga clip that went viral? That was like, “There could be 100 people in the room and 99 don’t believe in you, but one of them does.” It feels like that. Honestly like, queen. Each time she said it like it was the first time. It was so good.

Let’s talk about the show! It has me cracking up, like when you were like, “You’re canceled,” when you were eliminating people.

We wanted it to be fun and unserious. I feel like people right now need to laugh, like it’s literally life or death out here. So the content of the show is light hearted and fun and informative and also ethical. We’re upcycling. We’re doing a good thing. That’s really all I’m interested in doing these days.

How did this all come about?

From me doing my little upcycling videos online that would go viral, also discovering talent and wearing emerging designers. This show is just the perfect next step because I was already doing it, but now I get to do it on TV.

Is the common thread for the challenges upcycling?

1000 percent — I wouldn’t do it otherwise. We’ve seen so many design competition shows at this point that we need something different, and this is fun because you don’t have to be in fashion to want to see a bag of trash transformed into a couture gown. Anyone could get into that.

In every other design competition series, the most fun episodes are always unconventional materials challenges.

Exactly. You feel included because you’re like, “I have that shit at my house. I could do that.” My goal is that the viewers will take inspiration from this and actually do it at home. That, to me, is a win.

I feel like we know so many nightlife girlies who are so good at creating something from the 99 cent store and really turn it out.

And that’s really where I get so much inspiration and just felt like it needed to be the show because people that I admire are already doing this too. There is an audience for this.

Something that surprised me in a really good way was that the themes of each episode were topical in terms of real things happening now.

That was important to me too. I pretty much created every challenge for every episode, and I really wanted it to touch on a bigger social issue. Like fusing menswear and womenswear together was really important to me, because it does lead you to question gender norms and why we’re conditioned to think like, “Girls wear pink and boys wear blue.” Things like that where you’re like, “Wait, this was all made up. This isn’t even real.” I really wanted to break that down and get maybe a larger audience to play around with what that means.

What are some other topics you touch on?

We have the single-use plastic challenge because there’s single-use plastic everywhere in everything. And there’s the nature challenge, obviously inspired by my leaf dress that went viral. There’s a lot!

I didn’t expect there to be different designers each episode as opposed to the usual format of people getting eliminated each episode.

We went back and forth on how we were going to do it, but we felt like this way would showcase more designers. It gave us room to bring back people that had been eliminated, so there is a moment where that comes into play too. It also allows for people to win in every episode. Someone walks away with $10,000 in every episode, and that’s really cool. If I were a contestant, I would definitely like that.

Each format has its pros and cons, but we also had to shoot it in such a short time. The first season of any show is like, not like the biggest. We just had to make do with what we had, but I think it’s fucking sick. I love it.

You and Law read the contestants down, obviously in a constructive way, but I was living.

It was hard in the beginning — I’m not gonna lie. Then I think I got my footing. I didn’t want to hurt their feelings, and this shit is subjective. Everyone is valid in their design. Also I feel for them. I know how hard it is to work in a time crunch with things changing at the last minute. Some people don’t work well under pressure. Some people start second-guessing themselves or overthinking. I had to turn that part of my brain off and be like, “No, I need to judge what is in front of me.” So it was a learning curve for me. Law was a natural. Law did not give a shit. Law did not come to play. She speaks her mind!

What was it like working together?

A dream come true. I had been trying to work with Law for years since Uncut Gems came out. I reached out to Law to style me, and his team came back and were like, “He’s too busy and can’t take you on.” But I was like I’m not giving up — I’m gonna circle back with something else. So when I was making my dream wish list of co-hosts, I put his name down first. But in the back of my mind, I was like, “He’s gonna reject me again.” This was also during the time when he had quit styling, so I was like, “I might actually have a shot here.” When he came back and said he would do it, it was like the best day of my life.

There was a lot of time I was leaning on Law. I’d be looking at Law for cues for what to do, and Law has such a calming presence. She’s so grounded. I felt like I was in really good hands. There would be times when I was just speechless and didn’t even know what to fucking say, but Law would steer the ship and then I could chime in. Law was so instrumental in this. I wouldn’t do this without Law, period.

The guest judges are so fun too.

I wanted to bring people that are style icons to me, people I just love, people I’ve wanted to work with, people I admire, people I respect. Jordan Roth? Like wow. Phaedra Parks, I’ve been watching on TV since I was a fucking kid. She came in the Dolce and Gabbana birdcage shoes. Icon alert! Everybody was amazing.

Who else are we going to see?

Wisdom Kay, who I’m obsessed with on TikTok and have been following forever, makes the best content. When people ask me whose closet I’d like to rummage through, it’s definitely Wisdom Kay’s closet. That boy has everything under the sun. It’s wild. The best collection I’ve ever seen in my life. I love him — so nice and such a class act. Everyone we brought on was just such a good person.

It’s tough for the first season of a show. Some people say no, and some people are busy. I get it. We shot in Atlanta, and no one wants to come on a show that they don’t even know if it’s actually going to be good, so the people that came actually believed in it and believed in us. That there alone is like, I love them for life.

They believe in you! And you’re an aquarius, too, right? We can’t help but be honest and be ourselves.

Yeah, and we’re entering the Age of Aquarius so shit’s about to get wild. Everyone can feel it, I think. We’re questioning everything. We’re like, “Wait, why? What’s the point of this again?” It’s like the rose-colored glasses are coming off, and we’re seeing shit for the way it actually is. There’s a reckoning. There’s an awakening. There’s a vibe shift. I love it. It all needs to burn the fuck down to the ground and get rebuilt properly.

Even in fashion, we’re seeing that the way we’ve been doing things simply are not working anymore.

The audience wants something different. If you’re being served beef and potatoes every fucking night of your life, there’s gonna come a time where you want to try something different. Right? But they can’t. They’re fucking dinosaurs. They can’t do anything other than what they know how to do, and they’re afraid to let go of their post and give it up to someone who might actually know what the fuck they’re doing and know what people want to see. It’s so frustrating and aggravating. Sometimes I feel like I am being gaslit like 24/7.

Was going from making your own content to working with network TV challenging?

What I will say with NBC was that they were so amazing. They were on set with us, and they just let us do what the fuck we want it. They really trusted us, which I heard is actually very uncommon, but they saw the first couple of days of filming and were like, “You guys got this. No notes. Keep doing what you’re doing.” It was really exciting that they were so excited because they actually do this, while this is all new to me. I don’t know what’s normal. I don’t know what the standards are. I’m just going into it blindly. So to have them just be like, “You’re doing great.” That was pretty surreal.

Maybe because you’re pretty secure in who you are.

There was a moment when I was on set for the first day, and I was a little nervous like, “Oh my god, will I be able to do this?” I got to put on my best host voice and go out there. Then I was like, “Oh, I was born to do this.” It just came really naturally.

Do you keep in contact with a lot of the contestants?

At the end of every taping, I would tell my stylist to go get their number. I’ve made sure that relationships were built. Even if they didn’t win the episode, they would still get to see me wearing their clothes.

Did Briana style you for the show?

Of course, and she fuckind slayed it. Every outfit I wore was upcycled, and it was all on theme with whatever the challenge was going to be.

I love that you mostly only work with people you’ve known forever.

I only work with people I’ve known forever. It’s like our little factory. We have harmony and work well together, and they can read my mind. With some people, when you’re no longer useful to them, they discard you. They’re not about actually building long lasting relationships. They just want to get something.

Are you still focusing on acting, as well?

I’m definitely still acting. I don’t want to get pigeonholed. I want to be able to do an array of things because I have so many interests, and I love so many mediums. If you’re an artist, that’ll shine through no matter what the medium in front of you is. You’re gonna make it your own. You’re gonna have your vision and your unique take. It’s all about self-expression, and there’s more than one way to express yourself. We’re Aquarians, babe, our life mission is different. God gave us the harder task.

Where do you think OMG Fashun will take you?

I’m just hoping and praying for season 2! I hope it does well, and I hope we can continue. My mission in this arena has just begun. I would love to eventually have my own room and stage at New York Fashion Week and have shows for our contestants. Like I think that would be so fucking cool. I want to make this like a bootcamp program, like we fucking help you build your collection and debut it and then maybe film that too and make it like a spinoff of the competition show. There’s so many directions this could go in you know, but it just needs to do well. I know people don’t really watch TV anymore like that, but I hope they will for this.

We’re manifesting now and only speaking out into the universe that it’ll do well.

Thank you. I love you.

I have to hop off, but I really appreciate you taking the time for us.

Thank you! I’m sure I’ll see you soon. Bye, baby.

Photos courtesy of E! Entertainment/ NBCUniversal Media, LLC

Few experiences have left me as unmoored as seeing I Saw The TV Glow at a 10 AM press screening. The film circles the story of Owen (played by Ian Foreman and Justice Smith), a shy boy growing up in dreary suburbia who finds solace and companionship through a Buffy-esque procedural, The Pink Opaque, introduced to him by an older confidante, the brooding Maddie (Brigette Lundy-Paine). As the pair find themselves increasingly enthralled by the show’s strange magic, they also find themselves trapped in its creeping limbo.

Art, especially for queer and trans youth, can serve as a life-saving escape. But just exactly where does that escape lead to? A vast expanse to roam, or a cell, locked and put away? As I watched the film, the echoes of months spent wasting in my bedroom as a young boy, listening to music, retreating into the digital, rang around my skull. “When I think about that stuff, I feel like someone took a shovel and dug out my insides,” Owen says in response to Maddie questioning his sexuality. “I know there’s nothing there, but I’m still too nervous to open myself up to check.”

In just two films, Schoenbrun has shown themself to be one of the great articulators of the deep dread and longing that defines so much of queer and trans adolescence. In their first film, the microbudget We’re All Going to the World’s Fair, a young teenager’s reality begins to disintegrate after she becomes obsessed with an online role-playing game. Like I Saw The TV Glow, the film brings to light the natural horror that can arise when isolation and escape ferment to something more akin to rotted sequestration. That Schoenbrun continues to explore such themes is a gift.

A giddy gratitude permeated I Saw The TV Glow’s premiere, a collaboration between A24 and Rooftop Films at Powerhouse Arts in Gowanus, Brooklyn. The film’s cast hobnobbed with collaborators and admirers alike, alongside some of indie music’s best. The film was scored by stalwart musician Alex G, but also flexes original songs from the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Caroline Polacheck, Yeule and Sloppy Jane, whose lead singer, Haley Dahl, was at the premier alongside Kyp Malone (TV on the Radio), cast member Lindsey Jordan (Snail Mail) and L’Rain (Taja Cheek) who DJed the event. Check out exclusive photos of the event below.

PAPER caught Schoenbrun the morning before I Saw The TV Glow’s premiere to chat about the challenges of discussing the film, the emotional process behind writing and making it and the experience of curating a perfect mixtape.

It must have been heavy to make this film, but I imagine that now talking about it with the press ad nauseum is a whole other beast. How’s that’s been for you?

The only way I can survive a press tour like his one is by treating it as some weird combination of therapy and writing my memoir. The film is still just coming out, but I’ve been talking about it for a while now. I find myself just shit-talking movies that I don’t like, or talking about my experience making the movie as much as I’m talking about what the movie is about. That’s the way that it’s like therapy: I’m unpacking the strangeness of it all through the press.

[But as for the film itself], it’s a film that I wrote while going through some really intense things. It’s the film that I wrote very early in my physical transition, and while dealing with the fallout of the immediate catastrophe that is your life when you come out. By the time I made the film, two years after I wrote it, I was in such a different place. And I was in this early honeymoon phase with my new identity. You inevitably will change from the person you were when you wrote the film, but, in this film, I feel like it’s been so much more pronounced. It almost feels like I was catching up on 20 years of growth that I didn’t get to do pre-transition.

How did you show up to set every day and not just be riddled with those feelings?

I tried to conjure those feelings, honestly. One of the joys of production is making something beautiful and joyful. And I think the film is representative of this different person I became in the years between writing and filming. It’s just such a glittering, colorful movie, with so many flickers of queer joy in it. And that was me in the present tense as I was shooting the movie.

I spent a few days alone before we started production. I left my phone at home and went to the cemetery around my house and brooded around and thought through the movie and tried to tap back into those extremely raw feelings that the script was born from — from my early transition and this cataclysm of emotion. It was nice that I moved past it and could direct from it a bit. I think I did capture something within that moment, but I’m also glad to not still be living in that moment.

In the film, this joy you mention feels really complicated, be it the joy of watching television, or in the joyous escape of being in a DIY music space. Tell me about the push and pull of how you depict joy here.

The movie is a reflection on growing up in the suburbs as a queer person and searching for spaces that feel like home. I think that’s a complex experience. Even if that place [you find joy in] is a TV show that you’re watching, that’s still a corporate product. Even if it’s feeding you some sort of magical queer-coded signal, it’s not necessarily liberatory. But it can feel soothing to tap into.

I thought of the movie as all about finding places to hide before you’re ready to come out of the closet. [In the film] Owen and Maddie are gravitating towards these hidden places in suburbia where they can feel more at home: that could be a TV show, that could be underneath a parachute, that can be inside a goth club on the outskirts of town. Throughout the movie, these spaces are almost becoming mutated or contaminated and the spaces that were once refuges or places to hide start to become more like prisons by the end of the movie.

I want to talk about the end of the movie, because I feel like it’s one of the more surprising ends we’ve seen in contemporary cinema. I’m curious about the process for you in shaping that ending. How did you figure out where the story would go?

I think that the movie is about half of someone’s life, and in this sense half of my life, spent doing everything I could to repress and avoid a thing that, once I finally saw it, was both liberatory and absolutely terrifying. Once you see a thing you can’t unsee, which was in my case, transness, you’re faced with two bad options. One is likely social death and estrangement from everything that you’ve thought of as reality. And the other is continuing to live a life that isn’t yours and isn’t right. And that’s just an incredibly heavy and overwhelming thing. For me, as a child of the 1990s in suburbia, in this very homogenized and mono-cultural place, I was always told in school that I could be anything I wanted, but they definitely didn’t mean trans. There was just this instinct to apologize for existing and apologize for being my true self that was instilled in me from the youngest age. This is a movie about seeing this thing that is inside you, that despite your attempts to distance yourself from, is unavoidable and inevitable.

To then take that narrative beyond that, towards a more traditionally cathartic, Hollywood, trans kind of narrative, like, Oh, and now we live happily ever after in the right body and soul! would be so disrespectful to my lived experience. You get to the beginning of transition, where there is already so much damage that has already been done, and then the work becomes healing. That’s how I like to think of transition, I don’t so much use the word “transition” in my own understanding of my own gender exploration. I think of it as healing from that half of my life where I wasn’t myself and I was being told to be ashamed of my true self. I think that’s where we leave Owen in the movie, at the very beginning of that process.

A lot of young trans queer kids are going to be seeing this movie, which is, in many ways, about the perils of latching onto media. I’m wondering what your feelings are about a new generation encountering this movie and what it might mean and signify to them?

I think if the movie was as simple as saying, “Watch out for emotional attachments to media or fiction,” l would be doing a disservice to my own experience growing up. It was weird how attached I was to Buffy The Vampire Slayer. It was weird how I basically put all of my emotional energy and love into that television show instead of my own life, but it was a coping mechanism. It was similar with the hug that Elliott Smith’s music gave me growing up, or any of the other music that got me through my teens. I feel like I owe my life to that experience in so many ways. It’s amazing to be a full person now and to not need to clutch so tightly onto fiction or expressions of a lack, that I’m listening to to make me feel less alone. I am very happy to be less dissociative now and less cripplingly attached to fiction. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t still look to art and media for something to make me feel less alone or to help me understand myself or the magic of the world. I have such a deep belief in that in terms of my own art. I am trying to make art for a 16-year-old me. I don’t want kids rewatching I Saw the TV Glow for the next 20 years instead of transitioning, if that’s the choice, but I do hope that the film can be meaningful. Otherwise, it just wouldn’t be worth the energy and the emotional expense of opening yourself up like this. I think of it as an act of love and care and I hope it can be that for people.

I think it certainly will, as will the soundtrack. I can’t remember the last time there was a soundtrack that I wanted to listen to in my day-to-day like this.

I worked really hard to make a great fucking soundtrack that would be something that I would be obsessed with as a teenager, so I really hope that it can be that for folks as well.

What was the process of assembling it? And what were the conversations you were having as you put it together?

It was a lot of care, you know. I had never curated what I thought of as a mixtape from scratch, but I knew how to work with a bunch of other artists. And give them some oversight on what they’re doing and the vibe. I did as much as each artist wanted me to do, like making them mixes and talking to them about influences, but I just gave each artist what they needed to write a beautiful song that could fit as part of this larger piece. And then I just obsessively listened to it hundreds and hundreds of times and curated the track listing. I think of my filmmaking almost as mixtape-making in a way. I’m very obsessive when it comes to the experience of the thing. And a lot of care went into this.

This is your second film working with Alex G, which is such a cool collaboration. What’s that kind of creative collaboration been like for you, and how did that start?

It’s so amazing. I constantly wake up, and I’m like, “I can’t believe I get to work with Alex.” I think he’s like one of the most talented living artists and musicians. I’m in awe of watching him work, it’s like total magic to me. I’ll give him a little bit of guiding direction and he’ll just disappear for 30 minutes and come back with the most beautiful thing I’ve ever listened to.

He said a nice thing to me, he was like, “I feel like you and I get along because we both kind of want to fuck it up. I can do a lot of things, but I can’t do it right. I can’t do Hans Zimmer.” Which I think is wrong, I think he could do Hans Zimmer. But I think he really likes fucking it up on purpose, of music being a little off or a little chopped and screwed. I think that’s very compatible with the type of filmmaking that I find myself drawn to. He’s just such a generous collaborator. I really do love building a filmography that speaks to itself and I love that these first two movies have had so much of his DNA in there.

Party photography: Alex Burholt

All other photos courtesy of A24

Anyone who has been lucky enough to enter the magnanimous mind of Julio Torres can tell you things are a bit different over there. Over the past decade, the comedian, writer and performer has made a name for himself via his singularly surrealist approach to humor, first as the resident avant-gardist on Saturday Night Live’s writing staff and then as the iconoclastic creative behind HBO’s Los Espookys and My Favorite Shapes, his stand-up special that doubled as an artistic contemplation on, yes, his favorite shapes.

Though Torres has been building his cinematic universe for some time now, no work he’s completed has as clearly expressed his ethos as his new film, Problemista, which he wrote, directed and stars in. The story centers on a young immigrant from El Salvador who works at a cryogenics lab that keeps the deceased frozen under the promise that one day they can be revived. That job connects him with Elizabeth (played by a stellar, terrifying Tilda Swinton), a fearsome arts critic and the widow of an artistic hopeful, Bobby (RZA), whose kitschy paintings of eggs were spurned in his lifetime and whom Alejandro is tasked with tending to in his frozen state. After Alejandro is unceremoniously fired from the lab, he makes a deal with Elizabeth: he will help her retrieve all of her late husband’s egg paintings and curate a show around them, and in return she will sponsor his visa.

It’s clear, early on though, that such a task will be anything but straightforward, as Alejnadro’s journey takes him through the byzantine American immigration system (depicted as a literal maze in the film) and a freakazoid New York filled with ominous characters, such as an imaginary, grimy Craigslist monstress (Larry Owens), and Bingham (James Scully), a gay nepo baby who threatens Alejandro’s perilous position with Elizabeth. Overlaid on this bizarro New York is the ticking clock of Alejandro’s immigration status, which is fated to be perilously determined by the whims of Elizabeth, whose pendulum swings between tender and ruthless with the well-meaning young hopeful.

In addition to its irresistible sense of whimsy, the film offers a resonant critique for our time. This is, after all, a film about the US’s disastrous immigration system, which sets people like Alejandro up to fail in their pursuit towards citizenship or residence. “I’m so grateful that the movie has been embraced by the people who are going through similar experiences as Alejandro,” Torres tells PAPER. “I do feel a love and a rally around it, and that’s just so humbling and beautiful.”

PAPER chatted with Torres about the joys of working with Tilda Swinton, the process behind the Problemista and where Elizabeth-types may be lurking today.

The film’s release was delayed for a year because of the strike. What was that year like?

It was beautiful. I I had very little to do and I had one of the best summers. And I was very happy that we got to push [the release], because having this movie come out in a compromised way just felt like a disservice to the movie. And then the alternative, of course, felt like a disservice to the strike. So I’m happy it turned out the way that it did. And I think that making movies requires a lot of patience and things move slower than you hope they would, but you just have to learn how to deal with that.

I’ve been loving reading about your relationship with Tilda. It made me think about all these relationships with older women I’ve had who were a savior for me.

I think part of the reason we hit it off so much is because she operates at the same frequency, or is guided by the same ideas, that so many of my friends are. And it feels like I found someone who I get to commiserate with and work with, and have immense amounts of joy with.. And it just feels very easy and very familiar.

You’ve added to one of the great Tilda moments in the deep pantheon. Did you have any initial favorite Tilda performances as you were working with her and crafting it?

None that inspired this character specifically. She’s always looking for what’s new: What haven’t I done? I loved her in Orlando. I loved her in The Beach. I loved her in Snowpiercer.

Obviously, Tilda is not like Elizabeth. But did you have Elizabeth’s that you’ve encountered?

A few. That’s another queer rite of passage, right? Working for the Elizabeths. She’s an amalgam of different people that I’ve met, men and women, and also there’s shades of me in there, especially in how she works with technology.

I feel like, when we encounter people like this, women who might have a certain level of fabulousness and terror, there’s a push and pull where queer people may respond to them, like, Oh, they’re terrifying but iconic. Did you ever have a kind of scary boss that you also revere?

Not really. I just felt fear. Maybe if I wasn’t so close, I would feel like, Okay, werk. [Laughs]

I was so bad at jobs like that. There’s nothing more stressful than having a job that relies on you performing really detailed tasks.

Horrible! Because those are the tasks that I’m the worst at. I’m just completely ill-equipped to have those jobs, and it’s a disservice to everyone that I was doing them. There are people who are fantastic planners and who can anticipate a problem. I’m a 1% battery kind of person.

Do you think Elizabeth could only exist in New York City?

It’s definitely the right ecosystem for someone like her. I shudder to imagine her with a car. No, I think Elizabeths roam around. I think they travel and migrate. Or they’re in smaller towns like Savannah, Georgia, or Beacon, NY.

I really like the way that the film depicts the art world. There are obviously elements of it that are satirical, but the film is also very sincere in its relationship to art, like the eggs were a very sincere project. How would you describe your relationship to art?

Well, it’s all about context, right? The egg paintings can either be an incredible work of art or utter trash depending on who’s presenting it to you. That’s something that interests me: who is set up for success, and who isn’t? Art is only as valuable as what response it elicits from a person. And the fact that who gets to be an artist is so gatekept feels antithetical to what creating art is supposed to be.

You had some experience yourself working in galleries and in the formal art world, right?

I touched the periphery of it, enough to know what Filemaker Pro is, but I never had a career in the art world. It’s definitely not the environment for me. It’s too much walking on eggshells and just feeling like you’re in trouble the whole time. And there are too many people who haven’t ever been told, “No.”

You went to the New School and I went to a similar school, so I am familiar with the types of characters that emerge from those kinds of places. That’s why I found the character of Bingham very recognizable. Was that derived from types of characters you spent time around?

Yeah, for sure. There are people where it’s like, “Wait, how does that person have that job? Oh, okay.” Just people who will always land on their feet, or not even land because they’re never falling from anywhere. I felt a deep, deep envy for those people, when I was in that period of life.

When Bingham came on the screen, my first thought was: “Oh, love interest.” And that’s because the prototypical immigration story in cinema seems to always hinder on love, like, Oh no, you can’t leave the country. You’re in love!

Yeah, Bingham was definitely not the love interest. Bingham was the nemesis, without him knowing. Bingham will not remember Alejandro the next day. Alejandro is not thinking about love. Human beings are too consumed by romance. I think romance just eats up too much of the human experience depicted in film and TV. Like, why is most music about romance? I would write music about bureaucracy.

What would the style be?

I think synthy.

One of the hallmarks of the movie is the surreal way you portray bureaucracy. Do you remember having a sense of this bizarreness when you were going through the throes of US immigration bureaucracy?

It took some time to go back and realize, Oh, wait! That’s actually kind of interesting. At the time, it was just all-consuming.

I love the Craigslist character that really evoked the kind of griminess of the internet. Did the internet become a big part of your life during that time?

Craigslist specifically, yeah. It was this wretched well that I kept going back to to see if I could find my next mission.

Did you ever go back to check things out?

I did a couple of times out of curiosity to see how the ecosystem’s holding up. It seems the same.

I remember listening to a Las Culturistas episode you did years ago, where you critiqued when art is called and sold as “important” because it’s politically timely. I was wondering how you’re navigating that with this film, especially given how migration is discussed in America right now?? How do you balance that critique with this moment?

I shudder at the thought that any real life horrors are a marketing device. I’m made really uncomfortable by that idea. But at the same time I’m so grateful that the movie has been embraced by the people who are going through similar experiences as Alejandro. I do feel a love and a rally around it, and that’s just so humbling and beautiful. And I don’t take that for granted. But I made something that feels honest to me, and I just hope it connects with people.

How are you thinking about the American dream in the film, and then in your life?

I mean the American dream thing is chapter one of the film. This story is not just a story about someone who has perseverance, but also someone who’s questioning the system and criticizing it as you go along. And I think that’s important. It’s not just about winning the game, but about questioning the game and asking, “Why is this so hard to begin with?” I think that’s where [Alejandro] gets into these bigger philosophical questions that aren’t just about, like, How do I get there? But like, Why is this road so insanely winding? It’s not just about being like, Okay, well, I did it. It’s like, Well, it shouldn’t have been that hard.

Photos courtesy of A24

There is a game that Detroiters play upon first meeting, tossing our respective qualifiers back and forth to track the commonalities and differences among us. Are you an eastsider or a westsider? What neighborhood are you from? Where did you go to elementary, middle and most importantly high school? To outsiders, it’s an immature exchange.; for Detroiters, it’s an absolutely necessary barometer. What could come off as a divisive conversation is actually a bid for connection. It’s a way for one Detroiter to spot another Detroiter in the wild and place them within the appropriate context. Fortunately, for me, a writer from Detroit, that same line of questioning lends itself well to journalistic fact-checking. By all those accounts, Diarra Kilpatrick is a bonafide Detroiter.

“I’m from all of Detroit,” the producer-writer-actor proudly says as she glimmers from our video call screen in golden-yet-understated glam.

Kilpatrick spent her formative years in Detroit’s Calumet Townhomes with her mother Elise, who she describes as an enthusiastic patron of the arts. She recalls talented, emerging artists coming over for visits. She remembers circuiting the Detroit Institute of the Arts, the Detroit Public Library’s main branch, The Children’s Museum and Wayne State University’s Old Main building. She coupled her Bates Academy education with participation in Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit, an outstanding after-school ensemble brimming with promising young talent. The combination of these two programs is a common thread for many successful actors from the city. Kilpatrick attended high school at Detroit Country Day before going on to study at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Kilpatrick fondly reminisces about cozying up with her grandma Bertha as she watched The Young and the Restless, Matlock, Perry Mason and Columbo. Those mystery shows became the inspiration for her show Diarra From Detroit, which premieres today on BET+.

“I feel like everybody’s grandma and mom were watching those shows. I just don’t think we’ve seen it with a Black woman driving that narrative,” says Kilpatrick.

Diarra from Detroit is a homegirl whodunnit. We follow the lead character, Diarra Brickland, portrayed by Kilpatrick herself, as she traverses through a major heartbreak and uncovers a major breakthrough in her hometown of Detroit. When the almost-divorcée hits the dating scene, she happens upon a charming man named Chris (Shannon Wallace). They spend an unforgettable night together — then Chris practically falls off the face of the Earth, or at least the tri-county map. Not only has Diarra been unintentionally ghosted by her dream guy; he turns out to be a pivotal element of local folklore.

“I’m a complex Black woman born of complex Black women and I don’t always see the full range of our humor, quirkiness, sexuality, intelligence and goofiness on television,” Kilpatrick tells PAPER.

With appearances from Detroit rapper Kash Doll and legendary love interest Morris Chestnut, Diarra From Detroit is not only a star-studded show, it’s an irresistible comedic mystery. It’s a far cry from the restrictive representations of Detroit that often make it to television. Kilpatrick takes the responsibility of authentically portraying Detroit seriously.

“I feel like it’s my duty to collect my inheritance. When my grandmother passed on, the only thing I wanted [from her] was her VHS tapes. She didn’t have wealth to pass on to me — what she passed on was the experience of sitting up under her while she watched her stories. I don’t have a trust fund, I have the stories of my city, and I have the stories of the people who raised me and I feel like that’s how I’ll get my inheritance,” Kilpatrick says.

The Kenya Barris-produced eight-episode series is just the beginning of an exclusive script-to-series deal that Kilpatrick secured with BET Studios shortly after its launch in 2021. Even as Kilpatrick’s star continues to rise, she cautions that her entertainment career is not one of overnight success. It took years of stops and starts, empty promises and close calls to get her here.

@papermagazine

For Diarra Kilpatrick, Detroit is more than just home! In her @OfficialBETPlus series “Diarra From Detroit,” she portrays the eponymous title character and talked to PAPER about how she hopes to drive the narrative authentically. Read the interview at the #linkinbio. #ad #DiarraFromDetroit Videography – autre fish

“It’s like giving birth to anything else, like a baby,” Kilpatrick says. “When I first got pregnant, I was like, how am I ever going to give birth? Then I realized that because the baby is so effing big, it has to get out. So you’re like, I don’t even care about how bad this hurts. I need this head out. That’s the same exact thing with writing. The idea just gets big and fussy.”

Kilpatrick’s journey serves a reminder to all creatives who are on the precipice of creating something magnificent that is still in its infancy: Keep pushing.

This article is a sponsored collaboration between BET+ and PAPER.

Photography: Kevin Amato
Lighting direction: Sebastian Johnson
Styling: Lindsay Flores
Makeup: Tasha Reiko Brown
Hair: Shelby Swain
Production design: Bette Adams, MHS Artists

Photo assistant: Jai Wilson
Lighting assistant: Lance Williams
Digitech: DJ Dohar
Retouching: Matty So
Styling assistant: Sona Guekguezian
Set dressing: Kylea Meredith, Nicky Buzzerio
Production assistant: Kelly Cole, Julia Ling Kelleher

Videography: autre fish

Editor-in-chief: Justin Moran
Managing editor: Matt Wille
Production lead: Sammy Case
Publisher: Brian Calle
Story: Imani Mixon

The Oscars have come and gone. Designers were worn and shown off, specifically those of yesteryear. In the current red carpet climate, stylists have grown bold in their archive pulls, or desperate. It depends on who you ask.

There’s a fashion war that rages behind the scenes of each awards season that defines most of what trickles in front of pap cameras. In this latest iteration of the arms race, the hot commodities on the market are archival runway statement pieces: Jennifer Lawrence in 1996 Givenchy couture, Margot Robbie in Mugler Spring 1996, Carey Mulligan in a recreated 1951 Balenciaga gown, Anya Taylor-Joy in a recreation of the same 1949 Dior gown that Natalie Portman already wore at Cannes, Cardi B in Atelier Versace spring 2003 and Sydney Sweeney in Angelina Jolie’s 2004 Marc Bauwer gown.

I’d like to step around any grandiose feelings about these archival pieces, as I find such contrivances rather plain. If not plain, then immaterial. Rather, how these pieces fit within a broader swath of carpet history is much more interesting. Take Sydney Sweeney’s appearance at Vanity Fair’s afterparty — about as important online as the main carpet itself — in Angelina Jolie’s 2004 Oscars dress. Jolie wasn’t nominated that year, and instead presented the award for Art Direction. All things considered, it reads as a rather random pull for Sweeney, which even her stylist Molly Dickson noted in Vogue: “There are only a select few iconic archival pieces, or even vintage pieces. As a stylist, it’s my job to source the market. We reach out to a ton of different vintage sellers to try to find really cool vintage pieces, but it’s tough, because there are only a few that are in great quality.”

Earlier in the interview, she offhandedly comments that while archive pieces are sustainable, they also present actors like Sweeney “a new way to present themselves.” After the dueling debacles of Madame Web and Anyone But You, or that ridiculous kerfuffle about her body, it’s easy to see why they’d hitch her rising star to a trend that’s proven itself a headline generator for Sweeney’s contemporaries. Likewise, there’s the economics to consider.

Law Roach has spearheaded archival garments on the carpet, although the urge to pull deeper and deeper has infected just about everyone, which makes it difficult to tamp down my cynicism in this latest turning of the carpet trend cycle. We the fashion press are tuned in because vintage couture is novel again, and our jobs concern the garments at play. That utility, though, is only one piece of a broader strategy that must aim higher for that engagement to translate into box office success or commercial exposure for a client.

For some time now, it hasn’t been enough for brands or stylists or studios to expect a hot-or-not write ups in next week’s glossies, or find an actor placed in a roundup that’s nearly identical across numerous publications. An infinite amount of social media accounts now compete with each other for engagement under Twitter’s recent paid user overhaul, which fundamentally changed how photos of the carpet reaches consumers, or where the cash from all that attention is deposited.

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Roach, who pulled that iconic Mugler “Maschinenmensch” suit from the archive for the Dune: Part Two press tour, has gestured at such developments in the field. In an interview with W, he revealed that studio heads thanked him for the social media blitz he created around that press tour: “What we do is just as powerful as that trailer that’s running on social media or in the theater. It’s the newest ideation of what it means to promote a movie.” It’s rare commentary from a stylist of his caliber on the opaque commercial function of the carpet in a time when that role was widely challenged post-pandemic.

As he also notes, his stylistic direction is very literal, arm in arm with the tone of the material his client is presenting on the red carpet. Zendaya plays a warrior and future consort to the emperor of the galaxy in Dune. Why wouldn’t she be in armor on the carpet? It’s why Sweeney’s inclusion of Angelina Jolie’s Oscars dress stuck out as a turning point in the current climate of archival pulls. One can feel the industry peeping over Roach’s shoulder, eager to borrow his notes.

If only it were as simple as expecting the same result when sending down the second recreation of a historically significant Dior dress. The narrative around any one gown has never moved faster, as it’s hard to be moved en masse by elegant couture when a screen with an endless scroll has been surgically attached to the hand. Arm in arm, the numerous PopCrave-likes and paid Twitter engagement farms chase each other down the drain of the attention economy, polluting the step-and-repeat with an endless procession of cut-and-pasted observations. There’s only so much room in the trending sidebar, so Cardi B’s Atelier Versace dress completely slips past me, until I sit down a week later to process, and fire off some critical texts to peers and friends post-Awards season.

We titter amongst ourselves while Diet Prada posts yet another roundup on Instagram. Soon, every account hot on its coattails is asking their easily inflamed audiences: “Thoughts?” The average social media consumer is last to the fray, and I’d imagine studios make complicated social engagement graphs for their board meetings while stylists grow weary of their work being torn apart online. Next season, Law Roach and his many students set some new standard to chase after, and the great wheel turns again.

Roach has made his own opinions about the entire ordeal known. Amid the Oscars carpet, he tweeted: “It’s not even fun anymore.”

Photos via Getty Images

Awards season wrapped on the eve of Ramadan, with the most famous people in the world walking the Oscars red carpet in the shadow of Palestinian activists bravely encamped just out of view of Getty cameras. It was a grim affair, the palpable tension among those on the ground leaking through the live feeds.

As Netanyahu telegraphs to Israeli officials and U.S. allies that a ground invasion of Rafah will commence, a handful of celebrities bucked the criticism of some extremely loud voices in Hollywood, and showed up to Hollywood’s biggest night emblazoned with Artists4Ceasefire pins. It was a bold move that at once felt liberatory and futile, straddling a razor thin line between hope for a better future and the realities of an active genocide.

The majority of those who wore pins were people of color. It’s a significant statistic throughout these last five months, emblematic of a deeper, strongly rooted cowardice amongst those most likely to be shielded from the extreme harassment Palestinian advocates face. It’s a cowardice that keeps a pin off the lapel, the critical statement stuck in the throat.

In lieu of a more traditional fashion roundup, let’s highlight those who took a stand regardless. See PAPER’s roundup of the Oscars best dressed, below.

Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell

The “What Was I Made For” winner set aside the Dilara Findikoglu and tiny little glasses for this Chanel set that’s been likened to a school principle that slays. The pin pops against the black suit jacket!

Mahershala Ali and Amatus Sami-Karim

In January, Mahershala worked in coordination with the Palestinian Festival of Literature to raise money for Mohammed al-Qudwa, a poet who was seeking to get his family out of Gaza.

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He paired his pin with this form fitting tuxedo and two-tone pointed shoes. Amatus’ dress was made in coordination with Anna Prisekin, a professional costumer, and her stylist Mai-Lei. The oversized pockets are quite the statement, and together they look quite the statement couple!

Ava DuVernay

The prolific director and producer paired her Artists4Ceasefire pin with a custom Louis Vuitton gown in this pale blue. It was a popular color on the carpet, seen elsewhere on Lupita Nyong’o’s Armani Prive dress, or the custom Louis Vuitton dress of Da’Vine Joy Randolph. It’s a gorgeous color, and we’ve seen it grow in prevalence since those near-inescapable Valentino gowns some years back.

Coincidentally, sources have said Duvernay kept Maha Dakhil on as an agent after she was ousted for pro-Palestinian statements from CAA’s motion picture department, where she served as co-head, and its internal board.

Quannah ChasingHorse and D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai

The draping of Quannah’s dress is near perfect, and her glam is sublime. The model has become recognizable as a cover star for her Yidįįłtoo — a traditional face tattoo for Hän Gwich’in women — and has built her career being an outspoken advocate for indigenous people. We talk of the Palestinian struggle being linked to so many others around the globe, and Quannah herself has fought against encroaching oil pipelines and colonizing forces at home and across the continent.

As for D’Pharoah, the Reservation Dogs actor’s suit is tailored excellently. I quite like an almost-too-short trouser, especially in this skinny fit, if done right.

Ramy Youssef

In an interview with Esquire, Youssef walked through his Zegna jacket and “super dressed up thobe,” inspired by what he wears to the mosque at night during Ramadan. “I had this thobe that was custom made for me for my wedding. I didn’t actually wear it at my wedding, but I wore it the whole week. It was designed by Yassir Ahmed and Zaid Mahomed.” The result is quite arresting on the carpet, considering Hollywood’s rather notorious relationship with Islam and depictions of Muslim and Arab people on screen.

Mark Ruffalo and Sunrise Coigney

Mark Ruffalo has been outspoken for Palestine prior to last night’s ceremony, continuing that commitment with an Artists4Ceasefire pin. It’s no wonder moms across America believe themselves fated to run off with him in some other version of their lives.

1/ Tonight at the Oscars, I stand with #MyVoiceMyChoice, who are using this “finger heart” to champion the RIGHT TO CHOOSE.nnIn this major election year, women’s rights are on the ballot across the world. So let’s spread this symbol to get out the vote for ALL WOMEN!

— (@)

He also took time on social media to highlight the “finger heart” alongside Youssef, which “champions the right to choose” with abortion. As he wrote on Twitter, “The Far Right opposes this powerful message. In the U.S. & EU, they’ve cut off tens of millions of women from essential abortion rights.”

As Palestinians, feminist activists and aid workers have noted since October, the genocide in Gaza is also a frightening reproductive rights issue, and the message of #MyVoiceMyChoice pairs quite nicely with their pins.

Riz Ahmed

Riz Ahmed has described the relentless bombing of Gaza as “morally indefensible,” so it’s no surprise he donned a pin on the red carpet last night in Marni. The raw hemlines feel so current, and the mock neck is an interesting departure from red carpet staples. We’ve also seen combat boots gradually overtake dress shoes among the men in Hollywood. It’s nice to see Ahmed choose something slightly punkier, spikes and all.