UKRAINE
Olena Zelenska
For being a bright light for her country in a time of darkness.
Before her husband was elected president of Ukraine in 2019, Olena Zelenska studied architecture and was a comedy writer. As First Lady, her focus shifted to school nutrition reform, gender equality, and organizing an international summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen.
In February of last year, when Russia invaded Ukraine, she pivoted once again, advocating for her people on the global stage, spearheading rehabilitation projects, and working to project strength and empathy. She's absorbed countless stories of tragedy, each more harrowing than the last, but these stories are what propel her forward, she says.
"In a local hospital, a Ukrainian mother met four children whose father was killed during Russian shellings. He had raised them alone, and now they lost him as well. So this young mother of two children took in four more," Zelenska says. "This story reflects Ukraine and its women. They respond to losses and grief by expressing love and doing good. When you see a Ukrainian woman somewhere in the world, remember what she stands for.
She is a person from a country fighting for its life and knows the value of it like no other. Our current experience is how we influence others, but I would not wish anyone to become a hero at the price we all pay." -MELISSA GIANNINI
CLIMATE
Xive Bastida
For rallying her generation to protect our planet.
When Xiye Bastida was 13, her family had plans to move to the United States from their small Mexican town of San Pedro Tultepec. But the day before their flight, rainfall flooded their drought-weary town. They escaped, but the experience stayed with her: "I remember the pain of leaving without knowing what happened," Bastida says.
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The Surreal Life of Tyla - Inside the dizzying, meteoric rise of a true African pop star.
The night before the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Tyla was unusually calm. The South African singer was about to give a surprise performance at the Prelude to the Olympics, held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton and attended by celebrities from Zendaya to LeBron James.I was asked to do the event by Pharrell [Williams, Louis Vuitton Men's creative director], so it was insane-an instant 'Yes, she says. Sometimes I'm nervous, like I'm really nervous. But this time, Tyla looked forward to the show the entire day.
Wellness - Amazing Grace - Actress Toks Olagundoye was making people laugh on TV while managing intense treatments for breast cancer.
My work makes me really happy, says Toks Olagundoye, an acting veteran who plays Olivia Finch on the Paramount+ reboot of Frasier. That's one reason she stuck with the hit show's first season despite a shock diagnosis: During the course of preparing for and filming the series, as well as Paramount+'s Fatal Attraction, she underwent chemotherapy and six surgeries to treat breast cancer. Feeling healthy ahead of Frasier's Season 2 launch on September 19, she talks to ELLE about her healing story.
Shanghai Rising - An international fashion presence and an appreciation for the city's own talent are powering a renaissance in China's largest city.
A year ago, Louis Vuitton wrapped the giant warehouse space housing Fotografiska Shanghai in electric blue. The occasion? "Nóng Hó, Shanghai" (Shanghainese for "Hello, Shanghai"), a four-week cultural festival of book clubs, architecture tours, and live music to promote the maison's City Guide Series. "Everything was built in 48 hours, whereas in London that would've taken weeks," says Shem Jacobs, a recent transplant to Shanghai and Fotografiska's director of partnerships, Asia. "The efficiency here is really amazing."
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