Madeline Brewer has a type, and I’m not referring to her
dating proclivities. Take a look at her acting résumé and
you’ll see a common theme: women—women-led stories and
women-led crews. Brewer has been part of some pretty fantastic
female ensembles in her career, and when I ask if this is an
intentional move or simply a lucky circumstance, she confirms
it’s both. Luck may have played a part when she landed her
breakout role in the award-winning Netflix series Orange Is the New
Black, but surrounding herself with some of the most talented women
in the industry—see also The Handmaid’s Tale (another award
season juggernaut) and this month’s Hustlers—is not just a
smart business move. It’s a project-picking philosophy we can get
behind. 

Brewer is a girl’s girl through and through, so there’s no
one better to spend an afternoon sipping tea and playing dress-up
with. It might not be time to break out the layers just yet, but
this season’s offering of luxurious outerwear is seriously
tempting, which is why we enlisted Brewer to test-drive some of our
favorite styles. From unexpected silhouettes to head-turning
prints, these coats, like Brewer, are primed for their
close-up. 

We shot some of the season’s coolest coats for our
shoot. What are your outerwear essentials come fall?

I am either in warm Los Angeles or freezing cold Toronto, so
I’m typically either wearing a long-sleeve shirt or full gown
coat. But that being said, I did see some really gorgeous coats
during our shoot, so that was nice. I like blazers, like a good
wool blazer. Khaite has some gorgeous blazers I love. I wear a lot
of my boyfriend’s coats. I like a good bomber jacket, and I love
a cozy cable knit. Oh, and I’m obsessed with wool sweaters.
Truly, like a big, comfy high-turtleneck wool sweater is the only
thing that brings me peace in the winter months. That’s my
vibe. 

We’re so excited for
Hustlers! Do you remember the moment you
thought I have to be a part of this project?

It was right after I talked to Lorene Scafaria, the director. We
talked on the phone about a couple of different roles and about
this whole world and the time period and the kind of story she was
trying to tell. I was like I have to be a part of this; this sounds
so incredible. No hate on any of the remakes that are coming out
and all of the Marvel big-budget stuff, but this is a fully
original thing. This is a real thing that happened and then was
adapted into an original movie. It’s produced by women, starring
women, directed by a woman, written by a woman, based on a story by
a woman. It’s all the stuff that I love. 

Can you tell us a little about your character
Dawn?

Dawn is just a blast and a half. First of all, I’m with
Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, whose characters are both
impeccably dressed, hair and makeup done. They have on mink and
chinchilla coats, and then Dawn has a knock-off purse, ratty faux
fur, and clumpy mascara, just looking very ridiculous. I play a lot
of heavier, very dramatic and emotional roles, and Lorene gave me
the opportunity to play something that was really fun and to
improvise and just kind of roll with it. 

The cast is no joke. What stood out to you most while
working with these amazing women?  

I mostly interacted with Jen and Constance, so I was nervous out
of my mind. The very first scene that I filmed—because there
really was no easing into it—the first scene, the day I meet
them, is a scene where I’m on a ton of drugs and I’m wearing a
wire and talking to the police. I was incredibly nervous and
twitchy, but it actually worked because I was so nervous to the
point that I was literally shaking. I think eventually Jennifer was
like, “Okay, we need to do something,” and she just grabbed my
hand and said, “You are doing amazing. It’s all good, you
totally got this down, don’t worry about it,” and she just
calmed me down. I was just coming off doing Handmaid’s, so I was
in that whole world, and this was the complete opposite. It could
not be more different. It was a total whirlwind, but it was really
nice to have both of them be so supportive.

You have been part of some really incredible female
ensembles. Is this something you look for when picking
projects?

It’s incredibly important to me. Honestly, I just got really
lucky. With Orange Is the New Black, like any other actor, I went
to an audition and was so nervous, and for some reason, Jenji
Kohan thought I looked like I could do it. They cast me, and that
was my introduction to working on camera. I was surrounded by
women—women writers, women producers, women directors, a female
boom operator, a female DP, just all this incredible stuff. When I
went away from that and did stuff starring men and led by men and
produced by men, it just wasn’t as supportive and artistically
fulfilling. Not that it can’t be. I’ve been in situations where
it’s been incredibly artistically fulfilling, but it’s best
when the men in power listen to women writing stories about women.
It’s the stuff that attracts me. I am a woman. I am a girl’s
girl. I am an artist, and being around other women who are artists
is like finding your soul mate. It’s so incredible, so rewarding,
and so inspiring. It’s really easy to get worn out in this
industry; there is a lot of noise. If you are not working with
people who inspire you, you will get burnt out so quickly. So
that’s the stuff I look for because it’s what keeps me coming
back.  

Season 3 of The Handmaid’s
Tale just ended. What do you hope to see going
into the next chapter?

I’m very interested in Janine’s backstory; I’d really love
to see it. I want to see the resistance. I want to see more of Rita
because I always want to see more of Rita. When she kisses the
ground in Canada, I lost my ability to function as a human. But I
do want to see Janine’s backstory. In season 3, we find out
Janine’s last name is Lindo, and I was a mess for days. Just
knowing her last name… It’s another piece of her. I feel like
I’m always uncovering pieces of her as the seasons go on, and
learning more about her is the gift that keeps on giving. I just
want to learn more. She is a really special girl. 

You are working with stylist Emma Jade Morrison, who is
the model whisperer. What do you like about her eye for
fashion?

I mean she worked at Vogue for like six years, she’s a
Brooklynite, she’s young, she’s a hustler, she’s hungry.
I’m not going to be like, Oh, she’s a modern woman, but she
knows what she wants, she goes for it, and she’s just smart as
hell. I admire her so much. I can say the most obscure, weird,
roundabout reference of what I want to look like, and she’s like
“Yep, totally get it, got the vibe, let’s get it done.”
It’s a little bit like she knows what I’m saying without me
having to say it. But she also takes an interest in getting the
look and the feel and the vibe that I want and that I’m
comfortable with without being like, “Oh, look what a great
stylist I am.” Or she’ll say, “Listen, I know you might not
be 100% comfortable with this, but I want you to trust me,” and
every time I’ve trusted her it’s been the right thing. She’s
been Emily Ratajkowski’s stylist for a long time, and the first
dress she put me in was this Proenza Schouler dress that had a bare
midriff so my abdominal area was showing. I was like, “Listen, we
all don’t have the abs of EmRata,” and she was like, “Trust
me, you are going to look amazing. Nobody has the abs of EmRata;
that is just how she is.” She doesn’t let all of my bullshit
get in the way, because fashion can also be a very insecure thing
where you think, Oh no, I can’t pull that off, I couldn’t do
that. And she’ll say, “Yes you absolutely can. Look at
yourself—you look amazing.” Style stuff aside, as a human
being, she is just a great person to have in your life.

You’ve been wearing some really cool designers, like
Khaite, Monse, and Jacquemus for recent press appearances. Is that
Emma, you, or both of you?

It’s totally what works for us and what works for the event. I
mean she absolutely introduced me to Monse. Jacquemus to me was the
little purse designer, but she’s definitely given me a lot more
of a critical eye for what I think looks good and works, and she
has opened me up to a lot more.

What has been your favorite look you’ve worn for a red
carpet so far? 

I mean I really really loved that
Proenza Schouler dress. 

Let’s talk about your off-duty style. What are the
staples in your wardrobe?

Honestly, I love my Levi’s. I think they are 501s and I cut
the button off them. I’m not going to say that I’m a
sneakerhead, because I’m not, but all I wear are sneakers. 

Do you have a favorite sneaker brand?

I have three pairs of Adidas that I love, and I love Vans. I
have these Pyer Moss for Reebok kicks that are truly… Hearing
Kerby Jean-Raymond’s story and about the stuff he is designing
and why he is designing it and that the line is named after his
father, it’s just so moving. He is, to me, the best part of
fashion. People think of fashion as this upper-echelon elitist
world, and it’s totally not. Kerby totally embodies that to me.
He’s like, “Here’s the email if you want to get on the list
for my third collection runway show. Just email me and I’ll put
you on the list.” He put that on his Twitter! That to me is so
accessible, and that’s what it should be, because fashion is not
just for one kind of person. It’s self-expression, it’s
wearable art, and to me, Kerby embodies that with Pyer Moss. So I
bought his shoes even though I am not good at wearing them. I
don’t know what to wear them with, but I just want to rock
them.

Photographer: Kaleb
Marshall
Hairstylist: Bobby
Eliot
Makeup Artist: Jenna
Kristina
Market Editor: Hillary
Comstock
Video:
Samuel Schultz 
Location: Villa
Carlotta Hollywood

Opening Image Fashion Credits: Christopher Esber dress; Magda
Butrym Lychee
Earrings ($298) 

Up next: Who
What Wear’s September cover story with Elizabeth Olsen.

from Purple Style | Top Fashion News https://ift.tt/2UKmwig