It is the best time of year for magazine covers and while this issue of New York Magazine isn’t a September issue per se (New York is bi-monthly) it is their big fashion issue making it September issue adjacent. It helps that every year their fashion issue, which arrives just before New York Fashion Week – in both February and September – tends to deliver big on the cover star including Serena Williams, Joni Mitchell, Lupita Nyong’o and Christina Hendricks and this is no exception.
Winona Ryder has been thrust back into the spotlight recently thanks to the success of Stranger Things and even if this show wasn’t getting so much praise I think the Winona renaissance would be occurring regardless; it fits in with the 90s nostalgia that is so strong right now and because she is Winona, forever.
Cover wise this is so striking; such a simple set up and so commanding as Ryder stares directly at the viewer. I’m normally so blah when it comes to the wet hair look, but here it is working like a charm as is the fresh faced makeup and simple white tee styling.
The interview itself is also pretty revealing with the Ryder discussing in detail the narrative she feels like has been set for her and how it is hard to change the story. This is regards to an interview she did with Diane Sawyer in 1999 while promoting Girl, Interrupted (the book and film are forever faves of mine) where she discussed her own experiences of anxiety and depression and how this thread has weaved its way in how she is perceived right through to her current role in Stranger Things:
“There’s a line in the show where someone says [of her Stranger Things character], ‘She’s had anxiety problems in the past.’ A lot of people have picked up on that, like, ‘Oh, you know, she’s crazy.’ And I’m like, ‘Okay, wait a second, she’s struggling.’ Two kids, deadbeat dad, working her ass off. Who wouldn’t be anxious? Even that word, anxious. It’s a bad word. And so like all of these words — it’s kind of what I tried to do with Girl, Interrupted, and why I was so invested in that book and trying to get it made [as a movie]. My whole point was, this happens to every girl, almost.”
The whole interview is really enlightening in terms of Joyce on Stranger Things, the boxes we put people in and her position in pop culture as the 90s cool girl (not the Gone Girl kind of ‘cool girl’). Plus the photo shoot delivers on striking shots; mixing the perfect blend of grunge with contemporary including this Valentino sweater and skirt ensemble paired with Roger Vivier sneakers (if this was 1996 those would be DM boots) in the photo below.
Photo courtesy: New York Magazine
To read the whole interview head here and this issue is now available on digital and actual newsstands.
And I’ve written about Stranger Things for The Observer and Collider.
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