What if we reimagined beauty not as a transformation but as a process of uncovering, a journey of becoming oneself? In Love Is the Message, the debut portfolio in Notes on Beauty by Inez & Vinoodh alongside beauty director Yadim, hair stylist Jimmy Paul, and style director Ron Burton III, we explore beauty through the lens of those who have indelibly shaped the cultural landscape of New York and the world over the last four decades. Their perspectives—whether radical, minimalist, subcultural, or deeply entwined with mainstream pop culture—cast aside the notion of beauty as a fixed ideal and illuminate it as a living expression of personal identity.

We posed a simple yet profound question to each subject: What did they need to learn to understand beauty in relation to their own identity? And, what did they have to unlearn in order to fully embrace who they are today? By framing beauty as a reflection of self and identity, Notes on Beauty invites a philosophical meditation on how our perceptions of beauty evolve alongside our understanding of ourselves.

These portraits—rich with individuality—underline the core message of the issue: that beauty is not about becoming someone else, but about the quiet, transformative act of becoming more fully, unapologetically, oneself. Through their own words, each subject offers a glimpse into their personal journey of self-expression, inviting us to reconsider the very nature of beauty as an intimate, ever-evolving expression of identity.

Christeene wears Very Valentino foundation and Very Valentino concealer by Valentino Beauty. Shirt by Comme des Garcons Homme Plus. Blazer by Alexander Vaultier from Albright Fashion Library. Tie talent’s own.

CHRISTEENE
Performer

tha way i feel when im in my own skin an chosen threads is a feelin that is pure an informed from a deep personal guttural place an it holds an presents every dirty corner of the world that most folks wanna sweep up an put in the trash bin. Compassion is my fukkn seamstress. tha beauty ive known from tha start of my existence gits brighter an more complex as i continue on this wild ride an tha minute i give a fukk what other folks think of it will be tha day of my demise.

Hari Nef wears Very Valentino foundation and Brow Trio eyebrow liner in Brown by Valentino Beauty. Jacket by Valentino. Earrings by Cartier.

HARI NEF
Model/Actor

I neither know nor care who I truly am. Beauty, defined in market terms, is a means to choose what I want to look like on a given day. The days I look beautiful are the easiest, shortest days.

People know beauty when they see it; it’s not as expansive or free as I once thought, or maybe hoped it was. Beauty is a virtue, but there are many virtues.

Kembra Pfahler wears Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir by Valentino Beauty. Dress by Melitta Baumeister.

KEMBRA PFAHLER
Performance artist

Taking time off to do photos is usually done as my job. If you see me in print, it’s because it’s a job. In some cases, like this magazine, I did it because [editor-in-chief Nick Vogelson] is an old friend, and he does these projects as a labor of love. When he asked me to do this shoot I agreed, because if it wasn’t me it would have been someone else, and right now I’m currently checking the over-60 granny-artist box—which is fun and beautiful during a time that’s extremely ugly and hateful. Thank you for inviting me to participate in what was a beautiful experience.

Skin wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Ambra, and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. Hooded sweatshirt, hat, and necklace talent’s own.

SKIN
Musician

The main thing I had to learn about beauty is that my idea of beauty is the right idea for me. I was raised in a world full of stereotypes I found hard to connect to, so I had to discover my own singular mental narrative and stick to the comfort and confidence that brought me.

I had to unlearn that I was obligated to follow the look that came with being into rock and indie music. As a Black girl rock singer, in the early days I felt, in order to be accepted, I needed to adhere to the beauty standards previously set within that genre, but I quickly learned that I was still considered an outsider. Once I embraced that idea, I realized that outsider mentality was way more exciting and that looking different was actually my superpower.

Ladyfag wears Very Valentino foundation, Very Valentino concealer, Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, and Magnificent mascara by Valentino Beauty. Cape by Selezza London from Cloak Wardrobe.

LADYFAG
Writer/Nightlife Producer

I grew up in the ’80s, when teased blonde hair and blue eyes reigned supreme. The magazines I read as a teen made me feel bad about how I looked. I was told I needed to spend money to change what I was born with—to bleach my hair, pluck my eyebrows, and get a nose job to fit in. It took me a long time to shake it off.

Twenty years ago, I moved to New York and hung out in East Village clubs with all the dolls and drag queens. That was a true awakening. I was inspired by the confidence you need to strut down the street in your high heels, even if people stare. To this day, the girls and club kids give lewks in dirty, dark gay clubs that socialites with all the money in the world can only dream of! That’s my world, and I’m proud of its beauty.

Julianne Moore wears Spike lipstick in Red Fiesta by Valentino Beauty. Top by Bottega Veneta. Righ: Julianne wears Very Valentino foundation, Very Valentino concealer, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, Brow Trio eyebrow liner in Taupe, Magnificent mascara, and Spike lipstick in Nude by Valentino Beauty. Earrings by Cartier.

JULIANNE MOORE
Actor

I wrote [Freckleface Strawberry] when my kids were little. It’s about the idea that we all have things we struggle with, especially physically. In a lot of children’s literature, people grow up and change. The ugly duckling becomes the swan. In my story, she grows up and still has freckles, and still doesn’t like them, but it doesn’t matter as much. The things that loom large in childhood, you gain perspective on as you get older… It’s that idea that we adjust, that our physicality is not as big a deal as we think. We struggle with differences, or looking dif- ferent, or feeling like you want something else. It doesn’t completely disappear. But it becomes proportionally smaller than the other things in your life that you care about.

Richie Shazam wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Ambra, and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. Bracelet by Cartier.

RICHIE SHAZAM
Model/Artist

Beauty isn’t just about appearance. It’s about internal transformation. It’s the courage to be visible, to take up space, and to honor the body that I’m learning to love more every day. My beauty is in my authenticity, my ability to move through the world as my true self despite the challenges I might face. It’s in the joy of seeing myself grow into who I always knew I was. It’s in making peace with the parts of me that others may not understand and finding strength in the freedom to be fully myself.

It’s in the healing process of loving the parts of me I used to reject. Every scar, every change, every step I take towards self-love is part of the beauty that’s uniquely mine. It’s not about perfection; it’s about embracing the messiness of being human, the rawness of being real, and the freedom in showing up as myself without apology.

Emily Ratajkowski wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. Dress by Nina Ricci.

EMILY RATAJKOWSKI
Model/Author

Like most women, my relationship to beauty has been fraught. My experience has been particular. I started modeling as a child at the age of 12. I learned early in my life to think of beauty primarily as a commodifiable asset. It’s been over 20 years of working as a person who sells my image; my beauty. It’s only been in the last few years, after making things, after becoming the artist instead of the muse, and after becoming a mother, that I’ve started to think of beauty in a more expansive way. It’s really just the beginning, though.

Colin Jones wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero, and Spike lipstick in Red Fiesta by Valentino Beauty. Top by Marc Jacobs.

COLIN JONES
Model

As a trans woman, my initial understanding of beauty was narrow and largely focused on a physical appearance. I once believed that beauty was something to be attained and preserved. However, through my transition, I’ve come to realize that beauty extends far beyond the physical realm. It is inherently personal—defined by each individual’s unique perceptions and interpretations.

Over time, I had to cultivate my own understanding of what beauty truly means to me. In my adolescence, I equated beauty with an unattainable standard of near perfection. But what does perfection even mean? And how does my concept of perfection differ from yours? For me, beauty became a profound mental transformation. True beauty emanates from the purity of one’s soul. It’s the sacred spirit that radiates its essence and creative energy.

Willy Chavarria wears V-Lighter primer in Ambra and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. Blazer by Willy Chavarria. Glasses and earrings talent’s own.

WILLY CHAVARRIA
Designer

I’ve found that beauty is the journey of self-discovery. It is the will to learn more about ourselves and others.

I’ve unlearned that I need to be sexually attractive to be beautiful. This wisdom is a gift from age.

Kelela wears Very Valentino foundation and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. Headpiece by Paco Rabanne from Albright Fashion Library.

KELELA
Musician

Let’s be real: In the world of aesthetics and image-making, beauty is symmetry—a balance between what feels good to look at and some- thing that subverts or makes us uncomfortable. Outside of that, I think about beauty as the swirl of strength and vulnerability that exists inside each of us.

Julia Fox wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. T-shirt by Frame. Briefs by Willy Chavarria.

JULIA FOX
Model/Actor

Beauty can be a blessing and a curse. It can be the chains that keep you down and it can also be what sets you free. My beauty comes from within. It is precious and not for everyone. My beauty belongs to me, not to men. I only allow for a select few to experience my beauty. My beauty can be terrifying.

Beauty is limitless and can be found in the ugliest of places. Beauty is not in the superficial. What is beautiful always changes and evolves, and you must try to evolve with it. Don’t get stuck. Don’t let beauty be the chains. Let it set you free. Don’t let someone else’s idea of beauty make you feel less than. You decide what is beautiful.

Tabboo! wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero, and Spike lipstick in Red Fiesta by Valentino Beauty. Shirt, blazer, coat, hat and earrings talent’s own.

TABBOO!
Artist

I’m not sure I’ve had to learn or unlearn anything to become who I truly am today. I’ve always just liked what I like and did, and did it whether anyone really thought it—or I—was beautiful. Granted, I’ve taken a few punches because of that stance. But I’ve always been strangely happy, myself, with the results!

Bill T. Jones wears t-shirt by Rick Owens.

BILL T. JONES
Choreographer/Director

An entry in Bill’s journal, June 5, 1994:

Duchampian non-sequitur! / The fight is on! / Figuration as parallel to characterization. / “Alas poor Yorick! I knew him well, Horacio.” / The Dance is “the retarded child of incestuous parents.” / The Dance is “the sleeping beauty.” / The Dance is dead and risen. / The American Lady “sees America dancing.” / The Dance is the pastime of cultural terrorists… / “What if we kidnapped Merce Cunningham?” / The Dance is aerobics for amputees. / The Dance is a Ballet lobotomy / is a study in ritualized seduction. / The dictum: A pursuit of the impeccable gesture. / The modus: The domesti- cation of bodily violence. / The creed: “OUR INSIDES ARE NOW OUTSIDE!” / The future? / We plan to re-choreograph the original / assault on Omaha Beach in Normandy.(!) / But first, please repeat after us: / “Yea though I walk (spin, slide and run) through the Valley of Death, I shall fear no evil for / Though ART with me” / A Men

Martine wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter in Rosa, Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero, and Spike lipstick in Better Crying in a Limo by Valentino Beauty.

MARTINE GUTIERREZ
Artist

Beauty cannot be owned because she belongs to the world. Do not aspire to be beautiful, aspire to be the flower. The flower is wild.

Camille Opp wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, and Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty. Bodysuit by Michael Kors. Jacket by Khaite. Earrings by Cartier.

CAMILLE OPP
Model

Sometimes your energy can be the most beautiful thing about you— how you present yourself, how you treat people. I went through some trials and tribulations really trying to understand that. As humans, we may never figure out who we truly are, but I am always committed to learning about myself. I’m excited for where I’m headed.

I am beautiful no matter how I dress or whom I’m attracted to. Even when I don’t conform to societal standards of beauty or what it means to be a woman, I am still beautiful. Growing up, girls are pressured to be feminine, with pretty dresses and heels. With my sexuality, dressing a bit more masculine, and just being my truest self, that’s when I feel most beautiful. Having to unlearn those beauty standards helped me a lot.

Left: Natalie Brumley wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, Eye2cheek blush and eyeshadow in Born in Roma, Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero, and Liquirosso (on lips) in Nude in Motion by Valentino Beauty. Right: Charles Matadin wears twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty.

NATALIE BRUMLEY
Model/Artist

Beauty, in at least one definition, is to move in the world without fear, to live in profound openness, to flourish as an act of fortitude. Being an artist, I feel compelled to find beauty in the imperceptible and to create beauty out of the fabric of the world. This sensibility allows me to find beauty in myself, for everything that has shaped who I am, and to fully express the essence of my being as a testament to my individuality.

I think it’s one of the most potent forces in the world. Beauty is beyond words—and beyond definition, categorization, or hierarchy. It contradicts itself: It can be openness or armor, stillness or chaos. It is omnipresent. I think in this framework, beauty becomes unlimited.

Charles Matadin wears Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero by Valentino Beauty.

CHARLES MATADIN
Model/Artist

We are mosaics, assembled from experience, endlessly shifting as we grow. Each moment shapes the lens through which we absorb and interpret the next moment. Though we are all connected from the same source, our perceptions fracture. Beauty emerges in this multiplicity: a paradox, a snake eating its own tail. In my art, in the media I consume, in the way I adorn myself, I am drawn to the elegance of disruption—the disorder that exists within harmony. Beauty reveals itself to me in the space between an inhale and an exhale, in the anticipation of what comes next. It is a tension suspended just long enough to be felt.

Beauty, as a subject for discussion, has transcended time. It is ever-evolving and ever-gathering dust; it is as complacent as it is dissatisfied. Through this, beauty becomes infinite, revealing itself as fluid, adapting to the vessel of one’s eye.

Lynn Yaeger wears Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero, and Spike lipstick in It’s Valentino Baby by Valentino Beauty. Dress by Meruert Tolegen. Earrings, rings and bracelets talent’s own.

LYNN YAEGER
Writer

I had to learn to look at all different notions of beauty—silent movies, pre-Raphaelite paintings, even old dolls—to figure out what suited me and what I loved.
I had to unlearn contemporary ideas about beauty— especially when I was younger—and create my own unique character.

Jordan Roth wears Jordan is wearing Very Valentino foundation, V-Lighter primer in Rosa, Colorgraph eyeliner in Rockstud Noir, Twin eyeliner in Black & Nero, and Spike lipstick in Red Fiesta by Valentino Beauty. Trousers talent’s own.

JORDAN ROTH
Theater producer

I had to learn that beauty could be me, could be mine. I had understood beauty to be over there, on others, mostly because I understood beauty to be feminine. And while I was a feminine child and adolescent,I wasn’t supposed to be, so my femininity made me wrong, not beautiful.
I had to unlearn that beauty means looking like everyone else. Beauty is looking like no one else.

Beauty Director Yadim using Valentino Beauty. Style Director Ronald Burton III. Talent Ladyfag, Skin, Bill T. Jones, Martine Gutierrez, Julia Fox, Jordan Roth, Kembra Pfahler, Tabboo!, Willy Chavarria, Richie Shazam, Emily Ratajkowski, Camille Opp, Christeene, Hari Nef, Julianne Moore, Kelela, Lynn Yaeger, Charles Matadin, Natalie Brumley, Colin Jones. Hair Jimmy Paul At Susan Price. Manicure Pika at See Management. Lighting Technician Jodokus Driessen. Art Director Marc Kroop. Digital Technician Brian Anderson. Photo Assistant Fyodor Shiryaev. Stylist Assistants Morgan Jimenez, Jody Bain. Hair Assistants Tiffany Beach, Ryuta Sayama, Felicia Burrows. Make-up Assistants Aimi Osada, Iona Moura, Megumi Onishi, Sterling Tull, Danilo Omo. Manicure Assistants Lacie Hayes, Erica De Los Santos. Production Director Lisa Olsson Hjerpe.