VOGUE MAGAZINE - NOVEMBER 2022 - MICHAELA COEL

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That’s not something Ashley herself had, growing up in Surrey with her older brother and South Indian Tamil parents who’d emigrated to the UK. Raised on Disney and Pixar, she had a performative streak from a young age and was determined to be an actor despite having no industry connections. Her accountant mother and pharmacist father tried to instil a sense of academic discipline but she “failed at so many subjects”. At 16, she left school to attend sixth form at the performing arts institution Redroofs, before going on to ArtsEd drama school to study musical theatre. “It wasn’t right for me and I left after my first year.” She made the decision to move to LA by herself at 17, to pursue acting for real. Kasi Kuya, siya yung nauna. He’s a few years older and I would watch all the time, you know, as a baby. One day, I decided to join in,” Alex says. “Eventually I grew fond of it, and, you know, I took it more seriously. And the training increased and so on. And until now, I’m still very fond of it thanks to him.” She’s an in-line skater, runner, and, most recently, mixed martial arts fighter, inspired by UFC champion Kamaru Usman. “It’s like physical chess,” Coel says of the sport. Burberry coat and skirt. Paula Rowan gloves. Gucci earring. But her family firmly wants her to be unburdened. “I always lang tell her na parang na whatever the expectations of others are, in the end, it really doesn’t matter. It’s more about how you feel about it yourself,” Mike says. “If you find joy in your everyday work and you continue to improve because that’s the only thing that matters. How successful you are, or how unsuccessful you are, at the end of the day, ikaw lang naman eh. That’s the only thing that matters, how you feel about yourself, how you feel about your journey.” When the season debuted, its viewing figures even overtook that of the first instalment. Ashley’s fiery portrayal won praise from critics and viewers – and the fashion world took notice too, making her a front-row fixture as well as the face of the Loewe fragrance Paula’s Ibiza. Mostly though, she became a beacon of hope for young women of colour who were unaccustomed to seeing themselves the glamorous lead of a glossy period drama produced and broadcast in the West.

Alex’s achievements come at a time when more than a handful of Filipinos have been excelling in global sports, from Hidilyn Diaz’s golden performance in Tokyo to EJ Obiena to the Philippine Women’s National Football Team. Work will be much busier this week, Capricorn, with the full moon in Gemini. You might be wrapping up projects or taking on new responsibilities. You may be trying to find a greater work-life balance as well, or you’re paying more attention to your health. You may want to exercise or eat nutritious foods. As Mercury moves into your sign, you might be coming up with new personal goals and reflecting on what interests you want to pursue next. Whatever subjects you’re learning about currently may in turn be helping you to shape a new sense of identity. Aquarius Horoscope Her win in New York and the way she so methodically sliced through the field showed how much she has become stronger, physically and mentally, over the years. “I tried not to think about it a lot. And I tried not to think that I needed to win. I didn’t really have any expectations coming into it. That was what was different from the other years, I played match by match instead of [thinking of] winning the whole thing,” Alex, who turned 17 in May, tells Vogue Philippines. You will feel social going into the week, Aries, with the full moon in Gemini. You might be connecting with friends or have numerous meetings and calls on your calendar. You could also be making progress in developing writing, presentations, or other communication-based work. With Mercury moving into Capricorn, you will be thinking about your long-term career goals and what type of work you’re the most passionate about. In addition, you might be having important conversations regarding your role at work, or you’re negotiating contracts and speaking publicly at your job right now. Taurus Horoscope

David Oyelowo

Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her life to the nation over her remarkable 70-year reign and has left us with an extraordinary legacy. Her sense of duty, grace, warmth, dignity and selflessness will never be forgotten. During her life, she was an excellent role model and an inspiration, showing strong leadership, diplomacy and a calm, measured approach to the challenges she faced. I have been very proud and honoured to hold her Royal Warrant since 1982, and I was fortunate to have the privilege of meeting her on several occasions. We had a shared love of the countryside, dogs and horse racing, and I always found her to be very warm and welcoming, with a great sense of humour. Anya Hindmarch The version of you that’s making their way out of the eclipse portal this month is certainly not the same version of you that walked into it. Change is good, Scorpio. It’s what you have been consciously manifesting for yourself. But, that doesn’t make it any less confusing. That doesn’t make it any easier to cope with. Do yourself a favour and practise stillness. Make peace with the clouds of confusion instead of trying to find ‘absolute answers’ or solutions. At the same time, give yourself the permission to find your authentic voice, to express how you feel in every situation. Re-evaluating the rules of engagement is something you’re being called to do at this moment. Plutonians who are in a dead-end relationship are being encouraged to move on. Remembering that you deserve will empower you to let go of what is no longer a vibrational match. You will be focused on yourself going into the week, Gemini, with the full moon in your sign. You may have realisations about what your desires and goals are, or you could be uncovering new interests you never knew you had. You may also be changing up an aspect of your appearance and putting careful thought into your style. As Mercury moves into Capricorn, you may be reflecting on your own behavioural patterns. You might be reading self-help or psychology books – you’re wanting to have intimate conversations with people and get to the root of who someone is. Cancer Horoscope There’s an intriguing image of Linda as Katharine Hepburn, which, it turns out, is almost accidental. “Starting with Blow Up, I have all these images from the movies in my head. It’s who I am, it’s part of me. But I wasn’t going for Katharine Hepburn. Maybe by the time we took the first Polaroids I said, ‘It kind of looks like Hepburn,’ but it wasn’t that we went in that day thinking, ‘Oh, we’re doing a Katharine Hepburn story.’” It reminded me of a particular style, and we went with that… but it wasn’t premeditated.”

Steven, who is widely admired for his meticulous attention to detail, draws my attention to a small dog in his portrait of Isabella Blow. “That was in Paris. At a small café in an alleyway by the studios where I was working. That was Azzedine [Alaïa]’s dog so of course we used him in the pictures.” As she excelled and grew more passionate about the game, Alex joined more tournaments, locally and regionally. The Ealas went all in toward the dream.Alex continues to climb herself. As of October 10, 2022, the Women’s Tennis Association ranks her at 252, which is the highest ever ranking for a Filipina singles player in history. She is within arms reach of the big leagues. Maybe not, but these early obsessions with modelling, style and beauty enabled his ascent to the pinnacle of the profession. His understanding of all aspects of fashion is unparalleled and his influence has nurtured numerous careers, particularly those of the models featured in this exhibition. Perhaps no-one more so than Linda Evangelista, who appears here more often than anyone. The exhibition opens with a small group of street photographs of passing women taken when Steven was in the sixth grade. Seen here for the first time, they are like mini-Garry Winogrands, and seem to hint at things to come. Steven is not so sure. “I think that obviously looking at those pictures from a 12-year-old’s perspective, I might have been dreaming of possible futures but no, I never thought that I would have a job as a photographer. Well, when you are that young you aren’t thinking about jobs at all.”

After winning against another Czech, Lucie Havlíčková, at the US Open girls final, she asked if she could speak to the crowd in Tagalog. “ Buong puso ko itong pinaglaban, hindi lang para sa sarili ko, kung hindi para sa kinabukasan ng Pilipinas. So hindi ko lang panalo ito, panalo nating lahat,” Alex says, her voice breaking slightly. You will be building self-confidence this week, Aquarius, with the full moon in Gemini. You may be leaning into a creative hobby or preparing to launch a passion project you’ve been developing. You may also be realising how you can build yourself up rather than comparing yourself to other people, and you’re showing your true personality in both social and romantic situations. As Mercury moves into Capricorn, your intuition may feel stronger, or you could have an interest in reading about topics related to spirituality or mental health. You might be calming your mind by journaling or meditating. Pisces Horoscope I’ve met so many people who have come and gone… I’ve grown up here,” Alex says of Mallorca. “My brother’s graduation was here. I started high school here. I met all of my friends here. It definitely holds a special place in my heart.” (Today, Miko plays tennis for Penn State.) There’s some sort of slow euphoric feeling that I get when I skate,” she says. “Skaters are never stressed or agitated. They’re on good vibes” There are exciting developments on the horizon professionally too. Alongside Bridgerton, Ashley will appear in the upcoming live-action The Little Mermaid in a yet-to-be-disclosed role, and is working hard to get other projects greenlit through her own yet-to-be-named production company. “I set it up when I got Bridgerton,” she says. “The more you work in this industry, you see the holes, you see what shouldn’t be happening. I want to create sets where everyone feels equal. And I don’t want to be put in a certain box. I want to be in the driver’s seat.”Whatever the routine of Miko, Mike adds, Alex would join in. “So she was at the tennis court at a very young age. When Kuya was playing with Lolo so nakikita na niya. So she’s exposed to tennis at a very young age,” Mike says. “But yeah, it was really more of a bonding thing with Lolo. He wanted to see his grandkids more often so parang yung strategy niya, turuan mo nga mag-tennis yan. So once a week, naging twice a week.” You might be confronting any relationship issues going into the week, Scorpio, with the full moon in Gemini. You may have an interaction with someone that urges you to do some self-reflection, and you could be transforming some of your reactions and behaviours. You could also be paying off bills or debt. As Mercury moves into Capricorn, you might be learning a little bit about a variety of topics, or you could be tending to writing or communication-based projects. In your free time, you might be eager to read or share your ideas with people. Sagittarius Horoscope She is particularly succinct when talking about playing for the flag, and is aware of the impact she might have on young Filipinos who might have similar aspirations of not just tennis, but of performing on a world stage. Vogue Philippines visits Alex Eala at her training grounds in Mallorca, mere weeks after her historic win at the US Open. Jacs T. Sampayan talks to the young champion about her early beginnings, her supportive family, and what she thinks of carrying the torch for Philippine tennis.