Natasha Lyonne Is Harper's BAZAAR Singapore's October 2023 Cover Star

You know the saying “lightning never strikes twice?” In my case, it has proven wrong. Or maybe I’m just ever so lucky. Here I am at the Saint Laurent show in Paris, standing atop a large marble artifice built on the grounds of the Eiffel Tower. It’s sunset and the view of the tower is shrouded by a soft light emitting from a dusky pink-blue sky. I’m surrounded by a sea of reporters and photographers all keen to capture content of arriving celebrities. And who should I see but our October cover star, Natasha Lyonne—diminutive in size yet big in personality and styled with her simple camisole-and-skirt combo, ruffled red hair and oversized tinted glasses. We had just shot her (remotely) in New York three weeks ago, after months of careful planning. And to see her now in the flesh in Paris was—well—serendipitous.

Of course I had to craft a moment to see her and introduce myself. She’s the loveliest… ever so warm and kind. She was excited to meet me. We talked about the shoot and when I told her it was built around the theme “Spellbound,” she immediately said, “Well, this chance meeting says it all!” Indeed, there’s something quite bewitching about moments like this, and seeing her IRL, I could tell that she oozes that confidence. From afar, I could see her sharing bon mots with Kate Moss one moment, and with Tracee Ellis Ross the next. With an easy and infectious laugh, Lyonne was joking and chatting about movies, the Saint Laurent show, her favourite looks, and about Paris—she easily switched modes in an instant—the mark of a highly articulate woman. Read what Lyonne said to us on page 140. In particular, I loved what she said about the arts, “Creativity for greed is so upsetting. It’s a real sad state of affairs because, for me, the arts are all that I’ve got—they’re all I had as a teenager trying to figure out existentially what life was all about.”

My second serendipitous moment happened when we dropped last month’s bumper September issue. We had Jackson Wang on the cover, and the very day the magazine hit the newsstands, he was in Singapore to perform at the F1 concert. I managed to meet him, got a shout out about our issue and even grabbed a quick selfie. To say it’s been two good months with our cover stars is an understatement. Which really brings me to why I decided to have an issue on all things magical. There’s something unexplained in the cosmos that brings up chance meetings, incredible moments, fortuitous encounters and blessings from the heavens. And what better way to receive such cosmic favours than to dress in some of the most enchanting looks of the season. Whether it’s crystal embellished dresses, sparkly tops for both men and women, dark gothic gowns for an Elvira moment, or Tinker Bell ballet flats, we have combed the fashion cosmos to dress you up for every occasion. Now sit back, dream a dream you never thought possible, click your ruby slippers and let it manifest—believe me, it can happen. Bon chance!

—Kenneth Goh, Editor-in-Chief 

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Photographed by Andrew Arthur
Styled by Cristina Ehrlich and Bridget Blacksten
Illustrations by Ilias Walchshofer
Makeup: James Kaliardos/The Wall Group
Hair: Vernon François/The Visionaries
Manicure: Elle Gerstein/Opus Beauty
Producer: JD Martin