Meet Hari Nef: actor, model – and Elle’s first transgender cover boy/girl in UK
"And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." Romans 1:27 (KJV)
When they decided to print special collectors’ covers for the magazine’s September issue, all about “icons of change”, the publishers of
Elleknew immediately who the stars should be: the actors Kristen Stewart and Amandla Stenberg, both of whom have made headlines for their refusal to conform to traditional notions of sexuality; the singer Zayn Malik, who walked away from One Direction, the biggest pop band in the world, at the height of its fame; and the
transgender model Hari Nef.
Nef’s cover is arguably the most radical of the four. It marks the first time a transgender woman has been on the cover of a major commercial British magazine. But beyond that it showcases 23-year-old Nef’s striking, singular beauty, the way in which she combines the stylish androgyny of a 60s French starlet with the heavy-lidded gaze of a silent-era movie star.
“I’d seen Hari walk the catwalk for Gucci and she seemed to highlight everything that is changing about the world right now,” said Lorraine Candy, editor-in-chief of Elle UK, adding that the magazine also employs a transgender woman as a columnist, Rhyannon Styles, who writes about her experiences as she transitions.
“Rhyannon’s pieces have really resonated with our readers. We also knew that with this issue we wanted to reflect what those readers, many of whom are millennials, are talking about, and needed cover stars who defined this changing world. Zayn is significant because of what he chose to leave and why. Kristen is very authentic and honest … when it came to picking a model for the issue, Hari felt absolutely right.”
The cover and the thoughtful interview inside celebrate Nef’s talent as a model and an actor, rather than concentrating on her transition.
“Hari defines the change that’s happening in the world right now but also she fits into a specific fashion moment, the way in which Alessandro Michele [creative director at Gucci] is making clothes that are all about personality,” says Candy. “She’s intelligent and thoughtful, and understands and loves fashion and beauty. She’s not defined by any one thing.”
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