Emily Ratajkowski: ‘Why do people focus on what I’m wearing?’
She caused a stir in Australia recently with THAT bikini. But a defiant Emily Ratajkowski is making no apologies for embracing her sexuality.
She caused a stir in Australia recently with THAT bikini. But a defiant Emily Ratajkowski is making no apologies for embracing her sexuality.
You had a very bohemian childhood and didn’t even have a TV. What were you doing while most people your age were watching Dawson’s Creek?
I spent a lot of time making up crazy, involved games and plays with my friends. It was definitely good for the imagination, although now I can’t imagine life without a phone or television.
Actually, we’re just assuming you’ve even heard of Dawson’s Creek. But is there a hole where your teen pop-culture knowledge should be?
I missed a lot of stuff that my friends were super into — like the Spice Girls. But I didn’t miss Britney Spears. Nope. Loved Britney.
Your modelling career almost happened by accident. What was it like seeing yourself on a newsstand for the first time?
It’s just surreal. You’re like, “OK, that’s me... whoa.”
It was five years ago and you were only 22, but you’re still asked about your role in the controversial video for Robin Thicke’s ‘Blurred Lines’. Is that frustrating?
I’ve made peace with it, especially because there are ideas I strongly believe in — like women embracing their sexuality and having fun with it — that ‘Blurred Lines’ kinda fits into.
If you’d known the impact the video would have, would you have turned down the role?
No, I would make the same decision.
Every celebrity is a target of trolling, especially women. How do you not let it influence the way you live your life?
I’ve learnt to separate social media comments and trolls from real life. And I don’t let the validating, flattering comments impress on me too much, which makes it easier to [ignore] the negative ones as well.
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Last month you were arrested in Washington, D.C. while protesting the Supreme Court nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. Were you surprised by the attention that received?
I was. I knew being there would be important and I knew some people would find it controversial, but I never expected anyone to talk about why I wasn’t wearing a bra under my tank top.
It was 32 degrees, I was marching through D.C. in jeans; my outfit seemed completely normal to me. And I was there making a political point. Why would people focus on what I was wearing?
On a happier note, you got married in February to actor-producer Sebastian Bear-McClard. What are your abiding memories from that day?
Nerves and love, and so much excitement about building a life together.
You’re also the face of Paco Rabanne Pure XS. Do you remember the very first fragrance you bought?
DKNY’s Be Delicious, when I was probably 15. I actually remember loving the ad — and that’s why I wanted it so badly. Crazy to think I’m now the woman in a perfume ad.
You were recently in Australia for the GQ Men of the Year Awards, where you were awarded GQ International Woman of the Year. Long-haul flight notwithstanding, were you excited to come here?
So excited. My best friend lives in Sydney, and because Australia has a lot of similarities to southern California, where I grew up, I already felt a huge connection. And it’s summer. Woo!
Emily Ratajkowski is the face of Paco Rabanne Pure XS.
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