From fashion houses launching beauty lines to epic collaborations, who doesn’t love when the worlds of beauty and fashion converge? Lucky for us, L’Oréal Paris, the official partner of this year’s Paris Fashion Week, presented a historic runway show unlike any other on October 1. The backdrop to the show, named “Le Défilé Walk Your Worth,” was the iconic Esplanade of the Eiffel Tower. The event, now in its sixth edition, not only signifies the perfect marriage of beauty and fashion but also embodies L’Oréal Paris’ profound vision of inclusivity and sisterhood.
Set against the magnificent backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, Le Défilé Walk Your Worth is a beacon of empowerment, a bold statement of feminine and feminist power that resonates across borders. It’s consistently a night that connects with audiences worldwide, transcending boundaries to make a statement about the worth of every individual.
This year’s show featured an inclusive and diverse lineup, a testament to L’Oréal Paris’ commitment to celebrating beauty in all its forms. On the glittering runway, we saw iconic spokespeople like the incomparable Kendall Jenner, the luminous Eva Longoria, and the timeless Helen Mirren. But there was one woman we were especially excited to see take her talent from sold-out stadiums to the catwalk: Camila Cabello.
There’s no denying Cabello made her mark on the runway with her iconic walk-meets-performance. We had the privilege of chatting with the star a mere few hours ahead of the event where we discussed runway nerves, growing up in the public eye, her perspective on body image and self-acceptance, and more.
L’Oréal Paris’ Walk Your Worth show is all about inclusivity and female empowerment. What do those words mean to you?
“To me, female empowerment is about that feeling of supporting your friends and the women around you. There really is such an energy and a feeling of that here at L’Oréal. I get so excited to come to events where the other girls are here because I get to meet amazing, inspiring women that are girls’ girls, you know? I get to make new friends.”
How does it feel walking a runway as major as this one? Is it a different set of nerves that you get from headlining a show?
“I get way more nervous playing a show. Honestly, it’s really fun. I get to feel kind of like a model. Except not—because I if I do a bad job, I can’t get fired. [Laughs]”
You entered the industry at such a young age? How has it been growing up in the public eye?
“There are definitely challenging things that come with it. I’ve had to take my phases where I’ve been more of a recluse, kind of hiding out, and almost pretending that I wasn’t in the public eye, just for my mental health. And I think that’s been really helpful. I think I dip in and out. Whether it’s being on social media or having access to it. There are times in my life where I really, truly forget I’m in the public eye, even though I am. And then months later, I’ll rejoin social media and be like, ‘Oh, they got all these terrible pictures of me.’ [Laughs]”
How have you dealt with the pressure to look a certain way in your industry?
“I definitely feel it sometimes. And it’s similar to the public eye question where I think I have chapters in my life where I just don’t care, I don’t want to feel like I’m in the public eye. So I’m not going to think about it, I’m not going to think about people criticizing or looking at my body, I’m just going to live as if it’s not happening. I’ve had healthy times where I’ve probably fluctuated a lot with my weight, and I was like ‘whatever. I’m just going live my life like a normal person.’ And then there’s other times where I feel more exposed or vulnerable; I see more pictures of myself, I come more in contact with that part of the job. And then I definitely feel the pressure. But I think for me, there just has to be a line that you draw where you say, ‘I have to take care of myself’ and everything is cool within the frame of my integrity without betraying myself.”
In kind of the same vein, you’ve been really open about your struggle with anxiety. How do you manage it?
“It used to be so much worse when I was younger; it’s so much better now. Therapy really helped me a lot. My therapist really helped me in a lot of little things. And honestly maybe it’s your brain developing more because when I was in my early 20s I was definitely in a rough mental health patch, but I feel a lot better now.”
You’ve been a solo artist for years now. Do you miss the camaraderie of having a band or being in a band?
“In a lot of ways, I’ve had that with the people I collaborate with, like in the studio, for example, with my producers, where sometimes we really feel like a band. Music is just such a collaborative process. I am writing things, but other people are playing instruments and other people are feeding off of my melodies and I’m feeding off of their chords. So honestly, it feels really collaborative in a nice, healthy way.”
You’re a singer and a songwriter. What lyrics are you most proud of writing?
“It’s so hard for me to answer that question because right now I’ve been working on my new album so there are lyrics I can’t say while they’re unreleased. But from songs that are released, I really like my song ‘In the Dark.’ That’s one of my favorite songs of mine, the whole song.”
