British Royal Ballet's Francesca Hayward by Liz Collins for Vanity Fair "On Jewellery' Fall 2020
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Britain’s Royal Ballet star Francesca Hayward is living in the movement, lensed by Liz Collins (IG) for the September cover story of Vanity Fair’s “On Jewellery” supplement. Michelle Dugid styles Hayward in luxe jewels from Boucheron Nuage, Harry Winston, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vanleles and more.
Interviewed by Annabel Davidson, both creatives made the point that they were committed to featuring Black jewellers across the images. Some are named here:
Hayward and I both felt strongly that Black jewellers should be included in every image, so across these pages you will see the work of established artists like Jacqueline Rabun and Vania Leles, but also multi-disciplinary artist Simone Brewster (who’s as adept at designing furniture as she is bangles), Awah Laud (who sources conflict-free materials from Ghana), Emefa Cole (whose work you can see in the V&A), Melanie Eddy, and Jariet Oloye-Odutola, whose work with glass and metal is nothing short of mesmerising.
Davidson notes first meeting Hayward at a dinner in London connected to Vogue’s earlier 2019 cover shoot. The Kenyan-born first soloist at the Royal Ballet was featured in British Vogue’s HRH The Duchess of Sussex’s Forces of Change September issue.
“I’m very proud of the colour of my skin and that I’m inspiring people from all backgrounds,” she said, “but I think it will be great for the next mixed-race or black female principal dancer if she doesn’t have to be asked about that. In ballet, it doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re good, it’s such a rare thing, so unusual, that the talent will go wherever you want it to go.”
