{"id":82404,"date":"2023-10-23T10:09:17","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T10:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/?post_type=articles&p=82404"},"modified":"2023-10-29T12:42:23","modified_gmt":"2023-10-29T12:42:23","slug":"ziwe-fumudoh-grazia-fall-2023-cover-story","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/ziwe-fumudoh-grazia-fall-2023-cover-story\/","title":{"rendered":"Ziwe, The Mirror Has Two Faces"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ziwe
Dress by Dior, dior.com; Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Victoria\u00ae Vine\u00a0Drop Necklace in Rose Gold with Diamonds, Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Floral Leaves clip in 18k gold with diamonds,\u00a0tiffany.com; Sandals by Roger Vivier, rogerviver.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Words by Emil Wilbekin<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s New York Fashion Week, and the city is electric and buzzing with runway shows, influencer photo shoots, and celebrity sightings. It\u2019s September, the beginning of the New York social season, and there is no shortage of fancy parties, gatherings, galas, and gossip. It\u2019s a great time to be back outside \u2014 and to see and be seen.<\/p>\n

Comedian, TV writer, and now author Ziwe Fumudoh is booked and busy. Her social and professional calendars are packed, and she seems to enjoy all the pandemonium. \u201cI mean, fashion week is over for me. It\u2019s such a whirlwind experience,\u201d she says flatly. \u201cBut I\u2019m really pleased with the events that I went to. I was lucky enough to do what I did during fashion week. I presented a couple of awards, and then I shot a bunch of covers. But yeah, it was great. I can\u2019t complain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some critics say that New York Fashion Week has changed and become more like a brand marketing circus featuring pop-up events, cavalcades of influencers, and VIP parties versus serious fashion shows filled with editors and buyers. \u201cUnless you\u2019re like me and you find circuses fun,\u201d Ziwe quips. \u201cChaos is my favorite. It\u2019s my love language.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Dress, bra, scarf, tights,\u00a0socks, and shoes by Marc Jacobs, marcjacobs.com; Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Twenty\u00a0Stone hoop earrings in gold with diamonds,\u00a0Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Apollo Brooch\u00a0in Gold and Platinum with Diamonds, Tiffany\u00a0& Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Floral Leaves clip in\u00a018k gold with diamonds, tiffany.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Outside of the island of Manhattan \u2014 in Forest Hills, Queens \u2014 in a parallel social universe is the U.S. Open, which is considered fashion adjacent. Like New York Fashion Week, the U.S. Open is cluttered with celebrities \u2014 the Obamas, Nicole Kidman, Spike\u00a0Lee, Leonardo DiCaprio, Shonda Rhimes, Lil\u2019 Wayne, and the new rumored couple Kylie Jenner and Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet (making out in the stands). The other commonality between #NYFW and #USOpen is the presence of the iconic American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, who is literally holding court.<\/p>\n

Many celebs were there this year cheering on a young Black woman who wasn\u2019t a fashion model but a talented and outspoken athlete. All eyes were on Coco Gauff, 19, the first American teenager to win the U.S. Open Championship since Serena Williams.\u00a0It was Gauff\u2019s first Grand Slam. Ziwe went to the U.S. Open, but unfortunately wasn\u2019t able to attend Coco\u2019s winning match because of her busy work schedule.<\/p>\n

\u201cShout out to Coco for being 19 and winning,\u201d she says enthusiastically. \u201cI just am such a fan of hers. I think she is a star!\u201d Without missing a beat, she adds: \u201cI love that her grandmother was like one of the first people to go to an integrated school. And so [Coco] has this legacy of disturbance so to speak. Good trouble. I think that\u2019s really cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Dress, bra, and scarf by Marc Jacobs, marcjacobs.com; Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Twenty Stone hoop earrings in gold with diamonds, Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Apollo Brooch in Gold and Platinum with Diamonds, Tiffany & Co. Schlumberger\u00ae Floral Leaves clip in 18k gold with diamonds, tiffany.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Ziwe missed Coco\u2019s shining moment IRL, she was able to attend the men\u2019s final between Novak Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev. True to form, Ziwe caused her own media blitz and buzz that day. She and her friend, supermodel Emily Ratajkowski, were sitting in a private box right in front of actress and singer Lea Michele, star of the Broadway musical Funny Girl<\/em>, and her husband.<\/p>\n

\u201cLea Michele sitting behind Ziwe and Emily Ratajkowski at the US Open. I need a full breakdown of any & all interactions,\u201d Frank Costa, a Bravo producer, posted on X (formerly Twitter), receiving 26,000 Likes. The seating caused quite a scene in the stadium and a stir on social media because of Ziwe\u2019s controversial interview nine months prior with Michele\u2019s former Glee<\/em> co-star Amber Riley about alleged allegations of racism on the set of Ryan Murphy\u2019s hit television show. According to Page Six, Ziwe pressed Riley about Michele. \u201cI think that she would probably say\u00a0she doesn\u2019t see race,\u201d Riley said. \u201cBut\u00a0everyone does.\u201d<\/p>\n

According\u00a0to BuzzFeed, the accusations began in 2020 when Michele spoke out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd. In response, Michele\u2019s former Glee<\/em> co-star Samantha Ware commented about \u201ctraumatic microaggressions that made me question a career in Hollywood.\u201d Michele later posted an apology on Twitter.<\/p>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Top, skirt, gloves\u00a0by Versace, versace.com;\u00a0Shoes Saint Laurent by\u00a0Anthony Vaccarello, ysl.com; Tiffany & Co. Tiffany\u00a0HardWear Graduated\u00a0Link Necklace in White\u00a0Gold with Pav\u00e9 Diamonds,\u00a0Tiffany & Co. Tiffany\u00a0Victoria\u00ae diamond vine\u00a0circle earrings in platinum,\u00a0small, tiffany.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Back at the tennis match. \u201cIt was such an interesting evening,\u201d Ziwe says, plainly referencing meeting Michele. \u201cYes, we spoke. It was iconic. She\u2019s an icon.\u201d When asked what she thought about that moment with Michele going viral, Ziwe responded: \u201cSorry, I didn\u2019t even see that. Let me Google that right now. Believe it or not, I don\u2019t Google myself, but hold on, let me search.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sound of nails clicking on her phone. \u201cOh, this is a lot. Page Six, the New York Post, the Daily Mail, BuzzFeed. Wow! Yeah.\u201d In a New York minute, the former talk show host adds: \u201cIt would be a privilege to sit down with an American icon like Lea Michele. I saw her in Funny Girl<\/em>, and she had an incredible voice. It would be a pleasure to talk to her on the record.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziwe is known for her blunt \u201cwoke\u201d style of interviewing, questioning, and directly challenging everyone from Fran Lebowitz, Gloria Steinem, Drew Barrymore, and Rose McGowan among others about their relationship with, proximity to, and consciousness about Blackness. Michele would be a prime\u00a0subject for Ziwe. As they say in tennis: Game. Set. Match.<\/p>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Dress and gloves by Dolce\u00a0& Gabbana; Tiffany & Co.\u00a0Tiffany Victoria\u00ae diamond\u00a0vine necklace in platinum,\u00a0Tiffany & Co. Tiffany\u00a0Victoria\u00ae mixed cluster\u00a0drop earrings in platinum\u00a0with diamonds, Tiffany &\u00a0Co. Tiffany Lock Bangle in\u00a0White Gold with Full Pav\u00e9\u00a0Diamonds, tiffany.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ziwe is a bit of a paradox \u2014 as evidenced by her self-reflective new book of personal essays entitled Black Friend<\/em> (on sale October 17, 2023). \u201cI think that the hardest parts for me to write were the moments when I am vulnerable,\u201d Ziwe explains. \u201cI started writing this book and it was a little too heady and theoretical. It was really encyclopedic about pop culture, whether that\u2019s like Britney Spears performing, ‘Oops, I Did It Again.’ Or like the interview between Barbara Walters and Ricky Martin. James Baldwin and Maya Angelou\u2019s conversation about how success as an artist can really be to the detriment of art.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continues: \u201cI was reading this book and it\u2019s like how am I going to connect to an audience if I offer nothing of myself? And at the time, I was reading All About Love<\/em> by bell hooks. And so what she did really well in that book of essays was she would talk about community and children and all these elements of love and then connect it to her personal experiences. And so I found myself really appreciating that in her book and, like, reverse engineering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziwe had to practice unlearning to access her vulnerability. \u201cYou know, culturally I\u2019m a Nigerian woman, like you\u2019re taught to never share anything about yourself,\u201d Ziwe muses. \u201cLike you don\u2019t know what my favorite juice is, my favorite color, nothing. And to create a book that\u2019s worth its salt, I needed to share. And so that was probably the hardest element.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziwe tackles issues that are deeply personal like \u201cwhy I was self-conscious about my looks and why I felt like an ugly ducky growing up, like, first in public school in Massachusetts, and then in private school Massachusetts and how that affected me as an adult,\u201d she shares. \u201cSo over time, because of the books I read, I was able to peel those layers and really show part of myself that I was initially reticent about and still very reticent about. This book allows me to present my real self. It\u2019s deeply intimidating, but also really, hopefully, rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Dress by Oscar de la\u00a0Renta, oscardelarenta.com; Briefs by \u00c9TERNE,\u00a0eterne.com; Gloves by\u00a0Os\u00e9ree; Tiffany & Co.\u00a0Tiffany Victoria\u00ae diamond\u00a0vine necklace in platinum,
Tiffany & Co.\u00a0Tiffany Lock Bangle in\u00a0White Gold with Full\u00a0Pav\u00e9 Diamonds, Tiffany\u00a0& Co. Tiffany Victoria\u00ae\u00a0band ring in platinum\u00a0with diamonds, Tiffany\u00a0& Co. Tiffany Victoria\u00ae\u00a0diamond vine bypass ring\u00a0in platinum, tiffany.com;\u00a0Sandals by Gianvito Rossi,\u00a0gianvitorossi.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Living in this duality is nothing new for Ziwe. As a child she says: \u201cI was really well-behaved and so my parents would get pulled aside at restaurants and told, \u2018Wow, your daughter is so quiet.\u2019 But then also I would make them watch me perform the Hercules<\/em> soundtrack. [laughs] I\u2019m a middle child, so I\u2019m as much of a ham as I am an introvert. I think that\u2019s what the case is now,\u201d Ziwe says contemplating.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe it\u2019s the reverse. Maybe I\u2019m quiet in the house and out in public, but I definitely like to be alone to recharge. I was able to write a book.\u201d Ziwe is processing this idea. \u201cI think I\u2019ve always been funny,\u201d she says, now more confidently. \u201cI was voted class clown in high school. People who knew me growing up would not be surprised by my career track, even though it happened really organically. But I was always really funny. And the moment I knew when I had important things to say. Every single time I\u2019d say something important, people would say \u2018Wow. That\u2019s important.\u2019 That\u2019s when I was like, \u2018Wow. I guess I have\u00a0something important to say. People have not asked me to stop talking yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziwe\u2019s version of this Oprah formula is \u201chalf luck, half perseverance.\u201d It was during her junior year of college at Northwestern University where she was deeply attracted to satire. She applied for an internship at Comedy Central and was one of eight people chosen. Donald Glover was in the internship program so it seemed like a good idea. \u201cIt aligned with my interests, and it aligned with where I wanted to be professionally,\u201d she explains. \u201cThat sort of got me into a place where I understood that entertainment was just a bunch of people working at desks as opposed to what you see on TV. Suddenly it became really, really accessible. And I used that accessibility to intern at The Onion and, like, to start my own humor mag.”<\/p>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Dress and thong by Gucci,\u00a0gucci.com; Tiffany & Co.\u00a0Tiffany Jazz\u2122 earrings\u00a0in platinum with South\u00a0Sea cultured pearls and\u00a0diamonds, Tiffany & Co.\u00a0Brooch in Platinum and\u00a0Yellow Gold with Pink\u00a0Sapphires and Diamonds,\u00a0Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Lock\u00a0Bangle in White Gold with\u00a0Full Pav\u00e9 Diamonds, Tiffany\u00a0& Co. Tiffany Lock Bangle\u00a0in White Gold with Half\u00a0Pav\u00e9 Diamonds, tiffany.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After graduation, Ziwe pursued the entertainment industry. She was inspired by Glover and Issa Rae, saying, \u201cObviously she started with her self-producing Awkward Black Girl<\/em>, which sort of started the YouTube-to-television pipeline that I ultimately ended up following by doing Baited<\/em> [on YouTube] and then IG Live and then Showtime.\u201d She is also a \u201cvociferous\u201d reader and read books by Tina Fey, Mindy Kaling, and Steve Harvey that served as her guide. She was a huge fan of Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart who also had books coming out.<\/p>\n

\u201cInformation is power to me,\u201d Ziwe says flatly. \u201cI was one of those annoying young people that would email, email whoever, and say, \u2018Hi, I\u2019m Ziwe, and I\u2019d love to hear more about you, um, and your position. I would take those interactions really seriously and let\u00a0those words mentor me as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then Oprah, obviously. Oprah\u2019s like a huge influence to me,\u201d Ziwe gushes. \u201cI think that she really pioneered a form of sensational journalism with her work on The Oprah Winfrey Show<\/em>. She is a cultural juggernaut in her influence in lifestyle as well as her interview in influence as a reporter.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continues: \u201cWhat was really captivating about her is that she had such range as a reporter, so she could interview Tom Cruise and get really wild quotes and then talk to the mother of a serial killer about why her child was weird and also get really compelling quotes. And so I think that that is something that I definitely, like, refer to whenever I\u2019m feeling lost as an interviewer. What did Oprah use to do? Oprah is a pioneer and she\u2019s opened many a door.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI believe luck is preparation meeting\u00a0opportunity. If you hadn\u2019t been\u00a0prepared when the opportunity came\u00a0along, you wouldn\u2019t have been lucky.\u201d \u2014 Oprah Winfrey<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"Ziwe\"
Dress by Fendi, fendi.com; Tiffany & Co. Ziegfeld\u00a0Collection Pearl Wrap Necklace with Silver Clasp,\u00a0tiffany.com; Coat by Ferragamo, ferragamo.com; Sandals by Roger Vivier, rogerviver.com. Photography by Mark Squires. Styling by J. Errico. Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas. Make-Up by Camille Thompson.\u00a0Nails by Jackie Saulsberry.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What Ziwe knows for sure is that she is excited that the book is done, gone to the printers, and not haunting her anymore with deadlines. She can now bask in the afterglow of telling the story of being a Black Friend<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe title Black Friend<\/em> sort of comes from this media trope where there\u2019s always like the sidekick next to the protagonist, and they talk a lot, right? They have all the good jokes. And they\u2019re some of the best characters, but you never really get a sense of them being more than two-dimensional.<\/p>\n

In public, I am very verbose, but you\u2019re always sort of connecting to an audience via me as a professional writer,\u201d Ziwe shares. \u201cLike my job is to write down words and then hand them to someone else to say, or in my case the other work I\u2019ve done for myself, like write down words and then sit in it and then filter it through a character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ziwe is now living her best multidimensional life. \u201cLike even this week I am posing in Victoria\u2019s Secret, and then my New Yorker excerpt comes out tomorrow. Like, that is such a professional whiplash,\u201d she says deadpan. \u201cSo I find that to be really fun and, like, just a testament to how dynamic I can be as this artist. But, I take it a day at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Words by Emil Wilbekin, Photography by Mark Squires, Styling by J. Errico<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Hair by Dhai Rus Thomas, Make-Up by Camille Thompson,\u00a0<\/strong>Nails by Jackie Saulsberry<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Prop Stylist: Montana Pugh, Photo Assistant: Duncan Mellor, Styling Assistant: Shelby Comroe, Prop Styling Assistant: Emmet Padgett<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Shot at Hook Studios<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Read GRAZIA USA<\/em>\u2019s Fall Issue<\/a> featuring cover star Ziwe\u00a0Fumudoh:<\/strong><\/h4>\n
<\/div>