On her personal style icons
‘As an actress, characters that struck me from early childhood are the ones that dictate so many of my style choices. My first style icon was actually Princess Zelda. Zelda was just a little girl in the video game, but she was wise beyond her years, kind, eloquent, serene and so powerful. I was immediately like, ‘that’s me! That’s the reflection I want to have of myself.’ Another is the character Jen Yu in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ — a perfect mixture of boldness and grace. If I want to be edgier, I choose Morticia Addams from ‘The Addams Family’ for her allure, wit and understated glamour.’
On the abundance of queerness
‘Queerness reminds us that the world is actually abundant. Not in a materialistic way, but in a richness of experience. It's abundant in joy, kindness, expansion, love, depth. That abundance scares people away, and fear makes us think that in order to thrive we have to compete or put others down so that we can rise up. It’s a lie.’
On the importance of representation
‘Transgender people have to come from a generous place in order to survive and to forgive the world for its defensiveness against us. If we are not hidden, ignored or threatened — and people can actually see us — then I think our impact can truly transform the world at large. That’s why my current impulses are just working hard just to be seen. If I can be seen, hopefully others like me can be seen, too.’
On the beauty of evolving style
‘My mood informs my personal style. Do I want to be effortless, elegant, otherworldly, approachable, cheerful, understated? There is so much beauty and creativity that goes into choosing what style will suit me on a given day. While I’m in bed trying to fall asleep, I like to imagine what I’ll be wearing the next day. It all depends on what I plan to do — I like to have at least one exciting event every day where I get to dress accordingly.’