Paloma Elsesser is a force in fashion unlike anyone else. Which is to say she is a force for good! Someone who prioritises family and community and feeling and looking great above anything else. A natural choice then for Zalando’s Make Your Own Moment campaign, one that celebrates the personal fashion moments that lift our spirits. Featuring Paloma and her sister Ama, alongside DJ Wolfram, Dutch model Dylan Hasselbaink, German musician Noah Levi and Spanish actress Hajar Brown, the campaign was shot in Barcelona by Isaac Lock and Jonas Unger.
“It was honestly amazing,” Paloma explains of shooting the campaign and working with Zalando. “The biggest highlight was working with my sister. I love working with family and it was so nice to see her come into this space as an adult, to own it. It was really uplifting. There were so many details and it was amazing to see it come together in the final campaign, because it’s so technical, with the video element. There was a lot of joy on set. It was really exciting. I fell in love with Barcelona. I don’t know why more people don’t live there? It’s really amazing.”
Paloma is the perfect person for this campaign because she personifies a new kind of model, who is uplifting and inclusive and supportive rather than exclusionary or unapproachable. She celebrates who you are, being yourself, and the uplifting effect that can have.
To celebrate the launch of the campaign we asked Paloma to talk us through the moments that have defined her career, and the positive impact she has had on fashion…
How are you, Paloma?
I just woke up! I’m in New York. I’m so pleased to be back. Fashion week was tiring!
It always is. It’s fun though. And it’s fun when it’s over too. What was your favourite moment this fashion week?
I always love working with my friends. In New York I did a show with my friend Kim, who has a brand called Nguye Inc, and that was all about everyone coming together and making something really special. It made me cry with happiness. It’s like, this is why I do what I do, this is the point, fashion isn’t always scary and exhausting, sometimes it’s really beautiful and celebratory. I love being part of a community and helping push people forward. I love all the brands I work with, and I have so many incredible moments with them, community and friendship are what really makes everything.
And what’s your favourite thing to do once fashion week is over?
Absolutely nothing fashion related. I love to do things that are cosy like go to the cinema, eat, hang out with my boyfriend without wearing make-up, not wearing a constricting outfit.
What was the moment you felt like you’d made it?
My first i-D cover with Inez and Vinoodh. Just before then I’d done a British Vogue multi-girl cover. And then it felt like, OK, it was a real thing. Or at least it cemented the permanence. Before then there had been momentum, and all these cool things had been happening, but you have these markers, and then I felt like I could definitely say I do this as my job.
What do you think has been the most important moment in your career?There are so many! I find so many things important. It’s nice to be asked that question and to reflect back because the industry is so fast moving. But I think about walking for Fendi, or my American Vogue cover, but there’s also all these smaller ones, like working with Maryam Nasir Zadeh, that was a really big deal for the girl that I represent, and the context of the ecosystem I’m in New York. Doing Forces For Fashion, for Vogue, with Kendall and Gigi, and that was a big moment, because people could hear my voice. There’s tonnes! Even the quote unquote failures, where you think you’ll never bounce back from something, but then you do!
How do you switch off and find a moment for yourself?
It’s pretty hard! If you’re on the internet it is pretty hard to switch off. I think the ideal thing is to just delete the app for a couple of days. Getting off your phone. But then you know I’ve been friends with a lot of the same people for a lot of my life, and they give a very unique perspective. So I live a mellow and cosy and as normal life as I can. You know, I’m quite chill! It’s easy for me because it’s a necessity, when I’m not working, for me to dress how I want, to be myself, to rest, to be OK with doing nothing, centring play and fun and doing dorky stuff. I need normal stuff! I can’t live with glamour all the time. It’s weird.
What do you feel most passionately about outside of fashion?
I think what I’m passionate about outside of fashion is what I’m passionate about inside of fashion. Which is people, connection, identity, joy, survival, desire; all of these things that are to do with the nuances of who we are. That goes down to the books that I read and the films that I watch. I try to centre everything in that.
Fashion can be uplifting as well as exhausting. What’s one thing you like to wear that makes you feel powerful?
Since I’ve been able to pull a few pennies together I’ve really enjoyed wearing Comme, I love how irreverent, sexy, timeless and strange it is. It makes me excited.
When did someone last bring you a joyful moment?
Oh loads! But last? My boyfriend, who woke me up to do this interview. That was very kind of him. Apart from that, working on this Zalando campaign.
Can you tell us something expensive that’s worth it?
Perfume. Cheap perfume is never good.
And something cheap that’s even better?
Sweatpants. I don’t believe in designer sweatpants. I think that’s insane. I love to wear a pair of Champion sweatpants.
And lastly what moment are you most looking forward to?
I can’t wait for next summer! I’ve been working on my house, quietly, for ages, and it should be ready. I’m really excited for the moment when that is done. I’m ready for this place of my own, for my family and my friends to enjoy, a place of reprieve and community.