Verified Proud to be on the cover of the summer issue of @mama.nu 💛 Such a special photoshoot and one of my most personal interviews to date—reflecting on my own upbringing, learnings from early motherhood, unpacking labor fears, and the constant judgement of being an entrepreneur while raising small children. Thanks for letting me share my story 🙏🏽

Last Sunday at the Cannes Film Festival in France, Indigenous film producer Kelvin Redvers (Dene) was in line to walk the red carpet for the premiere of Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s Les Amandiers. Knowing the step and repeat at Cannes is always a paparazzi-filled spectacle, the Vancouver-based Redvers wanted to use the opportunity to highlight and celebrate his own Indigenous culture, by wearing a pair of traditional moccasins. “I was hoping to wear an example of something that would be formal for my culture, which was a beautiful pair of moccasins that were actually beaded by my sister,” Redvers told Variety. Before he could do so, however, Redvers was stopped by red carpet security, barred from entering, and asked to leave until he changed into “regular” dress shoes.

As a Cannes jury member this year, Indian actor Deepika Padukone’s schedule was jam-packed with screenings, panel discussions, and parties. Jury duty (the enjoyable kind) aside, Padukone is also a bonafide red carpet star, so you could say she had extra pressure to deliver glamorous looks this week. She certainly didn’t disappoint. With the assistance of her go-to stylist, Shaleena Nathani, Padukone experimented with a variety of different silhouettes, and played with extreme proportions. Nobody seemed to have more fun on the red carpet than Padukone. Padukone kicked off the festival on an elevated casual note, when she hit the jury members’ official photo call in a Sabyasachi silky shirt, high-waisted green trousers, and an ornate statement necklace. Later that night, for a screening of The Final Cut, she changed into a more formal gown by the label—a sari-inspired silhouette that was striped and embellished with sequins. It was a thoughtful (and stylish) nod to her own roots.

You’d think juggling a busy acting career in Hollywood would keep Yara Shahidi busy enough, but in 2017, the Black-ish and Grown-ish star also began her four-year undergraduate program at Harvard on top of it all. Studying in the institution’s Social Studies & African American departments, the 22 year old spent four years (plus a gap year) concentrating on “Black political thought under a neocolonial landscape.” Today, after completing her 136-page thesis paper, Shahidi is celebrating her official graduation. “It’s surreal to have finally hit this major milestone,” Shahidi tells Vogue. “I’ve known I wanted to go to college since I was four. By 17, I knew exactly what I wanted to study, so to see that come to fruition is a goal fulfilled.” Completing a thesis while juggling a full-time acting job was no small feat. Her paper—titled “I Am a Man: The Emancipation of Humanness from Western Hegemony Through the Lens of Sylvia Wynter”—explores the work of the Jamaican writer and larger questions as well. “Writing my thesis pushed me as an academic, because the question I was asking was one I care about in my everyday life and in the world,” says Shahidi. “For example, ‘What could the future of equality and equity look like?’ My thesis was a moment to connect these past four years of education to something that connects to what I’m passionate about, and have ground myself in my entire life.”

Trends come and go, but timeless wardrobe staples like denim, crisp white tops, trench coats, and classic leather jackets can last for years. If well-chosen, these pieces have a kind of staying power—a forever chic that’s hard to find elsewhere in your closet. Designers are certainly putting an emphasis on building wardrobes that are meant to last—focusing on quality and craft instead of what’s in or what’s out. Now more than ever seems like a good time to invest in pieces for the long haul. And a classic leather jacket for spring feels like a good place to start.