Eva Mendes sizzles for first shoot for Violet Grey after giving birth to daughter Esmeralda and she gave an exclusive interview to the brand on to be actress, muse and fashion designer becomes a new mother at 40
CASSANDRA HUYSENTRUYT GREY: I THINK IT’S SO AMAZING THAT YOUR MOM USED TO WORK AT THIS THEATER AND THAT YOU USED TO COME TO WORK WITH HER. DID IT FEEL GLAMOROUS TO COME HERE AS A KID?
EVA MENDES: It did feel glamorous although it was super gritty at that time. Hollywood in the ‘80s was really not safe so I had strict instructions to stay close by. I spent a lot of time in the powder room, which was so luxurious. Just the idea of a separate area to make yourself beautiful, I was like, “What!?”
C.H.G.: HOW OLD WERE YOU?
E.M.: Probably from 8 to 12. At the time we lived in this tiny apartment. One bathroom. Four kids. And as the bus drove down Los Feliz Boulevard to the theater, I would imagine what it would be like to live in one of the beautiful homes on that street. Now I live just a few blocks from that area. I believe the seeds of our dreams and ambitions are planted early in life.
C.H.G.: I AM GOING TO START DREAMING OF AN APARTMENT IN PARIS. WHAT ARE YOU DREAMING ABOUT NOW?
E.M.: Your apartment in Paris. Collective dreams are even more powerful.
E.M.:[Laughs.] I think I’m just exhausted as a new mom. Maybe you’re mistaking that for being calm.
C.H.G.: WELL, YOU’RE A MOVIE STAR WHO HAD A BABY WITH ANOTHER MOVIE STAR WHO DOESN’T HAVE TWO NANNIES AND A BABY NURSE.
E.M.: I’m doing it without a nanny for now but I’m open to the idea of having a nanny in the future. Esmeralda has two amazing grandmothers and incredible aunties who come over and really help me. But as far as a nanny or a night nurse, for me that part of being a mother at this early stage is the struggle of not being able to sleep and not knowing what I’m doing and really going through it with her and battling out those nights.
C.H.G.: AREN’T THERE SO MANY ALARMING THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN? ARE YOU EVER SCARED THAT YOU’RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG?
E.M.: Constantly.
C.H.G.: WHAT DO YOU DO? DO YOU GO ON THE INTERNET?
E.M.: I call one of her grandmothers or I call one of her aunties.
E.M.: The nonnas.
E.M.: Yes. I try not to Google too many things because it is frightening but I do go to babycenter.comand read the comment sections from other mothers because I find so much solace in that. Just knowing that I’m not alone out there and that other moms have gone through the same thing can at least get me through the night.
C.H.G.: WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? WERE YOU TRYING OR DID IT TAKE YOU BY SURPRISE?
E.M.: You’re killing me, Cassandra.
E.M.: I think so. I just broke into a mini-sweat.
C.H.G.: OK, FAIR ENOUGH. DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT YOU REALLY FLEW UNDER THE RADAR AND MANAGED TO AVOID THE PAPARAZZI AND THE SPOTLIGHT IN GENERAL THE WHOLE TIME YOU WERE PREGNANT?
E.M.: Whether we like it or not, privacy is going to be very difficult for Esmeralda. I think it’s unfair but that’s our reality. So Ryan and I decided early on to give her as much privacy as we could. And my pregnancy was the first opportunity to give her that. It’s such an intimate time for the mother, too. I know that it seems all very innocuous when you’re flipping through a tabloid at the doctor’s office or see a photo of a pregnant lady online, but I find the media’s “bump watch” obsession to be both intrusive and stressful. So I made a decision to eject myself from it completely. I was like, “Annnnd I’m out.”
C.H.G.: WHAT WERE YOU DOING? WERE YOU READING BOOKS LIKE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING?
E.M.: Yes, although mainly I was just taking the time to relax and enjoy my pregnancy. I was constantly with family. I have eight nieces and nephews so my brothers and sisters know a thing or two about what to expect when you’re expecting. I have a very tight-knit family and the pregnancy brought us even closer together.
C.H.G.: DO YOU HAVE A NEW APPRECIATION OF YOUR MOTHER AS A MOTHER?
E.M.: Definitely. I cannot believe that by the time my mother was 24 she had three kids under the age of four. She was in Cuba and totally alone. So when it’s the wee hours of the night and I’m feeling a bit insane, I think about her and realize that I have no right to complain about anything.
E.M.: When it comes to skin care I love using things I can find in my kitchen cabinet! I use coconut oil as a moisturizer and I combine yogurt and sea salt to exfoliate. If I’m going out and looking tired and puffy (which happens a lot these days), I dip my face into a bucket of ice water. I once worked with a makeup artist who worked briefly with Lucille Ball. She told me that’s what the actresses did back then.
E.M.: Lady, send me the La Mer!
E.M.: We actually did. We were really excited about naming her.
E.M.: We both love the Esmeralda character from the Victor Hugo novel The Hunchback of Notre Dameand just think it’s a beautiful name. Her middle name is Amada, which was my grandmother’s name. It means “beloved” in Spanish.
E.M.: You know, I don’t because she’s 6 weeks old. I want to stay present with her. But I do consider how my own actions now will seem to her later on. For instance, with the VIOLET GREY photo shoot, I thought, “Is this something that she’s going to be proud of?” The idea that I would ever embarrass her is really heartbreaking for me.
C.H.G.: MOTHERHOOD IS TOUGH.
E.M.: People always told me that. But I’ve learned that it’s way harder to be a baby. Everything is a struggle for her. For instance, I haven’t thrown up since the ‘90s and she’s thrown up twice since we started this interview. Motherhood is cake compared to what it’s like to be a baby.
C.H.G.: [LAUGHS.] OK, I’LL LET YOU GET BACK TO HER. BUT FIRST, LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR COLLECTION FOR NEW YORK & COMPANY. I LOVE ALL THE VINTAGE-INSPIRED LADY DRESSES. TELL US ABOUT YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE HOLIDAY COLLECTION.
E.M.: My inspiration for the holiday collection actually comes from my VIOLET GREY Christmas story that I art-directed with you last year! While collecting images as inspiration for the shoot, I came across these beautiful old photographs of movie stars being festive. Everything was so elegant and sparkly. I wanted to bring affordable elegance to the collection for my favorite time of year. Practically, I wanted to make dresses that made women feel beautiful.
C.H.G.: YOU LOVE A DRESS.
E.M.: I love a waist. I love a beautiful dress. When I am designing with my partners I try to think about the woman I’m designing for, where she’s going, what her life is like. That’s why I don’t design jeans or many pants. I think the easiest way to make a woman look beautiful is to put her in a dress that fits her properly.
C.H.G.: IN YOUR PERFECT WORLD, WOULD ALL WOMEN BE IN DRESSES RATHER THAN PANTS?
E.M: In a perfect world all women would be paid as much as men whether they were in a tailored trouser or a lady dress!
C.H.G: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT MEN IN DRESSES?
E.M.: I’m indifferent. But if they insist I’d prefer them to shave their legs.
