NYLON NINETEEN
Lana Condor Is A Self-Proclaimed Swiftie
To celebrate her Vera Bradley collaboration, the actor and producer takes on the NYLON 19.
After captivating Netflix viewers and rom-com fans with the wildly successful To All the Boys trilogy, Lana Condor landed her first-ever fashion collaboration with Vera Bradley, and the partnership feels like a full-circle moment.
“All the women in my family have been huge fans of Vera Bradley and have always had the bags. And I remember as a kid being like, ‘Oh, they're so beautiful and colorful, and the prints are so energizing,’” the actor and producer tells NYLON.
During her pre-teen years, Condor got her first Vera Bradley bag from her mom to use for ballet class — a moment that she describes as a rite of passage. “Now with the collaboration, it felt like it was a very full-circle moment and a very organic partnership that I love and am so proud of,” she says.
The Recycled Cotton collection for Vera Bradley not only features select styles in solid colors — a first for the brand’s signature cotton styles — but a few details on the new Lana Utility Backpack were designed by Condor herself, like colorblock striping, trim in a soft blush hue, and patterned lining boasting a colorful “Ballet Blooms” motif. The pieces are also crafted from 50-percent recycled cotton, a step forward in Vera Bradley’s mission to update all of its fabrics to more sustainable alternatives by 2025.
“We have to choose to live a more conscious lifestyle with what we consume and what we decide to buy,” asserts Condor. “So that's just something that I'm so excited the brand is bringing to the table and I can't wait for the future, as well.”
To celebrate her new collaboration, we asked Condor to take on the NYLON 19, below, talking go-to fast food orders, favorite red carpet looks, beauty tips, and more.
1.
What’s your astrological sign (and do you believe in it)?
I'm a Taurus, and from what I know of astrology, which is truly the bare minimum, the characteristics check out. I'm kind of stubborn, I'm loyal. Tauruses like material possessions, that's true. I love my bags, for example, so that checks out.
2.
Do you believe in ghosts, (and have you ever seen one)?
I do. And yes, I have. I've had three experiences — two out of the three were really lovely and then one was just very terrifying.
3.
Who would be the three headliners of the music festival of your dreams?
It would be Halsey, love her; Anthony [De La Torre], my boyfriend; and Taylor Swift. I'm a Swiftie forever. Love her, saw her in concert, very into the Taylor's Versions, love all the vault stuff. That would be a powerhouse.
4.
What’s your go-to drink order? (And if it’s boozy, what’s your go-to hangover cure?)
I love Pinot Noir. I love a red, mainly because I really love pasta and pizza and I think it really goes well with that. Spaghetti and meatballs, baby. And what's my hangover cure? Well, have you ever done cryotherapy? I think that that'll wake you up real good, or a really cold bath. It's actually very, very good for you, to go through hot and cold. You feel better and look better.
5.
What’s the weirdest snack that you make?
I love eating canned sardines and canned oysters and I'll put furikake on it, which is this rice seasoning made up of seaweed and sesame. If I eat canned sardines with my furikake, I think it's delicious. But I’ve had lots of people be like, ‘Are you just eating cat food?’ And no, I'm not. I'm eating canned sardines, but it looks like you're eating cat food.
6.
What’s a bad habit of yours that you’ve been meaning to fix?
Biting my nails. Well, you know what though? I have to say because of the pandemic, I've been a lot better because I'm terrified of germs. But yeah, biting my nails for sure is a bad habit.
7.
What was the last internet rabbit hole you went down?
I'm not sure. I don't really know if I've ever really... I mean, I'll lose myself watching cooking videos on YouTube, but it's a welcomed rabbit hole.
8.
If you could be in any music video, what would it be?
Probably one with my boyfriend. He's a singer, so anything that I can do with him, I love.
9.
What was your first concert, and what are your memories of it?
My first concert was a High School Musical concert. I was very young when High School Musical came out. It was all the rage and they were going on tour. So I was like, ‘Hell yeah.’ That was definitely the first one. I loved every moment of it. Although, Zac Efron was not there and that was probably also my first experience of heartbreak. What a bummer. You think you're going to go see High School and Zac Efron and he's not even there.
10.
What was your favorite movie as a kid?
Spirit. It is an animated film about a horse and I loved it. I highly recommend and it stands the test of time, I must say, because I watched it recently. Actually, the soundtrack is amazing, too. Hans Zimmer did the soundtrack and it's incredible.
11.
What’s your favorite meme/internet joke and why?
I do love the picture of The Rock with the fanny pack and the denim and the black turtleneck. Love that, think that's just hilarious. But also I just love The Rock, so I don't know, it makes me like him even more. I'm not much of a meme girl. I have to say, Anthony will send me memes all the time and I often don't really understand them. I need to just find my niche. I do love The Office memes. I love all of The Office.
12.
What is your favorite red carpet look of all time worn by someone else?
Sandra Oh at the 2019 Golden Globes. She wore this beautiful white gown with a huge, huge bell-shaped sequined sleeves. She looked like a goddess, better than the award itself. I was just blown away. And then Rihanna at the Met Gala when she wore that big yellow cape. The only person who can pull that off as Rihanna. She crushed it. Love that for her. Oh, Zendaya’s Cinderella moment at the Met Gala. That was crazy and I was obsessed.
13.
What is one thing everyone should buy that is under $10?
Maybe make sure you have face wipes. I love to wipe my face and take off my makeup with it. It's just a very convenient way to kind of cleanse your skin. If you're having a moment where you feel a little lazy in your skincare. And it's nice to carry around in your bag because you never know when you're going to need it.
14.
What piece of clothing from high school do you wish you kept?
Honestly, nothing. I wore a uniform for my high school years. I wasn't very stylish when I was in high school. Actually, I did have a pair of these really cool boating shoes that I loved. I guess I wish I kept them, but I don't wish that hard.
15.
What is your go-to sad song?
“White Horse” by Taylor Swift. It's so sad. Takes me back to the teenage heartbroken years.
16.
What is your best beauty tip or trick?
My makeup artist, Melissa Hernandez, taught me to use a clear organic soap on a spoolie to brush out your brows. That is a great trick because my brows just naturally kind of droop down a little. So using the soap to kind of lift them and keep them in place is super effective and also affordable. You don't have to go out and buy brow gel.
17.
What is your coffee order?
I'm really an iced tea type of gal.
18.
What is your favorite fast food place, and what’s your order?
I love In-N-Out and my order is a cheeseburger with grilled onions, raw onions, mustard-grilled, and then animal fries, which is basically just American cheese and onions.
19.
What is your favorite pair of shoes that you own, and why?
I recently just got these Gucci loafers. They're kind of the classic loafer with a platform that I'm obsessed with and still trying to break in.
Shop Lana Condor’s Vera Bradley Recycled Cotton collection now.
