In Desert Hot Springs, the Topanga resident steps back in front of the camera to sport the best of the new season
Words by RACHEL MARLOWE
Photography by PIA RIVEROLA
Fashion Direction by PETRA FLANNERY
LEFT: HERMÈS lambskin dress, price upon request. CARTIER Juste un Clou bracelet, $37,700. RIGHT: 1 MONCLER JW ANDERSON quilted satin bolero, $610, and skirt, $705. POMELLATO Iconica bracelet, $24,000, and Iconica ring, $3,510.
GIORGIO ARMANI silk blouse, $1,950, and skirt, price upon request.
LOEWE coat, $9,850. MANOLO BLAHNIK Jada shoes, $650. BUCCELLATI earrings, $16,000.
LOEWE coat, $9,850. MANOLO BLAHNIK Jada shoes, $650. BUCCELLATI earrings, $16,000.
PRADA coat, $3,700, turtleneck, $1,120, dress, $1,910, and slingbacks, price upon request. POMELLATO Iconica rings, from $2,970.
LEFT: MAX MARA silk dress, $1,540. MANOLO BLAHNIK Galits sandals, $695. POMELLATO Iconica earrings, $10,800. CARTIER Panthère de Cartier bracelet, $36,700. RIGHT: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI silk organza dress, $7,495. DIOR Abbesse sandals, $950. BUCCELLATI necklace, $26,000, and cuff bracelets, from $12,500.
“These are very strange times,” says Angela Lindvall, speaking from her home in Topanga Canyon on the eve of the presidential inauguration. “I swear I don’t have any fingernails left, with all the anxiety. It’s reminded me of the importance of my daily practice. With so many things going on in the outer world, that connection and going inward is critical.” The practice Lindvall is referring to is Kundalini yoga — a method that she has been a devotee of for over 20 years and credits as the source of her own inner healing and transformation.
“I took a deliberate break because I felt this kind of calling”
Angela Lindvall
Best known as the face of brands such as Chanel, Versace, Dior and Louis Vuitton, the Oklahoma-born Lindvall was spotted at age 15 at a Kansas City fashion show. Now 42 years old and a mother of two, the supermodel is so committed to Kundalini that she stepped away from the catwalk to host yoga and meditation workshops and retreats on her 7-acre estate, dubbed Greenleaf Oasis. “I took a deliberate break for almost a year because I felt this kind of a calling,” she says. “I tried to ignore it, but it wouldn’t go away, so I made the decision that I really needed to focus on this.” With the lockdown in effect, however, Lindvall had to shift her focus once again.
“I was very reluctant to move into digital before,” she says. “Now it’s the only option, so I started filming and getting comfortable teaching meditation and yoga online. I miss those in-person women’s circles, but this forced me to realize that I can reach so many more people.” The new offering of digital classes will roll out on her website Peace Begins in Me (peacebeginsinme.com) over the next few months, with plans for eventual live sessions in the works too. “The timing for my new project feels really pivotal,” she says. “I look forward to sharing the tools and resources that can help support people through these difficult times.”
The shutdown also prompted an actual physical shift for Lindvall, who sold her home of 15 years to downsize. “I had a beautiful compound where I was able to host my yoga and workshops, but I decided to get a smaller space in Topanga,” she says. “I’m enjoying separating my home from my work, and when we can gather again I know there are spaces where we can do that. I’m looking into land in Colorado or New Mexico where we can host retreats and workshops.”
LEFT: VALENTINO dress, $5,500, and Valentino Garavani sandals, $850. POMELLATO Iconica necklace, $6,950, pendant, $5,900, and Nudo Maxi ring, $5,800. Cartier Trinity de Cartier ring, $970. RIGHT: FENDI dress, $1,690, and pumps, $1,050. POMELLATO Iconica bracelet, $24,000, and Iconica Maxi ring, $3,510. CARTIER Pasha de Cartier watch, $14,300.
LEFT: DIOR dress, price upon request, Tribales earring, $520, and D-Cameo necklace, $1,200. CARTIER Clash de Cartier rings, from $2,120. BUCCELLATI cuff bracelets, from $12,500. RIGHT: MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION Jamison dress, $1,990. CARTIER Juste un Clou bracelet, $37,700, Panthère de Cartier bracelet, $36,700, and Clash de Cartier bracelets, $8,750 each.
A self-confessed hermit, Lindvall has been happy cocooning with her teenage sons William Dakota and Sebastian over the past year, Marie Kondo-ing her closet, planting a new edible garden and making self-care a priority. “I wake up and turn on the barrel sauna in my yard, which honestly is one of best investments I’ve ever made,” she says. “While I’m sitting in there I’ll double up and do my meditation. Then I take a cold shower to stimulate the system, have some tea and get on my mat.” Getting dressed has also become a ritual of sorts for her. “I think like all of us working from home with nowhere to go, you can end up living in pajamas,” she laughs. “But I was like, ‘You know what? This doesn’t feel good.’ So part of my morning ritual is grooming myself and dressing well, because it does have an effect on the way you feel.”
In another unexpected turn of events, Lindvall has found herself ready to get back in front of the camera as a model after a hiatus, and re-engage with the fashion world in her first editorial shoot since her self-imposed pause. “Taking a break gave me a whole new appreciation for the work I do,” she says. “I mean, I’m not saving the world or anything, but it is a beautiful form of expression, and I really love the people and the creatives I work with in the industry. We rely on creative people to get us through tough times and show us new ideas. It will be really great to come back together.”
ETRO shirt, $570, shorts, $800, and sandals, $830. CARTIER Love necklace, $13,800, and Clash de Cartier ring, $3,050. POMELLATO Nudo Maxi ring, $5,800, and Iconica rings, from $5,500.
Production by LAUREN SCHUMACHER.
Hair by IAN JAMES at The Wall Group.
Makeup by MYLAH MORALES at SixK.LA.
Feature Image: BOTTEGA VENETA top, $1,350, pants, $990, earrings, $430, and bracelet, $1,900.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2021 issue of C Magazine.
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