As the world wakes up to International Women's Day, with its theme of #PressforProgress, we take a moment to recognise and celebrate the amazing women who made our April issue that little bit more special.
From an Oscar-winning action hero to the Nordic medics helping us talk about our vaginas, here are the women powering the April 2018 edition of ELLE.
The Oscar-Winning Actress: Alicia Vikander
Taking on the iconic role of Lara Croft in one of the biggest blockbusters of the year, Tomb Raider, is no mean feat. But with months of gruelling training under her belt (think an hour long workout first thing in the morning and five meals a day to bulk up), if there's anyone who's up to the job, it's our cover star Alicia Vikander. The Oscar-winning actress opens up about the culture of abuse in Hollywood, learning to speak out and how she copes with her fear of standing out. "It's tough being a young girl at this time, you know? I'm now working in an industry which lives on creating an image, a fantasy and I feel like I need to show younger women that is what it is," she tells us, proving that she's a hero both on and off screen.
The Voice of Now: Zadie Smith
Almost two decades have passed since Zadie's debut novel White Teeth propelled her to literary stardom and we still can't get enough of her. With her latest collection of essays, Feel Free, out now, we spoke to Smith about how she used to internalise all things female and why transcendence can be found by listening to Kanye West.
The Funniest Woman on TV: Sharon Horgan
Who better to guide you through womanhood than Sharon Horgan, our comedy favourite who has written and played some of the most realistic and compelling female characters on television? From the messy single years, through to motherhood and the age of reinvention, Sharon's repertoire pretty much charts life's most formative phases.
The Vagina Experts: Ellen Stokken Dahl and Nina Brochmann
Ellen and Nina are "vagicians". Need we go on? Authors of The Wonder Down Under (Yellow Kite, out 8 March), their book aims to demystify vaginas (and more precisely, vulvas) once and for all. In this month's issue, the Oslo-based medics address our reluctance to talk openly about the V-word in "The Vagina Dialogue".
The Magazine Maestro: Liv Siddall
In the world of magazines, Liv Siddall's CV is pretty impressive. The founder of Rough Trade Magazine, Liv has held editor roles at It's Nice That (where she wrote 1,769 articles) and is contributing editor at Riposte. This month, she adds ELLE to her ever-expanding CV, as she questions whether bitching really is that bad for us.
The Art Industry Heavyweight: Iwona Blazwick
Esteemed art critic and director of the Whitechapel Art Gallery, Iwona Blazwick, shares her favourite coffee table reads in "My Shelf", giving us a peek at the books that inspire the mind of one of the art world's best curators.
The Photography Powerhouse: Liz Collins
Having shot everyone from Cara to Kaia, photographer Liz Collins returns to ELLE, taking on this season's swishing skirts in a dynamic swing dance shoot. Capturing the care-free mood of the Forties, this shoot will make you want to dance, dance, dance (and buy a skirt to show off your moves in).
The Woman Nailing It: Marian Newman
In between designing nail art for Louis Vuitton and Vivienne Westwood shows, industry expert Marian Newman found the time to give us her top tips for achieving chic pastel tweed nails in our beauty mood board. Summer ready and simple, they're the perfect way to subtly encourage the sun to come out.
The April issue of ELLE UK is on sale now. Make sure you don't ever miss out on an issue by subscribing to our magazine for a discounted price magazine here.
