“First of all, fame is weird,” laughs actress Julia Garner, 29, down a crackling phone line from Los Angeles. Catapulted to stardom for her gutsy portrayal of Ruth Langmore in the Netflix series Ozark, she remains charmingly un-starry. “I am not going to be [like] ‘Oh, it’s amazing.’ No, it’s weird and I don’t like it.”
While it may sit uncomfortably, fame clearly has its upsides for Garner, who was invited to join the family as the face of Gucci Guilty and its latest iteration Elixir in March this year. The actress was also sat in the front row during the recent debut show by creative director Sabato de Sarno, and before that, starred in the perfume relaunch campaign alongside rapper A$AP Rocky and actor Elliot Page.
Of the whole experience with Gucci, she says: “It’s been so wonderful. First of all, the fragrance smells incredible, and then shooting the campaign was such a memorable few days. Rocky is amazing and Elliot is incredible, and I am such a fan of both of their work. I wish I could give more of an interesting answer, but it’s been a dream, truly.”
First launched in 2011, Gucci Guilty was re-released earlier this year, with an updated bottle and its signature notes of the citrusy mandora fruit and pink pepper, accords of bergamot, violet, rose and geranium, with a base of amber and patchouli. Choosing to partner with Gucci was easy, Garner explains. “One of the reasons why Gucci is such a dream brand – and I have loved fashion since I was a little kid – [is because] I always felt that Gucci was forward thinking and for diversity. They always push the norms, and I am personally attracted to that.”
What drew her in, she explains, was the brand’s authenticity, backed by the trio of strong and very diverse characters in the campaign. “I mean, authenticity? It’s everything. Any actor, writer, storyteller or even fashion designer wants to move people, and I think the first step to moving somebody is always telling the truth in an authentic way. I am interested in telling the truth and hearing the truth.” She also talks about how a scent can transport us through time, back to a cherished moment or event. “It’s not a fragrance, but I have two early memories of smell,” Garner explains.
“My mother is of German heritage and she makes really good schnitzel, so I always remember that smell. My father is a painter, and his studio is in my parent’s basement and you know how paints smell; I am very familiar with that smell.”
Like many actors, Garner is in tune with her emotions and places value on remaining emotionally available, no matter what. “I think openness is key; I think in society when certain things don’t go our way, we feel shame and start closing up and getting self-conscious. When you have that openness, it’s more fun and more free.”
When it is explained to Garner that most interviewees prefer to evade any conversations about emotions, she laughs. “That’s the problem with society right now. You ask a deep question, and they don’t want to get so deep, [this is] something they should probably be working on in therapy, to be honest!”
Garner may be known for playing tough characters such as the ruthless Langmore or the con artist Anna Sorokin in Inventing Anna, but it is easy to see why she was chosen to front Gucci Guilty. Like the scent, Garner is soft and flowery, but with a dash of peppery spice, and it is little wonder she was hand-picked by Madonna to play her in a biopic.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)