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When Lizeth Selene<\/a> made the move from her small beach town to Mexico City, it changed the trajectory of her life. The singer, actress and burgeoning fashion icon has become one of the country\u2019s biggest \u201cit girls,\u201d nabbing a YSL Beauty campaign<\/a> alongside the likes of Hailey Bieber, Bianca Jagger and Precious Lee.<\/p>\n Much of Selene’s creativity is tied to what she wants to represent in the world and across media. As a woman with dark hair, indigenous features and brown skin, she\u2019s made it possible for more women to see themselves in beauty campaigns and television shows. \u201cIt\u2019s because I have a face that represents us in Latin America,\u201d she tells PAPER. <\/em><\/em>\u201cThe skin color, the tattoos, an image we weren\u2019t used to seeing in the media. It\u2019s really beautiful that there\u2019s representation that looks like you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Her role in the show Rebelde <\/em>as a young queer woman was a turning point for her acting career. \u201cI think what happened with the character of Andi was magical,\u201d she says. \u201cI had no acting experience, so I just tried to make her as true to myself as possible but with her own features. We had a lot in common \u2014 like being into girls, being rebellious, tough. A lot of women followed the character, and it\u2019s really nice to see how she inspired them to be freer, to be themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, recording as Selene, she\u2019s poised to connect globally as a songwriter. \u201cThe songs I write are like an open heart,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s like I\u2019m giving you permission to enter my soul and see everything that\u2019s going on inside me. But now that I\u2019ve reconnected with that part of myself, I realize it still scares me, but maybe a lot of people will relate to it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Below, Lizeth Selene talks to PAPER<\/em> about early crushes, being \u201cshipped\u201d with Billie Eilish, creating vulnerable art and what she wants to share with the world next.<\/p>\n How are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m good, calm. <\/p>\n Are you happy?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, mostly just peaceful. There are birds singing at my window. <\/p>\n For those who don\u2019t know you, who is Selene?<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong>I\u2019d say Selene is the most vulnerable part of me. I always try to pour all my emotions into my projects, let myself get carried away by how I\u2019m feeling, and it feels like my soul stays in it because I\u2019m being completely open, sharing a piece of my heart. I think Selene really loves to connect, whether it\u2019s through a character or a song. I want people to identify with it. <\/p>\n Right, you put yourself in a vulnerable spot, which must be tough, especially for someone like you who\u2019s really sensitive.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I\u2019m like a channel for emotions. I think it\u2019s fun. I love it when people feel what I\u2019m feeling and react to it. With fashion, for example, I have so much fun. I like expressing myself through clothes. I dress depending on how I feel, what I want to say. Overall, I love expressing myself. <\/p>\n Yes, because you act, sing and started modeling in Mexico City. What\u2019s been your favorite part of starting your career from scratch on your own?<\/strong><\/p>\n The experiences, definitely. At the beginning, I had a tough time. It was hard, but I\u2019m grateful for all the good and bad experiences because they gave me the perspective to find my place.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Would you say you\u2019re someone who\u2019s always searching for things, looking for opportunities?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I think it\u2019s about searching, not settling for the first opportunity that comes your way. It\u2019s important to feel comfortable and confident with the decisions you make. I\u2019m very much about feeling things out, so I just keep looking for opportunities until I find the one where I feel comfortable being Selene. <\/p>\n You\u2019ve gained a lot of experience, both professionally and personally, thanks to that drive to find opportunities. You\u2019ve carved your own path, and now you\u2019re the face of YSL Beauty alongside big global pop culture icons like Dua Lipa and Hailey Bieber. <\/strong><\/p>\n I started modeling six years ago, and this moment didn\u2019t happen by accident or by luck. It\u2019s all been hard work and the universe rewards you for it. I\u2019ve been working nonstop since I started, constantly searching for opportunities and for the right place where I can be Selene. <\/p>\n And how do you feel about that?<\/strong><\/p>\n Honestly, I still can\u2019t believe it. It feels like a dream. <\/p>\n Talking about searching for spaces and opportunities, has it ever scared you to say no to things? <\/strong><\/p>\n Definitely, but I think knowing yourself helps you make those decisions. Sometimes, even if it hurts or doesn\u2019t seem like the best move, I have to stay true to myself and say no. It\u2019s happened in a lot of castings where I don\u2019t feel connected to the character, or if the message isn\u2019t right \u2014 even if they\u2019re big productions \u2014 but I\u2019d rather say no if I don\u2019t think it represents who I am or what I stand for. Saying no is hard, but I know myself and I know what I want.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It takes guts to say no.<\/strong><\/p>\n It takes a lot of guts.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, you\u2019re very true to yourself and your style, which is why you\u2019re considered one of Mexico\u2019s <\/strong>it-girls<\/strong>. You really bring something unique to the scene.<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve felt lost at times too, but I think the key is always coming back to yourself. I give myself days to just be with me, to reconnect. This industry is dangerous and it\u2019s easy to lose yourself. Growing up, I admired so many celebrities and I liked connecting with the real, human side of them, not just the image. Today, I really enjoy hearing from people who identify with me. I get messages saying, \u201cToday someone told me I look like you.\u201d It\u2019s because I have a face that represents us in Latin America \u2014 the skin color, the tattoos, an image we weren\u2019t used to seeing in the media. It\u2019s really beautiful that there\u2019s representation that looks like you.<\/p>\n Yeah, it\u2019s so important for people to identify with you, to look at you and think, Wow, there\u2019s someone like me there, I can do this too.<\/em> T<\/strong>hat\u2019s what happened with you in Rebelde<\/em>. People in Latin America saw themselves in you, and with a platform that big, you really blew up.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I think what happened with the character of Andi was magical. I had no acting experience, so I just tried to make her as true to myself as possible but with her own features. We had a lot in common \u2014 like being into girls, being rebellious, tough. A lot of women followed the character, and it\u2019s really nice to see how she inspired them to be freer, to be themselves. <\/p>\n Do you feel like you\u2019re a figure for the Lesbian community? <\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m a figure, but I feel like the character helped a lot of teens realize it\u2019s okay to like women. And I, as Selene, really identified with that, and I keep sending the message that we\u2019re all the same. We can be who we want to be, and love who we want to love.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n How did you discover that about yourself? <\/strong><\/p>\n Growing up, I would look at girls and think, She\u2019s pretty<\/em>, but I didn\u2019t think much of it. As I got older and learned more, I decided at 16 to experiment, to see if what I felt was what I thought it was. I feel free, I don\u2019t question things much, I just went for it. That\u2019s when I realized I could love whoever I want. It\u2019s so beautiful to know that and I\u2019m happy. <\/p>\n That\u2019s such a powerful message. It may sound selfish, but I think it\u2019s so important to prioritize yourself. <\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s selfish. You have to prioritize yourself. When you\u2019re ok with you, everything else falls into place. <\/p>\n Who was your celebrity crush growing up? <\/strong><\/p>\n Justin Bieber. <\/p>\n And girls? <\/strong><\/p>\n And as for girls, it was Danna [laughs]<\/em>. But now we\u2019re friends. <\/p>\n Online, the internet has \u201cshipped\u201d you with a few other girls, like Billie Eilish.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, the internet is fun. Fans love to create relationships between queer people or women they think have something in common. With Billie, it was a bit different. Fans saw us liking each other\u2019s posts, and once she shared a video of me dancing to one of her songs and they ran with it. We\u2019re actually internet friends. We don\u2019t talk much, but she\u2019s one of my favorite artists, and I admire and respect her a lot. <\/p>\n Back to finding yourself and expressing who you are, how did you find your voice in fashion? <\/strong><\/p>\n I grew up seeing people who didn\u2019t look like me on TV, in ads and in the media. Being part of that world was something I always wanted, so when I moved to Mexico City, I decided to take the leap. Around that time, there was a strong movement in the Mexican fashion industry that grew alongside BLM. In most productions, I was the only Brown-skinned model, surrounded by white models. There were 10 foreign models, and just me \u2014 but that didn\u2019t matter. I was the change, I was the shift. And that\u2019s how it went \u2014 claiming spaces and making your own place in the industry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yeah, thankfully, the industry has changed a lot in recent years.<\/strong><\/p>\n It feels great to be representing Mexico abroad. Last year, I got to go to Milan for Ferragamo\u2019s show as a guest, and in September, we were at NY Fashion Week. I attended a couple of shows from emerging designers, like Kim Shui, Bad Binch Tongtong and Willy Chavarria \u2014 \u00a1Viva Mexico! <\/p>\n You should definitely work with Willy.<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019d love to. I started as a model in the independent scene in Mexico, and emerging projects will always have a special place in my heart because I know what it\u2019s like to come from zero. Plus, he’s a genius.<\/p>\n How\u2019s music going for you? <\/strong><\/p>\n I really love writing, and I\u2019ve been doing it for a while now, but I used to be scared. Like I said, Selene is the most vulnerable side of me, and the songs I write are like an open heart. It\u2019s like I\u2019m giving you permission to enter my soul and see everything that\u2019s going on inside me. But now that I\u2019ve reconnected with that part of myself, I realize it still scares me, but maybe a lot of people will relate to it. I\u2019ve been writing in my room, playing with sounds and rediscovering that connection. I\u2019m hoping to drop some new music early next year. <\/p>\n I can see you\u2019re excited.<\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I\u2019m super excited. I had a bit of a falling out with music, not with the music itself, but with the environment. But I realized I can make my own music and just put it out there for whoever is meant to hear it. I just want to express myself. For example, when I\u2019m sad, I\u2019ll play the exact song I know will make me feel exactly how I want to feel. Music helps you get even sadder or happier, depending on what you need. That\u2019s what I love about it, pushing my emotions to the limit.<\/p>\n What would you say is the biggest difference between Selene five years ago and Selene today? <\/strong><\/p>\n I think there\u2019s been a lot of growth, not just professionally but personally too. I feel like before I was in a more vulnerable place in every sense \u2014 constantly searching for opportunities \u2014 and now, I\u2019m way more confident in who I am, in my career, and I\u2019ve got my feet firmly planted on the ground. <\/p>\n I think it\u2019s the result of your adventurous spirit, even in love and just living through experiences. <\/strong><\/p>\n Yeah, I throw myself into everything, experiment and even if I end up feeling sad in love, it\u2019s okay. Sometimes we just go through short experiences, and that\u2019s fine. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \nPhotography: Joaquin Castillo<\/a> When Lizeth Selene made the move from her small beach town to Mexico City, it changed the trajectory of her life. The singer, actress and burgeoning fashion icon has become one of the country\u2019s biggest \u201cit girls,\u201d nabbing a YSL Beauty campaign alongside the likes of Hailey Bieber, Bianca Jagger and Precious Lee. Much of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=315"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":333,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/315\/revisions\/333"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=315"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=315"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pierohair.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=315"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/h3>\n
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\n\tStyling: C\u00e9sar Alvarez<\/a>
\n\tMakeup: Christyna Kay<\/a>
\n\tHair: Sol Rodr\u00edguez<\/a>
\n\tNails: Viviane Lee Hsu<\/a>
\n\tRetouching: Victor Trani<\/a><\/em>
Styling assistant: Saint Varsity<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"