Julia Fox credits her ex Kanye West for helping her find the path to creative control.
The 34-year-old model made a guest appearance on the New York Times’ Popcast podcast last week and discussed her post-Kanye career. More specifically, she described how her relationship with the rapper, 47, taught her about regaining control over her image and creative direction.
The former couple were first spotted on a date in Miami at the top of January 2022, which was later documented in a now-infamous Interview Magazine feature. Their whirlwind romance ended the following month.
“It was actually a blessing that he came into my life because he kind of shook up my team in a way where a lot of the creative control was then given back to me,” Fox said to Popcast hosts Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica at the 24:34 mark in the video above.
“Even though nothing was really going on because it was the pandemic and whatever, but I would still feel this pressure to pretend to be this Hollywood starlet that I wasn't. I'd get into fights about it and be really upset about it, but then ultimately always concede and just do what they wanted me to do because it was easier than arguing.”
The Uncut Gems actress continued, “So after he came in and was like ‘Wait a minute. No, fuck that.’ like ‘I'm going to do what he said. I'm going to do what I want to do.’ but then when he left it was like ‘Oh wait, now I'm going to do what I want to do,’ you know?”
The shift in dynamics apparently empowered Fox who said she found more freedom and resources that led her to more opportunities and collaborations in the fashion industry.
“I'm my own muse. In the same way I'm my own muse I'm also my own downfall and cuz really ultimately I can only do what I believe I can do. So when I don't believe in myself I can't do anything and I'm debilitated. So it's both ways, you know?” said Fox.
“After that the doors had unlocked and I just had so many more resources at my fingers, more people wanting to work with me, more designers willing to lend me clothes, and then just it became really fun.”
However, Fox emphasizes that her success and unique fashion sense are her own achievements and not a result of Kanye’s influence.
“I started to hear this whole thing like ‘Oh, well she's only like you know killing it in the fashion because it's Kanye.’ And I was like ‘No, these are my looks. I'm putting them together,’” she said.
“Then I felt like that was what I needed to push against and prove that, ‘No, these are my looks’ you know? … I wasn't doing it before because my team wanted me to just look basic.”
Further into the interview, Fox said that she rejected the vision her team had for her post-Uncut Gems because “it felt inauthentic.”
“It didn't feel fun and I don't want to do anything that isn't fun,” Fox added. “I'd rather pack it up and just leave and go do something else.”
Fox’s latest "fun" venture appears to be pop music. Joined by Charli XCX, Fox debuted her single “Down the Drain” at the Boiler Room in Brooklyn, New York in February. Her autobiography with the same title as the single arrived last October. The track and its accompanying music video premiered last month.