Nova is no stranger to pushing boundaries—both in her choice of roles and in her style. Known for diving into characters that forge their path from humble beginnings, Nova brings that same fearless energy to the set.
Team Credits:
Photographer: Karla Tomanelli @karlatomanelli Muse: Nova Yara IG @novayaraofficial Hair: Jessica Jimenez @HairbyJnez Makeup: Zeeshan Shamji @glow.zee Digitech & Lighting: Alexis Pesante @splitsecondmoments_, Sam Jaboin @samjphotos_ Styling: Confessional Showroom @the_confessional_showroom_nyc PR: SAY MEDIA @say__media Brands: Selara Regalia @selararegalia Haleia @haleia Tiscareno @tiscarenostudio Burberry Prorsum Christian Louboutin Claude Montana
Gracing the beauty cover of L’Officiel this September, Nova brings an intriguing mix of edginess and elegance that’s impossible to ignore. Known for her bold fashion choices and captivating characters, Nova’s ability to blend soft vulnerability with fierce determination makes her a standout in today’s entertainment world. With a fresh face, sharp eyeliner, and a clean slate approach to every character and outfit, Nova is redefining what it means to own your identity—whether she’s on set or lounging at home. And in true Nova fashion, her advice is simple yet empowering: let the world see all your versions because every single one is magical.
Welcome to L’Officiel Nova! You’re an up-and-coming actress with a unique blend of style and character choices. What kind of roles excite you the most, and how does your style influence the characters you play?
Thank you for the warm welcome! It is so great to meet you. Oh gosh! There are so many amazing roles that excite me! The ones I love the most are characters that aren’t necessarily in positions of power but create a path to triumph! There is intrigue in fearlessness, especially if that person comes from nothing or doesn’t have fair access to compete. Characters that are fueled by their vulnerabilities and fears really help forge provocative stories. When it comes to my style and characters, I like to start with a clean slate and let the character’s style influence me. It’s their story, not mine, and how they carry themselves is very individual. Even if a character’s wardrobe is a simple plain tee and jeans, something can be extracted from that. When I get into my zone of studying a character, It’s important for me to connect on all levels and clothes play a huge role in embodying a character’s inner being. There is the meaning behind why “a character’s jacket has one button missing” or why “they never tie their shoelaces” no matter how many times their face slam onto the turf from tripping. These peculiarities, even if just through clothes; are silent representations of our identity.
How did you feel embodying this mix of edgy and soft during the shoot? Did it spark any new character inspirations for you?
The shoot was something else for sure! I worked with such a great team whose extraordinary vision challenged the conventional. Dueling duality comes to mind. One of the outfits, the long gown with the bright cropped moto jacket was challenging. There I was, in a beautiful, celestial piece- fitting for a ball only to be draped with a jacket that suggested “she’s a bad girl!” I mean, both components can be true in the fashion of course, but rarely are they boldly interlaced. For me, rather than choosing to play it sweet or impish, I just focused on creating harmony between the vastly different moods, the result was strangely liberating. It reminded me of a character recently played. In the story, the character’s entire life was spent on the streets. They were tough as nails, a real baddie! But also had a soft, loving, and protective side to her. Imagine that!? How is a person who’s bereft of human warmth and affection able to love?! It shows that as humans, we are not absolute in our behaviors and how we carry ourselves.
We’ve seen you rock some pretty bold looks! What’s the one fashion trend you swore you’d never try but ended up loving?
High-waisted pants! Just the idea of pants pressed right under my ribs made me laugh. My romance with them slowly started with a women’s high-waisted Tuxedo pants I came across…the shine of the satin, how it cinched my waist! Goodness! Those were very sexy pants…I loved pairing them with a cropped top. You couldn’t see an inch of my skin it added mystery.
You’ve mastered both glam and edgy in this shoot. Which beauty look do you feel most confident in — soft and natural, or bold and daring?
Both of them, some moments call for softness. It’s nice to be disarmed once in a while, it allows for emotions to seep through gracefully but! there are times when the only way to be acknowledged is when you are bold and take risks. Without risks, there would be no discovery, no inspiration, and no innovation. We’d pretty much be static.
Let’s play a quick round of ‘Fashion or Fiction’: Which movie character’s style do you secretly wish you could raid?
Ooh, there are so many! I have an admiration for the style of superheroes and villians. Everything from the textures and how structured the garments magnifies how beautiful and dedicated the craftmanship is…maybe I can raid Catwoman’s closet? She has a pretty amazing outfit…nothing says confidence like stitched up latex leather!
You’ve mastered the ‘good girl vs bad girl’ look in this shoot, but what about real life? When you’re off-duty, what’s your guilty pleasure fashion or beauty item that makes you feel like you’re rebelling just a little bit?
That would be my vintage black moto jacket, that thing needs its passport! It comes with me on all my trips, even when I travel to hot places (planes are always freezing) it is such a timeless piece that adds spice to the blandest looks. For beauty, I am big on a deep facial cleaning, a dirty face is not cute.
Since we’re talking beauty, if you had to describe your beauty routine in one word, what would it be? And what’s the one product you never leave the house without?
There is so much stuff just floating around in the air and our pores are like magnets to that junk. Your skin even loses its shine when you have layers of dead skin cells just lounging on your face. Everything gets better with a clean face. I follow up with a facial cleanse with moisturizer! One time for the holidays, I gifted a bunch of friends with moisturizer sets! I put a card that said, “Your skin is amazing, don’t take it for granted.”
On set, we imagine you go through a lot of makeup looks. What’s your favorite makeup product to have in your bag for touch-ups during long shoots?
Eyeliner, what a difference a simple black pencil makes to the expression of your eyes. I’m all about talking with my eyes and eyeliner has a way of doing that. It’s the seductress of makeup products!
You’re styled to perfection in this shoot, but tell us — what’s your ultimate lazy day look when you’re binge-watching your favorite shows at home?
This is a PG interview right?! Well, the truth is sometimes I am just in underwear and “that” shirt …that is what I call the shirt I refuse to throw out even though it is on its last thread…you know the one …it’s usually the shirt that is crunched up in the bottom corner of the drawer. Now, if it is cold! Then I am forced to wear some sweats.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for owning your style, both on and off the screen?
Fashion, trends…they come, they go, sometimes they come back for round two but your style will always be a part of you. Own it! For a while, I was very afraid to wear things I liked because it was so different from what was trending or what my friends were wearing. I didn’t realize how much my style meant to my identity until I had a job that had a mandatory business attire guideline…and I’m not talking cool, edgy Mugler-type business attire. Talk about having to play a role! It felt like I was a completely different person. I took the experience in stride but it made me realize the importance of not allowing others to tell you who you are or are supposed to be.
Lastly, what’s the one piece of advice you’d like to give your fans out there?
This shoot was about working with different versions of a person that are not always displayed together. There are many unique and enchanting versions of ourselves that perhaps we’ve never shown the world out of fear or shyness. My advice: let the world see the magic that is you.
