This cover story appears in V131, available for purchase now

V Magazine: What was the spark that first made you want to do what you do?

Hailey Bieber: I was always inspired by seeing the imagery come to life through the clothes, hair, and makeup. I love being transformed and seeing myself in so many different ways. That has always sparked me to keep doing what I do.

V: What advice would you give to your teenage self?

HB: [I’d tell my teenage self] to be more forgiving when it comes yourself. I’m so hard on myself, and I’m such a people pleaser. I think I’ve put a lot of pressure on myself since I was young. If I could tell my younger self to just be a little more kind and forgiving, it would have helped me a lot. I’m starting to learn how to not be so hard on myself now as I get older.

V: What’s the most enduring lesson that you’ve learned from being in the public eye?

HB: There’s been a lot. But one of the biggest is the lesson of not explaining myself to people and not living my life for other peoples’ approval.

V: What is a piece of art that has shaped the way you see the world?

HB: I used to be a ballet dancer, and I think watching ballet has totally shaped how I see and feel movement. It has inspired me so much.

V: What’s the last photo saved to your phone?

HB: I just saved a photo of the sketch of my Met Ball dress for September, which I am very, very excited about.

V: What’s the memory you hold most dear?

HB: Definitely the day I got married!

V: What words do you live by?

HB: I really like the quote, “We can’t control other people’s emotions we only control.

V: How we react to them” I don’t necessarily always live by that, but I love that quote. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future or anything else, what would you want to know?

HB: I wouldn’t want to know a thing. I live day to day, and I’m not worried about the future.

V: If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one ability, what would it be?

HB: Teleportation.

V: As your cover launches on Fourth of July weekend, what would your message to the readers be? What advice can you offer on how to move forward this summer after the past year we’ve had?

HB: My advice would be to be really present in every moment. Lift our heads from our phones and just really be. Find new appreciation for the little things.

V: What would you like the legacy of your career to be?

HB: For me, beyond my career, I would love for people to look back and think back on how I made them feel. I hope that I’ve made the people around me and people I’ve worked with feel good…[And I hope they] leave feeling better than they came in.

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