Nobody Says No to Hailey Bieber

When the beauty mogul, mother, and wife to one of the biggest pop stars on the planet slinked up to our editor-in-chief at a party and asked for a cover story, the answer was a pinky swear yes. If there’s one thing Hailey Bieber’s good at, it’s getting what she wants.

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THURSDAY 1:30 PM FEB. 26, 2026 LA

MEL OTTENBERG: It’s so hard to get us on the phone.

HAILEY BIEBER: I know. Where are you?

OTTENBERG: I’m in London. How’s L.A.? What’s your day giving?

BIEBER: My day is giving errand-y things around the house because I’m going to Tokyo tonight for my husband’s birthday.

OTTENBERG: Oh wow. Is it giving sushi?

BIEBER: It’s giving food and shopping. We like to eat and run around and drink yummy matchas and coffees and look at art and vintage shops. It’s our favorite city.

OTTENBERG: Love it. I want to tell the people at home why you’re on this specific cover, Hailey.

BIEBER: Okay.

OTTENBERG: I was at this party, and I said hi to you and Kendall Jenner. You walked away and then came back and said, “I like your covers. I want one of those.”

BIEBER: I was like, “Mel, it’s time.”

OTTENBERG: And I said, “You’re totally right.”

BIEBER: And I said, “Okay, pinky promise.” And we did a pinky swear.

OTTENBERG: Which I take really seriously.

BIEBER: So do I. I’m just a girl who knows if you want to get something done, you’ve got to go for it.

OTTENBERG: [Laughs] Yes.

BIEBER: Nobody says no to Hailey B.

OTTENBERG: No, babe. I went back to the office and I was like, “We’ve got to give Hailey Bieber a cover because she slinked up to me in the see-through dress with a Gucci thong and made me pinky promise.”

BIEBER: I was like, “Mel, look at my thong. Put me on the cover.”

OTTENBERG: Exactly. I liked that and we agreed it was time because you’re the American dream. She’s a mom. She’s a mogul. She’s a wife. She’s a top model and an influencer and a—are you a makeup expert?

BIEBER: I wouldn’t call myself an expert on anything. But I’m somebody who—sorry, I’m just cleaning my camera—likes to play in the beauty world. I know more about skincare than I know about makeup.

OTTENBERG: Your skin looks crazy.

BIEBER: Thank you.

OTTENBERG: You’re welcome.

BIEBER: I’m crazy about it.

OTTENBERG: Are you wearing makeup right now?

BIEBER: No. I just have my daytime skincare on: a little bit of our Glazing Milk and some SPF. That’s it.

OTTENBERG: Incredible. Okay, so I always say viva hate, because whenever people are really hating on us at Interview it means we’re doing good shit. Does negativity fuel you?

BIEBER: I definitely enjoy proving people wrong.

OTTENBERG: Yeah.

BIEBER: I don’t think you get a lot of love without getting a lot of hate. Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but it can also be motivating.

OTTENBERG: Totally. When I see all the fan drama on Instagram I’m like, “Poor Hailey. This negative talk is crazy.”

BIEBER: No one gets away unscathed living in the public eye. People come up with something new every day. I’m just like, “I’m living my life and I’m going to keep it moving.”

OTTENBERG: I feel like four years ago, you became The American Dream of street style. Do you notice girls everywhere copying your look?

BIEBER: I can see a lot of my influence in certain spaces, but I’m never going to be the person to look at the way a girl is dressed and be like, “I know I inspired her.”

OTTENBERG: You’re right, that sounded bitchy. I just meant you’re really influential, especially in America, which is cool.

BIEBER: It’s totally cool. I see girls who are like, “Hey, I’m recreating this Hailey Bieber look,” and I find it super flattering and humbling. I’ve been so deeply inspired by so many women. I’ve said for years that Rihanna is one of my biggest inspirations, the way she wears her clothes. Her style is an expression of her attitude and who she is as a person.

OTTENBERG: One of Rihanna’s great talents is knowing what’s going to work on her body and I think that you’ve taught yourself how to do that, too.

BIEBER: It’s through trial and error. When you’re being photographed just leaving the house, you have to think about style in a lot of different ways. I’ve worn something where in person it looked great and then it photographed super awkwardly, so I’m a lot more conscious of it. I tailor everything. I’m meticulous about it all.

OTTENBERG: So a lot of your style must come from seeing what’s cute and what’s a flop in paparazzi pictures.

BIEBER: Yeah. Or on a red carpet. I’ve worn things where it’s like, “I love this dress, I feel stunning.” And I get on the carpet and I’m like, “That looks strange.”

OTTENBERG: It happens to the best of us, babe. But through every flop is a greater slay.

BIEBER: [Laughs] We can’t learn without flopping. So many situations like that have led me to where I’m at now, which is less is more. I’m dialing everything down. At my core I feel the coolest and the cutest and the sexiest in a t-shirt and jeans or a pair of great trousers and a little tank top. I think there’s something to be said about effortlessness. The more I’m trying to make an outfit look good, the less it works. It doesn’t need to be that deep.

OTTENBERG: Do you and Justin ever plan your outfits together? Because I fucking love how he dresses. When it’s really insane it’s—

BIEBER: We both just really like expressing ourselves through our style and supporting each other’s individualism. When we go on a carpet together or something, nobody wants to clash or look crazy, and it’s not very often that we do that. Obviously we’ll talk about what the other person’s wearing, but on a day-to-day basis I’m like, “I don’t give a shit what you want to wear. Are you comfortable? Do you feel good?” That’s all that matters to me.

OTTENBERG: What’s the concept behind [Bieber’s son] Jack’s clothes?

BIEBER: I find baby and kids clothes difficult. A lot of it is very patterned and has a lot of little animals or figurines on it, or it’s a t-shirt that says, “I love my mommy.” There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but I like dressing him more on the simple side. I like putting him in big baggy sweats or jeans and a white t-shirt or a little hoodie. Justin’s team has made him tons of custom Skylrk stuff, which is so cute. My vibe with him is cozy and yummy and cute and simple.

OTTENBERG: What’s the most exciting thing about being a mom?

BIEBER: Just seeing this little human evolve before your eyes. They grow so fast and they change so much and there’s always so much excitement. You’re watching them experience life for the first time, so you kind of feel like you’re experiencing it that way with them.

OTTENBERG: Do you worry about what kind of world your kid is going to grow up in?

BIEBER: Every day. That’s probably the most anxiety I have as a parent. The world he’s growing up in is very, very scary and it feels so bleak, thinking about the future, with how things are going. But I just have to close my eyes and have faith. As long as he’s growing up in an environment at home that’s really loving and beautiful, that’s all that I can hope for.

OTTENBERG: How many kids do you want?

BIEBER: I definitely want more than one, but I’m taking it one at a time. Some days I want two. Some days I want five.

OTTENBERG: The life you have now, did you know this would happen to you?

BIEBER: Yeah, I always wanted to be married and have kids and a family from a super young age.

OTTENBERG: What time do you wake up, Hailey?

BIEBER: Between 7 and 8. My son usually wakes up around 7:30-ish, so I like to be up with him as much as I can. I’ve enjoyed my mornings a lot more since becoming a mom.

OTTENBERG: What’s your morning like?

BIEBER: I try to do that thing where I don’t just grab my phone the second I wake up, even though I am guilty of doing it often. I try to look at the sunshine first because it’s better for your circadian rhythm, so I’m told. I get up, brush my teeth, get myself together a little bit, go see if my son’s awake yet. Kids are just so yummy in the morning when they first wake up. They’re just so smushy. Then sometimes I like to, this is going to sound so crazy, get on a vibrational plate, which is a newer thing in my routine. It helps get the lymphatic system going. And then usually it’s chill time. My son loves to make coffee with me. So we hang, have family time in the morning, and then I hop into a workout.

OTTENBERG: I know that spirituality and religion is an important part of your life. Do you have a daily spiritual practice?

BIEBER: There’s little things that are part of my routine that are very sweet and I really appreciate, but I look at spirituality more as a constant. My relationship to god is constant. I feel connected spiritually by literally just going outside and being in nature and feeling the sunshine. I also pray with my son every night before bed.

OTTENBERG: Cool. I wrote these questions down right after the Grammys, and I thought that it was cool you wore the “ICE OUT” pin.

BIEBER: I feel scared for our country, and I think it’s important to speak up and support however you can. Wearing an “ICE OUT” pin is such a small thing that you can do in such a big, big, big, big conversation.

OTTENBERG: Totally. I fall victim to this too but it’s really easy to be intimidated into not saying anything because you’re worried that something unfortunate will happen to you if you do.

BIEBER: Sometimes you don’t know the right thing to say or how to say it, but injustice is injustice, and when you have a voice to speak up for people who can’t, it’s very important to do that.

OTTENBERG: Amen to that. Okay. I was on a shoot recently and the paparazzi were screaming at the girl we were shooting. They were really mean. Is there a new weird vibe out there with paparazzi?

BIEBER: Historically we’ve seen that paparazzi are awful. I don’t think it’s gotten any better or any worse. The spirit behind it is very dark and I don’t think it’s something that anybody asks for in this world, so I find it really funny when I’ll see people online being like, “She calls the paparazzi on herself every day.” It’s so icky.

OTTENBERG: For the record, people, she’s not calling the paps.

BIEBER: No.

OTTENBERG: Okay. When you’re alone in the car, what are you listening to?

BIEBER: I’ve been listening to this Don Toliver album nonstop. I’m also in a Stevie Wonder vibe. I really loved the Olivia Dean album that came out last year, and I’m the biggest SZA fan. Same with Frank Ocean, I’m always running his albums back.

OTTENBERG: Do you watch TV?

BIEBER: I watch too much TV. I am such a binger, it’s crazy. I’m watching Love Story right now.

OTTENBERG: I’m into it. What other shows are you fucking with?

BIEBER: I just started watching Game of Thrones for the first time and I’m flying through it in a way that I’m concerned about. I also just finished season three yesterday and something really big happens that I was shook by.

OTTENBERG: Remind me.

BIEBER: They kill the entire Stark family, the mom, brother, the wife.

OTTENBERG: Oh, The Red Wedding.

BIEBER: And I was like, “What? The only ones left are the kids.”

OTTENBERG: Yes. Also, by the way, no one dies as good as the mom, they slit her throat and all the blood comes out half a second later.

BIEBER: I saw it coming for the son’s wife. I was like, “They’re not letting this girl live. There is no love story happening here. They never let them have a happy ending.” Then five seconds later she’s getting stabbed. And then the husband Robb is getting killed and then the mom is like, “Don’t kill my son. Let him go.” And they’re like, “No thanks. Kill him. Slit her throat.” I was like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa.”

OTTENBERG: It’s Sopranos-level beyond. Okay, wait, I know we have to wrap it up in a sec, so I’m just looking to see if there’s any other questions on my list. Do you feel like you’re always on the gen Z mood board?

BIEBER: I’m not gen Z. I’m in the last year of millennials. So if I had to guess, I think I’m more on the millennial mood board. But Rhode reaches younger audiences than I thought it would. We have a big fan base of kids in the 10, 11, 12 to 15-years-old range.

OTTENBERG: What’s your coffee order?

BIEBER: Two shots of espresso, shaken, with regular milk, vanilla, and cinnamon poured over ice.

OTTENBERG: New York versus L.A. Let’s discuss.

BIEBER: I’m from New York so what I will say is that New York energetically is better than L.A. Weather-wise, you can’t beat L.A. They both have bad traffic. New York is a little easier to maneuver with the subway and bikes, whereas in L.A. you’re confined to driving only. New York pizza and bagels shit on L.A. and you can’t beat a New York deli. You’ll find a lot of good coffee in L.A., but you can walk into any deli in New York and just get a nice black coffee with cream and sugar and be happy. And then L.A. has better sushi.

OTTENBERG: Are you going to shout out Sushi Park?

BIEBER: Shout out Sushi Park. L.A. is a beautiful place to live. I love having a yard and having space, but I definitely miss New York when I don’t get to spend time there.

OTTENBERG: So, in conclusion?

BIEBER: In conclusion, for my life right now, L.A., but overall, New York.

OTTENBERG: That’s a win for New York. We really appreciate it.

BIEBER: [Laughs]

OTTENBERG: Okay. What’s the most expensive thing you own that you use every day?

BIEBER: Probably my car. I drive every single day and I’ll splurge on a car.

OTTENBERG: I love that. Do you have a vision for your style when you’re getting your look together, or is it like 20 racks of clothes and then you spend hours going through them?

BIEBER: I’m a constant mood boarder. I’m on Pinterest all the time. The ’90s have always spoken to me because there was a lot of that effortlessness I love. Basically what I do is put a board together and then I talk to my stylist and I’m like, “Here’s the vibe.” Then we do a big pull and just mix and match based off the mood board.

OTTENBERG: Is there a particular shoe you’re most obsessed with right now?

BIEBER: I’ve been loving little vintage kitten heel Manolos, low-heeled shoes that feel wearable during the day. I love a kitten heel with a jean.

OTTENBERG: I noticed a lot of talk online about your jeans and I’m assuming they’re just the same kind of jeans I wear: ’80s Levi’s.

BIEBER: Yeah. Most of my jeans are vintage Levi’s that I tailor to fit the way I want.

OTTENBERG: What are you doing to that Levi?

BIEBER: Usually I make them a little shorter because I like seeing a little bit of ankle. I make them tighter in the waist, tighter in the butt, and sometimes a little bit tighter in the legs if they’re too big. I try to find ones that fit and then tweak them from there. Sometimes I like them really baggy, but I like a jean that gives a little bit of butt.

OTTENBERG: We all do.

BIEBER: A little bit of fittedness and silhouette.

OTTENBERG: Totally. Is there one trend that you really want to try?

BIEBER: Recently I wore this—I think it was ’05 or something—yellow vintage Versace dress, and I was like, “I need to play with color more.”

OTTENBERG: If I was going to look at your private Pinterest mood boards, who would I see most?

BIEBER: I’ve been gathering a lot of hair inspo because I have this very specific length right now. It’s not a bob, it’s at my collarbones. Do you know the movie Meet Joe Black? It’s with Claire Forlani and Brad Pitt.

OTTENBERG: I’ve never seen it but I will watch it.

BIEBER: It’s one of the best. She’s so beautiful and effortless in this movie. I have a pin of Elle Macpherson, a pin of Amber Valletta, and a lot of Christy Turlington just for beauty inspo. There’s some Elizabeth Hurley on here, a lot of Bridget Hall.

OTTENBERG: Ah, Bridget.

BIEBER: Bridget Hall is somebody who I consistently, for the most part, have been told I look like, especially when I enhance my freckles, so she’s always on there. Then there’s some Julia Roberts from back in the ’90s. Some Sandra Bullock. Gisele. When I make boards, I make them for the year. My 2026 board has style, hair, makeup, vibe inspiration, and some things I just feel inspired by.

OTTENBERG: Are you taking peptides?

BIEBER: Yes.

OTTENBERG: Nice. I’m not taking peptides. Can you tell me about it?

BIEBER: I love peptides. That is the base of all of Rhode’s skincare. When we launched it, we launched everything with peptides in it, it’s like our biggest ingredient in most of our stuff. I think peptides are really amazing. I think there are certain peptides you can take that are really good for hair, skin, and nails, like GHK-Cu, which is the copper peptide, something I take. And then I take these really good hair gummies that are peptides. I’ve taken immunity peptides before, which I think really worked. Some of them you have to inject, some of them you can take orally—they don’t all work the same. There’s one called BPC-157 that you can take orally. It’s really good for the gut, muscle repair, and recovery. I can keep going on and on and on. [Laughs]

OTTENBERG: Wow. We need to talk about this offline. Okay, almost done. What’s the public’s biggest misconception about you?

BIEBER: Where do I begin? [Laughs] I feel like we’re past the misconception that I’m a bitch.

OTTENBERG: You’re really not a bitch.

BIEBER: Thanks, Mel.

OTTENBERG: You’re welcome.

BIEBER: This is not a misconception, but I feel like people really don’t understand me, which I think is quite common for someone in the public eye. Obviously, people aren’t gonna know me the way you and I know each other. We’ve had certain conversations, and we’ve spent time together, where it’s like you can actually see me. And I feel like that doesn’t translate to the public most of the time.

OTTENBERG: Yeah, yeah, yeah. For the record, you’re still the same person I met 10 years ago.

BIEBER: You heard it from Mel.

OTTENBERG: Did we meet in Cannes? With Bella [Hadid]?

BIEBER: I think so, when I was 18 or 19.

OTTENBERG: Yeah. We met in a glamorous way with paparazzi around you guys, and then we had lunch. But you’re still the same person.

BIEBER: Thank you.

OTTENBERG: When you did your little “clock it” thing during Justin [Bieber]’s performance, what were you trying to say to the world?

BIEBER: I was trying to say like, “Did you guys just hear what I heard? Because that was just insane. C’mon guys, is it clocking to you that he’s him?” [Laughs]

OTTENBERG: Yes, and he was singing about you.

BIEBER: He was singing about me.

OTTENBERG: Which is hot. We heard it. We love it. Do you have any advice for the kids at home?

BIEBER: Take the risk. Even if you’re scared, try it. You don’t know unless you try.

OTTENBERG: Beautiful. I’ll take that advice too. Thanks, Hailey. I’m so glad you reminded me that it was time for you to get your fucking Interview magazine cover. [Laughs]

BIEBER: Don’t worry, Mel. I’ll always remind you.

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Hair: Matt Benns using K18 at Total World.

Makeup: Kali Kennedy using Rhode Beauty at Streeters.

Nails: Zola Ganzorigt using OPI at The Wall Group.

Set Design: Ava Villafañe at Streeters.

Choreography: Eric Christison at Parent Global.

Tailor: Aneta Velizar at Carol Ai Studio.

Digital Technician: Tara Devoti.

Photography Assistant: Stefy Lin.

Market Direction: Lucy Gaston.

Market Assistant: Nicholson Baird.

Fashion Assistants: Fern Cerezo and Sage McKee.

Set Design Assistants: German Alonso and Sabrina Nguyen.

Production Direction: Alexandra Weiss.

Executive Production: Georgia Ford.

Production: Serie Yoon at Perfect Projects, Eppy, and Deb Tam at Radish Films.

Production Assistants: Erin Galioto, Kaylee Reeder, and Brooke Ramirez.

Post-production: L’Oumuamua Studio.

Location: Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens.

Special Thanks: Alison Dyer at Rabbit Proof Locations and Petit Ermitage Hotel.