00:05Hey, I'm Issa Rae, and this is Essence Uncovered.
00:11We're in New Orleans. I'm out here shooting a movie, so I'm so glad that Essence came to meet me
00:17where I am.
00:18I do have some roots down here. My mom was born here. My mom's side of the family is from
00:22here.
00:23My family's out here. Gumbo is my favorite food. There's a war in the family about who makes the best
00:28gumbo.
00:29I know it's my mom.
00:31So this Essence cover is a dream come true.
00:34I'm feeling really Cuban, Brazilian, flowy white right now.
00:39The wind is helping me. I feel like, you know, a little bit Beyonce.
00:43It's my second cover. My first cover, I was with some amazing women who I admired deeply then and especially
00:50admire now.
00:51And to have a solo cover is just amazing.
00:54It just feels like, you know, festive. It feels bright and colorful, you know.
01:00Today we are keeping it simple.
01:04I am going to try to rely a lot on natural light and the natural element.
01:10My name is Aitasha Jordan. I am a photographer shooting Issa Rae for Essence.
01:16This issue we're focusing on global beauty.
01:19So although we're in New Orleans and we're celebrating big band New Orleans Carnival,
01:23we are also being very aware that there are many cultures within our diaspora that celebrate carnival.
01:29I've actually never been to a carnival so I'm front. It's as close to being here as possible.
01:35So, you know, I love braids. I came up on braids. Felicia Leatherwood really hooks me up.
01:39I wanted to display different styles in this type of hair because sometimes people think braids are limited
01:44but you can just do so much with them. Felicia is just so creative.
01:47So to work with her and to brainstorm, to make the hair match the fit, it's always fun.
01:56This is my Essence Uncovered shoe. Thank you guys so much.
