MUNROE IT'S HER WORLD... WE'RE JUST LIVING IN IT
No one encapsulates what it means to be a Cosmopolitan cover star more than Munroe Bergdorf. Here, in three enlightening interviews, she says what everyone needs to hear
‘I’m so excited!’ grins Munroe Bergdorf, her face literally and metaphorically lighting up as she settles in front of a huge mirror backstage. Just a few minutes earlier, she bounced into the west London studio, make-upfree, bang on time and full of energy (well, after her muchneeded Starbucks order arrived).
As Munroe steps on to set in a killer red dress (reminiscent of the one worn on Cosmo’s very first cover), her self-confidence radiates. This is a woman who not only knows how to work a photo shoot but, more importantly, knows who she is when the cameras stop rolling. But the journey to get here hasn’t been easy.
A model, presenter, author and podcaster, Munroe has dedicated much of her life to activism, and back in 2018 we crowned her Changemaker of the Year at our Influencer Awards. Championing LGBTQ+ rights as patron of Mermaids (a charity supporting trans youth) and becoming an advocate for UN Women UK, her work has helped thousands. But this trailblazing has come at a cost, putting Munroe in the firing line for trolling, even resulting in her leaving Twitter last year, saying, ‘It’s not safe for trans people.’
Despite this, Munroe has continued to push herself – and the causes that matter – forward. So, as we celebrate 50 years of Cosmopolitan, we invited three fellow writers, activists and campaigners to sit down with Munroe. Discussing race, gender and ‘femininity’, they look at how the past 50 years have shaped us and the change that needs to happen in the next 50.
Munroe speaks to Aja Barber, a writer, stylist and consultant who deals with the intersectionality of sustainability in fashion.
A: Did you always have a strong idea of where you were going?
M: No, I think where I’m going [now] is a result of understanding who I am. And that has definitely been a process of elimination, a process of severe highs and lows. I think when you understand who you are, the path you’re on becomes a lot clearer. The path I’m on now is a result of me focusing on trying to understand myself on a deep level and trying to live my life in a purposeful way.
A: You talk about the highs, what would be a career high for you?
M: The Qween’s Speech [where Munroe, among others, broadcast an alternative version of the queen’s speech] with Sam Smith, Gareth Pugh, Aries Moross, Rina Sawayama and Kai-Isaiah Jamal. I just thought it was a real moment of solidarity and showed the richness and
