Lea Michele has been through whirlwind of changes in the past decade or so. We had the chance to chat on a rainy day in New York, and she reflected on one of the biggest campaigns of her early career for Kohl's and how much has changed since then. "It was such a different time," she muses, filling me in on being in her mid-20s while living and working in L.A. Now, life looks a little different, as she describes herself as "a million months pregnant" when we chat.
Raising two kids while living in New York creates a stark contrast to her previous Kohl's campaign, and she's currently working on another project with the iconic brand. Michele has curated a shopping list for us, but first, we're taking a walk down memory lane and catching up on what she's doing now.
An image from Lea Michele's first Kohl's campaign called Candies shot in 2012.
Can you tell us a bit about the life you were living during your first Kohl's campaign. How has it changed since then?
It was such a different time. I believe it was 2012. I was in my mid-20s, living and working in Los Angeles. I remember getting the call to be asked to be part of this campaign, and I was so excited to be a part of what was and still is such an iconic brand and campaign. I remember the photo shoot. I remember, you know, getting all glammed up and feeling so pretty and wearing these shoes and all the different colors and heights and sizes.
Things are very different now. Many years later, I'm living in New York, working back on Broadway last year. I'm married, and I have a son and a soon-to-be new baby. I'm just excited to be part of the Kohl's family again and just show how much Kohl's can be there for you during all the different stages of your life. To have this moment in time for me and my family encapsulated and getting to take these great photos at a million months pregnant but have that cemented in time … is really exciting for me.
What was your experience like curating your favorite shopping items from Kohl's?
It's like a dream come true. I am such a fan and could shop there all the time, but everything felt really natural. It was just so easy because Kohl's is everything that … I need right now. Whether it's buying stuff to prepare for this new baby or clothes for my 4-year-old or beauty products for me, it was so wonderful to be able to pick things that feel so authentic to what I love and what I genuinely need in my life right now.
If there's one thing you want your children to know about shopping, what would that be?
Especially with having this new baby, I really like to be as prepared as possible. Being able to go to places like Kohl's, where they have everything you need in one place, is something that I feel so comforted by. It helps me to feel less overwhelmed. I try to just make it as easy as I can for myself and know that everything I need [is] in one place.
Do you have any memories as a child or a teenager shopping at Kohl's?
Oh my gosh, of course. When I did this campaign back in in 2012, I fell in love with the Candie's shoes and then wanted them all in my house. Having a shoe closet for the first time in my life was very exciting.
What style lessons were passed down to you from your mother?
Style lessons from my mom?! [Laughs] At the end of the day, my mom always taught me if you feel good on the inside, it will show on the outside. We obviously love a good fashion trend, and my mom loves shoes and things like that. That's something that she taught me and something that I hope to instill in my daughter as well. What matters most is that we take the best care of ourselves on the inside and that it will always show on the outside.
What are some of your favorite things from the curation?
Knowing that I can get something for my son, who's 4 years old, or if I need to go and get something for myself. There are really great clothes for women as well. Also, the Baby Brezza sterilizer or formula maker—all these brands that really cross over between all the things that we need as a family right now, whether it's for myself or my son or for our home. It was so easy and fun to curate a great list of products because everything felt so authentic for where I am in my life right now and so wonderfully accessible.
What was it like shooting and being on set with your family?
It was so fun! Like I said before, to be able to just take these photos and have this time of my life cemented in time and to be able to look back on these pictures… We worked together to make sure that all of these moments felt authentic for what my actual day-to-day life is. We did some great photos in the kitchen, which is where I spent a ton of time with my family, cooking and making lunch for my son, and then we did great photos in the stairwell, which will sort of be like, "That was then. This is now." It'll show the Candies photo from 2012 where I was on the stairwell and then now here in 2024 [where I'm] a million months pregnant. It's just, you know, exciting for me to have these photos that really just encapsulate these really special moments of time in my life.
Tell us about your wellness routine.
It's just really about feeling good and taking, as you know, good care of myself. … You know, trying to catch up on as much rest as I can and make sure that I'm hydrating like we were saying before. It's super hot in New York City, and I have to make sure that I'm taking care of myself while I'm running around. … Right now, I'm trying as much as I can to lather on as much sunscreen as possible. Supergoop's Glow Screen is one of my most favorite, and they have that at Kohl's. For me, it's about making sure that I'm taking care of myself and my skin and feeling as good as I possibly can because it does get a little harder toward the end. It is super hot out right now, but [I'm] just prioritizing those self-care products and little moments for myself as much as I can.
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