Clockwise from top left: AYR The Flat White dress, shopbop.com; Birkenstock Arizona soft footbed sandals in oiled nubuck leather, birkenstock.com. Morning View Canyon blouse and Vista pant, shopmorningview.com; Birkenstock Arizona soft footbed sandals in oiled nubuck leather, birkenstock.com. AYR The Deep End shirt and The Must jeans, ayr.com. Ulla Johnson Isadora dress, ullajohnson.com; Galazzia Ari hoops and Lyssie necklace, galazzia.com. Ulla Johnson Faye tank, ullajohnson.com; SJO Jewelry sea star charm earrings, sjojewelry.com; Made Here New York braided chunky cable blanket, madeherenewyork.com.
TENACITY AND TALENT TRANSFORMED ACTRESS AND ADVOCATE JAMIE CHUNG FROM ONE TO WATCH TO LEADING LADY. WITH A FLURRY OF PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON, THE LOCAL LUMINARY IS A WELCOME VOICE CALLING FOR CHANGE.
Morning View Canyon blouse, shopmorningview.com; AYR The Robe, ayr.com.
“I COME FROM A VERY PROUD FAMILY,,””
shares actress and advocate Jamie Chung. “Although they have very humble beginnings, they’re still very proud of their heritage. They’re so proud of their culture. And they’re so proud to get dressed up.” Chung’s own stylish star power made her a standout in the early days of reality TV on The Real World.
AYR The Deep End shirt and The Must jeans, ayr.com.
With a combination of talent and dedication, it is clear Chung’s heritage is part of the secret to her success. “My parents are first-generation immigrants—so they came to this country with very little knowledge of how things worked—but they were able to successfully run a business,” she says of her upbringing. The San Francisco-born, now New York-based star shares that her amazing work ethic and determination started at an early age. “I was 15 when I got a workers permit and I started working immediately to buy the things that I wanted to buy,” she says, also noting that she was equally dedicated to her studies. “That’s carried on with me throughout my life. But it’s very much instilled in me because of my parents.”
Chung not only celebrates her Korean-American heritage but also is a fierce advocate for her AAPI community and Stop Asian Hate. “In this business, but also everywhere else, there’s a lot of underrepresentation and misrepresentation,” she says. “So when things started to turn violent… I thought it was really important to get the word out… to spread awareness also to inform friends and family members to stay safe at home.”
Chung says it all starts with conversation. “I think it starts with education at home with your family,” she notes. “There are cases of anti-Blackness as well as racism and like really problematic nationalism within the Asian community. So I’m not saying that it doesn’t exist within our own communities. I think it’s just time that we finally address it,” she says. “Just having the conversation is also very helpful as well—anything that will help us move forward.” She says it is also important to not only financially support the cause but also know the history of the AAPI community and support representation in the arts. “Because that’s how we share our stories,” she says. “That’s how Menari became the first Korean American story to be nominated for an Oscar.” Chung also shares she is a fan of sites like Pull Up For Change that demand greater transparency regarding racial inequalities. “I do think that there is a big movement of people asking for that transparency,” she says.
“IN THIS BUSINESS, BUT ALSO EVERYWHERE ELSE, THERE’S A LOT OF UNDER-REPRESENTATION AND MISREPRESENTATION.”
In HBO’s critically acclaimed Lovecraft Country set in Jim Crow America, Chung is part of an award-nominated show that confronts racism in a multitude of ways. “It’s about this family who wants to keep their family safe and together and about their legacy and their future,” she says. “It’s just beautiful because it really is able to highlight some of the terrible things we’ve done to people of color. It really highlights the shameful part of American history—but it’s done through love. It’s done through overcoming those things.”
This summer Chung will also hit the big screen in a star-studded heist, The Misfits.“We need a fun movie! We need forms of escapism, and it’s exactly that. It’s very Robin Hood. We’re taking from the rich and giving it back to everyone else.” Chung says the film was as much fun to produce as it was to watch. “There’s some fantastic newcomers in our film—but there’s also Mr. Pierce Brosnan, who is a legend. It was such a treat to work with him. He’s just so darn charming and such a nice guy,” Chung says. “I think Hollywood is finally starting to—excuse my French—weed out the assholes.”
Ulla Johnson Faye tank and Sylvie skirt, ullajohnson.com; SJO Jewelry sea star charm earrings, sjojewelry.com; Made Here New York braided chunky cable blanket, madeherenewyork.com. Opposite page: Ulla Johnson Isadora dress, ullajohnson.com; Galazzia Ari hoops and Lyssie necklace, galazzia.com. Styled by Alison Quirk Hair by Tim Ay I ward for The Wall Group Makeup by Gita Bass for The Wall Group
Up next, she will star in the highly anticipated Dexter reboot—and hopefully slip out to the Hamptons for some well-deserved time off. “Just having wine and lounging by the pool cooking dinner,” says the self-described water lover of her summer plans. “I definitely have the essence of a mermaid.”
Photography by: Mikey Detemple
