OLD HOLLYWOOD,
NEW MEDIA
With her Audrey Hepburn smile and 1960s bob, Madelynn De La Rosa could be mistaken for an Old Hollywood starlette, or, more to her taste, a Godard heroine. Her nostalgic filmmaking style feels more Truffaut than Tiktok, and her honeyed voice more ingénue than influencer. But a brief conversation (and a glance at her eclectic tattoos) reveals Madelynn is firmly rooted in the moment. She’s a starlette for a new era- a multihyphenate filmmaker, ceramic artist, and social media creator. Her interests are varied and multifold- studying education at university before rising to youtube fame for her short films and sustainable style content. Over the last few years, she has also worked with children at an after-school program in LA and featured her ceramics in a number of exhibitions. Abigail Tulenko sat down with Madelynn on a sunny day in LA to talk about the shifting media landscape and how her work figures within it. She also took some wonderful photos. The styling was done by Casey Brooke Levy. Makeup artist and production assistant was Anna Tulenko. Styling assistant was Rowan Hoel. The wardrobe featured pieces from Anna Sui, ByLiv Handmade, Thingamajig, Valentino, and Miu Miu.
I think I gravitate towards foreign cinema. I used to watch a lot of French cinema, especially New Wave. That’s how I got into liking film, in general. There’s just something special about it; they’re thinking differently.
On how working with children has influenced her work:
I think with my film work, it’s very whimsical, as are my ceramics. It’s just super playful. I don’t want to take myself too seriously. I’m also learning that we all return to our innocence, so I’m playing around with that concept. Working with kids has been such a joy because you get to see how they operate. They are so good at being in chaos; they just do whatever they want to do. They’re not tied to anything and don’t have any anchor points. I really admire that about kids. I believe that as we get older, we return to that innocence, a wise innocence. You don’t have to be old to be wise.
On Youtube:
I think YouTube can be a tool—a really useful tool—because you can reach a lot of people and get immediate feedback. But I want to use it intentionally, not just to put a bunch of content up on the internet. I want to help people or talk about things that I think are important.
“My phone gives me anxiety, so I try to stay off it as much as possible. I kind of pop in and out to keep sane. It’s not where I want to be all the time, consuming. I’d rather spend time creating.”
On keeping up with the algorithm:
Everything needs pauses. That way, you can think clearly and make stuff that actually comes from your heart. I never put pressure on myself to keep up with the algorithm. It’s just silly to work that way.
On the changing media landscape:
It’s changed a lot. I’ve been on YouTube for ten years, so I’ve seen it change and evolve. I don’t even watch YouTube the same way I used to anymore. Now, I only watch meditation videos and self-help content. I used to watch three-hour-long podcasts about nonsense, but then I realized, “This is not good. This is not helping me at all.” Maybe it’s just getting older, but I’m seeing things differently and want to be mindful of what I’m consuming.
And now with TikTok… I think a lot of it is just noise. But I also know that it can be used as a tool and can be fun. I guess there’s a balance. My phone gives me anxiety, so I try to stay off it as much as possible. I kind of pop in and out to keep sane. It’s not where I want to be all the time, consuming. I’d rather spend time creating.
STARRING: Madelynn De La Rosa @madewin
PHOTOGRAPHY +CREATIVE DIRECTION: Abigail Tulenko @abigailtulenko
STYLING: Casey Brooke Levy, CBL @caseybrookelevy
MAKEUP ARTIST+ PRODUCTION ASST: Anna Tulenko @annatulenko
STYLING ASST: Rowan Hoel @rowan.iris
Wardrobe: Anna Sui, ByLiv Handmade, Thingamajig, Valentino, Miu Miu
