SHE’S A RULES GIRL
A Guide To Poolside Etiquette, and a look behind the scenes.
Written by LENA RAFF
Photography & Videography by SOUTH ROY
When it comes to appearances, there exist many, many rules. Some are spoken out loud, practically carved into our collective consciousness—so ubiquitous that they require at least passing consideration. Don’t wear white after Labor Day. Always match your shoes to your handbag. Save your statement lip or bold eye for after dark.
Other such governing principles are more subtle in nature. They emerge out of practicality or tradition and somehow become rules to live by. We wear shimmering sundries on New Years Eve and pair back glamour during the warmer months, opting instead for nearly bare faces and air-dried beach waves.
But... must we? Consider, in place of a summer dedicated to all things au naturel, a High Season brimming with glitz, vibrancy, saturation, sensuality—heat. Call it rebellion, boredom, restlessness—whatever the reason, our editors have a craving for intensity, to break with the typical and embrace a season sizzling with just a bit of wrongness. Tension. To be too much, excessive, over the top.
Joining us in the making of our motion picture ode to this pursuit—A Guide To Poolside Etiquette—was none other than the incomparable Jasmine Tookes and a pair of esteemed artists. Below, we take you inside the minds of our collaborators and the incredible, extravagant, seasonally inappropriate looks born at their hands.
THE TALENT
One of most famous and revered models in the world, Jasmine Tookes has graced the covers of Elle France, Vogue Espana and the pages of a great many other glossy magazines, walked runways for designers like Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, and Oscar de la Renta, and starred in too many high-profile ad campaigns to count. Tookes is, perhaps, most well-known for walking The Victoria Secret Fashion show, where she wore the three million-dollar Fantasy Bra in 2016 and opened the show pregnant in 2025. She is also the founder of luxury body care brand Brunel (to which you can credit her glowing limbs in the images featured here), and a dear friend of VIOLET GREY.
ON RULES
VIOLET GREY: What rule do you live by?
Jasmine Tookes: Lead with kindness. You never know what someone else is going through, and treating people with respect and grace will always take you further.
VIOLET GREY: What rule do you love to break?
Jasmine Tookes: The idea that you have to choose just one passion. Creating Brunel has shown me that it's possible to build something meaningful while continuing to grow in fashion, beauty, and business.
THE MAKEUP
Loftjet, whose portfolio is filled with famous faces like Charlie XCX, Sabrina Carpenter, Paloma Elsesser, and Alex Consani, plus publications such as Vogue, Interview Magazine, and Coveteur, knows his way around a beauty shoot. Of his subject and his work, he effuses, “I’ve always been captivated by Jasmine’s beauty—it glows from within. For the first look, I wanted it to be all about skin and radiance. As the day evolved, so did the makeup, and I started seeing her as a fearless ‘80s executive who could own the world with the snap of her fingers. The best part is, she wasn’t playing a character, I think that’s exactly who she is.”
ON RULES:
VIOLET GREY: What rule do you live by?
Loftjet: It’s simple: skin should always look like skin, and every look should leave the person wearing it feeling like the most confident version of themselves.
VIOLET GREY: What rule do you love to break?
Loftjet: My own! Doing makeup is instinctive, and the best looks happen when you’re willing to let the face lead instead of forcing the original idea.
GET THE LOOK
THE HAIR
Sought-after editorial stylist Darine Sengseevong—whose credits include spreads for Harper’s Bazaar, ELLE, Paper, and campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, and Addidas—created two looks: soft, glamorous waves and a chic slick-back. Of the later, she says, “This is one of my favorite summer hair looks. It can withstand the heat and humidity during any getaway, and it was perfect for the scenes where Jasmine is submerged in the pool. Personally, I like using a wax stick, it’s comfortable and doesn't create a flaky cast. Lately, I’ve been opting for no part or side part when doing my slick-backs for a more updated, fashionable look.”
ON RULES:
VIOLET GREY: What rule do you live by?
Darine Sengseevong: Less is more. The more you try to fight your natural hair texture or color, the more work you end up doing, and ultimately, the more damage you do to your hair. Nothing is worse than looking like your hair doesn’t suit you.
VIOLET GREY: What rule do you love to break?
Darine Sengseevong: In beauty, there are no rules. There is no right or wrong way to do anything—all that matters is how you get there.
GET THE LOOK
CREDITS:
Muse: Jasmine Tookes
Makeup: Loftjet
Hair: Darine Sengseevong
Nails: Jenny
Styling: Annie Ladino
Voice Over: Luke Millington Drake
Production: Metier Creative
Post Production: Cuttingboard
Fashion: Norma Kamali, Joy Cioi, Cult Gaia, Sara Weinstock, Swarovski, Misho Designs, Selim Mouzannar, Lapima, Vix Paula Hermann
