Spending time with Emma Chamberlain feels like catching up with an old friend. And, in a way, she is exactly that – just to an audience of tens of millions. Emma’s been posting candid and intimate videos since 2017, garnering an audience of over 12 million on YouTube alone. In person, Emma is exactly as you’d hope. There’s an endearing awkwardness to her that’s refreshingly true to her internet persona, yet beneath that, a groundedness that feels earned, not forced.
On set, she’s an open book, trading jokes with the crew as she throws herself into every moment with an infectious enthusiasm. Emma started off her creative career as a goofy 16-year-old filming vlogs, sometimes shooting in her lunch breaks before editing in history class. Videos were obscurely titled things like “I lowkey crashed my car” or “funfetti is extremely fun”, and incorporated a chaotic zoom-y, meme-y editing style that was addictively authentic and spread fast to the wider YouTube community. In a world of hyper-curated feeds and polished personas, Emma didn’t just shift the narrative; she made a new one.
From top: LOVE rings in yellow gold with diamonds, LOVE necklace in yellow gold, Panthère de Cartier watch in yellow gold with diamonds and Juste un Clou bracelet in yellow gold with diamonds, all Cartier. Bodysuit, Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood.
Now in 2025, Emma has starred in campaigns with Miu Miu, Lancôme and Louis Vuitton, hosted the Met Gala four times, and launched numerous collections with brands like Levi’s and Warby Parker. The world can’t get enough—and it’s clear why. Emma is the rare kind of person who can connect instantly with anyone she meets, making a graceful yet firm leap from internet sensation to full-fledged creative force. Even as she evolves, there’s an unshakable throughline of humanity in everything she does, a relatability that makes her a singular presence in a world of glossy perfection. To spend time with Emma is to understand why she continues to captivate audiences: she’s unfiltered without being careless, vulnerable without losing herself, and above all, unapologetically herself. Emma stands apart from the saturated mass of influencers and content creators. She is the blueprint.
Tops, briefs, skirt, necklace, gloves, socks and shoes, all Miu Miu.
Some of your most beloved moments come from showing vulnerability in your content. Are there moments when this openness felt risky, and how do you discern when to share and when to hold back?
I wasn’t afraid in the beginning because I was young and didn’t really know how things would evolve. And I’ve always been a very open person. I’d say I’m not really scared even now, I’m just aware of how an audience can weaponise things. This awareness allows me to intuitively be like “Alright, is this something I’m okay with people bringing up later or potentially using against me through me being vulnerable?” Now they know my soft spots, my weak spots, they know exactly where to hit. I definitely have more boundaries now. Every day and every situation and every story that I want to tell is its own, brand new thing. So I analyse everything separately. I would still say that I’m pretty open. I do two podcasts a week, where I talk a lot. I mean, I’m talking more about my life now than ever on the podcast. I’m just as vulnerable there. I think it’s kind of what I’m called to do so I just do it anyway.
What lessons did you carry from your content creation experience into building a business [Chamberlain Coffee]?
Honesty really goes a long way. In entrepreneurship, being honest with your customer and being honest about who you are as a company, I think is really important. There’s a lot of pressure to be very “PR friendly”, and very like, “Oh, well, we don’t talk about this” or “We don’t talk about that.” To be transparent as a brand, and with my company is a huge priority for me. The journey to that level of transparency never ends, and the work to continue to be as transparent as possible never ends, because it’s not the industry standard to be transparent as an entrepreneur. That’s something that makes me uncomfortable and that’s a constant fight for me, both internally and externally. It’s definitely not something that I’ve perfected, but it’s something that I’m always striving for.
Jacket, shirt, briefs, skirt, chain belt, socks and shoes, all Miu Miu.
What are your most important self-care rituals?
What I’ve noticed is most effective for me is making sure that I have the time to do the things that make me feel good. I love going to yoga classes; it makes me feel really good physically, but it also makes me feel really good mentally. Carving out time so that I can go to that class—that’s self care for me. Also, if I need time alone, carving that time out too. I think setting aside “you time” is crucial, because we can really just end up living for other people’s schedules.
Juste un Clou ring and bracelet in white gold with diamonds, LOVE bracelet in white gold, small model, LOVE bracelet in white gold with diamonds, small model and LOVE earring in white gold with diamonds, all Cartier. Top, Prada.
How do you reset on days you’re feeling down?
If you’re having a rough day, it can be really easy to be like, “Oh, fuck it. I’m just gonna throw the day away.” That can get you deeper into a downward spiral. Yes, sometimes laying down and relaxing is exactly what you need to do. But I think trying to take action to do the best you can, to take a step in the right direction, is never a negative thing. I think that should always be the goal as much as possible.
Again, I think being intuitive is important. If I just need to spend the rest of the day in my bed and be really comfortable, I will. But a lot of times I need to make plans. I need to get out of the house, go out to dinner with a friend or go to a yoga class. I’m finding something active to do that actually is exciting to me and inspiring. Finding one thing that feels remotely inspiring is really good. Unfortunately, there is no one formula for how to get out of a rough spot. This is just what sometimes works for me.
Shirt, pants, tie and shoes, all Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello.
Best advice you’d give to someone on a journey of self-love?
I think it’s less about loving yourself and more about being aware of your flaws or shortcomings and reframing the way that you perceive those things about yourself. I think to love yourself is to be like, “Okay I have these issues, that’s cool, that’s normal.” And then also being aware of moments where your strengths are coming out and giving yourself credit there is important as well. But a lot of it is perspective. It’s all already in front of you. You already have strengths. You don’t need to improve yourself greatly to love yourself. A lot of times, those great qualities are already there. And it’s about appreciating those things and giving yourself more grace about the negative.
LOVE necklace in white gold with diamonds, Panthère de Cartier watch in steel with diamonds, LOVE bracelet in white gold, medium model, LOVE bracelet in white gold, small model, LOVE bracelet in white gold with diamonds, small model and Trinity ring in white gold and ceramic with diamonds, all Cartier. Top, Prada.
Favourite thing about yourself?
I’m no perfect person, but I really try to do the right thing. I think I have a strong moral compass, and I’ve worked really hard to make sure to do the right thing. I still love to gossip every once in a while, but I would say I’m proud that I stand firm in my morals. There’s a lot of temptation to do the wrong thing on a daily basis. I’m not easily swayed—I think I have a strong will and I stick to my core beliefs.
LOVE necklace in white gold with diamonds, Panthère de Cartier watch in steel with diamonds, LOVE bracelet in white gold, medium model, LOVE bracelet in white gold, small model, LOVE bracelet in white gold with diamonds, small model and Trinity ring in white gold and ceramic with diamonds, all Cartier. Top and skirt, all Prada.
You’ve worked across so many different fields—fashion, podcasting, entrepreneurship. Is there an unexplored passion or industry you want to dive into next? Any exciting projects in the pipeline?
I do not at all, and that’s kind of purposeful. For the last few years I’ve been really focused on trying to enjoy the fashion world, which was super fun and exciting, and I loved every second of it, but it is very time consuming. I designed some Levi’s collections, and then I did the Warby Parker optical collection. I do have some other design projects that are in the works a long time from now—probably in another year. I like going to fashion weeks, and learning about fashion and being involved in it. But I’m also realising now that as much as I really love that, and that’s like a huge passion for me, I think the next year for me is about going back to my roots, which is just keeping my audience company. I think that’s really what it’s all about.
I think you can get really carried away with it. “I’ve never made music before, but I’m famous now, so I guess I’ll go make an album. Or, I guess I’ll audition for this TV show, not because I think I’d be good for it, but because I’m famous.” I don’t ever want to make a choice for that reason. I’ve auditioned for movies and TV shows where I think I’d be good in a certain position, and I’m interested in the character. I mean of course I’ve never gotten a part, but I’ll try things if they feel intuitive. I’m more excited about figuring out a sustainable model for YouTube and continuing to work on and improve my podcast. It’s more of a return to self this year. That’s my goal.
Photography: Emmie America @Saint Luke Artists
Art and Creative Direction: Jason Duzansky
Fashion Direction: Danyul Brown @The Only Agency
Creative Producer: Marina Fairfax
Senior Style Editor: Foxla Chiu
Makeup Artist: Lilly Keys @A-Frame Agency
Hair Stylist: Sami Knight @A-Frame Agency
Manicurist: Yoko Sakakura @A-Frame Agency
Set Designer: Stefania Lucchesi @Saint Luke Artists
Digital Technician: Jeremy Aquino
AC: Ruben Plascencia
Fashion Assistant: Nik Van Dalen
Hair Assistant: Joey Grajeda @A-Frame Agency
Retouching: Yelena Popova
Producer: Yusuf Yağcı @Yyprod
Production Manager: Aslı Akal @Yyprod
Production Assistants: Daniel Solomon & Molly A Pop
Post Production Producer: All Good Productions
Illustrator: Justin Teodoro
Location: Dust Studios LA
Backdrop: Schmidli Backdrops
Cover Jewellery: Cartier
Cover Wardrobe: Miu Miu
Editor
Carina Fischer
