Alexis Stone on Transforming Into Jennifer Coolidge at Diesel

She even sat next to Haley Lu Richardson, the actress who played her assistant Portia in the series, prompting more bewilderment among fans of the HBO show. But sure enough, the cameo was in fact a very uncanny impersonation from drag artist Alexis Stone.

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Stone, who's dressed up as everyone from Jocelyn Wilderstein to Mrs. Doubtfire at Balenciaga's shows in Paris, says she chose to impersonate Coolidge because he and the "rest of the gays" love her. "[There's] so much material to work from which is always so inspiring," she tells PAPER. "That paired with what Glenn's doing at Diesel seemed like an iconic pairing."

Indeed, Glenn Martens, the creative director of Diesel, has a certain knack for a experimentation at the highest level, which made the moment feel fitting and led Stone to approach the designer with the idea. (Coolidge was due to attend the show with Stone but ended having to be on set for work.)

"Everyone thought it was her: press, guests, models backstage," Stone says. "As a six-foot man there are limitations on what we can realistically do with prosthetic transformations but this was a successful homage for sure."

Of his seat companion Lu Richardson, Stone adds: "It wasn’t until the show had finished did she realize I wasn’t an actual lookalike but a man wearing prosthetic makeup," he quips. "I let her and her mum squeeze my silicone face and gave the gays a moment to remember."

Photography: Giovanni Rabaglio