PROFILE Online

Lauren Edelstein: Turning Tiny Icons into Big Expression

Rihanna’s belly button, hedgehog beards, and empanada hair: Welcome to Lauren Edelstein’s joyfully absurd emoji universe.

FALL 2025

Lauren Edelstein by Ashley Batz

WORDS Rach Albright
PHOTOGRAPHY Ashley Batz

RACH: Hi Lauren, tell us who you are.

LAUREN EDELSTEIN: I’m Lauren Edelstein. I’m a fashion stylist and an emoji artist.

R: How did the emoji art start? Were you literally just at home on your phone like the rest of the world during the pandemic?

LE: I was just at home on my phone but the emoji art actually started two years before the pandemic. I noticed some of the emojis I was texting (☂️🐥👛) matched a vintage ski jacket I was wearing and I decided to recreate my look by dragging them together in an Instagram story. It started as a funny little series where I emojied my outfits, and somehow it’s grown into full on art shows. Proof that boredom can be productive!

A woman standing on a wooden chair with a yellow frame against a red brick wall. She is wearing a shiny yellow trench coat, metallic blue pants, and matching blue high-heeled boots with a pointed toe.

TRENCH LaQuan Smith, BOOTS Paul Andrew
SKIRT Wanda Nylon, RINGS Stylist’s Own

A woman with black hair sitting on a yellow plastic chair against a red brick wall, wearing a bright yellow raincoat and shiny blue pants, smiling and laughing.

TRENCH LaQuan Smith, BOOTS Paul Andrew
SKIRT Wanda Nylon, RINGS Stylist’s Own

Graphic illustration of different layers of soil, minerals, and water underneath a person swimming in a pool.

Pool Boy (Peter Getting Out of Nick’s Pool)

A close-up view of a mechanical structure with interlocking tiles, a green puzzle piece, and a lush bush of peacock feather plants with peacock birds in the lower left corner, and white boundary lines with dots intersecting the scene.

DETAIL Pool Boy ( Peter Getting Out Of Nick’s Pool)

A person with a black hairstyle in a geometric pattern is standing in front of a chain-link fence. The person's face and upper shoulders are visible, and they are wearing a beige, curly-textured garment. The background consists of a chain-link fence and an overcast sky.

DETAIL Pool Boy ( Peter Getting Out Of Nick’s Pool)

RA: There is such a clear use of color in both your art and your personal style — can you tell us more about your perspective on color? How do you use it intentionally and what does it make you feel? 

LE: Bright colors have always energized me. My first car was a yellow Ford Escape (Iconic. Obsessed. Would absolutely buy again.) When I first moved to New York, I painted my entire room neon green, ceiling included. (Completely psychotic.) In my art, I treat emojis as colors, almost like pigments of paint, and I use them to bring that same vibrancy into my work. 

RA: You’ve always been such a force in the fashion world, how has that experience led you to where you are now? 

LE: Thank you!! 🥹🥹 (cutest emoji face!) Styling requires me to be obsessed with the smallest details, and it’s a skill that translates well to my art. I once spent seven hours on a flight back from Paris staring at a photo of Rihanna’s belly button so I could recreate it perfectly. Really freaked my seatmate out, but the piece turned out great. 

TRENCH Magda Butrym,
BOOTS Pierre Hardy

TRENCH Magda Butrym,
BOOTS Pierre Hardy

A woman wearing a red coat walks across a crosswalk on a street at dusk, with shadows and street markings visible.
A person in a red coat crossing a street with white zebra crossing lines, visible sidewalk curb, and a building corner.
A digital illustration of a cross-section of a human body showing various internal organs such as intestines, surrounded by a border of hearts and meat, with a background of hearts on the right side.

Shrimp & Cash (Orange, Red, Yellow)

A colorful, cartoon-style digital illustration depicting the inside of a human body with an exaggerated view of organs and blood vessels, emphasizing a chaotic and crowded scene.

DETAIL Shrimp & Cash (Orange, Red, Yellow)

Illustration of a large pile of cooked shrimp, with some crab legs, crab shells, and open lobster shells, along with several cans of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes on the side.

DETAIL Shrimp & Cash (Orange, Red, Yellow)

A woman wearing a red oversized sweater, matching high-waisted shorts, red high heels, and red boots, holding a pair of red high heels while standing against a plain wall.

SWEATER SET LaQuan Smith, BOOTS Pierre Hardy,
HEELS Proenza Schouler, RINGS Stylist’s Own

RA: Fashion and pop culture are intrinsically related, and a lot of your work focuses on pop culture.. Can you speak to that connection or why you’re interested in these worlds? 

LE: The amount of times I’ve been on set analyzing some Real Housewives moment… I love that it’s this shorthand we all understand. I feel the same way about emojis. They’re a universal language that everyone gets, and there’s something special and instantly connective in that. 

A woman with dark wavy hair is smiling and sticking her tongue out. She is holding her face with her hands covered in orange gloves and is wearing an orange fluffy sweater.

JACKET Sies Marjan, GLOVES Alexandre Vauthier

A detailed diagram of the human digestive system showing various organs in different colors and textures.

Dating in New York City (The Scream)

A detailed illustration of a DNA double helix structure with colorful strands and molecular components.

DETAIL Dating in New York City (The Scream)

Pasta shells scattered on a white background.

PROCESS Dating in New York City (The Scream)

Close-up illustration of a human cell through a biological membrane with various organelles and structures, including mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and nucleus, depicted in vibrant colors.

DETAIL Dating in New York City (The Scream)

RA: You are known for having such a positive and joyful perspective on everyday life — how does that parlay into your fun and bright work? 

LE: Connecting with other people is the best part of life. I think my art has a natural way of creating that connection. They spark joy right away, even in the moment of just discovering what a piece is made of. I love when someone lights up because they notice, like, an earring made out of a green bean. 

Woman in teal suit and white shoes holding a large curly dog inside a subway train, with advertisements and a map in the background.

SUIT Balenciaga, COAT Gucci, SHOES Pierre Hardy

An abstract colorful digital artwork featuring intertwined DNA strands, human faces, and biological elements like brain and muscles, set against a backdrop of ice and foliage.

John Mayer (The Old Guitarist)

Artistic illustration of a cell interior showing cellular structures including a large yellow-orange organelle, green circular structures, blue and teal membrane-like layers, and various smaller components and textures.

DETAIL John Mayer (The Old Guitarist)

A detailed digital illustration of a DNA molecule inside a human cell, surrounded by other cellular structures and organelles such as the endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes.

DETAIL John Mayer (The Old Guitarist)

RA: How long does it ACTUALLY take to make one of your emoji masterpieces? And do you need a chiropractor? 

LE: It’s less chiropractor and more Lasik! These pieces are definitely not quick and my screen time is scary. In the beginning, it was literally just me on my phone, dragging each tiny emoji one by one. That’s still where every piece starts, but over time I’ve built more of a process to take them from the phone into large-scale physical artwork.

Two women in matching green patterned suits striking different playful poses against a dark green wall with 'Post No Bills' graffiti.

SUIT Gucci, Loafers Prada, JEWELRY Stylist’s Own

Artwork of Mona Lisa created with assorted small objects, featuring a landscape background with mountains and greenery.

PROCESS Don’t Tell Me To Smile (Mona Lisa)

A large indoor space adorned with intricate decorations inspired by nature, including numerous artificial birds, trees, and foliage, with warm lighting highlighting the detailed craftsmanship.

DETAIL Don’t Tell Me To Smile (Mona Lisa)

Close-up digital illustration of a young girl with curly brown hair and brown eyes, surrounded by various animals and nature elements like bees, bears, elephants, birds, and greenery.

DETAIL Don’t Tell Me To Smile (Mona Lisa)

RA: What draws you to a specific piece of work to recreate? How do you choose your next subject? 

LE: I love things that feel familiar—a celebrity, a classic artwork, or, like, a box of Pop Tarts. I once went up to Action Bronson in a Miami hotel lobby and was like, “Hi, can I emoji you?” He said yes. (I made his beard out of hedgehogs and his sneakers out of sponges and worms.) 

A woman with dark hair and a bright smile is lying on a cow-patterned sofa while talking on a beige rotary phone. She is wearing a lavender fuzzy jacket and shiny purple pants with zippers. She is looking upward, and her left arm is resting on her stomach. The sofa has black and white patches resembling cow print.

SWEATER Jonathan Simkhai, PANTS LaQuan Smith, BOOTS Alexandre Vauthier, JEWELRY Stylist’s Own

A digital illustration of a human hearing ear cross-section with various labeled internal structures such as the cochlea, auditory nerve, and inner ear bones, depicted with colorful, textured, and patterned elements.

Flower (Grey Lines with Black, Blue, & Yellow)

A colorful, detailed illustration of a biological cell membrane with various protein structures, lipid bilayers, and membrane proteins depicted in vibrant colors.

DETAIL Flower (Grey Lines with Black, Blue, & Yellow)

A digital illustration of a cell membrane with various proteins, including a blue spiral structure, jellyfish-like proteins, and chain-like molecules, with cartoon-like icons of a baby and a blade of grass.

DETAIL Flower (Grey Lines with Black, Blue, & Yellow)

RA: HOW do you know when to use certain emojis over others? How do you make the decision between a purple devil face and crab, or apple and ping pong paddle? 

LE: It’s really all about color and texture, but also what feels funny or surprising. I’ll see someone’s hair and immediately know I can get the perfect waves by layering empanadas. Cactus emojis at the right angles can mimic a green mohair sweater. I’m still not over how perfectly the tops of two bald men’s heads became Britney Spears’ boobs. It’s also fun to work in emojis I’ve never used before. Currently searching for a home for the little petri dish! 🧫 

Woman with dark hair in orange coat holding a fluffy orange pillow, standing against a gray concrete wall, holding a bag of Cheetos puffs, wearing orange shoes and transparent shorts.

BLAZER Act No. 1, SHOES Prada, JEWELRY Stylist’s Own

Orange-colored candy strips lined up at the top of the image.

PROCESS Cheetos Puffs

Close-up of a digital illustration showing the inner structure of a human foot with various tissues, muscles, and bones, including yellow fat cells, black tendons, and bones, presented in a colorful, detailed, and schematic diagram.
Illustration of the human digestive system highlighting the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine with colorful, stylized organs and tubes.
Colorful digital illustration of a DNA double helix with yellow and blue strands intertwined over an orange background.

DETAILS Cheetos Puffs

A woman dressed in bright orange with high heels is smiling and holding a bag of Skittles candy, standing against a gray brick wall. She is flanked by two men wearing orange safety vests, one of whom is handing her a candy.

BLAZER Act No. 1, SHOES Prada, JEWELRY Stylist’s Own

STORY CREDITS
STYLIST Lauren Edelstein & Daniella Deutsch, HAIR Alexandra DiRoma,
MAKEUP Megan Kelly, PRODUCER Kristin Steusloff & Rachel Boily,
CREATIVE Anzo Gonzalez Diaz, PHOTO ASSISTANT Zach Ali,
ALL PIECES SOURCED FROM Albright Fashion Library

HERO IMAGE CREDITS
JACKET Sies Marjan, GLOVES Alexandre Vauthier

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