Angelina Jolie opens up about Brad Pitt divorce, how 'having children saved me'
Angelina Jolie is on a journey of rediscovery.
The actress and humanitarian revealed in a cover story for Vogue, published Wednesday, that her soon-to-debut fashion collective, Atelier Jolie, has helped in her healing.
"I feel a bit down these days. I don't feel like I've been myself for a decade, in a way, which I don't want to get into," she said in the interview. "I think part of this has also been therapeutic for me — to work in a creative space with people you trust and to rediscover yourself."
Jolie also shared the inspiration behind her Atelier Jolie pieces.
"I want a woman to feel safe enough that she can be soft. After I went through something where I was hurt, I had a therapist ask if I would try wearing a flowing garment. Sounds silly, but I assumed that pants and boots projected a 'tougher' look, a stronger me. But was I strong enough to be soft? At the time, no. I felt vulnerable," Jolie said.
"Now I wonder if I don’t know what my style is because I'm still understanding who I am at 48. I guess I'm in transition as a person," she mused. "I'm hoping to change many aspects of my life. And this is the forward-facing one."
These changes included getting some distance from Hollywood. Seven years ago, Jolie started taking on fewer film projects, she said.
Angelina Jolie and her children are 'still finding our footing' amid divorce, custody battle
"We had a lot of healing to do. We're still finding our footing," she said of herself and her six children with ex-husband Brad Pitt. (Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in 2016, and the custody arrangement for their minor children is yet to be finalized.)
Atelier Jolie is the result of a family collaboration: Zahara Jolie-Pitt, 18, and Pax Thien Jolie-Pitt, 19, have been involved with the project, which boasts designs made from leftover vintage material and deadstock.
Jolie credits her daughter and son, along with siblings Maddox, Shiloh and twins Vivienne and Knox, with saving her. "I was 26 when I became a mother," Jolie said. "My entire life changed. Having children saved me — and taught me to be in this world differently."
She added, "I think, recently, I would've gone under in a much darker way had I not wanted to live for them. They're better than me, because you want your children to be. Of course I'm the mother and hopefully that safe place for them and that stability. But I’m also the one that they laugh at — and I see them taking over so many different aspects of our family."
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Angelina Jolie talks Atelier Jolie fashion, Brad Pitt split aftermath