Taika Waititi and Rita Ora make their cover debut with glamorous ‘Love rules’ Vogue shoot

Taika Waititi and Rita Ora speak of living with the weight of expectations. Photo / Getty Images

Taika Waititi and Rita Ora have appeared on their first Vogue cover together.

The couple who tied the knot in an intimate London ceremony last year have snuggled up on the cover of Vogue Australia marking the first time they have been photographed together for a magazine and in the accompanying interview Waititi spoke about the expectations he feels from New Zealand.

While discussing his wife and the vulnerability she expressed in her upcoming album You and I - which is dedicated to the Kiwi director - he explained how her honesty helped him be honest as well, especially regarding pressures he faces.

“It’s inspiring to see someone who is working and motivated, who reflects a lot of how I feel about work and my place in the industry and is very open and honest about things that she’s been through with being an artist,” he said adding, “It’s helped me open up about it, too, because I’m like, oh man, I’ve gotta remain invincible and I can’t break.

“I’ve got all these expectations from New Zealand and my community in New Zealand and what I’m doing. And suddenly realising that it’s okay to be a little bit more vulnerable around your work, and that your work can actually get better around that. That’s the big thing I’ve taken away from being in Rita’s presence.”

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Waititi and Ora’s cover shoot took place in Sydney – where the two first romantically connected – and in the interview segment of the cover, they spoke about their decision to return to the city, “It’s a really romantic way to do something for the first time together [and] a safe environment to just be ourselves.” Ora said.

While Waititi spoke about the photoshoot and interview experience as a whole, admitting it’s very “relaxing” to do it alongside his best friend.

“I’ve done a lot of things with other people that I’ve never been in a relationship with that feel very stiff, and the energy is not really there. So to do something with my best friend, it’s just more relaxing for us.

“We’re more at ease with each other and we can joke around and then we can also get serious when it needs to be.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Ora spoke about her album - released July 14 - which is dedicated to her husband and features multiple recollections from their love story as well as her own journal entries throughout the pandemic.

“My relationship with Taika was one of the biggest inspirations for the record, but I was also going in on my new friendships with people and understanding other people’s relationships and really just coming to terms with human interaction again, weirdly.”

She said.

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Waititi, known for his comedic approach to life joked, “I’m a Leo. Everything in the world revolves around me. I basically go through life thinking I am living in The Truman Show and everything is orchestrated for my entertainment. So it makes perfect sense in some ways, that eventually someone will write a song about me.”

However, the director went on to heartwarmingly admit, “No, I was really honoured. For me it was not at all confronting in any way that I felt uncomfortable, it was just humbling; it was very touching.”

The Kiwi star added lyrics sprinkled throughout the album are about him but “no one else will know” what they are: “Tiny little things that have happened that only I will know, and that I’m going to keep to myself, that I love, just my tiny little thing that I get to keep.”

The two concluded their interview summing up how it feels to be in each other’s presence with Ora stating, “It feels safe”.

Ora sat down with Glamour magazine this month and opened up about the couple’s intimate wedding admitting she didn’t want any “special attention” when it came to tying the knot with the Oscar-winning director.

“Some women like to feel that real special attention that day. And everyone’s different. And for me – I think with my job, it is all… it’s very attention driven – I wanted to keep it private because my life and my career aren’t,” she admitted.

The ceremony was planned at the last minute in just two days, with only three guests: Ora’s sister Elena and Waititi’s daughters, Matewa Kiritapu and Te Hinekāhu.