Apple Martin Is Starting Senior Year Strong

There’s a particular kind of chaos that occurs when fall break hits and thousands of college seniors descend upon Las Vegas. Apple Martin is in that chaos — texting friends, running on a 7:30 a.m. flight and three hours of sleep, trying to make sense of what 350,000 people are doing in Vegas in October. She laughs when I ask. “Vanderbilt doesn’t get a memorial day break like everyone else,” she says. “So we take advantage of fall break.” The 20-year-old is simultaneously fronting two glossy firsts with Gap and Self-Portrait — and she’s also in her senior year, which means last papers and late nights.

What’s striking is how naturally she carries it all—no performance, no pretense. Apple talks about her freshman self with clear-eyed humor: the version who thought she might be a lawyer, cared too much about fitting in, and was still figuring out what made her happy. “I was so anxious about how people saw me,” she says. “And then at some point, I realized I can’t control that. All I can do is what feels right.” Now, as a senior, she’s saying yes more—to theater (onstage and, unexpectedly, in props), to a short film with friends that’s gaining traction, to music with the campus band, and, yes, to campaigns.

Her favorite subject? English. Specifically, three courses she took with a professor who made her fall madly for Virginia Woolf. But despite being the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, she’s a typical college student: She journals, scrolls in bed, and loves a baby-doll dress with Danish boots or vintage jeans with a white tee. If she doesn’t love her outfit, she might not go to class.

What follows is our conversation, edited for clarity and length.

You said the cliché about college being “transformative” actually turned out to be true for you. What changed between freshman Apple and senior-year Apple?
Freshman year, I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I was deeply insecure — so anxious about what people thought. I’d walk to class and obsess over whether my outfit looked okay, whether I was involved enough or smart enough. I kept myself away from the arts because I was worried about perception, and because I’m constantly compared to my parents or even my friends. That lasted about two years. Then, at the end of junior year, a lot of transformative things happened. It was hard, but I came out of it realizing I can’t control how people see me. I can only choose what makes me happy. Going into senior year with that mind-set has been relaxing and freeing — and it’s made everything more fun. I’m doing more of what I actually love.

So what’s on your plate now?
A lot of theater — onstage and props, which I’d never done before and love. I’m working on a short film with two of my close friends that’s getting real, which is wild and exciting. We’ve reached out to professional actors and gotten traction. I’m also doing some music things with friends in a campus band. It feels like there’s this little creative collective at Vandy that I’ve found, and it makes me excited to wake up and do the day.

What are you ready to leave behind when you graduate — and what will you miss painfully?
I’m excited to leave behind writing papers and studying for exams. (I used to love essays. Senior year said “no more.”) I also want to leave behind the kind of routine where every day feels the same and you forget you’re a person. I’ll miss the spontaneous togetherness: running into someone on campus, grabbing a coffee outside, a last-minute dinner where everyone’s somehow free because everyone’s nearby. You can find that post-grad, but it’s not the same.

You light up when you talk about English class. What’s been a favorite?
I’ve taken three classes with the same professor — Jane Austen, then the modern British novel (Forster and Virginia Woolf), and now another seminar. I fell madly in love with Woolf — A Room of One’s Own has me in a chokehold. The class is so collaborative; it’s just people bringing wildly different interpretations. It’s opened my brain.

Be honest: How many all-nighters?
I’m a procrastinator, so a couple “half all-nighters” — up until four, then three hours of sleep. Probably once or twice a semester. I work better under pressure, unfortunately.

Walk me through a normal day at school — what does that rhythm look like for you?
I’m an early riser — up at seven. We fostered two cats for a bit, so I’d feed them, make coffee, then scroll in bed for 30 minutes. Skin care, a little journaling, class, home for lunch, and another class. My favorite part is late afternoon when my roommates trickle in and our neighbors pop over. Someone’s cooking, someone’s doing work on the couch, someone’s asking what we’re doing that night. I make a “Cup of Calm” tea, light a candle, shower, pajamas, and I fall asleep watching something.

How did your style evolve from decorating a dorm to living in a shared house?
Freshman year was minimal out of necessity — storage-maximizing more than self-actualizing. Now I like to build a room over time: a watercolor I made went up, a Scrabble score sheet from a great game with my dad, and little things that become a collage of memories. It feels personal and changeable.

You mentioned skin care. What’s the routine?
I alternate between two cleansers (both Goop because … perks, and they’re great): the green cleanser and the Cloudberry exfoliator. Then a moisturizer I found at Whole Foods, sometimes eye cream, always sunscreen. No nine-step routine — I get confused by layering rules.

Are you mostly cooking these days, or ordering in between classes and everything else?
If we all grocery-shop the same day, I’m lucky to fit tortillas in the fridge. When I cook, it’s simple, quick things I love. Ordering in, my top three are: a burrito (California ruined me for Nashville), pasta (I feel guilty because I can make it), and Indian food — forever.

Vegetarian favorites?
Everything. South Indian, North Indian — I can eat the menu. I love dosas, dal, a good vegetable korma. Now I want Indian food.

What’s the best college advice your parents gave you, and what didn’t
quite land?
My mom only did college for two months, so she had more “living alone” advice than academic hacks. The best thing from both my parents was, “You won’t be in trouble. If you’re in danger or sad or just need a hug, call us.” That made me feel safe. My dad warned me not to leave studying until the night before. I don’t always follow that one.

Campus style — what are you throwing on when you’re off to class?
If I don’t like my outfit, I might skip class. (Kidding. Kind of.) Lately, it’s a baby-doll dress with Danish boots that look like Frye, or vintage jeans with a white tee, cool shoes, and jewelry. A simple template plus interesting accessories.

Three closets you’d raid, real or fictional.
Jane Birkin. David Bowie (if we were the same size). Cher in the ’70s. If I had one of those gowns, I’d wear it to cook dinner. Truly.

You did your first campaigns this year: Gap and Self-Portrait. What felt most you about each?
Gap felt like me because the clothes are so classic — of an era I love — and doing it with my mom, Zac Posen, and Mario Sorrenti was surreal. Self-Portrait was the sweetest team and a little outside my comfort zone in the best way. The shoot felt like being a fairy princess frolicking through nature. The two together show different sides of me: playful, character-driven fantasy, and then something deeply close to family and heart.

You grew up adjacent to fashion. What’s a style lesson you’ll keep?
Save things. Clothes come back around. Give them a second life — sustainability, yes, but also story. I love vintage for the vibes and the history.

Where are you finding vintage?
Etsy is my best friend — hits and misses included. IRL vintage is fun, but the markups are real, so I go when I’m ready to splurge. I also get anxious shopping with friends. Am I taking too long? Are they bored? Solo missions are bliss.

You’re in a very “firsts” year. What are you hoping for next — not five years from now, just next?
I want people to see who I actually am, not just versions of me through other people’s eyes. I’m private on social, so I’m working on being comfortable sharing my authentic self. I want to keep doing things that push me and keep working with my friends — their energy is everything. I’m manifesting … honestly, anything. I’m trying to take it one day at a time and not scare myself out of dreaming big.