Camila Mendes on her new Coach campaign and the drugstore beauty product she won't leave home without

Camila Mendes is not one to turn away from her true identity. The Brazilian-American actress, best known for her role in Riverdale and more recently as the fallen queen bee in Netflix's Do Revenge, knows the value of self-acceptance, whether on screen, IRL or "In My Tabby," his new campaign for Coach, which debuts exclusively on ELLE.com today.

A new take on "what's in my bag?" trope, the campaign explores what the Coach family (including Mendes, Lil Nas X, Kōki and Wu Jinyan) wear, both physically and emotionally, that makes them who they are, while wearing the new Tabby , a reimagining of one of the brand's archival styles from the '70s. For his part, Mendes talks about his experience coming from two different cultures and how that shaped his sense of self.

Below we talked to Mendes about the beauty product she always carries with her (hint: it's for dry eyes ) and the possibility of a < em>Do Revenge sequel.

What's it like to be part of the Coach family?

It's such an honor to be part of the family as it's a brand I've admired for a long time. I love how they champion individualism, the best of self, and embrace everything that makes you unique. Their approach to fashion is really creative, interesting and cool, but also accessible. I think it's really great.

What was your first introduction to the brand?

This brings me back to grade five. I can't remember if it was my first day of school or graduation or birthday present or what, but my dad got me a pink Coach shoulder bag. He gave it to me and I have a picture I took the second after I received it. It's so early 2000s; I love it.

It's a funny coincidence, because you're also carrying a pink bag in the new campaign.

It was, yes. I was so happy about it. This is such a funny photo that really sums up my personality; it's such a full circle moment.

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Your role in the campaign is to embrace your multifaceted identity as a Brazilian-American actress. Why is this part of your story so important to highlight in this context?

Because it's such a rare thing to find. There aren't many Brazilians in Hollywood, and that's a part of me that I've never really been able to showcase before, because there aren't many roles written specifically for Brazilians. I feel like Brazilians are kind of an outcast and a forgotten part of the Latino community because we're not Spanish speaking - a lot of people don't know that, but we're not Hispanic. I think there's also something to be said for the unique experience of being not just Brazilian, but Brazilian-American, which is different from being Brazilian and different from being American. It's a middle ground where you kind of feel like you don't fully belong to one or the other, and you identify with both cultures. There's something cool about celebrating the uniqueness of that.

Are there certain things you take with you that are close to your heart?

I moved around a lot growing up, and with every city and house or apartment I've lived in, I have a sp. ..