What does fashion’s most elusive Insta-girl really think about life, love and Instagram? In a rare interview, the top model and Burberry star Lily Donaldson opens up for the August issue of ELLE, on sale now. 

In an age when Kendall Jenner has more than 26 million followers on Instagram, Lily has managed to become one of the fashion world's most recognisable faces without living every moment of her life online. She's not one for posting bathroom mirror selfies. 'I just put out as much as I'm comfortable with. I don't really think about it too much. But there is a line: you can over-share with people. I have friends who have that and it's not something that I'd ever be after. I like to be able to walk around anywhere I like.'

Photographed by Kai Z Feng and styled by ELLE Fashion Director, Anne-Marie Curtis, Lily sums up the romantic, ladylike mood of the new season wearing pink Prada, replete with crystal petals, on the cover. But it's taken her a while to grow comfortable with being a top model: ‘I remember going to Glastonbury when I first started modeling and people would say, “Are you a model?” And I’d be like, “No, I’m a squid hunter.” I’d make things up. Then I realized that when I was saying that, I was making people feel really uncomfortable.’

Read the complete interview in the August issue, or download it to your iPad via the App Store. And don't forget to subscribe to ELLE today so that you never miss another issue.