Olivia Cooke has been flying under our fashion radar for a while now, and more fool us, as the Northern actor might well be one of Britain's best dressed.
The House Of The Dragon star (also known for Me Earl and the Dying Girl, Slow Horses, and more), has been serving stellar red carpet and front row looks for years now, ticking off cool-girl brands from vintage John Galliano and archive Versace to Calvin Klein (the Raf Simons years) and Vivienne Westwood at her various red carpet appearances.
With a self-confessed 'passion for fashion', the Oldham native (who is now working with Jennifer Lawrence and Riley Keough's stylist, Jamie Mizrahi) sat front row at Loewe's AW24 show on Thursday in a runway look from the last season, only proving our point that she's a style star to watch.
We sat down with Cooke as she got ready for the FROW appearance to find out all about her style philosophy...
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Talk me through your outfit today and why you chose it?
'I'm wearing a really exaggerated cable knit jumper that's got this amazing pattern to it with these really high-waisted suede trousers, and then some amazing sparkly high heels, which all that sounds crazy and you'd never put them together, but it just works.
'It's so beautiful and in-keeping with Jonathan Anderson's style.'
How have you found working with your stylist, Mizrahi, so far?
'I've just started working with Jamie Mizrahi, but, she's really cool and it's really collaborative. We send each other pictures of things and see what vein we want a certain shoe or look to go in. [We both love] something that feels effortless, timeless and, I hate the word, but chic.
'I'm given the space to be able to be like, "actually, no, I don't think that that quite works for me". It's such a personal relationship because you have certain hang ups about your body that maybe the other person won't be able to see it at all.
'It's an ever evolving relationship, but she's given me the space to feel really comfortable to voice my discomfort or my excitement for something.'
When you don't have a glam team, what are your beauty staples?
'I really am an SPF, but hair in plaits girlie, just because my hair is so big and bushy that I'm like, "oh, just f*cking get it up".
'As I've gotten to the grand old age of 30 I think that when I put too much make-up on it sort of ages me in a really weird way, because I don't have the skill of a make-up artist, so less is more for me. But, maybe that's just me getting more comfortable with my bare face.'
How do you find sitting front row at fashion shows?
'Everyone's so lovely and it's just me with my hang ups being like," I don't belong."
'When I was younger I felt quite intimidated, but now it's so nice because now I just bump into people I know, which is really lovely, have a bit of a catch up.'
What do you love about Loewe?
'I love how Anderson plays with femininity and what is what is beautiful.
'The shapes are quite fun and architectural - his mind is quite brilliant because I don't know if someone were to describe some of his outfits that I'd understand what he was doing. There can be a real strength and power to the way he dresses women that is not "male gaze-y" at all, even though it's from the mind of a man.'
What does it mean to get dressed just for yourself?
'There's a bit of a duality with certain masculine and feminine traits of mine so I dial up and down [how I dress] depending on how I'm feeling in the day.
'I really like a really strong shoulder, boxy shapes - power dressing in a way.
'I don't particularly follow trends, if you're ever "trendy" then you're gonna not be trendy very soon. So I like to dress quite classic and powerfully.'
Who do you look to for style inspiration?
'My mum's quite chic. I remember when I was younger I asked her, "what's your favourite colour?" She was like, "black". That p*ssed me off when I was a kid, but now I'm like, she's bang on.
'And then Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy - I've got so many of her outfits pinned on my Pinterest board.'
What is your most purchased item?
'Blazers. I've got so many Blazers that I don't need, in different shades and different cuts. From the deepest dark black to grey, to navy - they all look the same. Each time I think, "this blazer will change my life", but they never do. There's an instant jolt of joy when you click purchase, then it dies down to guilt and shame before you buy another one.'
What style advice would you give your younger self?
'Put the neon down, don't buy a Paul's Boutique bag and rubber earrings. Spend your pocket money at one of Manchester's cool vintage shops instead.'
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