Knocking at the door at Yasmin Finney’s suite at The Standard hours before the ELLE Style Awards, in partnership with Tiffany & Co, Moët et Chandon and Snapchat, I wonder if anyone is going to hear my knock. A second try a little harder and I’m welcomed into a room that’s filled with a recognisable scene anyone who relishes getting ready for a big event would recognise. The tunes are pumping and the good vibes are palpable.
Sat in the glam chair slowly sipping a glass of fizz, the 20-year-old Heartstopper actor is getting her hair braided by Isaac Poleon as make-up artist Mona Leanne goes against the grain and places a slick of YSL Beauty liquid lipstick across Finney’s eyes in a striking move that tells of the look that’s to come.
The grand reveal soon follows and a blood-red Dilara Fındıkoğlu dress is pulled from its dress bag. It’s breath-taking. ‘It was my first time ever hearing about Dilara, actually,’ Yasmin tells ELLE UK. ‘My stylist Nell Kalonji — she is the best — will do a Dorothy moment, click her feet, and all of a sudden all these gowns appear. This was the last look I tried on and I've never worn a dress that just fits so perfectly. It’s my first time wearing a cinched-waist dress — I’m excited!’
Excited is the perfect word to describe Finney’s approach to fashion. You just have to look back through the red-carpet moments she’s had over the course of the last few years to see how much fun she’s having with this side of being in the public eye.
Sure, Finney and Kalonji choose her looks for how they look, but the message behind the designs is important too. Finney loves the research and understanding that comes with finding new designers to add to her arsenal. ‘There’s so much that goes into being a designer that isn’t just about the design. We think about whether they are ethical and eco-friendly and really take everything into consideration in regard to what they stand for. I really try to just pick the right people, and I love wearing so many different brands.’
‘Fashion is a very expressive thing for me,’ Finney continues. ‘Now I've started my hormones, I'm really getting more confident with my body and I'm stepping into myself and stepping into the woman that I've always been.’ The Dilara dress for the ELLE Style Awards is a clear case in point. ‘I've always known the vision I want to give to people. I've always been Yasmin Finney. I've always been confident, and fashion is just an add-on to that.’
No attention to detail is ever spared and on this occasion a spray of Tiffany & Co. jewellery is called upon for final finesse, pairing a classic Elsa Peretti cuff with tougher, chain link drop earrings. It’s fitting seeing as Finney was the star of the American jewellery behemoth’s recent campaign. ‘Being a part of the Tiffany family is a complete blessing,’ Finney muses, inspecting each piece with awe. ‘It's a full circle moment. As a young, Black trans woman in the industry, I am so blessed to have everything I have. This brand, which let’s be completely real is the top, invests in talent.’
Yet, for all the Finney has a deep respect and enjoyment with fashion, there’s a sense of playfulness and irreverence that underpins her approach. ‘Fashion can be so impactful, but the thing with fashion is that it doesn't have to be perfect and it doesn't have to be a certain way,’ she shares. ‘What I’ve learned is that it's all about not taking it too seriously. When it comes to the red carpet, you're there to be celebrated. It seems very glamorous and it is prestige. But, ultimately it's a platform for talent to come together and showcase their beauty, fashion, and authenticity. And I think it's such an amazing moment for everybody to be unique. And, to me, that's the whole point of fashion.’
As our chat rambles and continues on the joys of wearing brilliant clothes, someone reminds us that there is an event to go to! The ELLE Style Awards are calling and so I ask Finney, who appeared on our June 2023 cover, what it means to attend such an event with cover-girl status in the bag. ‘It really, really does put a spring in my step,’ she says. ‘Now, it's one of those things where I get to sit back and watch all the other talent make me so proud. You know, there are so many amazing, talented people who have been on the cover of ELLE before me and after me. And I think it's just nice to see people celebrated and uplifted. It’s so important, but it will never be normal. I’ve got my ELLE covers laminated in my bedroom! It reminds me how much I’ve done, but also how hard I've worked for it.’
The covers that line her walls and the only thing keeping her well-heeled feet on the ground, however. For as much as Finney loves the exposure to glitz and glam her career continues to bring her, she knows it’s not everything. For her birthday at the end of last month, it was all about spending time with the friends that have been there forever. ‘It was nice to be with all the people that love me, and that aren't afraid to, you know, tell me what’s what,’ she laughs. ‘In this industry, you can let it overwhelm you. When in reality, your friends that were friends with you before it all happened are the ones that you need to keep around.’
