marieclaire.com.au (^) | 71
INTERVIEW
“Women are pitted against each
mental health, fluid sexuality and tricky teenage years
(her mother, Pandora, battled heroin addiction and
Delevingne was bullied at school) that have won her a
legion of loyal fans.
Eight years since first appearing on a London
catwalk, she remains the fashion and beauty indus-
try’s favourite poster girl, and she’s carving out a
promising career in Hollywood. Following breakout
roles in Paper Towns (2015), Suicide Squad (2016) and
last year’s Her Smell, Delevingne will be seen next in
her first major television series, Amazon Prime’s
neo-Victorian fantasy drama Carnival Row. “It’s one
of the most incredible pieces of writing in terms of
something that’s set in a fantasy world but deals with
current affairs, like the refugee crisis and what society
needs to do differently,” she explains. “Hopefully, it
will make people think and get them talking. I play
this fairy called Vignette Stonemoss who is a survivor,
a really strong female lead. I’m a bisexual fairy – what
else would you want to be in life?”
marie claire: What did you want to be when you
were growing up?
CD: I actually wanted to be a taxi driver because
I thought they had the best job, being able to pick
people up, talk to them and take them to where they
wanted to go. They’re an integral part of life and
we don’t appreciate them enough.
MC: If you could give advice to your 16-year-old self,
what would it be?
CD: That this moment won’t last forever; just hold on.
Every 16-year-old needs to hear that. Sixteen was one
of the worst years of my life, my most depressed age.
I just needed to know that (a) I wasn’t alone and (b)
it was just that moment. Moments are like a river –
they keep going.
MC: Who would play you in a film of your life?
CD: Chloë Grace Moretz. When I first met her, I
was like, “You are literally like me. We should play
sisters one day.” She’s a great actress. [Pleased with
her casting choice] Woohoo!
MC: So, what do you consider to be your greatest
achievement?
CD: Being able to help people in small or large
ways. There’s a group of girls and boys who I’ve been
able to connect with on social media; people who’ve
struggled with their sexuality or depression or family
members dying or being bullied. I have been able to
support them through these things and see them come
out the other side.
MC: Are you like a mentor?
CD: I wouldn’t say mentor. I like to inspire people, but
I let them know I have flaws. If someone comes to me
asking for help, I can’t say no. I feel it’s my job and duty
to help. I’ve been able to meet the most inspiring peo-
ple and work with them, and I feel like we’re moving
towards this place where young, influential women are
working together and supporting themselves. Women
are pitted against each other, but they [can] raise each
other up. We are more powerful together than alone.
MC: What’s been your biggest disappointment?
CD: I tend to not look at life like that. “My biggest fear
is failure” vibe is something I used to feel and now try
to shy away from. Any mistakes I’ve made have shaped
who I am right now. And I’m proud of who I am, so
nothing is disappointing ... I hate letting other people
down, I guess. That sucks.
MC: Do you feel that you have a responsibility to
your social media followers?
CD: Yes. Sometimes I don’t go on social media for a long
time or I say something that people don’t like, so I lose
followers, but that’s fine. I’m not pushing my beliefs on
anyone, but everyone should have a voice and be heard
and everything should be an open conversation.
MC: When did you last feel really happy?
CD: I bought a camera recently and, when I had a day
off, I created, choreographed and directed a music
video in LA. I contacted two dancers I’m a big fan of,
and we spent eight hours filming through the night,
from midnight until 8am. It was really cool, and I
shocked myself that I could do it.
MC: That sense of dipping your toe into a
different world?
CD: Yes. I reached out to a friend and said, “Can I use
your house as a location?” The power of asking people
for help, do you know what I mean? I just went with it.
I sometimes limit myself in what I [think I] can do. If
I believed in myself more, I’d realise I can do anything.
MC: When it comes to beauty, what’s been your most
transformative moment?
CD: Shaving my head [in 2017, to play a cancer patient
in upcoming film Life in a Year]. Before, I’d always
kept my look very similar. I’d have my hair and make-
up done for shoots and go through these transforma-
tions, but personally I never did anything – I kept the
same haircut and never coloured it. Shaving it all off
was a big leap of faith into my own exploration of
femininity. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t beautiful. I
learnt you don’t need hair to be a woman and that my
previous beauty ideals weren’t true.
MC: What’s your earliest beauty memory? For many
of us, it’s watching our mum apply lipstick.
CD: It was less watching my mum put on lipstick and
more getting her lipstick and rubbing it all over my
face! I was not one to watch, I was one to do. Then,
when I was about 10 and had these big eyebrows, my
mum told me to leave them alone as they were my best
feature. I was like, “What are you talking about? I
other, but we’re far more
powerful together than alone”
sharon
(sharon)
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