'I Have To Feel Confident In What I'm Wearing': Lily James On Her Personal Style And Dressing Up For Dior In Kyoto
As well as starring in Swiped, James is producing the project, alongside 20th Century Studios and another company, Ethea Entertainment. James is the co-founder of her own production company, Parados Productions, which she launched alongside Gala Gordon to champion fresh voices and female-led stories. It was also recently announced that will also star in an upcoming horror film Let the Evil Go West, reuniting with her Pam & Tommy co-star Sebastian Stan.
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James' previous roles include an aristocrat in Downton Abbey, a fairy-tale princess in Cinderella, and a young Donna Sheridan in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, as well as starring roles in Baby Driver, Rebecca, Darkest Hour, and The Dig.
Off-screen, James is an avid beauty buff, a longtime muse for Charlotte Tilbury and vintage perfume hoarder. Whether she's on a red carpet or travelling for a film shoot, she's rarely without a carefully curated makeup kit in tow.
ELLE UK caught up with James in Kyoto as she prepped for Dior's cruise show – talking beauty rituals, personal style and her classic Dior look for the night.
This is my third time in Kyoto and it's a very meaningful place to me. I have found Japan to be such a source of inspiration and can see why Christian Dior was so enchanted by the country and the culture. To watch the show in such a beautiful and historic place with the cherry blossom still in bloom makes it all the more magical.
I love to take a long, hot bath with lots of bath salts and essential oils. I always try to use a face mask before we start makeup to make sure my skin is really hydrated. Skin prep is so key because then your makeup sits so beautifully on your skin. And after a long flight, you really need to hydrate; I found some amazing Japanese face masks in a chemist in Tokyo. Combined with the Dior Capture line, inspired by regenerative medicine. I love the new Serum, my skin feels so much smoother and firmer.
I absolutely love the lip glow oil in every colour, but the colour Rosewood is my favourite. It creates the perfect lip plumping, glossy look that you can wear at any time, night or day. I also love the Dior Forever Nude Bronze. It's a quick, easy way to elevate your skin without much makeup.
My dress tonight is very chic and elegant. I love the silhouette – it feels like a modern rendition of Dior's new look. It's incredible that Dior staged a couture show in Japan in the 1950's and it's such a privilege to see his legacy enduring in Kyoto 72 years later in Maria Grazia Chiuri's new collection.
I work with my stylist, Rebecca Corbin Murray, to find an outfit that looks and feels right. It really is a strong feeling as soon as I put the right outfit on. We've worked together for a lot of time, so there's a great synergy between us. I have to feel confident in what I'm wearing, and if I don't, I feel so nervous, and I can't walk out the door.
I'm very low-key in my personal style. I am always dressing up for the characters I play and different events I go to, so in my downtime, I love to be quite simple and effortless. Good tailoring is key, as well as a great handbag. I adore my new Dior travel bag.
Yes, I walked the philosopher's path, and I visited the temples and shrines along the way. The cherry blossom was falling in the wind as I walked along the canal. I feel such a strong sense of peace and hopefulness when I am here.
I would take the Japanese tradition of bathing, as well as using essential oils. Here, there's a strong emphasis on natural ingredients like rice bran, green tea and algae, which have amazing antioxidant and moisturising properties.
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