Yahoo Lifestyle Getting ready for the Venice Film Festival with Kaya Scodelario
She’s come a long way since she first shot to fame as Effy Stonem in the cult Channel 4 drama Skins; this weekend Kaya Scodelario wore a sequinned Giorgio Armani gown the grungy teenager would have rolled her kohl-rimmed eyes at.
When we speak, Scodelario, now 32, is getting ready for the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival, before attending a party with Armani Beauty. It’s the second time she’s been invited to the prestigious event, having previously attended the film festival aged just 20 to promote Andrea Arnold’s Wuthering Heights.
“It’s really nice to be back,” Scodelario tells me, as her glam squad adds the finishing touches to her look. “It’s lovely to be here as an adult and see it all over again!”
Below, The Gentleman star discusses the kind of fashion she prefers, her go-to beauty product for events, and why she has to thank Tyra Banks for her red-carpet confidence.
Talk us through your look for this evening. Why does it feel like a good fit for you?
"I'm wearing a black sequinned Giorgio Armani gown and Bulgari jewellery. I wanted to feel like we were really making a special red-carpet moment, because it is Venice and it's the festival that I most look forward to seeing what people are going to wear. Venice is a classic film festival and I wanted to bring a little bit of old school Hollywood drama to it, but still keep my outfit edgy, interesting and modern.
"I wanted to highlight the texture of the sequins, too. The red carpet at Venice is unique because it takes place at sunset. The sky and the lights are so pretty, and I wanted that to reflect off the sequins of the dress."
What’s your usual routine for getting ready?
"I always start with a Diet Coke for energy, and then I put on my glam playlist, which is a lot of '80s and '90s singalong karaoke tunes that just get you excited. I'll usually have my dog snoring at my feet because he doesn't like it when my glam squad are in the house, so he'll be there protecting me. I'll also have my kids running around, so it can be quite chaotic, but fun. I've always felt quite safe in the make-up chair. It’s my time to relax before the craziness of the event."
How involved do you get in the styling process?
"I’m really involved now, but I never used to be. I used to be quite intimidated by it. I’ve been doing red carpets since I was 16, and at that age I was still trying to figure out what my style was and what I felt comfortable in. I didn’t really know what I was doing! It took me a while to know how to feel the most beautiful on the red carpet. That’s really important – you have to feel good. It doesn’t matter if 20 people have told you that the dress is gorgeous, if you don’t feel confident in it, it will show in how you move and pose for cameras.
"Now, I have a stylist that I love working with. She knows what shapes I like on my body. I believe red carpet dressing is an art form. Fashion can be fun. When I was younger, I took it so seriously, but now I really enjoy it. It’s another way of playing dress up."
Do you feel like you're getting into a character when you're getting dressed for events like this?
"You definitely have to play a role – a lot of people on a red carpet would faint. There are so many people shouting and taking your picture, you have to learn to put on a brave face and enjoy it. I’m of the generation that grew up watching Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model, so I always remember to 'smize'! I also love to play with fashion depending on what city I’m in. When I’m in Brazil, I wear lots of bold prints and colour. When I’m in New York, I love a leather jacket and a heeled boot. Now I’m in Italy at a film festival, I can push the boundaries of glamour, and that’s a fun character to put on."
What kind of fashion have you always been drawn to?
"In my everyday life, I’m still a child of the early 2000s. A good pair of jeans and a leather jacket is where I feel the most comfortable, and I still adore my Doc Martens that have been in my wardrobe for over 15 years!
"I grew up in and around Camden, so I think I absorbed a lot of that style. I like to feel comfortable, but also unique. When you’re in London, I always want to find a cool t-shirt that’s more on the vintage side and wear it with an old pair of jeans that might be really fucked up, but you can patch them up and bring a new life to them."
You’ve been in the public eye since you were a teenager – how has your style evolved over the years?
"When I was on Skins, everyone assumed my personal style would be similar to Effy’s, and it wasn’t. I was quite chilled. Half my heritage is Brazilian, and so I’m definitely much more of a colourful dresser. I really enjoy playing with prints and long dresses and expressing myself through my clothes. Fashion is a means of self-expression and play. And I love play, that’s why I’m an actor. I love using my imagination and being creative. I've learned to do that through fashion as well now."
In what way does the project you’re promoting impact your style?
"I don’t go full costume-y – I think it’s really fun and I know that’s what a lot of people are doing at the moment – but for me personally, I like to separate myself from the character once I’m done with a job. The character does influence some of the press tour looks sometimes, as it’s a way of honouring the project.
"I particularly felt that on the press tour of The Gentleman. because it was exciting to wear suits and feel a bit more powerful. I definitely absorbed that from playing Suzie. I don't think I've ever played someone as structured as her, and we definitely used the theatrics of that. That’s why myself and my stylist looked more towards designers like Harris Reed – designs with lots of drama and theatre, but still elegant with clean lines."
What’s been your most memorable red-carpet moment to date?
"A lot of them are a blur, because I’m usually having a panic attack when I’m there! My first Venice Film Festival 12 years ago was really cool, when I walked the carpet for Wuthering Heights. I wore a Burberry dress. It was my first introduction of working with a brand, and I got to go into the Burberry shop in New Bond Street to try it on.
"It was a real pinch-me moment, to see and understand what couture is and how beautiful clothing can be as artwork. I felt like a princess, but I was only 20 and I didn’t look as confident as I should have. It’s a movie I was really proud of, and I should have owned the dress a bit more!"
What beauty products do you swear by for the red carpet?
"I tend to always focus on a strong eye, so a good mascara is always important. I always use the Armani Eyes to Kill mascara, and team it with Armani Luminous Glow foundation – that’s my favourite. I use it on set too to give a good glow."
When do you feel the most beautiful?
"In the mornings when I’m having breakfast with my kids, where I’ve had a good night’s sleep and used an overnight mask, and my skin feels rested and hydrated. In real life, I want my skin to feel hydrated and moisturised but without heavy make-up."
Why does fashion matter to you?
"It’s a vital service to self-expression. We go through childhood being dressed by our parents, and then I went to a school with a uniform. As soon as I was able to break free of that, fashion felt like a way of presenting myself to the world."
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