Flying to Los Angeles to style Margot Robbie for British Vogue’s August 2021 cover shoot was super exciting, because we’re all travelling a lot less now and there was so much anticipation around the trip. The pH๏τographer Lachlan Bailey and I had been talking about the direction of the shoot with Edward [Enninful, British Vogue’s editor-in-chief] for such a long time; we are all so inspired by Margot’s acting and interested in her work, which always makes the experience joyous. Margot also had a new haircut – a French-girl fringe and golden highlights – so we had a lot of conversations about finding the right character to complement it. Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface was a key reference and, of course, Jane Birkin appeared on the moodboard.
Shooting in the gardens of the Flamingo Estate was amazing. The owner, Richard Christiansen, is Australian, as are Lachlan and Margot, so it all felt very familiar and fun. Margot is down-to-earth, professional and polite (on set, you always notice the person who says hello to everyone). There was no fuss; she is warm, kind and grounded, yet extremely smart and astute.
“We all want to see that sun-kissed, freckled girl that looks effortlessly classic.” Lachlan Bailey
We sH๏τ a series of Polaroids the day before and Margot loved them, so I knew we had nailed the fashion. She asked where the Isa Boulder ʙικιɴι bottoms, in particular, were from and loved the cut-out Roberto Cavalli dress. Lachlan’s light is always so beautiful, so I never felt worried about it looking at all gratuitous. The shoot almost seems similar to candid boyfriend pictures of the girl we would all love to look like. It was important to me that it felt personal.
Although she liked the vibrant Victoria Beckham and frou-frou Alexandre Vauthier dresses, Margot looked most at home in the girl-next-door shirting and swimwear. It was all about achieving that certain understatedness, but keeping it chic. She looked tanned and her hair was polished, but there was never the feeling that Margot had stepped out of a beauty salon. Styled with nostalgic props – from milk bottles to Walkmans – the pictures have a timelessness to them. They provide an escapism from the iPhones we have become so bogged down with.
The last sH๏τ – which features Margot floating on a blush-coloured lilo wearing a tangerine Eres swimsuit – was the perfect end to a totally chilled day. There was no drama, Margot was completely into it, and the energy was good. It felt like such a glorious project that’s so right for now. We all want to see that sun-kissed, freckled girl that looks effortlessly classic. Margot is on the cover of British Vogue now, but the pH๏τos don’t necessarily belong to a certain era.
