From international runways to the big screen, Cara Delevingne, 22, stars in the upcoming romantic mystery, Paper Towns. She chats to MiNDFOOD about modeling, confidence and her first starring role.
How were you discovered as a model?
The first shoot I ever did was with Bruce Weber for Italian Vogue when I was about seven years old. I met a couple of photographers when I was younger and they were like, ‘You’re a pretty weird looking kid, I’d like to take pictures of you.’Also, I went to school with the daughter of the woman who owns my modeling agency now. I think she saw me at school and was like, ‘One day I’d like to get you into my agency.’ So I was lucky enough for that to happen.
And now you’re the most famous model in the world. How do you deal with the attention?
Well, it’s kind of thrust upon you. There’s nothing you can really do about it. I love my privacy so much but that’s something you have to compromise. I use social media to kind of give as much as I can to people who want to know about my life and I am very honest and I’m very real with what I put up so I kind of hope that by giving that I would have less of the paparazzistuff. Fame’s not fun in that sense but I mean I’m very lucky and I wouldn’t give it upfor anything.
What’s your beauty regime?
The funny thing is I really don’t have a very specific regime. I travel so much so I kind of forget my make-up and cleaning products quite often. If I don’t have anything I’ll just wash my skin with soap, warm water and a flannel but otherwise I kind of try and tend to use natural beauty products as much as possible, especially when you’re young it’s a lot better to not use anything that has too many chemicals in it.
What was your childhood like?
I had an amazing childhood. I used to go on holiday a lot, I used to be able to go to the South of France in the summer and see my godmother (Joan Collins). I wasn’t one of those kids who liked to dress up nice and do things like that. I went to boarding school at 11 in the countryside where we learned how to rear sheep and bake bread, write music and poetry and do stuff like that. It wasn’t about designer handbags.
What’s your relationship to confidence?
I think confidence is an interesting thing because I have to be confident. I couldn’t not be. I think it’s the best way I work. I don’t know how much of it is real or how much of it is just necessary because if I wasn’t confident I wouldn’t be able to do any of this, modeling or acting, you know what I mean. But at the same time, I’m my biggest critic.
Can you tell me a little about your tattoos?
There’s so many. I have one of the Southern Cross which I got in Rio. I have a lot of matching tattoos with people, and I have double D’s on my butt which means something personal to me. I also have my mother’s name on my arm, Pandora.
What attracted you to the world of Paper Towns, and specifically your character, Margo?
Margo is such a strong force and especially to be able to play such a strong female character was really such an honour for me. She’s definitely a risk taker. I definitely am one as well. She’s fearless. So am I. You know, she lives through experience. She kind of wanted to discover who she was by experience everything she could which is exactly how I am.
