Daisy Edgar-Jones is coming off a wild week. On Sunday evening, the Normal People actress made her Golden Globes debut, nominated for her role as Marianne in the smash-hit adaptation of Sally Rooney’s second novel. A mere 24 hours later, her brand new campaign for Simone Rocha x H&M dropped, featuring the London native wearing a delightful Broderie Anglaise dress with puff sleeves.
"We really lucked out with the weather, and we got to spend the day running around wearing Simone’s gorgeous clothes,” Edgar-Jones recalls. The collection campaign is pure cottagecore fodder, with Edgar-Jones, Tess McMillan, and Adwoa Aboa frolicking in a garden wearing Simone signatures such as tulle frocks and pearl-encrusted brogues.
“At the minute, I’m taking any excuse to dress up. I want to be in sparkly sequins, beautiful dresses, funky heels,” the actress says. That sentiment was well on display at the Globes, as the 22-year-old wowed in Chanel couture, which also featured white embroidered flowers. “I didn’t have much of a chance to get nervous, as I had just come off a week of night shoots,” she admits of the big event. “I relied very heavily on the magic of my lovely hair and makeup team to hide the lack of sleep! I feel so lucky to have been able to attend and dress up.”
Daisy Edgar-Jones and Michael Ward in the new Simone Rocha x H&M campaign.
Below, the actress speaks to L’OFFICIEL about dressing from the waist-up for Zoom red carpets, the Brick Lane shopping oasis she used to frequent back when she was at school, and her favorite pieces from the new Simone Rocha x H&M collaboration.
L’OFFICIEL: What were your favorite looks or accessories from the Simone Rocha x H&M campaign shoot?
Dasiy Edgar-Jones: My favorite accessories had to be the matching beaded earrings and hair slides, and I also loved my white dress; it was perfect for sitting around in the sunshine.
L’O: A Simone Rocha look is immediately identifiable. What about her point of view on fashion appeals to you?
DEJ: There really is a world that Simone creates with her fashion, and as an actor, I love the feeling of being transported into it through the clothes and the look. I would love to be constantly living in her unique aesthetic, which Simone creates by reimagining and adding an edge to feminine classics.
L’O: After months of lockdown, and for you, work, what kinds of clothes are you most excited to wear these days?
DEJ: I think at the minute I’m taking any excuse to dress up. I want to be in sparkly sequins, beautiful dresses, funky heels. I think clothes can be a real outlet for escapism and can bring such joy, so the more fun I can have with my fashion at the moment, the better. Having said that, my work uniform does consist mainly of jogging bottoms and t-shirts, but on the weekend I try to jazz it up.
L’O: How did growing up in London affect your personal style?
DEJ: London has the most amazing street style. One of my favorite things to do is to walk down Oxford Street and people watch. I spent quite a lot of time trying to chase the coolness of London fashion, sometimes successfully, sometimes not, and I change my mind on what my style is practically every week. I suppose that’s part of growing up.
L’O: What was the outfit you wore on repeat growing up?
DEJ: I went to a lot of thrift stores with friends in Brick Lane. The £10 bag sale was a regular haunt. In college, much to the dismay of my mother, all I really wore were oversized men’s shirts. But once I left, I started to experiment more with my clothes, and I feel like I’m really starting to discover my unique style now. I love clothes, and I love unique pieces that have a personality to them. I’m also very into '60s fashion at the moment.
L’O: Name the one thing you wouldn’t dare be caught in?
DEJ: Never say never (although I did have one very oversized denim jacket years ago I bought from a charity shop). My mum said it made me look like Jeremy Clarkson, so maybe not that...
L’O: Did fashion and dressing for the red carpet ever feel intimidating to you, or do you look forward to red carpet events?
DEJ: I haven’t had a huge amount of opportunity to actually be on the red carpet yet. It’s all very new to me–most of what I have done has been through my laptop from the waist up. I’m very lucky that my lovely stylist Nicky Yates is always on hand with brilliant ideas for what to wear and we try and adapt our looks depending on whether they are virtual or IRL. Virtual tends to lean more towards an interesting sleeve or neckline, and IRL, it’s more about the overall look of the dress and the shoes. I really look forward to the opportunities that I get to dress up.
L’O: Your next project after Fresh was just announced, Where The Crawdads Sing. How are you getting into character and perfecting a Southern accent?
DEJ: I am so excited to start this project. I am so in love with the world of the novel and the character of Kya; I can’t wait to step inside her world. I have a good bit of time to start working on the accent before we begin shooting. I love that side of things as I’m always so interested in how much a voice and accent influence a character.
