CARA: ‘ EUGENIE APPROVED MY WEDDING OUTFIT’

As she stars in a daring campaign for TAG Heuer, Cara Delevingne tells Hannah Flint why she always aims to break boundaries

WHEN CARA DELEVINGNE arrived at her friend Princess Eugenie’s wedding at Windsor Castle last month, she was immediately crowned the best-dressed guest out of an 850-strong, largely A-list crowd.

The reason? Her decision to turn up in a top hat and tails, as well as a buttoned-up white shirt, grey tie and black stilettos ( plus a toothpick in hand for good measure). In other words, an outfit not usually favoured by women at a royal wedding (‘morning dress’ – her look of choice – was apparently advised as the dress code on the invitations for male guests).

‘Eugenie has been a friend of mine since I was a kid, and I’ve always wanted to wear tails,’ says Cara when I ask her about the choice. ‘I texted her, as I wasn’t sure about it, and she was like, “Of course, I expect nothing else from you!”

‘I found it interesting how many people came up to me and said, “You’re so brave to wear that!” I was like, really? I feel way more comfortable like this.’

That may be so, but for many the move was brave – a brilliant two fingers up to a strict female dress code at one of the most important royal events of the year. Plus, not many people would turn up with a toothpick in their mouth at an event also attended by the Queen. But the moment was also symbolic of the kind of model we have come to know: one who has always been willing to break the rules.

Cara was, for instance, the first model to use social media to create her own voice and platform, and was among the first A-listers to use it to break their silence on mental health. She has challenged the norms of what models can do, launching a Hollywood career alongside her work in fashion, writing a young adult novel and pursuing music in her spare time. And, last year, she became a key member of the #Metoo movement when she alleged that Harvey Weinstein tried to kiss her without her consent in a hotel during a meeting about her film work.

‘ There has definitely been a sense of fear of “Am I going to get rejected?” or “Are people going to think of me differently?” when it comes to being more open about stuff or speaking out,’ she admits. ‘But you have to remember that fear is something that holds you back.’

We are speaking at an event to celebrate her latest campaign with luxury watch brand TAG Heuer, for whom Cara has been an ambassador since 2015. Shot by wildlife photographer David Yarrow in South Africa, the campaign features Cara looking piercingly – and calmly – at the camera as a wild lion roars behind her.

‘It’s about standing up and showing how brave and how strong you are, especially as a woman,’ she says of the images, one of which raised £240,000 at auction for The Cara Delevingne Foundation, which supports young girls. ‘But it’s also about how vulnerable you can be in that situation. I guess, for me, it’s always about pushing the unknown and breaking boundaries. I live for things like that.’

She’s polite and, at first, perhaps a little nervous. It goes without saying that she is very beautiful, wearing a floral dress, leather jacket and a TAG Heuer watch, the buzz cut she famously had for a film role finally growing out into a blonde bob.

Next year she will star in Carnival Row, a TV series for Amazon, and Fever Heart alongside Alexander Skarsgård. But, after years of declaring her desire to move on to the big screen, she’s learning to slow down. ‘It’s really important now what scripts I choose, and to wait for the right projects,’ she says. It’s a welcome change, she adds, after saying yes to everything for so long. ‘I’ve definitely got better with that,’ she laughs. ‘I think we all get better at that with age.’