With over 25 years of acting experience starring in some of TV’s biggest shows, Joanne Froggatt has learnt a lot about how to approach red-carpet dressing. Her award-winning roles (she is the only Downton Abbey star to have scooped a Golden Globe) have ensured she is never out of the limelight for long, but like most of us, her style has changed since she first started her career. Gone are the hyper-feminine frills of a decade ago, and in their place are tailoring and contemporary, streamlined silhouettes. They are, as she says herself, a statement of confidence – a reflection of who she is now. “Finding the right look can make such a difference to how I feel at these big events,” she tells us. “It’s like putting on a costume to face the world.”
Alex Johnson
For her latest red-carpet appearance, the premiere of season two of MobLand co-starring Pierce Brosnan, Tom Hardy and Dame Helen Mirren (if you haven’t seen it yet, get ready to dive in this autumn), she chose Stella McCartney. “Joanne gravitates towards classic elegance, but the look always has to have an element of edge too,” says her stylist, Abisoye Odugbesan. “Her Stella gown is a timeless black dress with a modern twist – it has these amazing architectural shoulders that create a dramatic silhouette which is softened by the fluidity of the fabric. This contrast gives the dress a sense of both strength and femininity.”
Alex Johnson
Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar in a new interview, she covers everything from style lessons to feeling beautiful and the one accessory she always wears after wrapping up a day on set.
Talk us through your look – what drew you to it and why does it feel like a good fit?
“The Stella look is really structured, and just beautiful – modern and chic, but cool. It’s red-carpet without being traditional in any way. I love the pronounced shoulders and how the hem falls to an almost triangle shape at the front. It just felt sort of an elevated version of something I would love to wear. I always love Bvlgari jewellery; they do beautiful classic pieces, but also pieces that just have a little bit of an edge to them. On my feet, I went for Gianvitto Rossi strappy shoes with an embellished strap at the front. I’m good in a heel. I don’t walk around London all day every day in them, but I’m comfortable in them for a big event.”
Do you ever get nervous before red carpets?
“Red carpets can be a little bit nerve-wracking, but putting a great look together that makes you feel your best makes me feel more ready. It helps me to adopt an outward-facing persona. The getting ready – the look, the hair and makeup – the whole process is a big part of building that moment where you feel confident enough to step out onto the carpet. Having a really good team behind you is really important. You still want to be you, but the best and most elevated version. The right look makes me feel ready to face the world.”
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Froggatt with co-stars Helen Mirren and Lara Pulver at the premiere of MobLand
How does fashion help you get into character?
“When I’m playing a role, hair, makeup and costume are a huge part of me getting into character. When I put my costume on at the beginning of the day, whether it’s a period project or modern day, I very much imagine I’m putting my character on, and then at the end of the day, when I take it off, I take my character off and I leave it at work. Stepping out onto a red carpet or attending a press event is a similar version of that. You’re still yourself, but a glossier iteration, so it’s a slightly mixed version.”
What do you think of the method and thematic red-carpet dressing we’ve seen a lot of this year?
“I love it. Fashion is a way to express yourself; that’s the wonderful thing about it. I love that some people on their press tours have dressed with the theme of their film in mind because it enables them to wear looks that they may not necessarily have chosen. It’s also just fun, isn’t it? It makes the red carpet itself interesting, and more engaging to watch. And it nods to the project they’re publicising, and gets the world wrapped up in what they’re going to pull out next.
Alex Johnson
Does the project you’re working on impact your personal style?
“It does sometimes. For Jan in MobLand, I had my nails done all the time and, for a period, whenever I did press, I felt that I needed to keep them. After a while, though, they became too much maintenance for me. Often, by the time you finish playing a role, you actually want to leave the clothes and look behind. Occasionally, you’re able to take the odd item of clothing from a job, but if it’s something you’ve worn a lot in character, you end up feeling like that person when you put it on, which is a little strange. Usually I leave it all behind.”
How has your style evolved over the years?
“I’m more focused on personal style rather than just what’s fashionable that season, and trying to dress in a way that feels like me. That, to me, is the difference between fashion and style. I’ve become more confident as I’ve gotten older with what feels right for me and what I feel good in. I love a very classic look. I love Stella McCartney, Givenchy and Victoria Beckham, brands that do timeless, amazing tailoring, but also beautiful dresses. I’m more interested in expressing my personality through clothes now. Sometimes, I just look at my wardrobe and think, ‘I’ve moved beyond that’ – not in terms of age, but how I feel as a person. I went through a phase in my early 30s of dressing in girly A-line dresses, and I’d never feel right in that vibe now. Now, I definitely want to go for something more structured or classic, like, as I say, great tailoring or a streamlined dress.”
Alex Johnson
When do you feel most beautiful?
“I feel most beautiful with the people I love because they love me from the inside out.”
You work with some seriously stylish women on MobLand – Helen Mirren in particular. Have you learned any style secrets from her?
“I haven’t actually chatted to Helen about style, but she has an incredible eye. She always looks amazing on the red carpet and in real-life as well. She’s an amazing-looking woman. Apart from anything else, she has an incredible energy and aura about her because she’s so incredibly intelligent and witty, and kind and fun too. That sort of oozes out of her. I think two of my favourite filming days ever were watching her and Pierce [Brosnan] shoot the dinner scene on MobLand episode nine of series one. Their characters, Comrade and Maeve, have a huge argument, and start smashing glass and threatening each other with knives and broken bottles. We just had the most amazing couple of days shooting that, watching Helen and Pierce do their thing, and then because Helen and Pierce are friends in real life as well, they have a great relationship. It was a brilliant thing to behold watching these two icons go at each other. It was entertainment at its best.”
Alex Johnson
What kind of fashion makes you feel your most confident?
“Wearing the right thing at the right moment or occasion. If I’m running around with my toddler, I’m going to be wearing something very different than if I’m going to a meeting with a producer or director, or if I’m doing a press day or an event. For me, confidence comes from feeling like you’re dressing in the right thing for the purpose.”
What are you most likely to be wearing after a long day on set?
“A hat. I always come into work in a hat and leave in a hat. The wig comes off, or the hair comes out. I wipe off the makeup, stick on the hat and go home hiding.”
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Froggatt with Helen Mirren, Tom Hardy, Pierce Brosnan and Lara Pulver
Any fashion rules you live by?
“Fashion needs to make me feel good. If it’s not making you feel good, it’s not the right thing for you.”
Fashion has an unfair reputation for being frivolous, but why does what we wear matter?
“It can have a huge effect on your confidence. If you approach fashion in the right way for you, then it can provide a real boost. It can make you feel powerful if you need to go into a meeting or a job interview. It can make you feel comfortable and at ease if you’re running around a park with your children. It can make you feel ready to take on something physically demanding in the gym. It can make you feel prepared on your first day of a new job. If you take it as an extension of your personality and an expression of yourself, then it’s a really powerful tool.”
Stylist – Abisoye Odugbesan; hair – Davide Barbieri; makeup – Alex Babsky; photography – Alex Johnson; PR – Personal PR