Buro Exclusive: All the (unexpected) details from spending the day with Cara Delevingne

If there’s one thing Dior gets spot on—outside of makeup, skincare and fragrances, that is—is that they really know how to throw a party—a string of them to be exact. Following a much talked about launch here in KL recently, the Dior Addict Stellar Shine party continued in Seoul, where I travelled with the brand to spend an exclusive afternoon with Cara Delevingne and Peter Philips, before—you guessed it—partying the night away at the final and most fun, and star-studded stop for the Dior Addict Stellar Shine launch.

 

 

Earlier that afternoon, I was waiting to meet Cara D and Peter Philips for a chat outside the Four Seasons Hotel suite when a panicky assistant dashed out of the room, flustered, asking for the AC to be turned up. Alarm bells instantly went off in my head—not only did Cara and Peter just got in to Seoul the night before—coming straight from back to back press events in Paris and Shanghai, into their zillionth interviews, and now they’re being baked in heat in the next room as we speak just before my turn? Here goes nothing.

As I took my seat (hoping for the best), I spot Cara typing furiously on her phone, humming Pink by Aerosmith, the soundtrack of the Dior Addict Stellar Shine collection and film, while Peter was a picture of pure joy, as always, and at that point I thought my chances for a great interview were 50/50.

To my surprise and delight, Cara—as if just noticing us in the room—flung her phone aside and sprung up to greet everyone in the room with a warm, big smile, was 100% present and so connected for a second you forget she’s one of the most famous and idolised It-girls in the world—although I can definitely see why. Between lipstick, self-love and social media, here are some of the highlights from our conversation:

 

What does being a bold, independent woman in 2019 mean to you?

Cara D: “All of that, but also taking it day by day. It’s important to aspire to be a better person every day and do things to make a difference in other people’s lives. Not apologising for being who you are—not being scared of who you are, for speaking out and having your own voice.”

 

Pink is the DNA of the collection—tell us a little more about Stellar Shine and its importance in the evolution of the Dior Addict lipstick.

Peter P: “Pink is a timeless colour and the new nourishing formula and textures really highlight the collection, coupled with a high-shine finish to really reflect the fun and vibrant Dior Addict Woman. Next to Rouge Dior, Dior Addict was always the cute and girly little sister, but she can also be pretty and punk at the same time. This collection sees her growing into a more confident woman, without losing her child-like wonder.

Pink Hats made a statement at the #MeToo Women’s March in 2019

“I was also inspired by sea of pink hats at the women marches for the #MeToo movement—where shades of pink made a very strong statement and was very impactful. Then, I knew we could have Cara as the face to represent the campaign.”

 

What are some of your collaboration highlights with the brand, and with each other?

CD: “Dior always wants to hear what I have to say, and my opinion on things, which is amazing, given it’s such a huge brand with so much credit behind them. And Peter is such a legend in the industry—I love any opportunity to work with him.”

PP: “When you have a woman who is opinionated and have a mind of her own, it’s a waste not to leverage on that, which is why it’s so great to have Cara.”

 

Besides the beautiful new shades and formulas, what is the key takeaway of the campaign?

CD: “When you think about Be Dior Be Pink, I think the most important is the be part, which means go out and get what you want and don’t wait for things to happen. Be who you want to be, be a Rockstar—that was exactly how I felt shooting the film. If I let fear take over me and don’t just stand up and dance and walk down Broadway and Park Avenue with all these people looking at me and didn’t take this opportunity and run with it—the outcome of the film or in life, would be very different. You’re capable of doing anything if you just believe in yourself—be whatever or whoever you are and be proud of it.”

The Dior Addict Stellar Shine collection, featuring a new ultra-moisturizing formula, vibrant colours and high-gloss or shine finishes with 24-hour hydration

Your top picks from the collection and colour selection tips to share? 

CD: “I’d say 976 Be Dior, which is star of the four It-shades of the collection.”

PP: “These It-shades (976 Be Dior, 536 Lucky, 673 Diorcharm and 891 Diorcelestial) were selected because they are shades that would fit most women.

“The undertone of your natural lip shade and the colour of your teeth matter. The lipsticks that matches most skin tones are the ones with a blue undertone.”

 

Pink was also Christian Dior’s lucky colour—riding on his superstitious nature, do you have any interesting charms or rituals of your own to share?

CD: “I’ve broken most of the rules at some point—like today, my head was pounding because I didn’t meditate in the morning—it’s not a superstition but a ritual that helps me perform better. I do, however, have a pair of lucky socks and underwear!”

PP: “I would never walk on the road without crossing my fingers, and when I see a black cat, I cross my fingers!”

 

On the topic of self-care, the Dior Addict woman has a positive addiction to life—how do you champion positivity in your life and the others around you?

CD: “Everyone has a different thing, but it’s nice and important to do things, which involve you with other people or a community. Whether it is pole-dancing or pottery, get out and do things that get you talking and get the conversation going. Taking time for yourself to be yourself is so important.

“There are people who use makeup in the wrong way or to hide, and think without makeup, they are nothing. I think that’s bad—you need to use it to celebrate, accentuate and highlight the parts that you love about you.

“If you’re having a bad day or down in the dumps, you can feel positive about getting out of the negativity—if you’re stuck in the deep part of the river, the flow continues, and you’ll eventually get out of it at some point. Having the motivation to change and pick yourself up is important.”

PP: “At the end you need to do things for yourself—if it makes you feel good, more glorified than you already are—that’s what matters.”

 

 

 

How has social media changed your perception of beauty (and life)?

CD: “I think there’s more communication in terms of doing new things and what people enjoy. Social media definitely took the world, news and beauty to the extreme and now it can be dangerous but also inspiring. We have such a huge platform to speak to each other and it comes with its pros and cons.

“People need to be respectful as they are in life, and just because you have a computer to hide behind doesn’t mean you can go around throwing rocks at people—people need to be responsible. Education is really important and handling social media should be part of the curriculum—kids need to know the impact of the exchange of words online—there needs to be implications to these actions and a lot needs to be monitored from the ground up.”

Cara D by Jean-Baptiste Mondino for Parfums Christian Dior

Lightning round and off-the-record chats with Cara D

“It’s my first time in Seoul, it’s lovely, but I won’t have time to look around unfortunately.”

When you think pink… “New born baby girl.”

“I try to get tattoos from the different countries I visit. I don’t know how many I have anymore—only because some of them are a made of different ones and I’m not if they’re one or many.”

What makes you laugh… “Viral videos on Instagram!”

What makes you cry… “Viral videos that make me laugh so hard I cry.”

You have a magic wand, what would you ask for? “I’d love to teleport from city to city, so I don’t have to get on another airplane!”

What would you ask for the world? “Acceptance.”

 

 

That same night, the press, international influencers and big names in K-pop including Sun Mi and Dean, actress Min Hyo, Chau Bui and models including Bae Yoon Young, Lee Ho Jung, Ahn Ah Reum and more, descended to party the night away in Seoul in the presence of Cara D and Peter Philips at Layer 57, an old, industrial-chic printing warehouse all decked out by the Be Dior, Be Pink concept.

Between champagne, canapés and K-pop performances, Cara looked relaxed—maybe slightly relieved to be at the tail end of her Dior Addict Stellar Shine tour, but we think the presence of girlfriend, Pretty Little Liars star, Ashley Benson, definitely had something to do with it. A strong woman who is clearly happy with where she is in life and confident in her own skin, extremely in love and unapologetic, Cara D—in her natural element—is the epitome of the Dior Addict woman and the best part is, she’s just being her authentic self—and proud of it.

Dior Addict Stellar Shine lipsticks are now available in Dior boutiques nationwide.

 

Image credits:

Getty Images: #MeToo Women’s March

Parfums Christian Dior: Cara D painting

 

Photographer: Jean-Baptiste Mondino

Makeup: Peter Philips

Styling: Mariel Haenn

Hair: Ben Skervin

Manicure: Ama Quashie

Set design: Andy Hillman