It’s mildly mortifying asking a French actress if they have any red-carpet beauty rituals. Surely they’ll just insouciantly shrug at the very mention of an infinitely-eyeballed event, while other more regimen-attuned beauties might spend days, if not weeks, pruning, preening, streamlining and steaming. Case in point: Hollywood star and former Bond girl Léa Seydoux, who touched down in Marrakech to celebrate the unveiling of Mythica, Louis Vuitton’s latest high jewellery collection, alongside Ana de Armas, Alicia Vikander and Phoebe Dynevor.
“I’ve realised that I don’t really have a fixed routine or specific beauty habits,” Seydoux says, adding: “What makes red-carpet moments so special is the transformation that happens just before, whether it’s for a premiere, a festival or an event. It’s almost the only time when I fully step into this ‘glamorous actress’ version of myself.”
Regimen or no regimen, it’s hard imagining Seydoux—who previously spent time in the Moroccan desert filming scenes for 2015’s Spectre – looking anything but glamorous. But one thing that helps is a collection of priceless jewellery. For the launch of Mythica, a goddess-channelling collection steeped in mythological symbolism and epic stories, Seydoux is attending a lavish gala at a sand-hued castle in the countryside, where the Agafay desert and the Atlas mountains meet, wearing The Fortitude necklace and ring, two show-stopping pieces from Mythica which are formed from twisted ropes of diamonds, dazzling with rare Cambodian blue zircons. “These pieces draw me in because they combine strength and softness at the same time. What surprised me most is how alive they feel, especially the necklace—the movement, the light—it almost feels like it responds to you,” says Seydoux.
The chic, pared-back look she’s going for to complement her jewels? A midnight-blue suit, a bustier and satin pumps. “It’s elegant but with a very cinematic feel,” she muses. It’s a statement that rings even more true considering the blockbuster night she is going to attend will include a panoramic en plein air fashion show—showcasing dazzling pieces twinkling with rare cat’s eye topaz cabochons from Mozambique, diamonds resembling rolling clouds, Colombian emeralds and Cambodian blue zircon—plus, a rooftop dinner under the stars and a firework display that had some of my seat mates in tears.
Over a dinner including poached Atlantic lobster and Majani chocolate mousse, Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari explained to guests that the spirit of travel intrinsic to the French maison—which also celebrates the 130th anniversary of its signature monogram this year—wasn’t just about bringing guests together Morocco, but about the millennia-old myths of the “gods and heroines” that inspired Mythica.
For Seydoux, her collaboration with Vuitton also represents a metamorphic journey. “It’s not about preparing for a role, but about being seen, photographed, and, in a way, creating a sense of dream through my presence.” she says. “I really love that moment of letting go and trusting my team, my make-up artist, my hairstylist, the stylists who dress me. It becomes a very collective process, where I allow myself to be transformed.”
Back to the forensically analysed notion of French-girl beauty: “So rather than a specific red-carpet ritual, my favourite part is this intimate, suspended moment with my glam team beforehand,” she adds. “It’s fleeting but very personal. Everyone shares the same intention: to make me feel confident and beautiful, and to create that sense of magic on the red carpet.”
This article was originally published on British Vogue.
