Worldwide Exclusive: BAZAAR Speaks To Emily Blunt At Tory Burch Spring/Summer 2020

For spring/summer 2020, Tory Burch looked to the style, elegance and intelligence of beloved English icon, Diana Spencer. On the runway, Lady Di’s fearless personality translated into a bold Eighties centric aesthetic - soft blousons, ballooning sleeves, cinched waists, big taffeta bows and power tailoring, with floral prints inspired by romantic English gardens. On the front row, Emily Blunt made a splash in an arresting rust-coloured suit from the latest collection.

Read on for Harper’s BAZAAR Singapore exclusive interview with Blunt.

What are you working on at the moment?

We’re shooting A Quiet Place: Part 2. We’ve got about two or three weeks left; and it’s been incredible, really intense and I can say that I think the film is going to be spectacular. I think John will need to be checked into an institution for fatigue in about three weeks. I’m really proud of him, and proud of what we’ve done.

What’s your process for getting into a character?

I don’t know if I have a set process. I’m often rather puzzled as to why I want to do a certain project. It’s usually for rather ethereal reasons that I find hard to understand myself. I would just feel very drawn to something, for whatever reason. I feel like I have an in with the character. Like, I’m doing this absolutely tiny movie in Ireland after A Quiet Place with a micro budget and we shoot it for four weeks but I am just completely enamoured with the project. I just try to be as diverse as possible. That’s really the only one strategy I go in with - to not pigeonhole myself and repeat myself.

What does fashion mean to you?

I think fashion’s like a language. Fashion is the way you choose to express yourself and represent

to the world who you are.

What role does fashion play in your career as an actor?

It’s funny because in some ways when you step out on a red carpet, it’s like a performance in itself because it’s such an alien experience to your normal everyday life, so what I’ve learned to embrace about the experience is that you should be bold and full of whimsy and drama when it comes to the red carpet because it’s an opportunity to have fun and be joyful. And I recognise that those moments on the red carpet are incredibly impactful on your career, on how people see you, on their enjoyment of seeing you, and it’s something I’ve learned to find really fun.

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What do you look for in a red carpet look?

I love mixing it up. I love when you can be surprising with what you wear. I love colour, a sense of

flair; I want clothes to give me a sense of swagger and confidence, and you should never be in an

outfit that’s wearing you.

What about your off-duty style?

Well, they’re kind of wildly opposing because my style on the red carpet I would say is quite bold and full of whimsy, but my style is like an everyday mom - staggering out of the door with my two children. It’s probably more practical and I live in New York so I really like an urban mixed with bohemian sort of look. What’s a look you’re really into at the moment? It’s probably why I’m wearing this suit today, because I really like that sort of slouchy, slightly more tomboyish shapes that are out there right now. It’s about being less body-conscious. I think it’s a very cool look for women.

What’s a trend you wish would go away?

I feel like I’ve seen a lot of people wearing cycling shorts, and I think they need to be burned. I would never be caught dead wearing cycling shorts [laughs]. It’s a bad look, guys. Cycling shorts have got to go.

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What do you love about Tory’s work?

I just love that there is a sense of reinvention with what she does. I think she makes clothes for women with goals, so there is an attitude to her clothes. She’s incredibly bold with prints, and there’s a sense of fun to it.

Do you feel a difference when wearing clothes designed by women?

Yes, because they make clothes recognising what you need to get through the day.

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The collection we’re seeing today is inspired by Diana Spencer - what about her that resonates with you?

I grew up in England, so for me she was a figure that just pierced the heart of the nation directly. I think it was her sense of relatability, her sense of humanity, the mystery around her. There was a humility to her as well. She unknowingly became this heroine for people, rather unintentionally; and you could feel that sense of humility, and I think for all those reasons she became iconic.

What do you like about her style?

I always loved seeing her in those beautiful gowns she would wear, and there was just something magnetic about her when she was out in public. I even loved all the bold power suits, with the big shoulders and bright colours; the reds and the pinks she would wear. I think people were just bewitched by her; she was so extraordinarily beautiful and photogenic, and knew exactly how to work it.

What do you think has been her greatest legacy?

The sense of humanity, the sense of giving, the human connection. I think people haven’t really seen that so prominently in the royal family. She was somebody who was completely fearless about exploring other worlds and other territories; reaching out to people who needed help more than others.