GLAMOUR UK – On- and off-screen BFFs Lily Collins and Ashley Park, AKA Emily and Mindy in Emily in Paris, talk to GLAMOUR’s Emily Maddick about the power, pleasure and pitfalls of friendship as they become our January cover stars.

Lily Collins and Ashley Park – co-stars on the wildly successful Emily In Paris – are unanimous: their friendship has taught them both to believe in themselves in ways that they never thought they could.

“Ashley’s a friend who makes you feel like being you is enough. She gives you what you need when you don’t even know it yourself,” Lily tells me, while Ashley reveals, “Lily has made sure that I understand my own value… she has believed in me in ways I didn’t believe I deserved.”

And these are not just the gushings of Hollywood actresses fawning over their peers, but legitimate testaments to a true and beautiful friendship fostered both on – and off-screen. As stars of the Netflix juggernaut that is Emily In Paris, Lily, 32, and Ashley, 30, have found themselves in a show that puts the trials and tribulations of female friendship front and centre of the action.

So, who better to front our January friendship issue?

We’re a long way from Paris when I meet Lily and Ashley on location for their GLAMOUR shoot, in a disused parking lot in sun-drenched downtown Los Angeles in November. And while this may be as far away from the Champs-Élysées chic environs we’re used to seeing the girls in, the fashion most certainly is not. LA super-stylist, Nicolas Bru, has called in haute couture from Giambattista Valli and eye-popping creations from Sonia Rykiel and Richard Quinn – all exquisite gowns that would make even Emily In Paris’s legendary costume designer, Patricia Field, swoon.

As the shoot progresses, Lily and Ashley’s chemistry is electric, their laughter infectious and they do not stop to draw breath; apart from, that is, when I catch up with them individually over lunch for their respective cover interviews…

When it comes to female friendship, Lily’s character Emily Cooper finds herself in a très sticky situation at the start of season two. (Spoilers incoming.)

Having learned that her dishy neighbour, chef Gabriel (Lucas Bravo) is leaving Paris – and therefore breaking the heart of his long-term girlfriend and Emily’s good friend and client, Camille (Camille Razat) – Emily finally succumbs to their chemistry and a ‘farewell’ night of passion. Only to discover the next day that Gabriel is staying in Paris after all. What transpires is Emily trying to make amends for her mistake while attempting to prioritise – and salvage – her friendship with Camille. It is brave to have the plot focus on a female protagonist who has betrayed her friend and I wonder what Lily’s own take is on this moral dilemma?

“Emily definitely has deep-rooted feelings and regrets about what happened because she does feel really badly about it,” says Lily. “And it wouldn’t cause her so much turmoil if she didn’t care. And so I think, whenever something affects me so deeply or troubles me, it’s because I care. And that’s a good thing, but it makes it way harder because when you’re conscious of something… and now you know you have to do something about it; what do I do?”

Lily agrees with me when I say that I found female friendship front and centre of season two.

“Emily ultimately really values her friendships. And [in] season two, she really leans into the female friendships, which is something that I really was excited about pursuing more of.”

Read more at the source

Hello Lily fans! Lily is featured in the September issue of Elle USA Magazine! She is showing off some of the new Clash [Un]Limited designs! You can check out photos from the shoot and the scans in the gallery.

W MAG – For W’s second annual TV Portfolio, we asked 26 of the most sought-after names in television to pay homage to their favorite small-screen characters by stepping into their shoes.

“I’m playing the most American character I’ve ever played,” says Lily Collins, the star of Netflix’s hit comedy Emily in Paris. “I’ve never felt more American, but in my real life, I feel very British. And yet I felt so disconnected from my European side, having to be Emily.” Collins is speaking from Paris, where she has begun filming season 2 of the series—which is coming off of a recent Emmy nomination that left her and her costar Ashley Park in bits. “[We] were together on set in my apartment when she read her phone and said, ‘Were we? Are we? We were nominated for the Emmys!’ ” the actor recalls. “We didn’t know they were being announced, and then we just started screaming and had to yell, ‘Cut!’ ” Collins, who was born in Guildford, Surrey, in the English countryside, might star in a Paris-based show as an American girl, but her roots, she says, are firmly planted in the U.K. This is part of the reason she chose to honor The Great British Bake Off for W’s TV Portfolio, in which she embodies judge Prue Leith—also, because she herself loves to bake. “There are these specific chocolate chip cookies that I make, which I’ve been asked many times for the recipe,” she says of her signature dessert. “Eight years ago, I started Googling ideas, and at this point, it’s all just based on memory and sight.” We’d like to think she’d do well against Paul Hollywood’s judging eye.

When was the first time you saw The Great British Bake Off?

I saw the show’s first season. I feel so at home in the English countryside, having grown up there, and I love any show about baking and cooking. I love being surrounded by the British accent, especially if I’m not in England; there’s something very nostalgic about it. I just watch every season, even when they were changing hosts. I can’t stop watching. I binge it.

Can you bake?

I do love baking. I see it as very therapeutic. I like to think of it as a bit of a puzzle piece, as well, because I bake a lot of gluten-free, vegan things, which a lot of the time people think sounds not so fun or gross, but I get such a kick out of making something with vegan chocolate, or more ingredients, and seeing if it works. And when my little brother told me that my cookies were absolutely amazing and he loved them and ate five, I told him it wasn’t real chocolate, and his mind was blown.

How did Emily in Paris come to you? How did you first get the project?

I saw Darren Star from across the room at a charity event years ago. I was with my mom, and I’m like, Oh my god, that’s Darren Star. I really wanted to say hi, but I was nervous. I just didn’t say anything. Cut to almost a decade later, I got the script for the pilot, which was the first two episodes combined. I thought, This is what I’ve been waiting for, this is the role, because I shot two episodes of the reboot of 90210 years ago, which, obviously, is Darren Star. I was the drunk girl, Phoebe, at prom who really wanted to be prom queen and ended up barfing in a toilet. I remember thinking, Oh my god, I love Grosse Pointe. I love Sex and the City. I love 90210, all of the above. I love Darren Star shows. So they brought me in to meet with Darren. We had a great chat. Then a couple of weeks later, I auditioned. I threw together a wardrobe from my closet. I had one of my best friends come over, and we planned this look of what we thought Emily would [wear]: a J.Crew white shirt with a cashmere vest on top, a tartan skirt—which might’ve been an old Abercrombie skirt that I still had in my closet—and boots. I looked very collegiate and like I was trying too hard. I really felt it was Emily—definitely not the Emily we’ve created, but it was something. I arrived, and I auditioned for Darren. I felt good about it, but you just never know. I just wanted it so bad. On my 30th birthday, I was on set in Alabama, shooting in a bunker underground, and Darren called me and said, “Would you like to be my Emily?” I was very confused, because I just hadn’t heard anything [until then]. And I was like, “Me? Really?” It was a very Emily reaction, now that I think about it.

Do you get to keep any of Emily’s wardrobe?

I wish. I did get sent the white orchard dress that I get splattered with paint on last season. I got a clean one—the designer sent me one with a pair of shoes, so I get to keep that for memory’s sake. But I think a lot of my new favorite outfits are from this season. The wardrobe even went up more, which I didn’t even know was possible. From last season, I go back and forth. The opera house look felt like it was such an iconic moment for her. I can’t help but reference the Eiffel Tower silk shirt, because I just felt like that, with the Mona Lisa hat, was a real tongue-in-cheek Emily moment. She embraces “more is more.” She’s shamelessly herself. And I feel like she’s always in on the joke, and that just perfectly represented that to me.

Have you thought about your wedding dress for your upcoming nuptials to Charlie McDowell?

As a fashion lover and a person who’s obsessed with looking [for my own wedding dress], it’s a fun thing to start Pinteresting. I’ve always loved [a] fairy tale [look], but fairy tale in a very classic way. I like whimsy, but I also really love a classic look. So it’s trying to combine all of that, and it’s not something that you take lightly—you want to make sure it’s just right. I didn’t grow up with the ideal image in my head of what it had to be, so it’s really fun to think about that as an adult.

Lily is on the cover of Byrdie! You can check out some photos in the gallery, a video, and her interview below.

BYRDIE – On the surface, everything about my lunch date with Lily Collins appears normal. We’re dining in the outdoor restaurant of one of L.A.’s most storied hotels, frequented by Hollywood legends like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, and famous for its ivy-lined walls, currently filtering in L.A.’s seasonless sunshine. But there has been nothing “normal” about the year of 2020, as the entire world grapples with a deadly virus, and the words “pandemic” and “contagion” spell out our reality (instead of an apocalyptic film featuring Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow). This explains why Lily, dressed in a pewter Maje blazer and dark jeans, is palpably hesitant when the hostess leads us to our table in the center of the outdoor space, flocked in every direction by groups of chattering guests. Los Angeles has only recently eased its dining restrictions to allow for outdoor service, and thus, something as “normal” as an afternoon lunch interview carries with it the added weight of months of social distancing, optics, and the unease of safety protocol (are the tables really six feet apart, I wonder…).

“This is the first time I’ve eaten at a restaurant since quarantine started,” Lily whispers to me, eye wide as we sit down. She seems slightly shell-shocked, which is understandable since the beginning of quarantine was in March and we are now dining together at the tail-end of October. I flag down our hostess and request a quieter, more socially-distant table. Luckily, there happens to be one in another area of the restaurant, and as we sit down, Lily visibly relaxes with a sigh. “I’m sorry, it’s just that I haven’t been around this many people for so long,” she apologizes, swirling liquid Stevia into her hot black tea. “It was a lot.”

Now that we’re alone(ish), I begin to experience what can only be described as the Lightness of Lily. I can’t pinpoint what it is exactly—her openness, easy laugh, or maybe just her smile—but there’s an unmistakable aura of happiness emanating off of her, made more noticeable by the fact that it’s so rare to encounter this type of joyful lightness during such a difficult year. Seconds after sitting down, she immediately dives into stories about her road-tripping adventures with her fiancé, writer and director Charlie McDowell. “It’s the best way to create a sense of adventure,” she tells me earnestly. “You’re taking yourself from A to B. You’re part of nature. We go camping and we’re in the middle of the Redwoods or driving through cities that we never would have gone through before.” She credits these road trips and moments in nature for keeping her grounded as everything else in the world feels so uncertain: “You’re literally breathing in clean air. You’re not feeling at a loss of creativity and you’re doing things with your hands and getting outside and building fires, and feeling really at peace in a time when there’s just been so much darkness.”

Each time her fiancé comes up throughout our interview, Lily’s face lights up. The pair was recently engaged during one of her aforementioned road trips through Santa Fe and Sedona, and though it happened after only a year and a half of dating, Lily says she wasn’t surprised at all by how quickly it happened. “I’ve known he was ‘The One’ since the very beginning,” she says frankly. “All my friends joked with me at first. They’re like, ‘How can you know’ I’m like, ‘I know. I just know.’” When the proposal happened—which she describes as “a surreal moment that you just replay over and over in your head”—she said yes without hesitation. She beams as she tells me this, then stirs her tea: “Can I just say? Honestly, I’m so excited to be a wife.” I ask her to expand. “I don’t think of it in any way, shape, or form to do with whether or not I’m a feminist,” she clarifies. “To me, it’s more like, I can’t wait to be with this person, and now we get to plan something that we’ll have for the rest of our lives.” When she explains it like that, it’s hard to argue. The Lightness of Lily—it flickers stronger.

Read more at Byrdie.com

Lily graces the new cover of Backstage magazine. You can read her interview below!

BACKSTAGE – Lily Collins wants to tell a story. No, really—that’s why she’s Zooming from her Los Angeles home on a mid-October day, talking about why she became an actor. “I have always loved telling stories, since I was a kid,” she reflects. And as the child of Phil Collins and Jill Tavelman, it’s only natural that she got bit by the performance bug. “I knew that, as an adult, I wanted to take people on that journey with me. It’s a form of escapism. There’s such a magic to those worlds that we create onscreen.”

She’s been creating that magic for the last 11 years, from her feature film debut in “The Blind Side” to worlds horrific, thrilling, fantastical, comedic, dramatic, and beyond. She’s escaped typecasting, instead disappearing into stories near and far, past and present, each one different from the last. Her two most recent projects are both for Netflix, but they continue the trend of falling on opposite ends of the genre spectrum.

Just before the industry took a pandemic-induced pause in 2020, Collins was jumping between France and Hollywood—first to lead Darren Star’s “Emily in Paris,” on which she plays a millennial marketing executive who becomes a fish out of water after she’s transferred to the City of Lights for work, and then opposite Gary Oldman in David Fincher’s “Mank,” which charts the Oscar-winning screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz’s co-writing of “Citizen Kane.”

“I love every genre, in a sense. I don’t want to ever say I’ll never do one, because an incredible filmmaker may put a bizarre, interesting twist on a genre that you never thought you’d associate with, and all of a sudden you’re going, ‘I couldn’t imagine not being a part of this,’ ” Collins says. “I want to feel like there’s something I’m going to learn about [myself] through a character, and then there’s something that people will be able to learn about themselves.”

Collins’ bold beginnings in acting make it clear why she uses each role as a chance to learn. In fact, her whole career in acting has been self-taught. “I was part of plays and musicals when I was a kid, and I think I was 16 years old when I thought, OK, I actually do want to do this. Not just at school—I really want to pursue this professionally. I started auditioning for jobs to get more experience, but I was told no,” she remembers. “I mean, I was still so green. I was auditioning, and I didn’t really understand what ‘green’ meant. I would ask for feedback, and they would say things like, ‘You just need to keep doing it. Just train, in whatever way that means, practice, and do more research. You’re new, and that’s fine.’ ”

And while rejection is something most teenagers will go out of their way to avoid, a burgeoning modeling career and aspirations to become a broadcast journalist gave Collins some experience with the feeling. When she developed her acting convictions, she knew she’d be faced with more of the same. “I waited until I was at an age where I felt I was strong enough to continue to be told no. If I had felt that it would discourage me too much, I would have known to not pursue it, I think, but I really felt strongly about it.”
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VOGUE ARABIA – Celebrating creativity and optimism, the November 2020 issue of Vogue Arabia speaks to fashion’s power to stimulate our senses. Landing her first-ever Vogue cover is actor of the moment, Lily Collins. The star and producer of the wildly successful Netflix series Emily in Paris is also set to star in the upcoming biopic Mank.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to work with Lily Collins on her first-ever Vogue cover, especially when she’s experiencing such an incredible moment in her career. With bold styling and attitude, this shoot reflects our mood of the moment. Fashion and creativity are elixirs for wellbeing and ingredients that can bring some lightness and happiness in the troubled times the world is going through,” says Manuel Arnaut, Vogue Arabia editor-in-chief.

In the exclusive interview, the actor speaks of overcoming her struggles pre-Covid. “In the past, I would seek ways to control myself. It came out in the form of eating disorders or deep anxiety,” she reveals. “I try and sit and work through my emotions instead of ignoring them. The old me would have focused more on the negative. Now it’s just one part of my life. All these other positive things prevent me from obsessing.”

Among her various professional endeavors, the daughter of music royalty Phil Collins also speaks of her engagement to film director and writer Charlie McDowell. “I knew from the moment we met that this was the person for me,” she says, adding that together they have joined Black Lives Matter protests, adopted a puppy, and devoted themselves to causes like the children’s non-profit GO Campaign. Addressing French critics, who disliked the global hit Netflix series Emily in Paris, Collins responds conscientiously, “As disheartening as it sometimes is to read these things, it’s also a gift; you’re being allowed to improve.” The 31-year-old furthers that ahead of a possible season two, she will evolve the narrative, adding that the series’ creator, Darren Starr, and fellow producers, “Championed my opinions and opened me up to an experience that was so rewarding and empowering.”

Lily graces the cover of the January 8th issue of Grazia UK. The photoshoot is gorgeous. You can check out scans as well as outtakes in the gallery now! Enjoy 🙂

THE NEW POTATO – We sat down with the beauty Lily Collins (#eyebrowgoals) – star of Amazon’s The Last Tycoon, which comes out tomorrow – to discuss everything from restaurants, beauty routines, body image and Renaissance fairs. The actress shared her love of tea (she prefers it to coffee), her affinity for gluten-free baking, and her dream dinner party (Audrey Hepburn makes an appearance). We know you’ll be as smitten with this interview – and her authentic nature – as we are; we’d even forgo our coffee-addiction if it means tea time with Collins…

From start to finish, what would be your ideal food day?

I love oatmeal, so in the morning I would probably have some form of oatmeal with cinnamon and vanilla. I like it kind of sweet, so it tastes like a treat – like a dessert with some fruit. For lunch, I would probably try to keep it lighter, like a salad with grilled fish or a piece of salmon with some quinoa or a grain. I always have a Chai or Earl Grey tea at some point during the day. I don’t drink coffee; I’m a tea girl , that’s my form of caffeine. For dinner, I’m a huge sushi fan. I also love a really good Indian Curry. What I love the most about going out with my friends for dinner, though, is that they’ll surprise me, and we’ll go somewhere new. Sometimes, the surprise meals are the best because you can’t pre-plan your menu. For dessert, I’d go to Salt & Straw; I just went there for the first time, and they have the most amazing vegan coconut Stracciatella. I like places that have options. My ideal day would, honestly, be having someone take me out to experiment with different things.

How do you practice beauty from the inside out?

Working out is my private time. I love sweating to get out your emotions; I always feel better afterwards, always more energized and just more clearheaded. I always drink a lot of water, too, to really purify. I sometimes try to meditate with music, or just have quiet time. It really allows me to center myself and get away from the craziness of work and the city. I really believe in laughing and smiling a lot. I think it’s really important, because when you feel the most confident and the most happy, that’s when you feel your most beautiful and look your best. I always say that a smile is your best accessory.

What are your morning and nightly beauty regimens?

In the morning, I’ll wake up and splash some cold water on my face to wake myself up and then I use the Lancôme Énergie de Vie products. They’re designed to take get rid of all of the pollution your skin takes in from the environment; they’re very clarifying. I use the face wash, the serums, and the creams; they’re all amazing. I have to put on sunscreen to protect my skin; I’m really into Kiehl’s sunscreen. I use their lip balm as well. Obviously, at night, it’s always super important to take off your makeup. I must. I can’t go to bed with anything on. I’m a big fan of using the Lancôme Hydra Zen Anti-Stress Moisturizing Cream at night; it’s not too thick, but it really moisturizes.

What’s always in your fridge and pantry?

I’m a big fresh produce person, so I always have fresh apples and other fruits and veggies around. I also love my tea, so I have a collection of teas. I love baking; I always have every baking supply that I could possibly need in case I get inspired. I like to have all the different gluten-free flours, extracts, dark chocolate, quinoa, some kind of grain, and obviously San Pellegrino and sparkling waters. You’ll also always find some form of takeout. If I go out, I don’t like leaving things, so I always take leftovers to go. If I get a salad, and I really like the dressing, I ask for a few extra to go, too, so I can put them on my own salads at home.
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WWD – Lily Collins had it easier than most imagining what life would be like for an ambitious scion of a showbiz family navigating the professional, personal and gender politics of Thirties Hollywood. In her new Amazon series “The Last Tycoon,” loosely based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s unfinished novel, she’s never far from the storied history that pervaded her youth.

Along with being a second generation star, the daughter of pop icon Phil Collins has been time-traveling to Tinseltown’s Golden Age since she was a kid, her mother Jill has long been involved in preserving, restoring and showcasing historical sites in the Hollywood region, including Beverly Hills’ grand 90-year-old Greystone Mansion, which serves as her character Celia Brady’s family home.

“I grew up spending a lot of time there; I used to run around the hallways doing homework and watching people in the house,” Collins laughs. “So now it’s like it’s gone full circle.”

Collins chatted with WWD just before shooting a scene set during the 1937 Academy Awards ceremony — in the same Biltmore hotel ballroom where those actual Oscars were presented. “It plays with your mind,” she says. “You look around and everyone’s spotlessly perfect of-the-period, and you really forget that you have a cell phone waiting for you at your chair.”

Chief among the series’ extravagant effects is the lavish wardrobe concocted by costume designer Janie Bryant. “Celia’s the fashionista, really, of this show, and Janie gets to throw lots of different things on me,” Collins says. “My Oscar dress is pretty amazing. It’s a lilac silk tiered number in the back with this amazing sequined capelet.”

The ruched bodice, puff sleeves and the A-line skirt were crafted from silk and duchesse satin.

Taking on her first TV series since “Mad Men,” Bryant was ready to immerse herself in an entirely different place and time. “After eight years, as much as I loved working on that show, I felt ready to design something new,” she admits.

“Everything about the Thirties is so different from the architectural, minimalist Sixties. The cuts, the parts of the body that are accentuated, the color palette. The Thirties is about being very soft and dusty, and silk charmeuse-y. Really, it is about the facade of Hollywood that the studios created, and all of the glamour that entails. They made sure the actors were untouchable.”
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Yesterday, Lily attended the Build Series with Kelsey Grammer to discuss The Last Tycoon! Lily looked beautiful! You can find HQ photos from Lily’s appearance in the gallery as well as watch the interview below!