Lucy Boynton Recalls Dyeing Her Hair Blue On A 'Whim' For Debut Met Gala Appearance
Actor Lucy Boynton is quite the expert when it comes to nailing red-carpet fashion. Poised for stardom long before the British actor graced the Met Gala red-carpet or stunned at the Golden Globes, she made her first premiere appearance at 12 for the Miss Potter film in which she starred. 'My mum took the lead as a stylist on this one,' she says of the start of her glittering step-and-repeat repertoire while talking to ELLE UK for our It's A Mood video. ‘It's a sweet little red Zara dress with a cardigan because it was December, and my sister did my hair and brushed my eyebrows.’
Since embarking on Hollywood almost two decades ago, Boynton has had an inedible impression in the world of film due to her impressive on-screen resumé – Bohemian Rhapsody, Murder On The Orient Express and The Pale Blue Eye, to name but a few. Her distinctive style in front of the camera has secured her one-to-watch status. Case in point: the gold, chainmail Celine dress by Hedi Slimane that she wore to her first Golden Globes Award in 2019 with the Bohemian Rhapsody cast.
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Together with her longtime stylist Leith Clark, the pair worked on a look that would make Boynton feel her most confident at the prestigious awards ceremony. ‘That was a Leith Clark special. I had never worn anything like that. It was a Michelle Pfeiffer reference in the look book. As soon as I tried it on it was just heaven.’ It was a grounding moment as the weight of the night – and dress – helped put things into perspective for the actor, she adds. ‘It made me feel slightly more sane in that otherwise terrifying and hysterical environment.’
2019 continued to be a year of firsts for the New York-born, London-reared star. A homage to Bohemian Rhapsody meant Boynton opted for a custom Rodarte aubergine hue dress for her inaugural attendance at the Academy Awards. ‘Rodarte, man. Geniuses. They were really collaborative in designing the dress and we knew it was going to be Rodarte custom and that felt so, so special in itself,’ she noted. ‘We chose that kind of purple because it was the year Bohemian Rhapsody was nominated, and that was the Queen colour, the colour of the film, so it was an ode to that.’
A few short months later, Boynton made a head-turning entrance at the Met Gala, with a luscious new hair 'do to boot. ‘I went with Prada, and it was a custom piece with Leith and Mrs Prada's design. The theme that year was "Camp", which was heaven, so everyone was going all out,’ she said, recalling the special night. ‘My friend Christine and I were walking through the Met barefoot in these ridiculous dresses and it was just the most ethereal thing, and I got to keep the dress – flower crown and all.’ Of her radical hair change, she said her locks were dyed blue the day before the gala with the help of hairstylist Jenny Cho. ‘It was kind of on a whim, but I loved it.’
Now and then, when Boynton has a break from her busy schedule, she loves to immerse herself in fashion shows across the big four capitals. In 2020, Boynton went to the Chloé show, then creative director Gabriela Hearst's debut show. For the event, she was pictured clad in a heavenly, flowing white dress with puff sleeves and wedges by the luxury house.‘I really loved the aesthetic of that Chloé show, it was emblematic of what the brand kind of represents and helmed at that time. There's always been this feeling of embracing the sense of femininity but being able to interpret what that means to you.’
Boynton has an affinity for supporting emerging designers, too. Earlier this year, she sported a Chopova Lowena dress, comprising ribbon detailing and a Peter-Pan collar, to the SXSW premiere while promoting her latest stellar film, The Greatest Hits. ‘Leith Clark introduced me to them when we were styling this for South by Southwest this year. They do these amazing skirts with carabiner locks, so you see a slip of skin between the belt and the skirt. They're just so cool, so chic.’ Consider Deptford-based duo, Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena, the Hollywood trailblazer's latest obsession. ‘They're the most inclusive and celebrating brand it seems. I'm obsessed with them.’
The Greatest Hits is streaming on Disney + now.
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