24 Hours With… Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Who doesn’t want a peek into the life of one of the world’s biggest supermodels? Celebrating the launch of her brand new GIABORGHINI capsule collection, model, entrepreneur, beauty expert and all-round style icon Rosie Huntington-Whiteley takes us behind the scenes to discover what makes her tick (and what goes into making a Rosie-worthy shoe…)
What time do you wake up and where?
I wake up between 6:30 and 7am on weekdays. I make myself a matcha latte - if I’m lucky maybe J will bring me one in bed. At 7:30am we wake up our son and head to the kitchen for breakfast together. As I’m working today Jason drops Jack to nursery and I get myself ready to leave the house.
What’s the first thing you do in the morning?
Hit the snooze button usually! Drink some water, check the time, stretch!
It’s breakfast time. What’s on the menu?
For my son it’s usually porridge and fruit or eggs on toast or my homemade banana pancake recipe. I usually have a couple of eggs with some toast.
What does your average day look like?
No day is ever the same. My routine is often different but my son’s is always the same, so I structure my life and work around him. After he’s gone off to nursery, I usually work out and if I’m working from home I’ll start to read and reply to my emails and conduct Zoom meetings. If not, then I get ready to head out to my office or meetings, or to set for a shoot. If I’ve finished work in time, I will pick my son up from school and we will head home and spend time together.
Today I’m heading to the shoot for my Gia Couture X Rosie Huntington-Whiteley collection. I drive into town and stop by my favourite matcha spot in Covent Garden for a matcha fix. I get to the studio early to oversee and direct the still life images being photographed. Then I get my hair and make-up done and do some fittings for the shoot looks. Since I am art directing the shoot, I spend the day between in front and behind the camera working closely with Amar Daved, my photographer, on lighting, set design and image layouts. It’s a busy collaborative day, which are my favourite kind of days.
Do you have any rituals?
My morning matcha latte, a hot shower in the evening and my skincare routine.
How would you describe what you do?
I’m a creative person who is lucky enough to get to work on many projects that inspire me every day.
How has your background influenced who you are today?
My mother once said to me: “Rosie, life doesn’t hand you things on a plate - you have to go out and get them and you have to work bloody hard!” She was telling me off for having bad results on a report card one year. I would say that has been the once piece of advice that has always stuck with me. I’m a firm believer you are in the driver’s seat of your own life and that requires effort; life should happen for you not to you.
How did you get your start in fashion?
I interned at a modelling agency in 2003. I always wanted to work in fashion from a really young age. A few months later I started modelling and, well, the rest is history…
How did the Gia Couture collaboration come about?
Barbara Borghini the founder of Gia Couture and I met and she expressed interest in doing a collection together. I have loved the recent collections and so I was delighted by the idea of collaborating together. I admire Barbara for the brand she has built and the shoes she designs which are all handcrafted in Italy.
Working with Barbara and her team was a dream even though the entire process took place over Zoom which can often stump creativity. Whilst there is definitely no substitute for being together in person, I found that the team brought my ideas to life brilliantly. There were many, many Zoom meetings and dozens of packages of samples and swatches, lengthy emails, videos and voice notes of my feedback that went back and forth over the months. I brought a lot of ideas to the table and Barbara helped me to refine and execute them to the collection you see today.
How would you describe the collection?
Inspired by the beauty of nature.
How do you get into a creative headspace?
I image research and read constantly, even when I’m not working on a specific project. I am always inspired by art, fashion, design, sculpture, nature, furniture and architecture, all of which served as a starting place for the collection.
Whilst working, where do you go and what do you do to take a break?
Usually, I’ll go out and grab a matcha latte or coffee and get some fresh air.
If you could go anywhere in your Gia Couture designs, where would it be?
Florence, since that is where the Gia headquarters are and Barbara lives. I would love to meet her for dinner somewhere to celebrate the launch, of course both wearing a pair of shoes from the collection.
Who would you most like to see wearing a pair?
I think Zendaya would look amazing in a pair!
What’s on your bookshelf right now?
Currently I’m reading Humans by Matt Haig, my bedside clock, hand cream.
What do you usually do for dinner?
If I eat dinner at home, I eat early around 6pm with my son, otherwise I often intermittently fast in the evening, unless I go out for dinner which is pretty rare these days!
What time do you go to bed?
Lately I’ve been going to bed very late around 1am - which is way too late - but I have a lot of work on with my Rose Inc team based on the West Coast, so the time difference keeps me up later than I would like. I would prefer to be in bed by 11pm.
Last thing you do before you sleep?
Take a long hot shower, do my skincare routine, moisturise my body, read a few pages of my book and kiss my man.
What do you dream about?
Right now, my dreams are usually filled with a lot of creativity and a lot of deadlines!
Shop GIABORGHINI X Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Interview by Georgia Graham
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