Naomi Ackie On Her Premiere Look, Style Tips And ‘Blink Twice’ Family
It wouldn’t be summer without a hot new psychological thriller that gets everyone talking, and this time around it promises to be Blink Twice, Zoë Kravitz‘s much-anticipated directorial debut with her fiancé, Channing Tatum, and the brilliant Naomi Ackie, playing the lead roles.
Released in UK cinemas on August 23, the film has already garnered significant amounts of buzz, not only thanks to its stellar casting but its irresistible plot-line too. Think: dishy tech billionaire meets cocktail waitress and invites her to his private island for the tropical holiday of dreams – until it very much isn’t. This couldn’t be anything but a hit, and the reviews follow suit.
Another thing the critics can agree on is that Ackie is one of the most exciting new names in Hollywood. Having already played the legendary singer in 2022 musical biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, the British actor and former ELLE UK cover star is once again proving that she is leading lady material – both on the screen and off.
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Here, she talks exclusively with ELLE UK ahead of the Blink Twice premiere, to discuss her epic Loewe look, share her top style tips and what the cast got up to when they finally reunited in London.
On her look for the occasion…
‘I’m wearing Loewe tonight, and I just adored this piece. I had said to my stylist [Nicky Yates] that I wanted something sexy, but sexy in a way that felt like me. So I love the peekaboo element. I love that it’s so ethereal. There’s a slight kind of Grecianness to the way it drapes and the colour, and it just really made me feel sexy and beautiful. As for the glam, we had actually tested out the look on a photo shoot and loved it. I kept on saying to my makeup artist Kenneth Soh that I wanted something that felt a bit edgy to slightly juxtapose with the dress that’s super classy. So we went for this cool cat-eye using shadow.’
On the process behind red carpet dressing…
‘I have started doing Pinterest boards with my stylist and that’s a really fun way to start getting into the mood. We start to look at runway shows and movies and take inspiration from the vibe of the film that I’ve done, and then we put that all together on a board. Then we get to start picking. What’s so lovely is when mine and Nicky’s style and pick actually matches, and then we’re like, okay, so we definitely need to try and find this dress.’
On getting ready…
‘Before a big event I like to have a chill room with a lot of laughter and chats and music, and with enough time. Because if I’m rushed, then I’m just not going to feel my best at all, and maybe feel a bit ungrounded and way too nervous.’
On her top style tips…
‘Be yourself, take risks, have fun. It’s only clothes in the end and it matters because it’s how it makes you feel. But the beautiful thing about clothing is that you can take it off. Beauty-wise, drink lots of water and make sure that your face matches your neck.’
On red carpet inspiration…
‘I love Janelle Monáe, and I really love Tracee Ellis Ross. They’re huge style inspirations for me. I just love how bold their choices are and they’re so themselves. It’s not about trends, it’s about what looks good on them and they rock every single look I’ve ever seen them in.’
On reuniting with the Blink Twice cast…
‘Oh man, it’s been incredible – it’s like a reunion. Different parts of the cast have been able to see each other in different parts of the world when they’ve been there at the same times because of how transient our work lives are, but it’s amazing for all of us to finally be together again for the premiere. We celebrated how we always do, chatting, dancing, a few lovely drinks, catching up with each other and just talking about how much we loved making the film.’
On her style evolution…
‘I’ve gotten really simple – I’m in a phase where I’m choosing comfort over anything else. I keep on wearing the same things over and over again, and I’m very close to starting to eliminate all my clothing and get myself a capsule wardrobe so I don’t have to think about it. Kind of like a uniform… and if I did have a uniform, it would be some wide-leg jeans, a nice white t-shirt, baseball cap and a wicked pair of sunglasses. My style has evolved because I’ve evolved. Before, I was putting on a lot of stuff and now I’m just stripping it away. I don’t really know what trends are around, I just don’t notice things like that. I feel like any person can make anything work if they feel good in it.’
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Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
