“You Can Never Take Away the Fact That I Grew Up in London, and I’ll Never Not Be Proud of That”: Cara Delevingne on Designing Her First Collection for Topshop and the Capital’s Best-Kept Secrets

If London had a cool-girl hall of fame, Cara Delevingne would be one of its founding members. I was 14 when she starred in Burberry's 2011 campaign, and I've been obsessed with Delevingne ever since. Back then I had more than a few Tumblr pages dedicated to her, fast forward to today, and the model and singer is still my style inspiration. In the years since, she has won Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards twice and walked all the major fashion week runways.

Then there's Topshop, a relationship that goes right back to the start of her career. Cara first modelled for the brand in 2010 and became its solo campaign star by 2014. Last year she returned as the face of its comeback, sat front row at the Trafalgar Square runway that told everyone Topshop was well and truly back. This week brings the next chapter, and arguably the most personal one yet: her first co-designed collection, a 16-piece capsule built almost entirely from denim.

It is exactly the wardrobe you'd expect from fashion's favourite cool girl. The slim 'Ultimate Cara' jean, a cropped trench, a pinstripe denim suit – all of it very Cara: confident, effortless and unmistakably London. And London felt like the only place to start when we sat down together. This is Cara Delevingne's life in London.

Which London borough do you feel most like yourself?

You get to be a different part of yourself, we all have different shades to the piece of art that we are. The chaos of Soho is where I feel most myself, even though I’ve never lived in Soho, only for a second when I was rehearsing for Cabaret. I love how alive Soho feels, especially when people are spilling out from one place and you hear music coming from another, and maybe you don’t know where you’re going to end up.

Best-kept London secret?

It's You Me Bum Bum Train. It's so hard to get into, but that's always been the thing I talk to people about most as a life experience, not just as a London thing. It is incredibly London, because that's where it originated and where it's always been, but for me it was the most incredible life experience. Somewhere easier to actually get to? Trisha's.

Most memorable Topshop outfit?

I think I probably wore my Joni jeans every day, until a day it was so ripped, I was safety-pinning the inside leg from the inside from the leg to the bum. They were iconic. You'd have caught me in them everywhere, all over East London. I probably took them to a festival too.

How would you describe your London style? Does it change when you're dressing anywhere else?

No. There's something about my style that will never change, and that's something about me that will never change. You can never take away the fact that I grew up in London, and I'll never not be proud of that. I think I'll always love a leather boot, a leather jacket and a skinny jean, even though they're so uncomfortable and I'd never really wear one now. I've saved all mine just in case they come back around. But I'm obsessed with the Cara slimline jeans, because they're skinny but not at the same time.

What makes a perfect pair of jeans for you?

It's always about wash, colour, fit, and then memory. Whatever you get up to in those jeans makes them your favourite jeans. I look at a pair and think, I had some really amazing times in those. They're smart, but they're comfier than a smart trouser. I love a jean. I absolutely love denim, if you can't tell by this collection.

Go-to outfit formula when you're on stage?

For me I just wanted it to be very comfy, and that was jeans and a tank top, because I wanted it to be about the music and less about the fashion. Who knows what will happen with the fashion in future, because I've got so much I want to play with, but I wanted it to feel as casual and comfy as possible.

Favourite part of London Fashion Week?

There's something about London Fashion Week that's just different. I love the up-and-coming designers. London Fashion Week champions them like no one else, and it's pretty special in that sense.

Favourite piece from your new Topshop collection, which one feels most ‘London’?

My favourite is the pinstripe denim suit. In this modern era, I’m not a young buck anymore, and I think it’s beckoning in this era where young people are using fashion to experiment. The new generation in London is doing so much more with fashion than they ever did at that age. I don’t know why the pinstripe denim suit sticks out so much. I also love the cropped trench – it’s just kind of major. I love the architecture of it. A lot of the architecture of this collection really mirrors London, which I love. It makes me feel at home, even if I wear it in another city.

What did you love most about the design process?

It was a pinch-me moment being asked to do this with Topshop, having had such a long relationship with them. It made me talk to my younger self and think, how wicked is this. It also got me to step outside my comfort zone and really put on a designer cap, thinking about what people would want, not just what I would want to wear. Trying to be a bit less selfish, more selfless, in making a collection that all looks good together.

London in three words...

Home, Fun, and cosy. Fun is such a boring word, but whatever. London is fun. It's all of it in one.

Shop the Cara x Topshop Collection