Exquisite, Erudite Edie.
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She’s the doe-eyed, doll-faced girl next door who hangs out on rooftops, bridges and billboards with her fashionable friends. With a Twiggy-ish face and the lengthy locks of a young Penelope Tree, Edie Campbell could have jumped straight out of the Swinging Sixties, but luckily for us, she belongs to our generation and brings a touch of country class with her. Discovered by Vogue’s Lucinda Chambers and nurtured by Mario Testino, Edie has been in the spotlight since the tender age of 15, and maybe it’s that, or maybe it’s the result of her own temperament, but she has a rare self-assuredness. Possessing a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humour and an air of erudite cynicism that only the very intelligent and very beautiful can get away with, Miss Campbell is not your average blonde bombshell. Two years into her History of Art Degree at the Courtauld Institute and a budding equestrian, her campaigns with the likes of Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Diesel are just additional bullet points on an already brimming CV. Edie’s gamine limbs can currently be seen clad in denim and perching prettily and precariously on the edge of Westminster Bridge in the British denim super-brand, Pepe Jeans London campaign. i-D fell in love with Edie all over again in her cover shoot with Matt Jones and Sara Moonves for The Role Model Issue and got a few tips on how to be as cool as she…
How did you start modeling? When Lucinda Chambers scouted me for a ‘Young London’ story for British Vogue, Mario Testino shot it and that was that really…
Where do you live? London
Do you prefer the city or the countryside? Both. They complement each other perfectly!
What’s your favourite city in the world and why? LONDON!!! People keep asking me when I’m gonna move to New York. I mean, come on, why downgrade? I like the architecture of London, I like the relationship of the pavement to the road. I like the Thames and the canals and the flows of people. All of it really.
Where do you like to go out? Wherever my friends are.
Where do you like to shop? I actually don’t like to at all. I find shopping hard work. I’d rather watch other people shop.
What was your first horse’s name and what did he/she look like? My first horse was an angry Welsh pony called Polly. She always insisted on running away with me. I was 6 and adored her though.
What else do you like to do in your spare time? I just like my horses! And all my oldest friends. I’ve hardly made any new friends since I was 11 which suits me perfectly.
You shot the i-D shoot with Matt and Sara in the Hamptons, what was that like? So fun! We ate lobster rolls and icecream in montauk.
The shoot was based on etiquette, what are your top three tips to be a lady? I wouldn’t know where to start. I’m not sure anyone wants to be ladylike any more. Maybe I’ll refer this to my Granny!
What’s the best thing about your job? Working with the coolest and most fun people everrrr. Like Matt and Sara obvs.
Text: Felicity Kinsella
Images courtesy Edie Campbell, bottom two photographed by Matt Jones, styled by Sara Moonves.
