WILD LILY ROSE

Lily-Rose Depp is The Moment, and also exists completely outside of it. She's a 22-year-old who's obsessed with her friends, her first apartment, and Carrie Bradshaw, and who also nerds out on history, film and philosophy. You get the sense that Lily-Rose is really cool with herself -- always has been, probably always will be. That openness reflects in her film choices. The actor (and daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp) currently stars alongside Keira Knightly in the dark (dark!) comedy Silent Night and opposite George MacKay in Wolf, a genre drama about young adults who believe they're actually animals. She's a timeless It Girl, a contemporary icon and this week she's also a cat.

Nicolaia Rips: Welcome to my room!
Lily-Rose Depp: Hi! Thank you. Welcome to where I'm sitting.

So, you're in Toronto...
I have two movies here which is crazy and exciting! Silent Night premiered last night and tonight Wolf premieres. It's surreal to finally be showing these movies to people.

Is there a certain type of role you're attracted to?
I'm attracted to things that are strange or maybe not what people would expect of me. Whether that's roles, or things I'm watch - ing, or actresses I'm inspired by, it's always on the weirder side of things. I think that when you do fashion there's an expectation to do things that are aligned with that. I'm down to take on roles where I'm like, "I've never done anything like this." If I'm scared that I'm going to fuck it up, then I know I'm going to work so fuck - ing hard to make sure it's as great as it can be. Wolf involved a lot of physical preparation, which is something I've never really done before. Now I can say I've spent months learning how to be a cat.

What was learning to be a cat like?
In the end, I feel like my character in Wolf was the most human of all. I've always thought of her more as a broken little girl. I really wanted to make sure it wasn't just someone acting like a cat. It's acting like somebody who has been acting like a cat since they were a child, so the movement had to be really accurate and really comfortable. We worked with an incredible movement coach named Terry Notary. It was very therapeutic. There's no room for fear, there's no room for insecurity or self-doubt. It taught me so much about being present with a character and that's something I'll take on to any other project.

If you could be deposited into any film, what movie and what role?
Sharon Stone in Casino . If I could be her... but I wouldn't want to be her because she's so incredible! I couldn't touch that.

Fashion wise, what film characters do you look up to?
My favorite movie style icons are not people I could easily rep - licate. I'm obsessed with Peau D'Ane . Have you seen the musical Peau D'Ane ?

I haven't. But I'm really enjoying your accent.
It's literally called Donkey Skin in English. Catherine Deneuve is one of my favorite actresses. The visuals and costumes are insane and fantastical. I'm not going to ruin it for you, but her father makes this egregious demand and she doesn't want to do it but she can't say no because he's the King. So instead, she says "I'll do it if you make me a dress the color of day" or "the color of time" or "the color of sunlight." And you're like, these can't exist but then they do and they're incredible. But also, Carrie Bradshaw in "Sex In The City". I think about her a lot when I'm getting dressed.

What's your morning routine?
I love this question. I love knowing routines and how people make their coffee. I am a morning person. Water then coffee then breakfast. I like to read in the morning. Or listen to "The Daily". I love a good slow morning, a morning that never ends.

What are you reading?
I'm reading We Were the Mulvaneys by Joyce Carol Oates. I read a lot of philosophy in the morning to keep my mind right. There's something to reading words that are that old that grounds you. About how the only thing you can really control is your mind and its reaction to things.

Who's your favorite philosopher?
Marcus Aurelius, I love Marcus Aurelius. He's my boy. I always have a copy of Meditations . I've made so many notes in it. I should guard it like it's my diary.

This is a slightly not philosophical question but what do you feel your biggest fashion regret has been?
It would be easy to say, "oh things that I used to wear when I was twelve" because I've worn some atrocious outfits. I don't regret it though, we need to go through those moments to find our style. I used to have these crazy side bangs. Not even side bangs, they came from behind my ear, it was a combover! It was obscene. But I thought I looked good at the time! You might as well just wear whatever the fuck makes you feel cute because at the end of the day nobody's thinking about it as much as you are. My greatest fashion regret would be wearing an outfit somebody else told me was cute, but I didn't think it was cute.

What was your gateway into fashion?
It's a classic but hunting in my mom's closet when I was younger. My mom [Vanessa Paradis] is a huge inspiration for me--she's a Chanel girl too. There's a photo of me in a diaper wearing my mom's Chanel pumps. I was always excited to be a grown lady, not a teenager but a full lady. I've always been attracted to the play and performance of femininity. I would fully beat my face at like ten. I remember having big discussions where my mom was like you can't go to fifth grade like that.

Do you feel like a lady now?
I do feel like a lady. I love feeling like a lady! But I feel like a lady even when I'm not glam. I'm excited about having grown up and continuing to grow up. It's a really fun period of time. I'm a lot more settled in myself and who I am. I think moving to New York has played a huge part in my independence. Are you from New York?

Born and raised baby.
Sick, whereabouts?

I grew up in the Chelsea Hotel, which was... unhinged.

Wait, I want to read your book! [Nicolaia is the author of Trying to Float a memoir of growing up in the fabled NYC hotel.] I just read Just Kids.

I grew up in the apartment across the hall from where Patti Smith used to live! Now that you live in New York, what are your favorite spots?
Okay, my apartment. My friend Annie Hamilton said to me recently, "your first apartment is your best apartment." It's true. You can never replicate the feeling of your first space, that's all your own. It won't be my apartment forever but it's my spot now, my little safe haven.

Any music you can't stop listening to right now?
The Nicki Minaj remix of "Crocodile Tears".

First crush. Real or fictional.
I had a huge crush on Percy Jackson from the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Current obsession?
That'll be for off the record!

Dream date.

Something adventurous. But it doesn't really matter what you're doing as long as you like the person that you're with--you could go to Target and it would be really fun.

Favorite smells.
Onions and garlic in a hot pan.

I really was not expecting that.
Aromatics. Cooking shallots. And you know, the smell of people you like. The smell of a romantic interest is really important, there's some - thing very animal about it. I love the smell of matches too.

What's next? What are you looking forward to?
It's gonna be a fun and exciting end of year and beginning of next year. I'm going with my own flow lately.