Lashana Lynch is a fashion designer and actress who, says Marco Capaldo, her former red carpet collaborator, “enjoys clothes and uses them as a tool to express her creativity.” But for the New York premiere of The Day of the Jackal (which you’ll catch on Peacock in the US on November 14 or Sky in the UK on November 7), Lynch wanted something a little more personal than Roxanda’s loud ruffles or ruffles. Dolce sequins from the metallic Bond girl that has caused a stir before. To announce her pregnancy (a surprise for her co-star Eddie Redmayne, too!), the 36-year-old Londoner looked to Ottolinger for a dress that, Lynch says, made her feel exactly like herself.
Lashana Lynch, Eddie Redmayne and Ursula Corbero attend the New York premiere of The Day of the Jackal at the Walter Reed Theater in New York.
Photo: Getty Images
“I wanted to keep my look simple, impactful and really effective,” shares the star, who plays a tough MI6 agent balancing motherhood with the constant pursuit of an assassin called – you guessed it – The Jackal on the Edge of Your House. Seat drama. Ottolinger didn’t think much of helping Lynch celebrate the boss’s arrogant mentality (“I’ve wanted a messy persona for a while!”) and femininity in all its forms: “I feel comfortable and at ease, but I’m also responsible for myself. Some of the red carpet dresses, though beautiful and stunning, However, it feels like you’re putting on a different part of yourself, whereas here I feel like I’m celebrating the female form.
Of course, being Lynch, it’s never just a dress. Her “unconventional” look — finished with Ottemberg jewelry and a Louboutin bag and shoes — combines Swiss-born dressmakers Christa Busch and Cosima Gadent known for the streetwear that Lynch cherishes, as well as a deep understanding of what works for her. “At every premiere, you want to make sure you’re putting your best foot forward. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that what you come with naturally is so beautiful and worth celebrating in and of itself,” Lynch says. “You don’t have to put on anything.” You have to feel amazing on the red carpet. Here, I have to be comfortable and calm. That’s kind of all over me, really.
The release of this political thriller marks a milestone for Lynch in more ways than one. As co-executive producer, she had to delve deeper into the representation of women on screen and elevate the narratives she cared about — something she hopes will translate into her design choices, curated by Karen Clarkson. “I’ve spent many years trying to figure out what I’m trying to represent on the mat every time I release a project,” Lynch explains. “I’ve played a lot with colours, textures, lengths and volume and I’m really grateful for those moments because they’ve helped me grow as a woman. The roles I play now are pretty much breaking through the glass ceiling. I think fashion should reflect that too, and that’s what this dress does.”
As Lynch moves into the next chapter of her life (she’s keeping the due date for her first child with husband Zachary Momoh), could Hollywood ask for a better role model?
Take a behind-the-scenes look at Lynch’s preparation process here:
Photographer: Julieta Cervantes. Hair: Ursula Stephen. Make-up: Jessica Smalls. Designer: Karen Clarkson.