ACHTUNG: Growing up around the film industry, what’s something that surprised you once you started working in it yourself?

ELLA LOUDON: I was lucky enough to see a lot of the industry before diving in myself, so I wouldn’t say that there were many shocks. The biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to expect the unexpected. Each job is different which makes it impossible to ever stop learning. That’s the fun of it and also the hell of it. I have so much respect for the people who navigate the ups and downs of this industry and find the teamwork to be extremely gratifying.

ACHTUNG: Do you prefer modeling or acting?

ELLA LOUDON: As long as there is a story to be told, I’m happy to tell it in whatever form. For example, this project was inspired by a play I’ve been working on ‘Women of Will’, that looks at all the women through Shakespeare’s plays chronologically and observes how the women develop to have a stronger voice and sense of self. We collaborated to tell a story of a woman exploring her feminine and masculine self from a space of limited freedom and a lot of self-control.

ACHTUNG: What’s your favorite piece of clothing?

ELLA LOUDON: A white wool jumper that my dad gave me that I’ve had since my early teens, with the words ‘Salty Dog’. It’s shrunk a bit in the wash, but it still looks and feels chic. I’m always scared I’ll lose it one day and I have attempted to look for another but alas no luck. My step mama got me into the designer Ossie Clark, and I now have a few of his iconic pieces. The floral prints and crepe fabric are delicious, they make me feel sexy and confident and smile from the inside. Or this one Versace corset that my mum got in her late teens that I treasure. Also a red feathered choker that my friend Marine Penvern made for me.

Total look VERONIQUE LEROY

Total look VERONIQUE LEROY

ACHTUNG: What’s your stance on the fashion industry?

ELLA LOUDON: I love fashion. Storytelling and personal expression and rebellion are what I connect to most. It’s anthropological. That said, fast fashion scares the shit out of me. Consumerism and hoarding is a terrifying habit we’ve built up in ourselves – I try to support designers who are committed to sustainable production practices. That and a good thrift find or hand-me- down. This past season I’ve been obsessed with so much of the creativity pouring out of the fashion space. The designer shake-ups and the houses’ showcases were sensational. In particular I adored Gucci’s La Famiglia and anything from the mind of Daniel Roseberry.

ACHTUNG: And how does your father see it? Dabbling in the fashion world himself with a greatly remembered Loewe campaign a couple years ago. 

ELLA LOUDON: You’d have to ask him yourself. As a child, he took me to the boy’s section for clothes – the quality tended to be higher and lasted longer. Men’s trend cycles are so much longer than women’s! That longer trend cycle makes it trickier for fast fashion to infiltrate, though the industry is certainly trying. I’ve noticed that my friends and I are increasingly drawn toward sexless clothes.

Total look VERONIQUE LEROY