'It Felt Like A Rebirth' - Jodie Turner Smith Reveals How A Burberry Dress Heralded Her 'New Beginning'
Actor, model and former ELLE cover star, Jodie Turner-Smith had just dropped her daughter off at school when she called me from her home in Los Angeles. We were here to discuss her latest project with Burberry, but our conversation quickly expanded into themes of reinvention, nostalgia and the meaning of home.
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For the newly launched Burberry campaign, Turner-Smith stars in a series of seven films inspired by beloved late 1990s and early 2000s British rom-coms. Titled It’s Always Burberry Weather: London in Love, the campaign aims to capture the everyday romances of Londoners. ‘When we shot the campaign it was actually raining, which was just perfect,’ she says. The gloomy climate fitting for a collection that encourages wearers to pair their parka with party dresses or trench coats with tailoring.
‘The look balanced the glamorous and the practical, it felt very representative of me and who I am as a young black British woman, while still nodding towards that tailored and structured look of the heritage brand,’ says Turner-Smith, of the baby pink sequin embroidered party dress she wore with an oversized waxed parka jacket in the film. ‘A brolly, scarf and coat, yes. But also a fabulous dress underneath – that's so me.’
This isn’t the first time Turner-Smith has collaborated with Burberry’s creative director, Daniel Lee. In May last year, she wore Burberry to the Met Gala, marking a moment in her personal journey. ‘It felt like a rebirth,’ she says. ‘This was my first time stepping out as someone new, as it were. It was my first time on the red carpet alone.’ The event marked her first public appearance since separating from American actor Joshua Jackson. For the event, she wore a custom ivory silk dress trimmed with over 150,000 faux pearls. ‘The white was very representative of my new beginning,’ she says.
Since then, the star has worn a number of looks designed by Daniel Lee, most recently, a gold-embellished gown at the Fashion Awards in December 2024. In November, at the New York premiere of The Agency, Turner-Smith opted for a cerulean jacquard gown while in September, she attended Lee’s SS25 runway show in London wearing a leather racing coat and a pleated kit with a thigh-high split. ‘Burberry is such a classic British brand, and it's extra special to work with a fashion house that is representative of my roots, my beginnings,’ says Turner-Smith.
Born in Peterborough, England, the actor moved to America when she was 10 years old. Her first major role was in 2019’s critically acclaimed Queen & Slim, starring opposite Daniel Kaluuya, and since then she has witnessed a meteoric rise, most recently, starring in the American spy thriller television series The Agency, alongside Michel Fassbender. Despite her Hollywood success, her connection to Britain remains deeply personal.
When asked about her all-time favourite British rom-com, the actor, rather fittingly named Bridget Jones’s Diary. ‘Renee Zellweger is American, but she plays a British character so well,’ she says, ‘Bridget was just a very real woman, you know, with her big pants. It’s wonderful to see a portrayal like that.’
She also admires the film’s theme of self-reflection. ‘Now, as adults, we need to get in the habit of writing our thoughts down in the morning instead of reaching for our phones,' she says, 'That’s what I loved about Bridget Jones – she was understanding herself through her writing.’
Despite, Los Angeles being her chosen home, the actor holds London very close to her heart. ‘I’ve built a community in London.’ she says. ‘It doesn't feel like I'm visiting. It feels like I'm home when I’m there.’
In recent months, the importance of home has felt all the more important to the actor as wildfires have ripped through thousands of homes in California. While Turner-Smith’s house remained unharmed, she is honest in her empathy for widespread loss. ‘I’m grateful that my daughter didn’t have to experience the fear of evacuating, like so many others did,’ she says. ‘The biggest thing now is trying to be there for those who need our help. They have lost everything, and they need support.’
As Turner-Smith moves forward – both personally and professionally – her reflections on resilience, identity and belonging remain at the heart of her journey.
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