Get Ready With Sheila Atim For ELLE UK's 40 For 40 Women In Film And Television Power List Party
'We start with the storytelling,' Sheila Atim said of her befitting approach to dressing for ELLE UK's inaugural 40 For 40 Women In Film And Television Power List Party last night. The evening, which was in partnership with Bvlgari, was dedicated to the women who are at the helm of storytelling both on and off the screen.
Most recently, the actor, singer, composer and playwright voiced the character of Ajarry in Mufasa: The Lion King and starred alongside Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch in The Woman King. Atim has also assumed another starring role as one sixth of the jury that compiled ELLE UK's Power List of 40 women who have defined — and will continue to define — film and television.
Ahead of the evening's festivities, for which she wore a Roksanda suit and Bvlgari jewellery, Atim opened up about everything from the power of a strong sartorial statement to the David Bowie adage she lives by.
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On her look for the 40 For 40 Women In Film And Television Power List Party
'Tonight, I'm wearing a Roksanda suit, she makes incredible suits for women. She understands how to cut for feminine shapes, even when playing around with androgyny. This suit is cut out of the waist, and has these long panels at the front, and it's just edgy, but also feels easy and understated. I like my clothes to feel like they're saying something, not trying too hard, and they're not wearing me. The suit is really dynamic in its shape as well, but not in a way that feels overpowering. I'm wearing these lovely low-heeled sandals by the Louis Vuitton. They elevate the look and highlight some of the more feminine aspects of the suit, without kind of undercutting the like masculine side of it as well. Then I've got some cool earrings by Bvlgari, they've got green jewels in them, with the classic Bvlgari snake head.'
On her getting ready rituals
'Oh, there's a whole thing, less is more. There's a romantic idea of shoes flying everywhere, people hopping on one leg, trying to get out the door, being fashionably late. I cannot do that; I like to be as calm as possible. I like to turn up a little bit earlier, put some music on. Today it's early to late 2000s R&B. I also have everything prepped as well. I'll put everything in my clutch, so I'm not scrambling about last minute. If the preparation process is anxious, I take that anxiety with me onto the carpet, and then I will take that with me into the event. I do feel quite a big responsibility to make sure that I showcase everyone's work to the best of my ability when I'm out in the room with other people, because it is a collaborative effort.'
On collaborating with her stylist
'It's very easy collaborating with Abi (Abisoye Odugbesan) because we just get on well. We're very aligned in the tonality of our style and tastes, but they're not identical. We're always trying to push ourselves to experiment in a way that still ties in our core tastes. Whenever there's a new event coming up, or a new styling moment, we really think about the storytelling. We ask ourselves, "So what are we saying for this moment?" If it's a film premiere, what's the film about? And it's not the same as method dressing, per se. If it's a project that I worked in, I'm now taking off my costume and I'm being me at the event, so what do I want to say about me and how I feel about kind of turning up to celebrate this work.'
'Tonight, we're celebrating ELLE UK's power list that they just released for the Women in Film and Television, and there's something really powerful about this suit that Roksanda has made. It feels celebratory of femininity, so the suit just feels so fitting for the occasion. I think that's that's where we start. We start with the storytelling.'
On her personal style
'There is a common thread that runs through the things that I wear in a more public facing capacity and what I wear on the daily, and that is wanting things to be elegant, feel chic, but still having an element of fun and playfulness. Sometimes I want to wear the cutest dress and then sometimes I want to wear something completely different and express a completely different side for myself. It is really important that I feel like I always have the space to just be who I am and be present with who I am in any moment. The common theme is that everything I wear tends to be quite dark, and I really like to play with shapes and I'm big on tailoring.'
On her glam for the evening
'We're working with Tom Ford today. Natalie and I are experimenting with a darker lip. There's something about the Roksanda look feels enigmatic, so we're moving onto the darker end of the spectrum with metallic, shimmery colours. Now, my hair is a kind of blondie, coppery, somewhere in between colour, so we're also trying to compliment that, and tie in with the blue in the Bvlgari earrings. I do tend to go for darker makeup sometimes, it's stuff that feels bold and subtle at the same time, not too overpowering. I like to let the look itself do the talking and let everything complement one another.'
On her red carpet looks
'I think it's really important to know yourself within your own personal style, because that's what makes it about you. There are lots of things that look really beautiful on someone else, but they don't necessarily work for me, and that's the beauty of it. I'm tall, slim, and I've always been that way since I was young. It's always been a balance between working with working with the fact that I do stick out wherever I am, I'm in the middle of Essex where I grew up, London, or anywhere else in the world. Simultaneously, it's about wanting to feel comfortable within that, and wanting to make sure that I feel like I belong in my own skin. You want to feel good and express the internal externally.'
On her upcoming projects
'There are definitely things that are brewing, things that I am a little bit scared by, because it involves me stepping into new territory. But I think it's good to be scared. I remember David Bowie once saying in an interview, "Where you want to be creatively is that moment where you walk deeper and deeper and deeper into the swimming pool and your feet are just touching the bottom. Your toes are just touching the bottom, but not quite — that's where you want to be" and I'm definitely there right now.'
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