Aside from Naomi Campbell and Jennifer Lopez, there may be no celebrity who has remained ageless in the public eye for as long as Cate Blanchett. And while that’s been a source of fascination for the rest of us, it barely ever crosses the mind of the 49-year-old actress and face of Armani, as she told British Vogue in a new interview about fragrance and fashion.
Blanchett’s makeup routine, she explained, is remarkably pared-down, consisting only of mascara and matte Armani lipstick; she made no mention of anti-wrinkle cream, a subject that is practically requisite in these types of interviews. This is all the more notable because Blanchett was famously the face of the skincare company SK-II for 15 years (i.e., more than half of the lifetime of Cara Delevingne, the 25-year-old face of Dior’s antiaging line).
Blanchett’s contract with SK-II, however, came to an end in 2018, which might be why she got even more candid than usual on the topic of aging. “I don’t think about aging at all until someone brings it up,” she said. “[When] I think of some of the most inspiring faces, it’s Louise Bourgeois and Georgia O’Keeffe. I’m looking into the spirit of the woman and that’s what I love.”
Suffice to say, those beauty inspirations are not exactly J. Lo. But O’Keeffe did in fact become the original supermodel (not to mention style icon) in her 30s, when she repeatedly posted (occasionally nude) for portraits taken by her then husband, the photographer Alfred Stieglitz. And Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, and Annie Leibovitz seem to agree with Blanchett—they all made the trek to the artist’s home in New Mexico to photograph O’Keeffe, who entertained a steady stream of visitors like Calvin Klein right up until her death, in 1986, at age 98. That happens to be the same age that Bourgeois was when she passed away, in 2010; by then, her weathered face had received nearly as much as attention as her art. (A New York Timesprofile of Bourgeois in 1997, for example, describes the artist’s face as being “as wrinkled as a walnut.”)
Louise Bourgeois, photographed during the last year of her life, by Alex Van Gelder for [*W* magazine](https://www.wmagazine.com/gallery/w-timeline-2000s-ss/all).
Aging isn’t the only topic Blanchett has said she pays much less attention to than others. As she told W in an interview with Miuccia Prada last October: “I rarely think about my gender until it’s pointed out to me, generally in interviews.” Or, for that matter, until it’s unduly forced upon her: “The adjectives that are applied to me—I’m ‘forceful’ or I ‘take no prisoners,’ all because I express an opinion that I was asked for.”
Photograph by Rineke Dijkstra. Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Photography Assistants: Jodie Herbage, Richard Kovacs; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaele.
Cate Blanchett wears a Victoria Beckham coat.
Cate Blanchett in a Martine Rose trenchcoat.
Photograph by Jackie Nickerson; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Digital Technician: Jonathan Rose; Photography Assistants: Teddy Park, Richard Kovacs; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaele.
Cate Blanchett on the cover of W magazine.
Photograph by Shirin Neshat; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Sitting editor: Sam Walker. Hair by Robert Vetica at the Magnet Agency; Makeup by Jeanine Lobell for Giorgio Armani at Streeters; Manicure by Yuko Tsuchihashi for Giorgio Armani at Susan Price NYC. Set design by Adrian Crabbs at the Magnet Agency. Produced by Blayke Kogan at Rosco Production; Production Coordinator: May Lin Le Goff; Director’s Assistant: Giulia Theodoli; Director of Photography: Ghasem Ebrahimian; Production Assistants: Benjamin Merker, Emma Modek; 1st A/C: RoDin Hamidi; 2nd A/C: Olga Vazquez; Video Assistants: Tony Sur, JR James, Jesse Gouveia; Fashion Assistant: Emma Metz; Set Design Assistant: Evan Schaffer; Tailor: Joshua Schwartz at In-House-Atelier.
“People are complex, never one thing. I photograph them over a period of time, to see how they change. So my idea was to portray Cate just as she was when she came into the studio, with no makeup and in her own clothes. Then we dressed her up as if she was going to a major event. It’s interesting to wonder: Who is the real Cate? “
From Left: Cate Blanchett wears a Vince tank; the Row pants; her own necklace and ring. Vera Wang gown; De Beers earrings.
Photograph by Rineke Dijkstra; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up; Manicure by Adam Slee for Rimmel London at Streeters. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Photography Assistants: Hans De Hartog Jager, Teddy Park; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique de Raffaele, Angus McEvoy; Tailor: Della George.
“I wrote a script about a scientist who creates robots in his lover’s likeness. Their plan is to help society, but it all goes wrong. The scientist decides to destroy the robots, but they kill him and her instead and take off. I’ve been reading a lot about what’s going on in the world of artificial intelligence—the title Uncanny Valley refers to the unsettling feeling elicited by humanoid objects—and it’s not such a crazy scenario.”
Clockwise from top left: Chloé top, pants, pendant necklace, and boots; Bulgari necklace. Sergio Rossi boots. Stella McCartney coat. Victoria Beckham coat. Hermès shirtdress; Sergio Rossi boots.
Photograph by Alex Prager; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up; Manicure by Adam Slee for Rimmel London at Streeters; Production Design by Arthur De Borman at Vision At Wizzo. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Director’s Assistant: Lisa Ziven; Production Design Assistants: Nicholas Hancock, Daniel Edwards; DOP: Sam Goldie at Independent Talent; Prosthetic SFX: John Nolan; Smoke SFX: Matter SFX; Prosthetic Artist: Sunita Parmar; VFX: Jeremy Dawson; VFX Assistant: May Ziade; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaele, Izzy Temp; Tailor: Della George; Special thanks to Beth Riesgraf and Zarene Dallas.
Chloé top, pants, pendant necklace, and boots.
Photograph by Alex Prager; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up; Manicure by Adam Slee for Rimmel London at Streeters; Production Design by Arthur De Borman at Vision At Wizzo. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Director’s Assistant: Lisa Ziven; Production Design Assistants: Nicholas Hancock, Daniel Edwards; DOP: Sam Goldie at Independent Talent; Prosthetic SFX: John Nolan; Smoke SFX: Matter SFX; Prosthetic Artist: Sunita Parmar; VFX: Jeremy Dawson; VFX Assistant: May Ziade; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaele, Izzy Temp; Tailor: Della George; Special thanks to Beth Riesgraf and Zarene Dallas.
“For a long time my work has focused on women and the ways in which they defy society’s repressive codes. I was interested in how female singers are universally treated as objects of desire. At first, Cate looks gorgeous, but when she sings it’s a male’s voice. The audience heckles her, and she becomes confrontational. When the music comes back on, she does a seductive dance but her face is evil. For her final act of subversion, she takes off her hair and makeup and walks away. That part was Cate’s idea. Fuck the beauty.”
Photograph by Shirin Neshat; Sittings editor: Sam Walker. Hair by Robert Vetica at the Magnet Agency; Makeup by Jeanine Lobell for Giorgio Armani at Streeters; Manicure by Yuko Tsuchihashi for Giorgio Armani at Susan Price NYC. Set design by Adrian Crabbs at the Magnet Agency. Produced by Blayke Kogan at Rosco Production; Production Coordinator: May Lin Le Goff; Director’s Assistant: Giulia Theodoli; Director of Photography: Ghasem Ebrahimian; Production Assistants: Benjamin Merker, Emma Modek; 1st A/C: RoDin Hamidi; 2nd A/C: Olga Vazquez; Video Assistants: Tony Sur, JR James, Jesse Gouveia; Fashion Assistant: Emma Metz; Set Design Assistant: Evan Schaffer; Tailor: Joshua Schwartz at In-House-Atelier.
“I hadn’t met Cate before the shoot, but she reminded me of women like Simone de Beauvoir, Joan Didion, and Peggy Guggenheim, all of whom were relaxed and self-confident with their body language. We shot in Cate’s own beautiful garden in the English countryside, and she was game to try every crazy idea we came up with.”
From left: Sonia Rykiel coat; Vince T-shirt. Hi-Tec sneakers; Blanchett’s own jeans.
Photograph by Jackie Nickerson; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Digital Technician: Jonathan Rose; Photography Assistants: Teddy Park, Richard Kovacs; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaele.
“My starting points for this shoot were cinematic, as they always are: Fellini’s women and Coppola’s One From the Heart. I came up with a narrative: It’s 5 a.m. and she’s atop a muscle car, then she’s furiously typing, connecting all her ideas. I was trying to create a wild spirit.”
Versace dress; David Webb gold, platinum, and diamond earrings.
Photograph by Sam Taylor-Johnson; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Robert Vetica at the Magnet Agency; Makeup by Lisa Storey for Charlotte Tilbury at the Wall Group; manicure by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Colin Donahue at Owl and the Elephant. Produced by Dana Brockman at Viewfinders; Production Coordinator: Carolyn Bruch; Production Assistant: Spencer Tortorici; Digital Technician: DV8 Digital; Retouching by Epilogue; Photography Assistants: Jeff Gros, Henry Han, Huey Tran; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Nadia Beeman; Set Design Assistant: Mike Wanenmacher; Tailor: Isa Kriegeskotte.
Cate wearing Attico dress; Ellen Christine Couture headpiece.
Photograph by Sam Taylor-Johnson; Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Robert Vetica at the Magnet Agency; Makeup by Lisa Storey for Charlotte Tilbury at the Wall Group; manicure by Michelle Saunders for Essie at Forward Artists. Set design by Colin Donahue at Owl and the Elephant. Produced by Dana Brockman at Viewfinders; Production Coordinator: Carolyn Bruch; Production Assistant: Spencer Tortorici; Digital Technician: DV8 Digital; Retouching by Epilogue; Photography Assistants: Jeff Gros, Henry Han, Huey Tran; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Nadia Beeman; Set Design Assistant: Mike Wanenmacher; Tailor: Isa Kriegeskotte.
“I started out wanting to do something quite surreal with collage, but in the end I painted on the images, which is something I did in my work years ago. I like the coolness and modernity of it.”
Cate Blanchett wears a Marine Serre dress and catsuit. Nicholas Kirkwood x Marine Serre boots; Repossi bracelet and ring. Givenchy dress.
Photograph by Viviane Sassen. Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Cyndia Harvey at Streeters; makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up; Manicure by Morena Sanguigni for Morgan Taylor Lacquer at BTS Talent. Set design by Alice Kirkpatrick at Streeters. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Retouching by Jan Hibma; Photography Assistants: Hanneke Van Leeuwen, Teddy Park; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaelle, Angus McEvoy; Set Design Assistant: Mariska Lowri; Tailor: Della George.
“I’m interested in portraying my subjects in a spirited way. Thankfully, Cate is always game to explore, to play. It was she who suggested that for the first part of this shoot we run around the block for 10 minutes. There was no location van, no producer, no hair and makeup—it was so special. We reconvened at sunrise the next morning in Times Square, and shot some more. She’s interested in taking risks, as am I.”
From left: Givenchy coat and belt; Chopard earrings and ring. Alberta Ferretti blouse, pants, and belt; Vhernier earrings Proenza Schouler shoes.
Photograph by Cass Bird. Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Robert Vetica at The Magnet Agency; Manicure by Jin Soon Choi for JINsoon at The Home Agency. (Image on Left) Produced by Tyler Strawhecker at PRODn for Art + Commerce; Production Coordinator: Therese Mulgrew; Production Assistant: Christiana Mecca. Digital Technician: Anthony Miller; Retouching by Gloss Studios; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Michelle Pelletier; Lighting Director: Jon Heller; Photography Assistants: Clay Howard Smith, Zane Schaffer, Connor Martin, Ben Boult; Tailor: Leah Huntsinger at Christy Rilling.
“I come from a fine-arts background and work a lot with moving image. For this shoot, we had a studio set up in Cate’s backyard. Her daughter was chasing a dog and cat around, and I was filming her watching her, using a VHS camcorder from the ‘80s. I wanted to do something that was more real than glamorous. She caught glimpses of herself dressed in this masculine way, and she adopted a character. The fact that she trusted me with my little camera and rolled with this makes her the best person ever.”
Cate Blanchett wears a Martine Rose jacket, top, and jeans; Miu Miu boots.
Photograph by Sharna Osborne. Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up. Produced by Laura Holmes Production; Photography Assistants: Jodie Herbage, Richard Kovacs; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angelique De Raffaele.
“I like pictures where the psychology is hard to understand. You don’t know who the person is, or what they’re thinking. I wanted a woman passing by, like an apparition. You catch a glimpse of her and she’s like a ray of light, too good to be true. In the film, the man spends all of his time chasing her down.”
From left: Simone Rocha dress. The Vampire’s Wife dress; Jimmy Choo shoes.
Photograph by Dominique Issermann. Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Sam McKnight for Sam McKnight Products at Premier Hair and Make-up; Makeup by Mary Greenwell for Giorgio Armani at Premier Hair and Make-up. Produced by Anna Zantiotis; Production Manager: Helen Salen; Retouching by David Martin at DMDB; Photography Assistants: Ollivier Hersart, Vincent Gussemburger, Jordan Lee; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Angus McEvoy; Special Thanks to the Corinthia Hotel.
Cate Blanchett wears a Vanessa Seward shirt and jeans; hat from Early Halloween, New York; Chopard earrings; Alberta Ferretti belt.
Photograph by Cass Bird. Styled by Sara Moonves.
Hair by Robert Vetica at The Magnet Agency; Makeup by Dick Page at Statement Artists; Manicure by Jin Soon Choi for JINsoon at The Home Agency. Produced by Tyler Strawhecker at PRODn for Art + Commerce; Production Coordinator: Therese Mulgrew; Production Assistant: Christiana Mecca; Digital Technician: Anthony Miller; Retouching by Gloss Studios; Fashion Assistants: Allia Alliata, Michelle Pelletier; Lighting Director: Jon Heller; Photography Assistants: Clay Howard Smith, Zane Schaffer, Connor Martin, Ben Boult; Tailor: Leah Huntsinger at Christy Rilling.
