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you Magazine UK july 2005
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ALL SHOOK UP OVER RILEY
Elvis' granddaughter Riley Keough hasn't had to step into the King's blue suede shoes to make her own mark as a rising star of the fashion world
Interview by Camilla Morton
Riley Keough is living the life most teenage girls dream about. At just 16, she already exudes a luminous beauty beyond her years, with her full lips, seductive stare, lean limbs and mane of superstar pedigree-her mother is Lisa Marie Presley and, as the granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Riley Keough is already the ultimate in rock'n'roll royalty. To top it all off, she has been chosen as the face of Christian Dior's new scent, 'Miss Dior Cherie', having been hand-picked by Dior's creative genius John Galliano.
Having signed with leading supermodel agency IMG in 2003, at just 14, it didn't take long for Riley to rise to the attention of the fashion world's elite. 'That was how I found Riley,' John Galliano explains. 'I saw this paparazzi shot of Lisa Marie, who I knew [Lisa Marie has been wearing Galliano for years], and I saw this girl with her and thought, "who is the girlfriend?" I loved her look and wanted to meet her. I had no idea she was Lisa's daughter. It was a random paparazzi shot of them in a mall, yet her look and the way she had put herself together...I had to meet her,' he laughs. Which is why he invited her to his show in Paris, which she attended with her constant chaperone, her musician father Danny Keough.
We are on set in Paris, where Riley is working with leading international fashion photographer Nick Knight (a regular in the pages of flossies such as Vogue) and John Galliano to create a vision of 'Miss Dior Cherie', due instore in the UK on 22 August. 'I thought John was going to be mean,' she laughs, her whispery LA drawl so quiet you have to hold your breath to hear her, 'but he and Nick are very sweet. They are really wonderful to work with.' Indeed, such was the success of the Dior Icon jacket campaign she fronted for them last season, that when the perfume department saw the pictures of Riley, they knew they had found the face for their new scent. JOhn has said that it was Riley's youthful energy and joie de vivre that made her the ideal face for Miss Dior, evident here int he froth of sugary chic prettiness she exudes modelling Dior for the fragrance campaign-much like the perfume itself, which Riley describes as 'a new version of the classic Miss Dior but younger'. It is blended with scents such as popcorn and strawberry ice cream. 'I really like sweet things,' she sighs. 'I used to eat a pint a day of strawberry ice cream until our house went healthy-I really like this scent.
'Photo shoots are like acting,' she continues, 'like getting dressed up in something else, pretending to be someone I'm not, playing along to become this "girl" that they have in their heads.
'Usually there is loud music playing, so sometimes I will dance. I did ballet for a long time, so I like dancing,' she says, clearly taking to the crazy world of planet fashion like a duck to water. 'You learn a lot on shoots; the hair and make-up part is really interesting. But most of all, it's the final result that's really impressive. It's not just me, it's a group image.' She says she hasn't seen her billboard around town yet, and has been too shy to go into a Dior store to see if the assistants recognise her, but when her friends see the photos she is modest, and blushes. 'It's cool. I just say "thank you". It's no big deal.'
Riley has grown up in front of the camera-her picture was splashed across the world when she was born, her first campaign, aged 12, was for Tommy Hilfiger, her debut season included a catwalk appearance for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, and last year she also appeared on the cover of American Vogue with Lisa Marie and Priscilla. Despite all this, Riley is refreshingly down-to-earth and unexpectedly shy, seemingly with a good head on her young shoulders. 'She's not a pretentious Hollywood kid, her mother has said about her blossoming daughter. 'She's not a shallow. She can see bulls**t when it's there.'
Because of the potentially overwhelming shadow of Elvis's legendary fame, the Presley camp puts a lot of effort into keeping the world as much at bay as possible from both Riley and her 12-year-old brother, Benjamin. For today's Paris shoot, besides Riley's father (who, until recently, was also home-schooling her and Benjamin), her entourage includes close friend Jadan, and a posse of PRs and security. However, Riley seems to be a normal kid and talks about the importance of friendship and shopping rather than dating boys and clubbing. 'I play piano, I like reading, travelling and listening to music, hanging out with my friends, normal stuff.' She rolls her eyes and wrinkles her button nose at some questions-for her, just walking the dog or seeing friends is an ideal day, and she genuinely has no idea why there's all the fuss about her beauty routine (for the record she's a big fan of cocoa butter)- while mentions of music or Elvis are strictly off limits. But it's natural to be curious about her musical tastes - are her granddad's hits on her iPod playlist? Or even her mum's own music? (Lisa Marie's second album 'Now What', was released earlier this year.) 'The last things I downloaded were the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. I like rock music,' she says, diplomatically.
And, like most clothes-conscious teenagers, she loves reading Vogue, Elle, and the rest of the fashion magazines. She says her first interest in fashion peaked when her mother modelled for a cover of American Vogue in a bejewelled dress by Versace. 'I got my first high shoes when I was about seven,' she laughs. 'They were these really not my type polka-dot platform trainers, as my mum didn't let me wear real high heels.' She collects handbags, likes vintage markets, and mixes high-end fashion labels with her jeans. 'She doesn't have that whole I'm-gonna-be-a-sexy-teenager thing.' Lisa Marie told American Vogue last year. 'She's actually got so much class. She's very graceful and has this sort of Grace Kelly-esque thing to her. She has had this elegance and finesse since she was a baby.'
Riley's agent helps her dodge the inevitable 'Elvis' questions- her grandfather died more than a decade before Riley (born Danielle) and Benjamin were born- and subjects such as her mother's marriages to Michael Jackson (which lasted only 20 months) and Hollywood star Nicolas Cage (108 days) are strictly taboo.
Although meeting famous people is a normal part of her life, it is not an everyday occurrence, and Riley admits she's as a star-struck as the next person when meeting the likes of Mick Jagger. On role models, she says:' I really like the acresses Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep.' And supermodels? 'Well, Kate Moss is really the coolest, isn't she?' And with that, a wise head on her slender shoulders, she trots back on to the set, the wind machine starts up, and, under the watchful gaze of John Galliano, she transforms from sweet schoolgirl to 'the girl everyone wants to be', as John describes her. 'Look at her,' he giggles, 'effortlessly cool. How unfair is that? Now, who else was like that as a teenager?'
[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
ALL SHOOK UP OVER RILEY
Elvis' granddaughter Riley Keough hasn't had to step into the King's blue suede shoes to make her own mark as a rising star of the fashion world
Interview by Camilla Morton
Riley Keough is living the life most teenage girls dream about. At just 16, she already exudes a luminous beauty beyond her years, with her full lips, seductive stare, lean limbs and mane of superstar pedigree-her mother is Lisa Marie Presley and, as the granddaughter of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, Riley Keough is already the ultimate in rock'n'roll royalty. To top it all off, she has been chosen as the face of Christian Dior's new scent, 'Miss Dior Cherie', having been hand-picked by Dior's creative genius John Galliano.
Having signed with leading supermodel agency IMG in 2003, at just 14, it didn't take long for Riley to rise to the attention of the fashion world's elite. 'That was how I found Riley,' John Galliano explains. 'I saw this paparazzi shot of Lisa Marie, who I knew [Lisa Marie has been wearing Galliano for years], and I saw this girl with her and thought, "who is the girlfriend?" I loved her look and wanted to meet her. I had no idea she was Lisa's daughter. It was a random paparazzi shot of them in a mall, yet her look and the way she had put herself together...I had to meet her,' he laughs. Which is why he invited her to his show in Paris, which she attended with her constant chaperone, her musician father Danny Keough.
We are on set in Paris, where Riley is working with leading international fashion photographer Nick Knight (a regular in the pages of flossies such as Vogue) and John Galliano to create a vision of 'Miss Dior Cherie', due instore in the UK on 22 August. 'I thought John was going to be mean,' she laughs, her whispery LA drawl so quiet you have to hold your breath to hear her, 'but he and Nick are very sweet. They are really wonderful to work with.' Indeed, such was the success of the Dior Icon jacket campaign she fronted for them last season, that when the perfume department saw the pictures of Riley, they knew they had found the face for their new scent. JOhn has said that it was Riley's youthful energy and joie de vivre that made her the ideal face for Miss Dior, evident here int he froth of sugary chic prettiness she exudes modelling Dior for the fragrance campaign-much like the perfume itself, which Riley describes as 'a new version of the classic Miss Dior but younger'. It is blended with scents such as popcorn and strawberry ice cream. 'I really like sweet things,' she sighs. 'I used to eat a pint a day of strawberry ice cream until our house went healthy-I really like this scent.
'Photo shoots are like acting,' she continues, 'like getting dressed up in something else, pretending to be someone I'm not, playing along to become this "girl" that they have in their heads.
'Usually there is loud music playing, so sometimes I will dance. I did ballet for a long time, so I like dancing,' she says, clearly taking to the crazy world of planet fashion like a duck to water. 'You learn a lot on shoots; the hair and make-up part is really interesting. But most of all, it's the final result that's really impressive. It's not just me, it's a group image.' She says she hasn't seen her billboard around town yet, and has been too shy to go into a Dior store to see if the assistants recognise her, but when her friends see the photos she is modest, and blushes. 'It's cool. I just say "thank you". It's no big deal.'
Riley has grown up in front of the camera-her picture was splashed across the world when she was born, her first campaign, aged 12, was for Tommy Hilfiger, her debut season included a catwalk appearance for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, and last year she also appeared on the cover of American Vogue with Lisa Marie and Priscilla. Despite all this, Riley is refreshingly down-to-earth and unexpectedly shy, seemingly with a good head on her young shoulders. 'She's not a pretentious Hollywood kid, her mother has said about her blossoming daughter. 'She's not a shallow. She can see bulls**t when it's there.'
Because of the potentially overwhelming shadow of Elvis's legendary fame, the Presley camp puts a lot of effort into keeping the world as much at bay as possible from both Riley and her 12-year-old brother, Benjamin. For today's Paris shoot, besides Riley's father (who, until recently, was also home-schooling her and Benjamin), her entourage includes close friend Jadan, and a posse of PRs and security. However, Riley seems to be a normal kid and talks about the importance of friendship and shopping rather than dating boys and clubbing. 'I play piano, I like reading, travelling and listening to music, hanging out with my friends, normal stuff.' She rolls her eyes and wrinkles her button nose at some questions-for her, just walking the dog or seeing friends is an ideal day, and she genuinely has no idea why there's all the fuss about her beauty routine (for the record she's a big fan of cocoa butter)- while mentions of music or Elvis are strictly off limits. But it's natural to be curious about her musical tastes - are her granddad's hits on her iPod playlist? Or even her mum's own music? (Lisa Marie's second album 'Now What', was released earlier this year.) 'The last things I downloaded were the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones. I like rock music,' she says, diplomatically.
And, like most clothes-conscious teenagers, she loves reading Vogue, Elle, and the rest of the fashion magazines. She says her first interest in fashion peaked when her mother modelled for a cover of American Vogue in a bejewelled dress by Versace. 'I got my first high shoes when I was about seven,' she laughs. 'They were these really not my type polka-dot platform trainers, as my mum didn't let me wear real high heels.' She collects handbags, likes vintage markets, and mixes high-end fashion labels with her jeans. 'She doesn't have that whole I'm-gonna-be-a-sexy-teenager thing.' Lisa Marie told American Vogue last year. 'She's actually got so much class. She's very graceful and has this sort of Grace Kelly-esque thing to her. She has had this elegance and finesse since she was a baby.'
Riley's agent helps her dodge the inevitable 'Elvis' questions- her grandfather died more than a decade before Riley (born Danielle) and Benjamin were born- and subjects such as her mother's marriages to Michael Jackson (which lasted only 20 months) and Hollywood star Nicolas Cage (108 days) are strictly taboo.
Although meeting famous people is a normal part of her life, it is not an everyday occurrence, and Riley admits she's as a star-struck as the next person when meeting the likes of Mick Jagger. On role models, she says:' I really like the acresses Cate Blanchett and Meryl Streep.' And supermodels? 'Well, Kate Moss is really the coolest, isn't she?' And with that, a wise head on her slender shoulders, she trots back on to the set, the wind machine starts up, and, under the watchful gaze of John Galliano, she transforms from sweet schoolgirl to 'the girl everyone wants to be', as John describes her. 'Look at her,' he giggles, 'effortlessly cool. How unfair is that? Now, who else was like that as a teenager?'
Last edited by lilsurprises on 13.07.13 23:33; edited 1 time in total
