Diana Penty Keeps it Classic: 'Even If You Follow a Trend, You Can Still Make it Your Own'

Before her debut in Cocktail (2012) actor Diana Penty spent years on international runways, shaping a fashion vocabulary built on a deep respect for the craft. Today, she brings that same sensibility to everything she wears, whether it is an oversized blazer on a casual day or a statement earring on a red carpet. In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, she talks about why vintage never left her wardrobe, the freedom in staying understated and the joy of dressing a character who feels uncannily like herself.

Penty is dressed in jewels by CKC Jewellers, a Jade ensemble and footwear by Oroh.photos by amitava saha. styling by pratyasha sarkar. hair and make-up by Séverine Perina, assisted by Shagufta Siddiqui, Faze Management.

Edited excerpt from the conversation.

Penty is dressed in jewels by CKC Jewellers, a Rahul Mishra ensemble and footwear by Oceedee.photos by amitava saha. styling by pratyasha sarkar. hair and make-up by Séverine Perina, assisted by Shagufta Siddiqui, Faze Management.

THR India: What is that one recent jewellery trend you have loved?

Diana Penty: I have always leaned towards a more classic aesthetic. It shows up in my wardrobe, in the sort of jewellery I pick and even in the way I think about style. I have a soft spot for vintage pieces and for Art Deco. There is something about the clean lines and the minimal structure that has always felt like home to me. And vintage is vintage. It never loses value, and it never feels like it belongs to only one moment in time. Art Deco has been popular again these last couple of years and I love that older styles are finding their way back.

Penty is dressed in jewels by CKC Jewellers, a Rajesh Pratap Singh ensemble and footwear by Oroh.photos by amitava saha. styling by pratyasha sarkar. hair and make-up by Séverine Perina, assisted by Shagufta Siddiqui, Faze Management.

THR India: What is one fashion moment from your modelling days that you would relive if you could?

DP: My first big international show. I was about 20, living in Paris and figuring out the city. When I walked for [French fashion designer] Emanuel Ungaro, it felt like a milestone. I was one of the only Indian girls there at the time and it meant a lot to be on that stage. It gave me a sense of what it means to represent where you come from in a completely different world.

Penty is dressed in jewels by CKC Jewellers, a Rajesh Pratap Singh ensemble and footwear by Oroh.photos by amitava saha. styling by pratyasha sarkar. hair and make-up by Séverine Perina, assisted by Shagufta Siddiqui, Faze Management.

THR India: Your style is often described as ‘minimal’ and ‘understated’. Do you ever feel restricted by that?

DP: Not at all. My personal style is simple, but it does not stop me from experimenting. I do not follow trends blindly, but I do enjoy trying new things when the space allows it. There is enough room to have fun without changing who you are on a daily basis.

Penty is dressed in jewels by CKC Jewellers, a Jade ensemble and footwear by Oroh.photos by amitava saha. styling by pratyasha sarkar. hair and make-up by Séverine Perina, assisted by Shagufta Siddiqui, Faze Management.

THR India: How do you stay authentic in an industry where personal style can get lost?

DP: I dress according to my personality and my mood. Fashion is an expression of how you feel on a particular day. If you follow that honestly, it stays individual. You only start looking repetitive when you are copying something without knowing why. Even if you follow a trend, you can still make it your own when you bring your own personality to it.

Penty is dressed in jewels by CKC Jewellers, a Rajesh Pratap Singh ensemble and footwear by Oroh.photos by amitava saha. styling by pratyasha sarkar. hair and make-up by Séverine Perina, assisted by Shagufta Siddiqui, Faze Management.

THR India: Of all the characters you have played, whose wardrobe would you keep?

DP: Anahita from Do You Wanna Partner. She is very close to how I dress in real life — jeans, tees, oversized blazers, sneakers. Comfortable but still chic. And when she dresses up, it is always understated and elegant. Playing her felt natural because her style felt like my own.

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