For Alison Oliver, getting dressed for a fashion shoot brings back the dressing-up box she shared with her 2 older sisters. The Saltburn actress says that childhood pleasure has become a part of her work she loves.
“It’s exactly like playing dress-up,” she said. “Now this is a part of the job that I’ve come to really enjoy. You just get to put on these amazing things and have fun.”
Her friendship with Dior creative director Jonathan Anderson has also shaped how she sees fashion. Oliver worked with the Northern Irish designer at Loewe before he moved to Dior, and credits him with helping her understand an industry that once felt unfamiliar.
“I didn’t understand that world at all before but, through Jonathan, I’ve gained a real appreciation for it,” she said.
Oliver thinks their Irish roots helped them connect: “I really do think that any Irish person in the industry just gels to the other.”
She also became a Tiffany + Co ambassador in February, launching the role with Learning Lines, a short film about finding inner strength before a role. She wore jewellery from the brand’s HardWear collection.
“You feel so elevated in those pieces,” Oliver said. “You could wear them everyday and they’d never feel too much.”