How Normal People's Daisy Edgar Jones became a new style star in lockdown

If Normal People’s Marianne became the pin-up for summer getaway dreaming during lockdown (those vintage sundresses in Italy!), then the actress who played her has become a real-life style star in the past few months. Cool yet elegant, it’s a feat which Daisy Edgar Jones has achieved against the odds, swapping the usual schedule of photo calls and events for waist-up dressing Zoom appearances during the promotion for the BBC’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel.

‘Daisy's style encompasses both feminine and masculine pieces,’ explains Nicky Yates, the stylist who has guided the actress to sartorial success under far from ideal circumstances. ‘So, romantic puff-sleeved Ganni one moment and more minimal, masculine Roland Mouret tailoring the next. She has great natural style and really loves fashion.’

Yates, who works with coterie of young Brits including Felicity Jones, Claire Foy and Naomi Ackie, orchestrated Edgar Jones’ first major red carpet moment at the BAFTAs in February, dressing her in an ethereal yet modern balloon-sleeved, off-shoulder dress by eco-conscious label Mother of Pearl. There followed a couple of sharp suit moments before lockdown took hold and plans for what would presumably have been a brilliant, fashion-forward Normal People publicity tour were scaled back.

‘The first challenge was getting clothes,’ Yates remembers of those first weeks of quarantine,’ but I was helped enormously by resourceful PRs who had taken collections home with them before locking down. Without them, things would have been a lot tougher.’

Luckily, ‘some people want to find the right outfit as quickly as possible, whereas others, like Daisy, enjoy the process and love exploring new designers and trying new things,’ adds Yates, which meant that the fittings they had to do via Whatsapp and Facetime were fun rather than too frantic.

‘I suppose the objective was simpler: we weren’t planning a look that would photograph well from all angles on a red carpet,’ Yates says of the process. ‘We were much more focussed on Daisy from the waist up, so looking for interesting necklines and jewellery.’

While we were all cooing over Marianne’s college prom dresses and winter knits, Edgar Jones forged her own style signatures which seemed like an elevated take on her character’s look.

There was her version of that Marianne black dress - a black Ganni blouse with a square neckline and voluminous sleeves styled with Alighieri’s molten gold hoops - and a delicate silk floral Vampire’s Wife dress with diamond Sophie Bille Brahe earrings. In an interview with US Vogue, discussing what it’s like to rise to fame during a pandemic, Edgar Jones’ combination of abstract Completed Works earrings and bold Alberta Ferretti jumper was the epitome of homeleisure chic. All of these looks were accessorised, of course, with that now-famous fringe.

Yates has incorporated a clutch of contemporary names into Edgar Jones’ repertoire from LFW star Erdem and Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen, known for her featherweight feminine dresses to under-the-radar bootmakers Sweethearts of the Rodeo and Budapest-based Nanushka.

After five months of lockdown looks, Edgar Jones made a triumphant return to the red carpet last week, reuniting with her Normal People co-star Paul Mescal at the scaled-back BAFTA TV awards. While many of the nominees joined virtually from home, Edgar Jones’ socially-distant real-life appearance was the perfect excuse for a showstopping look.

‘We knew Daisy was going to be (for once!) standing on a stage rather than sitting in front of a laptop at home, so we really wanted her to look great from head to toe,’ says Yates. They landed on an elevated LBD from Miu Miu, complete with a crystal bodice. ‘We loved the Miu Miu from the start for its shape and length, the scallop hem, the sparkly detail and the open back. The Jimmy Choos completed the look and we kept the jewellery light with dream diamond drops from Jessica McCormack and the hair and makeup super fresh and effortless.’

With George Northwood - hair stylist to Alexa Chung, the Duchess of Sussex and many more - now part of Edgar Jones’ on-point style squad, expect plenty more extraordinary fashion moments from Normal People’s leading lady.

For more news, analysis and advice from The Telegraph's fashion desk, click here to sign up to get our weekly newsletter, straight to your inbox every Friday. Follow our Instagram @Telegraphfashion