CORA CORRÉ
- 5' ELEVEN''
- Jul 30
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 31
Quietly confident with a fierce commitment to activism, Cora Corré is both driven and guided by her moral compass and its strong sense of justice. And her work reflects that. Following the punk and protest legacy her late grandmother Vivienne Westwood left in her wake, Cora now heads up (alongside her family) the philanthropist work the British fashion designer championed during her life. Day by day, the London-based model and activist balances life in front of the camera with carefully carrying forward Dame Vivienne Westwood’s foundation through conscientious consideration, a clear sense of what is happening around the world, and importantly, care. Here, we speak to Cora about everything from growing up in the industry to the unreleased fashion collection her grandmother Vivienne Westwood designed for her eponymous foundation.
Interview by Ella Mansell.
Photography by Edwin S Freyer. Styled by Tasha Arguile. Makeup by Anna Inglis Hall at Stella Creative Artists using Suqqu. Hair by Michela Olivieri at Caren Agency using Innersen Organic Beauty. Socials by Boram Lee Freyer. Hair Stylist assisted by Kathy Jung. Shot at Motherlight Studios. Cora appears courtesy of Kate Moss Agency.
How would you describe yourself to someone who doesn't know you?
Quite shy and observant. I definitely take my time to listen and observe. I am more introverted than extroverted, and enjoy taking in and watching my surroundings and other people’s characters before I chime in. I am never the loudest person in the room, and don’t feel like I need to be either.
Is fashion a big part of your identity outside of work?
I wouldn’t say fashion is a significant part of my identity, however, with that being said I do enjoy taking my time to get ready in the morning, regardless of what I am doing that day. Metaphorically speaking, it’s like putting on your armour so that you can go about your day as the strongest and best version of yourself. I always take into consideration how I want to feel and what to wear in order to feel empowered, confident, and strong.
How would you describe your personal style?
I flip between a kind of casual street style look, versus dressing up in a dress and heels. I don’t really have an inbetween. I quite like how juxtaposing my two styles are – it’s quite fun to play around with. There's a time and a place for each.
Where do you shop in London?
I actually have really terrible concentration, so I don’t usually go shopping. I do get very into online shopping; one of my favourite things to do on a relaxed evening is to scroll through vintage and second hand sites and see what I can find, however it rarely makes it to the actual purchase stage.
Are you an impulse buyer?
No. I’m probably the opposite! I currently have about 25 pieces of vintage clothing in my eBay basket that I will probably never get around to buying, but I do love browsing.
Do you have a style icon or is your sense of style something you have crafted yourself over time?
My mum is definitely an idol of mine. I grew up very shy, and now I have come more into my own. Though, I can see hints of her style within mine. By this, I mean how empowering it is to wear nice lingerie – for myself only – under my clothes. It’s small things like that I have definitely picked up from her.
Do you ever raid your mum’s wardrobe?
It's out of bounds. She would say that I raid her wardrobe, but she doesn’t love that I do! I would love to steal all of her shoes though; she has the most incredible heels which is funny because even though I wear ballet flats or trainers most days I’d love to borrow from her collection.
Moving on to your work, how did you start modelling?
I did my first ever runway show in 2001 when I was four years old for Vivienne Westwood. I can’t remember much from the experience except when they called out my name in the lineup! There are lots of photographs from this moment which are now lovely memories. It was Katie Grand who then put me in my first runway show as a teenager, when I was 16, I think.
Do you have any favourite projects or people that you've loved working with over the years?
Every shoot and show. The accumulation of people and the effort that goes into every project via a multitude of avenues is incredible. If anything, I always try to acknowledge and remember how many people it actually takes to pull together these projects – it’s just so inspiring. It really takes a team. I enjoy seeing it all come together by working together, which is something I try to apply to life as a whole.
Jewellery, model's own. Cream distressed strapless top and tailored trousers, both by MM6
Is the creative process something you’d like to be involved with in the future?
I think more recently as I've grown older and have worked on more and more shoots, I have naturally started to absorb references and develop different styles and briefs, if only in my head. I enjoy the visionary element. However, when I think about (and see) how much effort a team has put into a concept I like to help achieve this as much as possible, rather than interfering.
As a model, do you enjoy embodying different personas and characters for the day on set?
I am quite shy, however I do love playing my part in helping a team achieve their overall vision and feeling like a part of the creative process.
Outside of fashion and modelling, what inspires you?
Love. Seeing my loved ones working and being successful and achieving their goals. To watch the people around you, within your world, have these small wins, big wins, and everything in between is so inspiring. Watching and being a part of these achievements really fills up my cup.
So, tell me more about the Vivienne Foundation. What’s your role here?
The Vivienne Foundation was founded by Vivienne in 2019, and was something we very much worked on as a family. Since then, she has sadly passed away, and so we are taking our time to navigate the best way to move forwards in honour of her legacy. The foundation was set up as a not-for-profit to support charities that already exist around the world as there are so many incredible organisations out there. We are keen to use Vivienne’s platform to educate people on the multi-faceted issues that exist. We are taking the time to ensure the work we do is as meaningful and impactful as possible. We are about to start a project which supports grassroots organisations around the four pillars of the Foundation. The pillars are: defend human rights, stop war, halt climate change, and protest capitalism. We have selected a grassroots organisation aligned with each.
Vivienne Westwood designed a collection to raise money for the foundation while she was alive. Can you tell us more about this collection?
Vivienne designed a collection with the intention of it to be the first of many so that we were able to have a continuous stream of funds to use to support NGOs aligned with the four pillars. However, sadly this turned out to be both her first and last collection. It’s even more precious, especially given all of the work she put into it personally and physically. It is so rich in design elements. We are now working out the best way to distribute something that is so special.
You've spoken before publicly before about the right to peaceful protest, spoken up against war, and more. Why are you so passionate about these issues?
These topics are all crucial to my moral compass. As a human being with a heart, we have the ability to feel for those around us and have a responsibility to step in and advocate for those that don’t have a voice. Speaking up for others who can’t speak up for themselves is very much a part of my personality rather than something I started for a specific reason. It all comes back to a moral compass and fight against injustice. I think people often separate themselves from what’s happening in the news and around the world, but the circumstances into which you were born are just down to luck. When you take this luck away and think about the vulnerabilities of others it becomes a duty to speak up. For me, it’s inherent.
Can you pinpoint a specific moment or reason that ignited your activism?
As a child, I remember feeling a fierce sense of justice and injustice when hearing stories regarding human rights. When I was about 19 years old I worked at the United Nations on a women’s activist mentor programme for a week. To see firsthand how women put themselves on the line within their own cultures and families in order to stand up for what they believe in was incredibly moving. It stuck with me.
Would you like to do more work within human rights in the future?
I have always been interested in human rights and human rights law. I’d like to do a degree in the future, and human rights is an incredibly vast field to explore further, but I don’t think I’ll explore it from a legal perspective. I have learnt so much over the past few years from speaking with different organizations and this has given me a clearer sense of what I’d like to do in the future, so we will see.
How do you make time and space for yourself in your daily routine to relax and unwind from your work?
I think it's super important to find time for yourself; you have to look after yourself because you are your own stronghold. To be in a position to give back to your friendships and within your line of work you need to make sure your own foundations are good and solid beforehand. So, I always take time out of the day to exercise. I enjoy boxing to alleviate stress and I train consistently at Before The Lights in Fitzrovia who have the most support and kind team.I also now ensure I keep a lot of time for myself at home in the evenings. But also, I have really amazing friends and family, which I'm super grateful for, and so I love to spend my time with them.
If you could share a dessert with anyone – alive or not – who would it be and why?
Honestly, it might be boring, but I would share a dessert with my close friends and family. Having said that, I don’t like sharing my dessert at all! So, my family are probably the only people in the world I would share it with. I love a tiramisu or a sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream. Actually, I’d have a family-sized tray of sticky toffee pudding so that we can all have a plate without feeling like I have shared at all!
