Sèven Questions to take you behind Cameron Diaz's Vogue Cover Comeback with Natasha Royt
Welcome back to the SèveN! Dive into Natasha’s creative process as she offers a rare glimpse into the inspirations that shaped her latest Vogue Cover starring Cameron Diaz.
We sat down with Natasha Royt, the highly sought-after New York-based styling veteran behind Vogue Mexico’s February cover, starring the iconic Cameron Diaz. With over two decades of experience in editorial styling, Natasha’s expertise shines through in every detail of this shoot. From curating a meticulously selected wardrobe to working alongside a dream team of creatives, she takes us behind the scenes—sharing her insights on the vision, the moodboard, the set, the glam, and those unexpected moments of spontaneity that bring editorial magic to life.
The Brief: What was the editorial vision/ direction for this shoot ?
Cameron stepped away from the public eye for over 10 years, at the height of her career, to focus on her family, and building a wine company, so this shoot was her first in a very long time. It was an honor, on behalf of Vogue Mexico, that she chose us for her first, and only, promotional shoot for her comeback movie, Back in Action. Given that she’s now 52, and in a different stage of her life where she really wants to be herself and feel comfortable and empowered, we wanted to do something classic, chic, effortless and easy.
Cameron Diaz for Vogue Mexico January 2025, shot by Norman Jean Roy, styled by Natasha Royt It’s always important to understand your subject and meet them where they are - especially true when it comes to celebrities - and to come up with a vision that will make them look and feel their very best, and to choose a fashion direction that suits their aesthetic and body. Nothing’s worse than forcing someone to wear something they don’t like or doesn’t fit well, because if you feel uncomfortable, you’re definitely going to look uncomfortable; experience has taught me well. Luckily I had already worked with Cameron on an amazing cover shoot for Harper’s Bazaar in the decade prior so we had a good foundation to build on. We had a phone call to chat about how she was feeling now, and which brands she was into (Bottega, The Row, Gabriela Hearst to name a few…), so this set us up for success.
The Moodboard: What inspirations, themes, or references guided the overall tone of the shoot and your styling moodboard ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
“Super chic but also playful and undone, leaning on Cameron’s bubbly personality, great smile and energy, with some beautiful intimate moments”. This was what I wrote to my friend Karla Martinez, Head of Editorial Content for Vogue Mexico and Latin America, when describing the mood Norman and I came up with.
Karla and I have known each other since the year 2000, when we were both assistants at Elle Magazine, so it’s always wonderful to work together where there’s a mutual understanding and trust. Same goes for working with the brilliant photographer Norman Jean Roy whom I’ve known for nearly as long, and who I collaborate with in the most synergistic way as we can talk about photography for hours. We put together a beautiful moodboard with references from Bruce Weber, Peter Lindbergh and Herb Ritts, among others, so right from the start, we were all very aligned: an effortless Hollywood glam mood.
From the start, we were all very aligned: an effortless Hollywood glam mood !
The Set Design: How did the setting, location, or backdrop complement the styling and elevate the final images ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We shot in a great house in the Hollywood Hills of LA right before the holidays - and before the devastating fires which nearly decimated that neighborhood - and envisioned a loose and energetic vibe, with lots of movement and captured quiet moments. There was a big open lawn to run around on, and a fantastic pool with a vista of wide open sky behind it, so the location lent itself well to our playful exploration.
Cameron Diaz for Vogue Mexico January 2025, shot by Norman Jean Roy, styled by Natasha Royt The Styling itself: What defined the pieces or designers you pulled for this shoot, and how did they shape the overall aesthetic ? Was there any specific piece you really wanted to shoot for this cover story ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I always begin conceptualizing a story with a moodboard first, finding a mix of references which can inspire a mood, a vibe, a setting, a feeling, which can then be shared with the photographer, the magazine and fashion team, so we all have a sense of the story before getting into the weeds of editing the collections. This helps so much! I can edit very specifically for the designers and looks which best illustrate the concept, without calling in too much or going overboard. I’m very conscious of the enormous carbon footprint of fashion shoots, and I don’t like to be inefficient or wasteful of anyone’s time, resources or money, so by getting very clear on my point of view, i don’t need to have as much on set. Gone are the days when we would travel with 30 trunks of clothes and accessories for a single shoot, frankly it’s just confusing, wasteful and shows a lack of vision and editing.
I’m very conscious of the enormous carbon footprint of fashion shoots, and I don’t like to be inefficient or wasteful of anyone’s time, resources or money, so by getting very clear on my point of view, i don’t need to have as much on set.
Having a tight moodboard also gave me ideas for the fashion itself. For example, a Steven Meisel picture of Madonna from the 90s gave me the idea to pull a Stella McCartney white shirt look with tiny sparkles of embroidery which I knew would catch the light just so and make a striking portrait!
Cameron Diaz for Vogue Mexico January 2025 shot by Norman Jean Roy, styled by Natasha Royt, Madonna’s “Sex”, taken by Steven Meisel, and published by Warner Books, New York, in 1992 Also knowing what Cameron likes, I was able to pull looks I knew she was going to love, like the beyond gorgeous black textured dress from Bottega Veneta which ended up on the stunning cover, the dress-over-pants moment from emerging brand Kallmeyer, or the uber-luxury of a cashmere sweater and full white skirt from Gabriela Hearst, to name a few.
Cameron Diaz for Vogue Mexico January 2025, shot by Norman Jean Roy, styled by Natasha Royt The Glam: How did hair, makeup, and beauty contribute to the story you were telling ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
We all understood each other’s aesthetic and believed in one another’s vision and contribution, so it came together perfectly. We didn’t really want or need to give Cameron anything too conceptual given the mood of the story, and she loved having easy, touchable hair which we shifted from loose and down, to pulled back and up depending on the outfit. The makeup was applied with a light touch so that it didn’t feel heavy, but just strong enough to give character and definition.
Cameron Diaz for Vogue Mexico, shot by Norman Jean Roy, styled by Natasha Royt, Hair by Teddy Charles, Make up by Mélanie Inglessis The Team: How did working with the photographer and other team members shape the outcome ? Were there any standout moments ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Having the right team is everything! The relationships we have with our collaborators are worth their weight in gold, and lead to synergy and high vibes on set, which thus produce great pictures. We had the beyond talented and fabulous Teddy Charles for hair and Melanie Inglessis for makeup; two brilliant artists i’ve known for a long time, who both had long-standing relationships with Cameron as well as Norman, so having us all in the room together again was just pure ease, trust and joy.
The Unexpected: We know sometimes the unexpected or the improvisation of the creatives or talent on set can play a role in making the editorial magic happen. Did chance come into play that day ?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Always! Preparation is key, but trusting the process and relaxing enough to allow for a playful attitude is when the magic can really happen. There was definitely a moment when we were shooting the Bottega look, when I unzipped the back of the dress so it could come off the shoulder a bit, and Teddy came in to pull the hair back, and Norman asked Cameron to step up onto a little table so we can shoot to sky, and she just created the most incredible shape with her body in profile, something truly special happened and we could feel it, there was like an audible gasp from all of us; it was an undeniable energy and of course that was the look that ended up on the cover. When you know, you just really know, you know?
Herb Ritts reference image, bts of the Bottega Veneta look, Cameron Diaz for Vogue Mexico Cover shot by Norman Jean Roy styled by Natasha Royt We hope you enjoyed our conversation with Natasha Royt !
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