Robert Pattinson talks to GQ UK about his style regrets, the paparazzi and Dior Homme:

Robert Pattinson has come a long way since his Harry Potter and Twilight days. The British actor has just starred in the Oscar-nominated, Robert Eggers-directed film The Lighthouse and he’s recently been unveiled as the next Batman and is the lead in Christopher Nolan’s forthcoming Tenet. But Pattinson also has another key role keeping him busy and that’s being the face of Dior Homme’s current fragrance campaign.

Pattinson has worked with Dior for an impressie eight years, since 2012. “I never thought we would be doing it for this long,” The actor told us. But with his chiselled good looks, that fine-tuned personal style and, of course, those intimidating acting chops, we’re less surprised than Pattinson.

Being in a fragrance campaign has big perks for an actor. “No one was really working with brands on such a big level when I was approached. That said, it’s been incredible and I’ve worked with directors that I wanted to do movies with anyway. I’ve been able to work with Jonathan Alric and Romain Gavras.”

It’s not just the auteurs he’s been able to collaborate with that have been game changing for Pattinson. “If I was choosing to wear clothes myself, I don’t think I would have gone in a lot the directions that I have ended up going in with Dior and people like Kim Jones,” Pattinson said. “I never would have thought I would be wearing chiffon, silk and satin. I wore this tuxedo, which had basketball shorts last year – never would have imagined that!”

Though the days of dodgy outfits and ill-fitting cuts are behind him, Pattinson still cringes at the thought of his past style turns. One that stands out in particular is his look from the 2005 premiere of Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire. “I was wearing leather trousers with these cowboy boots and a velvet jacket. I mean, it literally looked like a kid had gone into a dressing-up box.” 

He’s not tracked by the paparazzi as much in recent years as he was in his Twilight heyday – “I have so many terror memories of the paparazzi… and I still don full-on protective armour, hood up, hat down” – but he still thinks very carefully about what he wears, including, he says, the kind of items he absolutely can’t pull off. “I wish I could dress like A$AP Rocky, he just has serious style,” he admitted. “We have been to quite a few different fittings together and I will see the craziest thing and really want to wear it, but look like a total moron. Then we will go to the show and I will see Rocky in it and be like, ‘Jesus Christ, you can literally wear anything!’”

Pattinson’s day-to-day style is pretty simple, usually consisting of T-shirts and light-wash jeans, but there is one thing he relies on, which will impress hypebeasts everywhere. Pattinson has a penchant for sold-out Palace Skateboards x Adidas Originals trainers; he gets his team to source them on Ebay and Depop. “A fresh pair of them only comes up every eight months or so,” he tells me. “I had a pair of them stolen off me once, but I saw them on Ebay and I know I bought them back off the thief. I have alerts on when they’re being sold; I’ll soon own every pair in existence,” he says, laughing.

But now that he is nearing his mid-thirties, and is a spokesperson for a grooming giant, it’s his skincare that he’s really decided to focus on (I’m addition to acting, of course.) “As I am getting older I’m definitely noticing things. I used to not do anything at all, up until a few years ago, and I can definitely see the difference [in my face now], especially if I am travelling a lot.”

Pattinson’s secret to giving his skin that youthful glow? “It’s very American Psycho, but those sheet masks make a massive difference. I’m fully committed and I even put an eye mask on over the top too. Try it!” At the time of talking, Pattinson has been off shooting Nolan’s Tenet for seven months and hasn’t been home once. “Self-care is important. I really appreciate coming home even though it’s only for a few days, just to give my skin and body a rest,” he finishes.

The next couple of years are set to be the biggest in Pattinson’s career, making intervals for self-care even less likely. He is currently filming Matt Reeves’ The Batman – which has its own physical demands, as seen with previous Batman portrayers – while Tenet will hit screens in July.

Until then, you’ll be able to see him dance, give plenty of sultry looks and don a superb tuxedo in the Dior Homme campaign.