WOMEN OF THE WORLD - ISA GUHA

We chat to acclaimed actor and activist Gillian Anderson on philanthropy, style and her sophomore collection for Winser London. Here, Gillian Anderson talks about her work with Women for Women International, how she likes to spend her downtime and collaborating with Winser London.

It does depend on what I’m doing as there are various facets to my work. I suppose the look I’m aiming for is elegant and chic, but I have to feel relaxed and confident at the same time. When I’m covering Test matches, which are a very traditional format, I love classic neutral colours such as creams and navy, in staple styles such as leggings and a blazer. I absolutely love the leggings from Winser London: they are smart and stylish and very flattering. I’ve been presenting The Hundred coverage for the BBC, which is a shorter, faster exciting format designed to woo new audiences. The event colours are bold and bright with lots of snazzy graphics, so I’ve gone for reds and pinks for my wardrobe to complement the feel of the coverage. I wear lots of stretch fabrics as comfort is important to me. I don’t want to be distracted on live TV by something that is pulling or tight, and I need to be able to move freely, so strict tailoring doesn’t work. I used to wear short, body con dresses, but I rapidly realised they rode up on screen. Over the years, my style has evolved and I’ve added different looks to my wardrobe, although I still get it wrong sometimes – I wore a wide-legged playsuit recently that really didn’t suit me. I have worked with a few stylists over the years and experimented to gradually establish the key pieces that I like wearing and work for me. Winser London’s Miracle Dresses are fab because they are easy to wear and extremely flattering, and I don’t need to worry about coordinating top and bottom. I’m only 5’1” so one of the key things for me is to get things shortened or adapted to fit my proportions. That makes a massive difference. I always wear heels, because I work with a lot of taller men and I need to make eye contact in interviews: also I think they just boost my confidence as they make me focus on posture and standing tall. I can’t wear stilettoes because I’m often walking on the turf and the groundsmen would get annoyed, so I look for a block heel, often with an ankle strap or something to add a feminine detail.

When I look in my suitcase, I’m ashamed to say it’s a bit of a mess. I like to call it organised chaos. Stretch fabrics come into their own when I’m travelling for work, because they recover quickly and don’t show creases as much. I tend to pack the core pieces that I wear even when I’m working from a home base, to be honest: the leggings, a blazer, a Miracle dress or two in black, navy or red. And I always have some workout / training gear with me, so I can exercise wherever I am. If I’m travelling to Australia during the UK winter for the cricket season there, I always leave some space in my luggage and do some shopping in the Boxing Day sales, as I love to find some pieces to wear that I don’t see back home.

I absolutely love jewellery! When I was younger I wore lots of silver, but I’ve grown to love gold and diamonds now. I’d wear more if I could, but I find that statement jewellery doesn’t seem to work on TV: simple seems to the key. I enjoy feeling really glam with all the trinkets, and particularly love wearing decorative earrings and a great necklace.

There’s an essential list of products I need for my skincare, make-up and to do my hair, and I stick with favourites that I know work for me. I use a lovely organic Daily Renew Face Cream from Evolve, Hertfordshire-based artisan skincare brand, who make in small batches in an eco-friendly studio, and combine that with Photo Finish Serum from Smashbox. During the pandemic, I’ve had to do my own make-up for all my BBC presenting, as we weren’t allowed close-contact with make-up artists, so I’ve got into a routine and can put my TV face on quite quickly now. It’s not the same as having a professional do it, and having that calm time before going on air, to gather your thoughts while someone else makes you look your best. Outside work, I love wearing make-up and rarely leave the house without a slick of black eyeliner. I have a great NARS brown eyeshadow that I use on both my eyelids and brows, then use a combination of other products from Mac and Charlotte Tilbury. I do relish the opportunity to have a make-up free day at home sometimes, though! I use GHD straighteners to do the curls in my hair, which takes me about 15 minutes in all, and in the shower I use Pureology products plus Moroccan Oil to condition.

I do regular six kilometre runs, and I’ve just invested in a Peloton. I go through phases of doing weights, but it can be hard to maintain routine when I’m doing Test matches or travelling. I do miss doing heavy weights. I like yoga and Pilates but I don’t do them enough. A Thai massage is always very therapeutic and restorative: during Covid, I’ve missed that strength and depth of muscle tissue massage. In terms of general wellbeing, I love catching up with my mates, and having a great meal with a glass of bubbles. And I’m at my happiest when I’m by the water, so if I’m working somewhere near the sea, you’ll find me running along the coast on my day off.

I feel immensely privileged to have been part of a world-class sports team and will treasure the experiences and memories forever. As a broadcaster, I take a similar approach to my work as I did as a professional athlete: I want to be the best I can be, so I am always looking for ways to improve my performance. When I started doing commentary, I felt I was terrible, but I’ve developed a deeper tone and learned to use my voice as an instrument to tell a story with passion and authenticity. Over time, I’ve gravitate more towards being the lead presenter, and really love that role. It’s chaos behind the scenes, but it’s very fulfilling working with directors and producers to get the best out of guests, and to deliver something for your audience that’s informative and entertaining. When things go wrong I have to navigate the way through, making it appear seamless: that is so satisfying. I have reached a point now where I am getting a say in how the TV broadcasts I’m involved with look and feel, so I get to use the experience I’ve gained with all the global broadcasters I’ve worked with. I love having some input and to be able to work with the production teams to make cricket fresh and attractive to new audiences. In terms of other ambitions, when I was a cricketer, we had constant goals set for us, and now, I’m excited about being open to different opportunities as they arise and not having a set path. Knowing what I don’t want to do in life helps me as much as knowing what I do want to do. One thing I know for sure, is that I want to put something back into the sport that has given me so much, so I’m involved in various ways with both grass roots and top tier cricket organisations and am working to encourage girls and women in sport.