Michelle Dockery on Lady Mary's most stylish moments in The Downton Abbey film

By Hayley Maitland17 September 2019

As the Downton Abbey film hits cinemas, Vogue catches up with the 37-year-old about what's next for the eldest daughter of the Earl of Grantham

It's hard to overstate how much Britain has changed since Downton Abbey concluded in 2015. Case in point: on the day of this interview, Westminster is flooded with protestors responding to the chaos in Parliament. Inside Michelle Dockery's suite at the Corinthia Hotel, however, all is calm – with a sense of order that you sense the Dowager Countess would approve of. Vogue spoke with the 37-year-old about returning to Highclere Castle after so many years; developing Lady Mary's incredible style; and the exquisite time capsule that is the Downton Abbey film.

What was it like heading back onto the set after so many years away?

It honestly felt like we’d never left – even from the first read-through. It’s incredibly rare to be able to go back to a character that you’ve already played. You just kind of slip back into it. Honestly, I had missed her. The first scene that I filmed was actually with Jim [Carter] and Phyllis [Logan] at Carson and Mrs Hughes’s cottage. That felt odd because Highclere Castle feels more like Mary’s territory. Whenever I’m in the servants’ quarters or outside the main house, I feel like she’s a bit out of her element.

Surely, it feels a bit like your own territory now, after so many years filming there?

It’s funny, going up to it for the first time, I thought, “Oh my God, I definitely took it for granted in the end – this being my office for all of those seasons.” You do get used to it, but it had been more than three years since I had visited when all of us came back to do the film. It felt like a homecoming, but it also kind of revived the magic of the place for me. As for Mary she’s completely settled at Downton Abbey now – still happily married to Henry and running the estate, but there’s always a part of her that questions, “What if...?”

How involved have you been in developing Lady Mary’s style over the years?

Anna [Robbins], our costume designer for the last few seasons of Downton Abbey and for the film, taught me so much – about Lady Mary and about clothes in general. It was when I was doing a fitting with her for the movie that I really thought, “Okay, here we go.” There was a moment in the fourth season when Mary goes to a fashion presentation in London when her taste really solidified for both of us. Her waistlines dropped, and she found her signature palette of deep blues and reds – although towards the end of the series, she did wear quite a lot of dark mauves and greys as a reflection of how depressed she was.

All of that changes in the film though; it’s the most incredible celebration of decadent 1927 fashions.

Yes, the clothes really are on another level – with so many more diamonds! In 1927, the fashions were shifting again; hemlines were dropping and bobs were changing their shape. Plus, you see Mary in a lighter palette in certain scenes in the film. If I had to choose a favourite, it might be the couture Prussian blue Fortuny gown that Mary wears for the royal luncheon at Downton Abbey [the piece was designed by Robbins in collaboration with the legendary Italian house]. I also love the daywear though; there’s a cream outfit with black piping down the front that’s very Chanel.

How many of your costumes were original pieces?

Anna works with lots of original pieces – most of them from Paris – even if it’s just as a source of inspiration. She might find a 1920s dress, for example, with the top half in perfect condition and the bottom half in tatters – then create an entirely different skirt for it. Actually, she does that a lot. Or, she might take a piece of embellishment from the 1920s and stitch it onto a newly made design, so you always have a sense of what would have been. No detail is overlooked. All of my shoes were custom-made for the film – including a pair to match that Chanel-inspired look.

The film includes the most spectacular ball in honour of King George V and Queen Mary’s royal visit; what was that scene like to film?

Just so much fun, the grandeur of it all. We were working with Diana Scrivener, the choreographer from the original series, who is just brilliant. In the beginning, everybody was stepping on everybody else’s toes during rehearsals, while the rest of us pretended to hold up cards like on Strictly Come Dancing. It came together in the end though. In fact, this was one scene in which I wear an original piece: a dramatic vintage gown covered in silver beading. While I was dancing in it, the orchestra was playing the same beautiful piece of music over and over again, and now, whenever I hear it, it takes me straight back.

The Downton Abbey film is in cinemas now.

This article was originally appeared on vogue.co.uk