The actress opens up about her style journey, and why her mother is her ultimate fashion icon

“I’m still collecting myself,” Anya Chalotra says of The Witcher premiere, which took place in London this week. “It was so nice to celebrate what we’ve been working on for such a long time, with my family there as well.”

The actress pulled out all the stops to celebrate the return of the Netflix hit – now in its third season – in which Chalotra plays the formidable Yennefer of Vengerberg.

What does one wear for such a special event? The actress opted for a striking Magda Butrym ensemble featuring a floral bodice with a matching black slip skirt, effortlessly falling just below the ankle. She emphasised the feminine edge of Butrym’s aesthetic with a sleek side-parting and a soft glossy lip.

Here, Chalotra talks to Bazaar about finding her confidence on the red carpet, working with her stylist and why her mother will always be her ultimate fashion icon.

PLEASE TALK US THROUGH YOUR LOOK FOR THE PREMIERE – WHY DOES IT FEEL LIKE SUCH A GOOD FIT FOR YOU?
“My stylist Nicky [Yates] and I decided to go for a Magda Butrym two-piece that’s very classic but with a twist, which is something we’re always looking for. The outfit made me feel so comfortable, which is always needed when you’re on the red carpet as it can be quite nerve-racking. The look was minimal, yet daring, and just popped in a different way which I loved.”

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHICH BRANDS YOU WANT TO WORK WITH?
“Rather than being exclusive to one brand, it is all about the aesthetic and physicality fitting my personality. I love one-off pieces that are made well – I buy a lot of secondhand items that I know will last and that I can wear again and again, which will always make me feel good.”

The Witcher will be split into two parts. The first will premiere June 29th.

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From a young age, Anya Chalotra realised that performing was a way that she could ‘change the moods of my family members’. Like any kid who stumbles on a foolproof way to influence their parents, she kept doing it, attending Guildhall School of Music and Drama school when she was 19. As a British-Indian youth, Bollywood influenced her, too: ‘I watched a lot of it growing up. I think that was a way for my dad to show me his culture.’

After graduating, she picked up parts in TV shows The ABC Murders and Wanderlust, but when she landed a leading role in the Netflix show The Witcher, she felt radically underprepared. ‘She was someone that was outside of myself that I initially couldn’t reach,’ says Chalotra of her character, Yennefer.

It’s a big, gruelling part: a struggling young woman with a curved spine and facial paralysis, who discovers she has magic powers. Not only does Yennefer hold the show, she faces a huge physical transformation.

‘Three weeks in, I called my mentor [actor Niamh Cusack] and said, “I can’t do this, can you help me?” I’m dyslexic and I found working with cameras difficult. I was so used to being free from that on stage.’ Cusack advised Chalotra to ‘forget about everything and play the moment’ and something shifted. ‘I learned to trust my instincts,’ she says. The Witcher became an instant hit. Watched by 76 million households, it was at the time Netflix’s most-viewed first season of television. Now, with two seasons under her belt, Chalotra is revelling in her newfound confidence.

‘I learned to feel comfortable with being uncomfortable. Acting changed the way I saw myself.’