Tosin Cole on Supacell, fashion week and getting into costume

In just under an hour Tosin Cole will be heading to his first ever Louis Vuitton show. "I'd be lying if I said I hadn't always dreamt of this," the actor told Gentleman's Journal as he tucked into a lobster roll and fries in his hotel room ahead of Pharrell's Autumn/Winter 2025 collection unveiling at Le Louvre. "It's the big one, it's the top of the game!"

Despite his shock that he's there, it's no surprise that Cole has landed a spot on the Front Row at the Grande Dame of Paris Fashion Week. The 32-year-old actor has been steadily building a reputation (he's come a long way from his early roles in Eastenders and Hollyoaks) as one of Britain's most exciting and promising actors, and his career has really taken off.

Following on from a small part in Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens, he inched closer to household name status thanks to his role in Supacell, the big Netflix show from Rapman and Sebastian Thiel that follows five Black South Londoners who develop superpowers. It was watched by over 18 million viewers in its first few weeks, and ranked in the top 10 of all Netflix shows in 2024. Season two was quickly announced, drafted and scheduled, and filming is set to start later this year. Meanwhile, Cole has already filmed his next project, Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Movie, alongside Nicholas Galitzine and Hugh Jackman - "a star-studded cast!" he says, excitedly - and another is in the pipeline, although he can't tell me what during our chat. "Top secret, it's based on a popular book, and filming will be in South Africa. I think I can tell you that." The next day the project announcement arrives - a film adaptation of Children Of Blood And Bone, the New York Times Bestseller, will star Cole alongside Hollywood giants such as Viola Davis, Cynthia Erivo, Lashana Lynch, Damson Idris, Idris Elba and Chiwetel Ejiofor, is on its way. I'm thinking that this won't be Cole's last seat at a Vuitton show.

So, to say he's lucky to have a coveted seat at a big Paris Fashion Week show would be a lie. He's worked hard for his place on the FROW, deserves it and looks damn good sitting there in his Vuitton outfit. And that's the thing that really gets him going about attending his first show. for the French Maison "It’s always a good time to see what you’re going to buy," he laughs, citing the looming Nigo and Vuitton collaboration as something he will likely be into. "No, but seriously, getting to wear these clothes is amazing." For the event Cole wore a custom grey double-breasted suit, under which he wore a white T-shirt. White trainers completed the look, which he says is an intentional thing. "I love white trainers box fresh. I own so many pairs of Air Force Ones." The outfit itself though, was something he'd been dreaming about. "We're keeping it classy with a bit of pizzazz. It’s not for the average Joe, this stuff. When you’re doing it you don’t think about it, and then when you finish you’re like 'bro! I’m doing this kind of stuff now.' It’s quite exciting. I’m out here putting on a grey customised suit!"

Cole loves this side of acting - the press and red carpets - although he admits it can be a lot. "I like to be comfortable, I don’t want the clothes to wear me," he says, admitting that his own everyday wardrobe can be a little more on the simple side. "It varies. It’s very relaxed, clean and simple, but there might be a jacket that has a bit more flavour to it. It's like put-together, homeless chic. That's what I call it. I might put a trench with a little hoodie, nice trousers. Bit of everything chucked in."

And when it comes to his on-screen characters, he's ready to have some fun. "When you get a cool costume or character it’s nice," he tells me. "A lot of the time, especially on the shows I was doing when I was on my way up, the clothes were a bit less exciting because of budgets and that. The costumes can be a bit meh." He explains that, despite those Netflix budgets, his Supacell character Michael Lasaki has a bland wardrobe. "I tried to spice him up a bit but it wasn’t working!" I'm quick to let him know that you can buy a remake of Lasaki's CPX jacket on the Internet. "No way! I created a trend, you need to send me the link! I need some commission!”

While he's fine with Lasaki's simple costumes - "for the most part the characters need to be less exciting with their wardrobes" - he's ready to really dress up for an on-screen role. "Character driven stuff like I did for Star Wars is exciting. You really feel like the person you're playing." I've always wanted to do a Western like Boardwalk Empire with nice tailored suits, or a Peaky Blinders-style show. Something based on those periods when everyone was sharp and had specific side parts in their hair."

Sure, a pipe-dream for now - but not one that's totally out of the blue, given his stacked and growing pile of projects - he's more than happy to sit back in his custom Louis Vuitton suit, and enjoy the show.

Now read an interview with Ed Westwick as he takes on fashion week

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