Watch Tess McMillan’s Morning Routine Before Simone Rocha’s Spring 2020 Show in London

Tess McMillan once declared that she would never walk down a runway. Lucky for Simone Rocha, the model changed her mind: She’s walked in Rocha’s past three London shows. In that time, McMillan has not only established herself as a force in the fashion space, but she’s also become a proponent of size diversity and inclusion throughout the industry.

Earlier this week, Vogue tagged along with the Texas native as she got ready for Rocha’s Spring 2020 show. Her morning started with journaling, a daily practice McMillan swears by to reduce stress and boost focus for the day’s tasks. She also gave us a glimpse of her skin-care routine—she likes to use a gentle exfoliator before hitting the runway—and shared some of her favorite vintage spots in town before heading to Alexandra Palace.

Upon arrival, Rocha’s team whisked McMillan away to shoot the campaign lookbook before she sat down with makeup artist Thomas de Kluyver. The beauty look he created was fresh and minimal, save for a surprising, vaguely sinister feather that was hand-painted on her forehead, a nod to the “Irish wren boys” who Rocha says inspired the collection. Then it was time for McMillan to slip into her look: a creamy, embroidered satin gown with a fluted skirt and sparkling pearl embellishments.

With her third London Fashion Week behind her, McMillan says she’s most excited to keep pushing boundaries. “If I think I’m beautiful, then what’s to stop me from doing anything?” She’s found a kindred spirit in Rocha, whose vision of femininity is hardly conventional. Here, follow McMillan’s full journey, and read Sarah Mower’s review of Rocha’s collection, here.

Filmed at Cakes & Ladders

Director: Talia Collis
DP: John Fisher
Sound: Ollie Drummond
Editor: Sam Norton, Tim Beeston

Originally Appeared on Vogue