Home is …
A farm near Atlanta, Georgia.
Where do you stay when you are in London?
I kind of hop around different hotels. Not a specific one, but anywhere that’s chic and kind of low-key.
What was your first job in London?
We filmed quite a bit of Enola Holmes in London, but because so much of my work was when I was younger, it’s so hard to remember exactly where. It’s like asking someone what you were doing when you were 10 years old. I will pass somewhere in London and think: I am definitely sure I’ve shot there. Jake [Bongiovi, Brown’s husband] will be like, really? Another early London memory was when I did a cover for Interview magazine here in east London. We shot it in this beautiful studio and I just remember how I felt very much like a London model.
Where in London would you recommend for a first date?
I would say that Hyde Park, like a walk in the park, is just so romantic. There’s just really nothing like it — in every season it’s stunning.
Which shops do you rely on?
Harrods, I just love. For everything. It’s an experience as a whole. Then Zara, Next, H&M and Waitrose are my touch points. I guess we do go to the East End. In Bethnal Green there is a kind of vintage street that we always go to that we love.
What’s the best meal you’ve had in London?
I go to Sheesh every time I go to London because it’s just my favourite meal. I love it. It’s delicious. I usually take anyone who has never been there before, or my whole family.
What would you do if you were Mayor for the day?
Honestly, that’s just too hard to answer. [If I was pushed, it would] probably have something to do with animals and protecting them.
What’s the best thing a London cabbie has ever said to you?
Probably that I asked them to take me somewhere that was too close for them to even drive to, and they say, ‘No. You should walk.’
Where do you go to let your hair down?
I go to a bar called The Little Yellow Door in Notting Hill, or The Little Scarlet Door in Soho. Everyone’s like over 30 on their first date with some random guy. It’s very fun and the music is really good.
Who do you call when you want to have fun in London?
My mum. My mum’s a lot of fun.
What do you collect?
I collect a lot of animals. That’s my thing. What don’t I have? I have a horse. I have ponies and donkeys, chickens and dogs and cats, and sheep, goats and cows. I have a farm in Atlanta, Georgia. I love to collect animals.
What are you up to at the moment for work?
I am currently working on Stranger Things season 5. I have worked on a collaboration with my brand Florence by Mills and Specsavers. Sunglasses, and opticals, have been a really big part of my life: sunglasses so that I can remain incognito in big crowds and optical because I actually needed them. The reason I worked with Specsavers was because growing up as a little British girl, it was accessible and affordable. Those are my company morals and fundamentals, too.
Which podcast are you currently obsessed with?
I don’t actually listen to podcasts. I just love music. Right now I’m listening to the Short n’ Sweet album by Sabrina Carpenter. So that’s kind of my podcast right now.
What’s your favourite London beauty spot?
I love Josh Wood to get my hair done. That’s my go-to every time I’m in London.
What’s your favourite work of art in London?
Nothing specific, but what I will say is I just love the architecture there, and I think that’s art in itself. I think it’s one of the most romantic cities. I have a soft spot for New York, but there is just nothing quite like London. The cobblestone streets, the architecture. You truly feel like you’ll be transported to another place. I think they’ve done such a great job of protecting that kind of feel within the city. My favourite building is Big Ben. Whenever I see it, it feels like I’m home. When I saw Big Ben, I knew I was about 20 or 30 minutes from seeing my nan. So that was what I loved the most.
