Tokyo, the famed frontwoman of the hit show La Casa de Papel (known in English as Money Heist), is a style maven in every regard. Sure, she spends most of her time on the show clad in the canonical red jumpsuit, but in all the flashbacks and non-heist scenes, we're always treated to her spunky, edgy brand of glam.
Tokyo (whose real name in the series is Silene Oliveira) is played by Ursula Corbero, a 32-year-old actress, model, and bona-fide fashion lover. Preview got the chance to sit down with Ursula in a one-on-one Zoom interview to talk about Tokyo's style in show.
Even though she kept her camera off, the giddiness was apparent in her voice when we talked about how popular Money Heist is in the Philippines.
On Styling Tokyo Herself
According to Ursula, she played a part in styling her character for the show."I had the opportunity to talk to the style manager, and I say, 'Okay, the way I see my character is, [she's] very stylish, but with rags.' And, well, we knew it was clear that she didn't have the economic means to be really stylish in an expensive way," she shared.
"We went to look for things in secondhand clothes shops—to look for cheap but stylish clothes. We also found inspiration in the character of Mallory Knox from Natural Born Killers."
Asian fashion, too, was a point of inspiration in styling the character, which makes perfect sense given her chosen code name."She chooses her name– it's not the professor that gives her that name," Ursula said. "It was beautiful also to have some Asian inspirations."
Ursula also shared that she lent Tokyo some pieces from her very own wardrobe. In fact, one of the most memorable outfits from the show— the cheongsam she wore after they successfully carried out their first heist— actually belongs to her!
"[If] you remember when she wore the Chinese dress, that was mine. It was my aunt that bought it for me during a trip to China. Most of the Asian things you see from her are mine, actually."
When asked which of Tokyo's clothes were actually hers, Ursula quickly quipped, "Not the red overalls!"
"But there are some scenes, of course, like when we were in La Casa de Toledo when we were preparing, or in Panama. There I wore my clothes."
"I love being part of the character creation. I love fashion, so I like to be involved in the whole process. It's very important for me to see myself differently in order to get into character," she said.
Volume 1 of La Casa de Papel Part 5 is out now on Netflix.
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