How Lola Bute Became the British It Girl of the Moment

On her first day of school, a young Lola Bute informed her headmaster that he should not, under any circumstances, refer to her as Lola. She preferred to be addressed as Cinderella.

Today, Bute remains a big fan of dressing up and getting into character. "I love an occasion," she admits. Her 25th birthday party last year, held on her family's Scottish isle of Bute, drew guests like Sienna Miller and Princess Olympia of Greece. The event turned into a phenomenon along the lines of the Black and White Ball or Kate Moss's 30th birthday bash. (When you type Bute's name into Google, "party" is one of the first suggested terms.)

"I've literally been planning this party since I was five," Bute says. "My mom would dread getting stuck on a ski lift with me because it's all I talk about. Most girls are thinking about their wedding. I was like, 'I don't want to share the attention with anyone.'" Still, she insists she was not expecting the attention the bacchanal brought. Wearing a simple off-the-shoulder black top and a cross necklace, she brushes her buttery blonde hair aside as she remembers the media frenzy that followed. "My mom was like, 'I think we should say, 'No Instagram or social media over the weekend.' I was like, 'Don't be ridiculous. No one cares.' I don't know what happened, but I went to sleep on Sunday night and woke up on Monday, and it was everywhere."

The theme was "How Lola Can You Go?" and guests arrived in risqué ensembles that skirted dangerously close to nudity. "I don't know whether to be really upset or flattered, but everyone put in such an effort!" she says now. She would, however, like to correct the record on one front. Even though the party was likened to the one in Saltburn, she says, "I think it was more fun than the party looked in the film."" title="On her first day of school, a young Lola Bute informed her headmaster that he should not, under any circumstances, refer to her as Lola. She preferred to be addressed as Cinderella. "I always wanted to be in character," Bute says now, "because I think I wasn't quite sure who I was, honestly, until recently."

Today, Bute remains a big fan of dressing up and getting into character. "I love an occasion," she admits. Her 25th birthday party last year, held on her family's Scottish isle of Bute, drew guests like Sienna Miller and Princess Olympia of Greece. The event turned into a phenomenon along the lines of the Black and White Ball or Kate Moss's 30th birthday bash. (When you type Bute's name into Google, "party" is one of the first suggested terms.)

"I've literally been planning this party since I was five," Bute says. "My mom would dread getting stuck on a ski lift with me because it's all I talk about. Most girls are thinking about their wedding. I was like, 'I don't want to share the attention with anyone.'" Still, she insists she was not expecting the attention the bacchanal brought. Wearing a simple off-the-shoulder black top and a cross necklace, she brushes her buttery blonde hair aside as she remembers the media frenzy that followed. "My mom was like, 'I think we should say, 'No Instagram or social media over the weekend.' I was like, 'Don't be ridiculous. No one cares.' I don't know what happened, but I went to sleep on Sunday night and woke up on Monday, and it was everywhere."

The theme was "How Lola Can You Go?" and guests arrived in risqué ensembles that skirted dangerously close to nudity. "I don't know whether to be really upset or flattered, but everyone put in such an effort!" she says now. She would, however, like to correct the record on one front. Even though the party was likened to the one in Saltburn, she says, "I think it was more fun than the party looked in the film."" height="auto">

On her first day of school, a young Lola Bute informed her headmaster that he should not, under any circumstances, refer to her as Lola. She preferred to be addressed as Cinderella. "I always wanted to be in character," Bute says now, "because I think I wasn't quite sure who I was, honestly, until recently."

Today, Bute remains a big fan of dressing up and getting into character. "I love an occasion," she admits. Her 25th birthday party last year, held on her family's Scottish isle of Bute, drew guests like Sienna Miller and Princess Olympia of Greece. The event turned into a phenomenon along the lines of the Black and White Ball or Kate Moss's 30th birthday bash. (When you type Bute's name into Google, "party" is one of the first suggested terms.)

"I've literally been planning this party since I was five," Bute says. "My mom would dread getting stuck on a ski lift with me because it's all I talk about. Most girls are thinking about their wedding. I was like, 'I don't want to share the attention with anyone.'" Still, she insists she was not expecting the attention the bacchanal brought. Wearing a simple off-the-shoulder black top and a cross necklace, she brushes her buttery blonde hair aside as she remembers the media frenzy that followed. "My mom was like, 'I think we should say, 'No Instagram or social media over the weekend.' I was like, 'Don't be ridiculous. No one cares.' I don't know what happened, but I went to sleep on Sunday night and woke up on Monday, and it was everywhere."

The theme was "How Lola Can You Go?" and guests arrived in risqué ensembles that skirted dangerously close to nudity. "I don't know whether to be really upset or flattered, but everyone put in such an effort!" she says now. She would, however, like to correct the record on one front. Even though the party was likened to the one in Saltburn, she says, "I think it was more fun than the party looked in the film."