Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart are arguably the most recognizable couple in the world. The charismatic film producer and fashion icon, who has been nicknamed the “English Robert Pattinson,” has had a significant impact on Hollywood culture. With their fair isle blue eyes and classic British swagger, the pair became enigmas at the end of the 20th century. Theirs is an extraordinary romance, marked by a sophisticated sense of style and classically British good manners. They are passionate about protecting their private lives, and their privacy has often been in the spotlight. After dating for several years, the pair announced their engagement in February 2016 and quickly made it public knowledge. Their commitment to each other was affirmed when they exchanged vows in a private ceremony in Italy in December 2016. Despite their growing public profile, the newlywed Stewart-Pattinson continue to reserve many of their romantic adventures for themselves. In a candid conversation with Elle, Stewart expounded on the unique nature of their relationship:
Privacy Is Paramount
The actress is passionate about protecting her privacy, and her upcoming wedding to the Hollywood star serves as a timely reminder of that. It is not unusual for Stewart to keep details of her personal life under wraps. She is more comfortable in the limelight than she is indulging in the limelight. As a result, she often maintains a discreet distance from her fans, the press, and the public. In 2015, she even admitted that she is not comfortable when people stare at her. When asked if she has ever had a “bad celebrity experience,” she acknowledged, “Yes, of course. When I was younger, I didn’t know how to handle it. I would get so self-conscious that sometimes I would hide in the back of the car. I would think, How can they know so much about me? Why are they looking at me? I didn’t know how to react.”
Despite her initial discomfort, over the years Stewart has learned to embrace her celebrity. She even went on to say, “I guess I’ve gotten to a place where it doesn’t really matter to me anymore, because it comes with the territory. I’m not going to hide anymore. I’m just going to live my life and be myself.” Stewart’s guarded nature is partly a product of her privileged upbringing. She is the daughter of the late actor Sir Donald Stewart and Vanessa Paradis, and the grand-daughter of Jacques Chirac, the former president of France. Her extended family is one of the most illustrious in modern history, comprising seven Nobel Prize winners and a former prime minister of France. She has described her upbringing as “super-inclusive.” For someone with such a famous lineage, Stewart evidently learned to be discreet. In an interview with Vogue, she stated, “I don’t like people thinking about me when I’m not there. It makes me feel like a slab of marble that can be moved around for public display. I don’t like attention. I like to be left alone.”
The same could be said of her relationship with Pattinson. In the same interview, she commented, “I think that’s why I like Robert, because he always respects my privacy. He doesn’t want to blow my cover. If we are going to be seen together, we want to be seen as a couple that is committed to each other and whose private life is their own.” According to the actress, their time together is “very discreet,” and they keep the details of their romantic life under wraps. Stewart even went so far as to say, “I try to stay out of the limelight when I can, and he takes care of himself. We have our own little world, and I like that.”
Style Is Key
This inclination toward privacy is not limited to protecting her personal life. It extends to Stewart’s style choices as well. In one of her most recent interviews, she remarked, “I hate shopping, especially because I’m so indecisive. I often end up not buying anything, but I still go looking. When I’m a victim of fashion paralysis, I turn to eBay.”
Stewart’s eclectic style has been well documented. A fashion icon who transcends the globe, she has been featured on the covers of Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and W. The style icon has even been attributed with creating a modern “femininity” out of staples such as men’s and women’s jeans, T-shirts, and leggings. She has described her fashion style as “utilitarian glamour.”
One of the most recognizable faces in the world, Stewart has been a constant source of fascination for fans and onlookers. She has been credited with bringing a new dimension to Hollywood. In 2016, Vanity Fair ranked her at number 13 on their list of the world’s most influential people, calling her “one of the best and most interesting style influencers of our time.” In 2015, she was named by ELLE as the most stylish celebrity on the Internet. Her unique pairing of femininity and masculinity has made her an icon among designers, stylists, and fashion enthusiasts. As Jay McInerney, cofounder and editor-in-chief of Jay McInerney’s Vanity Fair wrote:
“There is no question that [Stewart] has had a major influence on how we look at and think about celebrity. Where once there was a clear divide between high and low culture, Stewart has blurred the lines, inspiring trends that have redefined our understanding of the fashion elite, the super-wealthy, and the everyday celebrity.”
Pattinson is equally as fashionable as Stewart. His frequent style changes have made him a regular on the covers of Vogue and W. In 2016, Rolling Stone named him one of the 100 greatest style icons of all time. In a separate list compiled by the same magazine, he was ranked at number 66.
The pair’s affinity for style was evident from their very first meeting. While filming the Twilight films in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 2008, the then-unknown Stewart encountered Pattinson in a nightclub. She described the moment as “magical,” recalling how she “immediately fell in love” with him. Stewart’s style has been credited with influencing Pattinson’s choice of film roles. He attributed this in part to their shared passion for fashion. As the Twilight films came to a close in 2012, Pattinson told Vanity Fair, “I don’t think I will ever be doing another musical comedy movie. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at more character-driven films. Fashion-wise, I feel like she really shaped my taste in fashion.”
Quality Is Key
These days, nothing seems to be more important to Stewart than the quality of her products. Her recent move into fragrance and clothing manufacturing is a reflection of this ethos. In one of her most recent interviews, she remarked, “I’ve become more conscious of the value that I place on certain products,” explaining that she has “always had a very high standard.” In a separate interview with Style.com, she elaborated:
“I want everything to be of high quality, and I have a very high quality threshold. If something isn’t good enough for me, then it’s not going to be good enough for anyone.”
Likewise, Pattinson places a high premium on the quality of his products. Filmmakers who have worked with him describe how he “absolutely, unquestionably demands excellence from himself and those around him.” In an interview with W, he explained, “I want to bring the best to everything I do, and that means everything from the script to the editing to the performance. I want to be meticulous about every aspect of it.”
The result of their shared quality mindset is obvious. The Twilight franchise, which began in 2009, was hailed by critics as one of the best of the century. Even diehard fans have acknowledged this, with one calling it “the gold standard of the vampire romances.” The films have amassed a remarkable following and been credited with boosting cinema attendance during the height of the Great Recession. In 2011, Variety estimated that the series had earned over $11 billion worldwide.
Style Is In
This is not to say that Stewart and Pattinson’s romance is without controversy. The pair has been the subject of much media scrutiny. Theirs is a classic story of the power of social media and the paparazzi. In early 2010, just weeks before the release of Twilight, fans and journalists began to notice that sightings of Stewart and Pattinson were appearing in tabloid newspapers and on popular gossip blogs. Photos from their early days in New York City were plastered all over these publications. As Vanity Fair’s Jennifer Palmieri wrote at the time, “The two have certainly seemed to feed off each other’s celebrity, with Stewart often accompanied by a bevy of attractive young female fans, who swarm around her like she’s Taylor Swift and Pattinson often seen with a group of equally attractive hipster men.”