Swishing blow dry, gold stilettos and a social media manager trailing behind her: on the day we meet Ekin Su (flawless skin, body con dress) she's a whirlwind of activity, e-touring her three million Instagram fans round her newly-launched 16 piece Oh Polly collection. She radiates self-assurance like she was always ready for fame.
‘I got bullied really badly at school purely because I was a confident person,’ she tells Grazia of her long-standing self-belief. ‘I had no friends [and] I think that really kicked me in the arse to be this strong woman…I looked in the mirror and thought I don’t need anyone,’ she adds of being cheated on numerous times, which taught her to rely on an ‘army’ of just one person: herself.
Her new collection is designed ‘for everyone to feel sexy, but still smart, but still expensive and Turkish all at the same time,' she says. But Ekin Su, although undeniably an icon, is not invincible: ‘If I’m honest, I have emotions,’ she says of the split between her public personality and the person she is in private. ‘I go home sometimes, and I cry,’ she says. ‘I’m not always confident. I’m not always perfect. No one’s perfect.’
Keen to acknowledge imperfections, Ekin stopped using filters on Instagram for the sake of her teenage fans: ‘When I was 12, I would have an icon,’ she says. ‘I would try and look like this person and if this person was using filters, I would use them…I want to go back to my natural self,’ she explains. ‘My natural hair colour…don’t use filters…We’ve all used FaceTune…I use it and I put my hand up—but I’m not using that [anymore].’
'It's just really nice having love'
As we saw over this summer’s series of Love Island, Ekin Su has undeniable head girl energy. She’s a natural leader, an alpha female and (unsurprisingly) a Leo. Since leaving the villa, she has become the only islander to break America by walking at New York Fashion Week and has a hive of committed fans following her every move.
‘When I went to America, shooting with Oh Polly in LA and then to New York, the amount of love and support I have out there, any ethnic background, any age, babies, children, dads, boyfriends, girlfriends—it was just so overwhelming. I just wanted to give them a cuddle,’ she says. ‘I felt like they were my friends… It’s just really nice having love.’
And Ekin is loved in entirely unprecedented amounts for a Love Island star. Her deal with Oh Polly is the biggest fashion contract in the show’s history, she’s an ambassador for Beauty Works, and is bringing out her own line with B Perfect Cosmetics. ‘I can’t believe I won Love Island firstly,’ she says with seemingly genuine awe.
Despite being busy with numerous other successes, Ekin’s fans (or ‘tribe’) still want more. In August, when Laura Whitmore announced her exit, there even were calls for Ekin to be Love Island’s new host. ‘I honestly couldn’t imagine anyone else for that [role],’ she says of Maya Jama’s recently reported appointment. ‘She’s stunning, funny, and ITV know what’s good for Love Island …I’m honoured that people think I would be good but it’s too early. I need more training.’
Still, her spin off show Ekin-Su & Davide: Homecomings airs in November, where she and her self-declared ‘Italian stallion’ will visit their respective family homes in Odemis and Frosinone– sleeping in a mini motorhome as they travel through the Tuscan valley to Turkey. 'I think we’re more real now,’ Ekin says of she and Davide’s relationship since leaving the villa. ‘Love Island is great but it’s also a bubble and naturally isn’t the same as the outside world…I know Davide now. I know everything about him…he’s a lovely guy and always supports me in my career.’
For her birthday, Davide famously made Ekin feel special by lavishly showering her with flowers, cake and gifts from Selfridges at her hotel suite in London. Many thought the romantic gesture was ‘goals’ but others have criticised Ekin, Davide and other Islanders (Gemma and Luca included) for plastering their extravagant and frustratingly unattainable lifestyles across social media at a time of crippled economy and all-round crisis.
While Ekin refuses to comment on Liz Truss’ controversial policies (‘I don’t want to make a comment about politics because I don’t want to pick a side’) she does reveal some changes she’d put in place if her fans ever had their way and made her PM: ‘My policies would be supporting for more education and helping the homeless - and probably the tax,’ she adds. 'Reduce that please, thanks!’
But Love Island stars (as we know from Molly Mae’s 24-hour spiel) are not responsible for putting the world to rights. Ekin is honest, decent, and aware of just how lucky she is: ‘I’m living in a dream and I’m grateful,’ she says. ‘Fame, you can either go one way or another: It could change you or it could make you a better person…With Love Island, you do get fame. But whether that went or not, I’ll still be me.’
The Oh Polly x Ekin-Su collection is available now at www.ohpolly.com