Model close-up: Lily Donaldson - Telegraph The British model Lily Donaldson talks to Ellie Pithers about her personal style, changing tastes and working with her sister Aurelia. Lily Donaldson, 26, is a British-born, New York-based model. She was spotted at the age of 17 while shopping at Camden market in London, and won her debut British Vogue cover in 2004, shot by Mario Testino. She has since fronted campaigns for Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Mulberry and Chanel. In 2012 she was one of nine models to participate in a catwalk sequence for the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics. For this shoot she was photographed in her neighbourhood in the East Village, New York. IN PICTURES: See Lily Donaldson styled by her sister, Aurelia Daily routine I would love to be a sleeper but I'm not. I'm usually up pretty early, even if I've been out the night before. My ideal day in New York would include breakfast at Café Mogador in the East Village - their Moroccan eggs in spicy sauce are the best - followed by a cycle ride to MoMA. I'd also visit my favourite dive bar around the corner from my apartment. Personal style I have great respect for fashion and I really do enjoy playing dress-up at work, but I've always had the same style. On a day-to-day basis I keep things quite simple. During the winter I tend to stick to black; I always feel comfortable in black. If all else fails and you don't know what to wear, put on a black dress and you'll be happy. During the summer I wear jean shorts all the time. I like Levi's 501s, although I've just worn the bum away from my favourite pair. I've worn jeans until they're ripped all the way around the crotch and I can't wear them any longer. You get so attached to jeans, they're like old friends. This shoot A lot of the time when I look at pictures of me, it's not like I see Lily, it's more of a character. So it's fun to do pictures where I actually recognise myself. We mixed some of my own clothes in with samples, so these outfits are things I would actually wear. Our plans to shoot outside were ruined when there was a tropical rain storm, but to be honest it made it more fun. We embraced the rain and it was perfect, more like London than New York. The photographer, Cass Bird, had me lying on the pavement in the rain. Modelling When I started modelling I was much more nervous and I found it quite overwhelming. I was surrounded by great people. There weren't any dodgy moments but it's a lot to get your head around when you're young. I fell into modelling; I wanted to go to art school. I wasn't born camera-ready, I was actually quite camera-shy, and I had long hair that I would hide behind. I had to go through a process of learning to be comfortable in front of a camera - you have to become a canvas for other people's ideas. As I've got older I'm more comfortable in myself and I understand that I'm playing a role that's not necessarily Lily. Jewellery I really like jewellery and I like to pick up things when I travel. I was in Istanbul recently on a shoot and I stayed for a few extra days to explore the city, and went to a bazaar full of antiques. I was in heaven. I bought an old Orthodox enamel cross, which I'm wearing in some of the pictures. I like the idea that by wearing old jewellery you are continuing the history of a piece that's already endured. In London I shop at Grays Antique Market, and in New York I like Doyle & Doyle on the Lower East Side. Changing tastes I grew up in Kentish Town, north-west London, and I don't think my style has changed since I moved to New York - those vintage gold hoop earrings I'm wearing in one of the pictures are a sign my Camden style hasn't left me. I think there used to be a big divide between what people wore in London and in New York, but now everything is so accessible, trends that used to be confined to one city no longer exist. I love the East Village - I can walk around in my pyjamas, which I frequently do. If you go uptown, every woman has a blow-dry, but I've never had a blow-dry in my life outside work. I've never been a polished type. I'm still a tomboy at heart - New York can't turn me. London I miss certain things about London: my family, the English sense of humour, the chocolate, and prawn-cocktail-flavoured crisps (they don't go in for flavoured crisps much here). I miss Hampstead Heath and Primrose Hill - London is so much greener than New York - and I miss pubs. Having a pint on a Sunday is a very English thing; it's proper drinking. Horse-riding I didn't grow up a horsey person but I love riding horses. A year and a half ago while I was back living in London, taking some time out from my career, I had a riding accident. I was thrown off my horse and couldn't walk for a few months. It was pretty brutal. I'd never hurt myself that badly before. It shook me up but it really changed my view on life in a good way. I shed a lot of anxieties I was carrying around with me that I didn't realise I had. I have been back on a horse since; I didn't want to be beholden to that fear. Gym I'm not a gym person - I wish I was. I like doing Pilates because I get to lie down on the floor for the duration of the session. I'm not naturally sporty - I think you have to be competitive to enjoy it, and I'm not - but I do like walking around New York. Art I like making things. Being creative is something that's always made me happy. Last year I contributed a film to [the photographer] Nick Knight's SHOWstudio - a group of us were given the title of 'Fetish in Fashion' and my interpretation was roughly based on a fetish group called Furries. I wanted it to feel a bit creepy, like an old video that's been found and put on YouTube.