Cara Delevingne is no stranger to experimenting with her hair, but the model and actor made headlines when she shaved her head earlier this year.

Some wondered if it was a feminist statement, given her Instagram post shortly afterwards rebuffing criticism of her new look by asking, “How are we defining beauty?”

It has since been revealed that Delevingne lopped off her long locks in preparation for her role as a cancer patient in the upcoming romantic drama Life In A Year, in which she stars alongside Jade Smith. However, in a new interview with the US edition of Elle, the 24-year-old explained that nobody actually asked her to do so for the part – in fact, the buzzcut was entirely her own idea.

“Before I even got the project, I said to the director, ‘I want to shave my head for it,’” she said, adding that those representing her were aghast when she informed them of her plans.

“My agents and managers were like, ‘Please don't! Why would you do that?’”

Cara Delevingne explains why she really shaved her head