By M10News Entertainment Desk
Former Love Island star Maura Higgins has unveiled a bold and highly stylised new look in a photoshoot for Original Magazine, trading her signature brunette style for a series of daring, avant-garde appearances.
The 33-year-old Irish reality TV personality, who rose to fame on Love Island in 2019, posed for photographer Ben Rankin in a collection of one-off designer creations that spanned everything from futuristic latex to razor-sharp tailoring.
In one of the most talked-about images from the shoot, Higgins channels a cinematic femme fatale, wearing a deep red wig cascading over a latex-and-leather ensemble. Her look is completed with high-gloss boots and dramatic eye makeup, designed to give an almost otherworldly impression.
Another photograph sees Higgins with a sharp, cropped black bob, her gaze locked directly into the camera.
The minimalist hairstyle, paired with a sculptural outfit, delivers a high-fashion edge that distances her from her more familiar TV persona.
Perhaps the most striking image pays homage to music and style icon Grace Jones. Higgins appears in a full-body black latex suit topped with an oversized wide-brimmed hat, held at an angle with her sharply manicured nails. The combination of high-gloss materials and strong geometric shapes gives the shot a theatrical, almost performance-art quality.
The photoshoot accompanies an in-depth interview in which Higgins reflects candidly on the pressures that followed her sudden rise to fame after Love Island.
She says that in the months following her appearance on the ITV2 reality dating series, she was encouraged to seize every opportunity — advice that left her overworked and unhappy.
“When I first came off Love Island, I didn’t know this industry very well,” Higgins told Original Magazine. “I took on way too much, and things that I didn’t necessarily enjoy at the time. There were moments where I was so unhappy. I was crying a lot… when I look back, it actually gives me some PTSD.”
Higgins, who placed fourth alongside former partner Curtis Pritchard on the 2019 series, said she is now more selective about her projects and credits her turnaround to having the right management team in place. “I’m so, so, so fortunate now that I’ve got such an incredible team around me and we trust each other. That has changed everything for me,” she said.
Since leaving the villa, Higgins has appeared on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! and taken on a presenting role on Love Island USA: Aftersun, working alongside Ariana Madix. She has also collaborated with major fashion labels, fronted beauty campaigns and built an international social media following.
She says her trademark confidence comes from her upbringing in County Longford, where she was raised by her mother alongside three siblings. Higgins credits that strong family foundation with helping her withstand the challenges of the entertainment industry.
Reflecting on her time in I’m A Celebrity, she describes the show as “one of the best things” she has ever done, noting it allowed her to push personal boundaries and connect with audiences beyond her Love Island fame.
Although she has established herself as a recognised figure in global fashion and television, Higgins says she will always be tied to the reality show that launched her career. She frequently uses her experience to guide newer contestants, particularly those emerging from the US version of Love Island.
“I get so excited to talk to these islanders about their experience,” she said. “I always want to be that big sister, give advice and make them feel comfortable.
I like to be there for them because I have experienced it. Maybe my advice won’t always be the best, but I’ll give it and I’ll try to help them through.”
The Original Magazine shoot marks another step in Higgins’ evolution from reality star to fully-fledged fashion and media personality, signalling a deliberate move towards high-concept editorial work and away from the lighter roles she initially took on after her TV debut.
Editing by M10News Entertainment Desk | Contact: entertainment@m10news.com
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