Kidman: I'm not fashion conscious in private

Actress Nicole Kidman. Photo / AP

Nicole Kidman has revealed that she is not as "fashionable" in her private life as she is on screen.

The Australian Oscar-winning actress' latest role is that of the legendary style icon Grace Kelly, Princess of Monaco.

Kidman, who made a quick appearance in a My Fair Lady-inspired outfit at Derby Day during the Melbourne Cup carnival before jetting back to France, has refused to put herself in the same category as the 1950s fashion icon who she depicts in Grace of Monaco.

"Oh, no I'm not! [a fashion icon]" Kidman told Dujour magazine.

"I love fashion, but I don't think I'm fashionable - I mean, not in my private life. At home, I dress for comfort. After all, I am the mother of two small children."

Kidman went on to explain her relationship with fashion and clothes saying she got to know top fashion designers including Lee "Alexander" McQueen and John Galliano when she was in her 20s.

"[I went to their showrooms to support their work] that's when I fell in love with couture," Kidman said.

The 45-year-old actress says playing the legendary Hollywood star Princess Grace Kelly is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of part. "I have always been a very big dreamer."

The successful actress enjoys the challenge of playing loud-mouthed characters just as well as she does royal ones. In Lee Daniels' shocking movie The Paperboy, her character Charlotte is definitely more flamboyant than Grace.

"[I enjoyed working with Lee Daniels on The Paperboy], he helped me choose my tacky wardrobe. I did my own makeup," Kidman said.

"What I am interested in is playing women who are unconventional. Charlotte is complicated and mysterious and, finally, very tragic."

- AAP