Clémence Poésy: La Nouvelle Vague

View Gallery When Clémence Poésy speaks in English, every sentence seems to end with a question mark. This quirk captures the essence of this French actor’s growing allure, both as a film star and a nascent fashion icon -- there’s a mystery to her, an ethereal charisma that has positioned Poésy to break out as a global star. “I’ve always cherished that thing, of being able to travel between two different cultures,” she says. “Melting into different universes in different countries makes it more interesting.” See full fashion gallery.

The 26-year-old Parisian’s wide-eyed beauty and old-soul sophistication evoke 1970s international icons like Julie Christie or Charlotte Rampling more than her own generation (after all, she’s more apt to discuss her enthusiasm for Leonard Cohen and Robert Rauschenberg than, say, American Idol). Well known in her home country and in England for some time, Poésy first registered with American audiences via a blockbuster role: her distinctive turn as the lovely young French wizard Fleur Delacour in 2005’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. “I had no idea how strong the impact of success would be,” she says. “You start existing in the press just from this small thing you did. That felt strange, but it’s been great luck. It helps you do what you want to do.”

Indeed, her next role—opposite Colin Farrell and Ralph Fiennes as a wily Belgian drug dealer in 2008’s In Bruges—revealed Poésy’s range. The directorial debut from acclaimed playwright Martin McDonagh, In Bruges proved Poésy could not only hold her own with established talents like Farrell and Fiennes, but also confirmed her ability to shine in both studio and edgier indie fare. “Integrity is very important to me,” says Poésy, who always had acting in her life due to a theater-director father. “You have to serve the character, not have the character serve the star. Although I really don’t feel like I’m a famous person. At all.” That will change, as Poésy’s unforced boho chic has been embraced by fashion cognoscenti: She’s a continuous presence on the covers of forward style bibles spanning i-D to Jalouse, stars in Gap ads and was chosen in 2007 as a Chloé spokesmodel. “Fashion can be a great way to present yourself to the world,” she concludes. “I’ve always been interested in what makes clothes special and what they say about a character. And I enjoy that lightness that fashion has. It’s completely beyond clothes, and more like art: I did a shoot in a Chanel couture wedding dress, and I felt like I was in a painting! With fashion, you have to keep a spirit that’s yours, rather than just go wherever you’re told. You can’t lose your freedom. It’s like everything I do: I’m always just trying to be curious.”

Photos: Mark Pillai. Styling: Elizabeth Sulcer.