Bold beauty: Actress Stacy Martin on fame, fashion and fragrance.
Rising talent Stacy Martin on her cultured upbringing and braving the acting world
In an industry that’s packed with bright young stars on the rise, it takes substance to stand out – something that bilingual, motorbike riding, self-confessed foodie Stacy Martin has in spades. Her journey into the world of modelling and acting has been nothing short of sensational and her i ntriguing mixture of r aw t alent and sense of adventure – not t o mention the f act that she is the i mage of J ane Birkin – has already helped her achieve muse status.
In the acting world, she has caught the eye of Danish film director Lars von Tr ie r, wh o s e films include Dogville starring Nicole Kidman, Melancholia starring Kirsten Dunst and Antichrist starring Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg – great company for the 26-year-old, who currently lives in London. She has acted in Ben Wheatley's 2015 film High-Rise and, the same year, played Young Dora in Matteo Garrone’s Tale of Tales. With several films premiering in the comingfor reasonsbut “It'st he ultimately actress. months, nerve-rackingthat are I'mit outsideis excitedan for excitingmy to so control, finallymanyti me be “There'sable t o a share certain the amountfilms I've of done,”time in Stacy betweentells EW.the anticipationproduction of t o a see film what and it its all release comes t so o.” there's a l ot of She“It reallyt akes dependsan organic on approacht he projectt o and assumingt he character,”t he r ole. she says. “I'd say I adapt t o the director t oo, as I' m following their vision of the film and that will also translate into how we work t ogether. Some characters I have an i mmediate connection to and others take a bit more work but, then again, what I l ove is that within t he ti me I have before production I can do as my research and exploration as I want.”
Self-assured but not sh o w y, St a c y ma n a g e s to maintain an air of quiet confidence despite the buzz around her success.
“I think confidence for me lies in doing what one believes to be one’s own 'thing',” she says. “I feel happiest when I'm at work but I don't know if that means being confident. It's quite an abstract notion for me.”
In interviews, she is refreshingly honest and t o the point. She has a cut-glass English accent yet, as she jokes around, can slip frequently into flawless French. It is clear that, despite her youth, this girl has lived. Her cultured upbringing – she was born in Paris but spent much of her childhood in Tokyo – adds to her ‘wise beyond her years’ appeal.
“I think I was always aware that there was a l ot t o explore i n t he world and I always wanted t o travel and discover new places,” she says. “I travel a l ot f or work and it's something t hat f eels ver y natural. Currently, I’ m working on a f ew projects and would like t o find some time t o travel t o Cuba or go back t o J apan f or a few weeks. I would l ove t o visit t he UAE one day.”
Her worldly outlook is something that has also piqued the interest of fa s h i o n ’s formidable Miuccia Prada, who r ecruited her as t he f ace of t he brand’s first perfume, Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue, in 2015. Now Stacy is reprising her starring r ole f or t he next installment of Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue.
“I l ove how fresh t he fragrance is. I also l ove t he iconic blue bottle now in glass that is contrasted with the yellow” says Stacy.
“L'Eau Bleue is a tribute t o spring and to rebirth,” says perfumer Da n i e l a An d r i e r. “The fragrance explores t he wonderful smell of lily of the valley – a very Miu Miu flower – that has a graceful, j oyful aroma we all associate with springtime.”
Stacy also modelled for Miu Miu’s A/W14 fashion campaign – not bad for someone who describes her personal style as “a mix between comfortable and t oo l azy t o think about it”. Still, Miu Miu is clearly t aken with t he young star who, t hey say, projects “the quintessential qualities of the Miu Miu woman”, as someone who is “blunt and coy, playful and r ebellious and ti meless i n her sense of adventure”.
Stacy stars alongside a black and white kitten in the campaign artwork, shot by acclaimed fashion photographer Steven Meisel, which is perhaps a nod to her favourite artwork Girl with a Kitten by Lucian Freud. Just like those pretty little kittens, Stacy is ready t o pounce. n
“IT'S NERVE-RACKING FOR SO MANY RE A S O N S T H AT AR E OUTSIDE MY CONTROL, BU T UL T I M AT EL Y I'M EXCITED TO FINALLY BE ABLE TO SHARE THE FILMS I'VE DONE”
MIU MIU L’EAU BLEUE I S AVAILABLE THIS MONTH AT MIU MIU BOUTIQUES AND ALL MAJOR BEAUTY RETAILERS