Penélope Cruz on her love of fashion and her new films – interview

Cruz, who is married to fellow actor Javier Bardem, is a mother of two and a true global icon. In addition to her movies with Almodovar – including Volvar, All About My Mother and Pain and Glory, she won an Academy Award in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) and has become a household name thanks to her unparalleled ability to act in four different languages (Spanish, English, Italian and French) and to juggle roles in independent European films and Hollywood blockbusters.

We sat down with Cruz for a chat after the Chanel show, which brought her to Hong Kong for a whirlwind 48 hours of panel talks with students and various appearances for Chanel, a brand she has been working with for several years.

How does it feel to be in Hong Kong?

It’s my first trip here. It’s really beautiful and I loved the light when I arrived yesterday morning. I feel very welcome and the kindness of the people … Honestly it’s a very short trip but I hope to be able to come back one day with my family and visit again. The food is incredible.

Tell me more about your relationship with Chanel.

I grew up admiring the brand very much but I didn’t know that one day I would be able to wear their designs and be an ambassador for the house. I didn’t even dare to dream of something like that. Now it’s been many years together and I love working with them and what the house represents, and their values and the talent and their respect for everyone’s work inside the company. I know people who’ve been working at Chanel for 30 years or longer and that says a lot.

What about Chanel’s support of cinema?

They take that very seriously because they are big admirers of cinema and are aware that cinema and fashion are in a marriage from the beginning of time and complement each other and feed each other. For them it’s very important to maintain this relationship with cinema and they do a lot at film festivals like Deauville, and their presence at these festivals is not just for the fashion and the red carpet; it’s as real lovers of cinema. For me, there have been films I’ve done in which some Chanel pieces were like another character.