Poppy Delevingne calls me from her home in London. “How is everyone in Hong Kong?” she asks with heartfelt concern. “Oh! To think that there’s a world beyond the four walls of my living room. Just knowing that you’re there gives me butterflies.”
Delevingne has visited Hong Kong twice, but hasn’t travelled internationally since last July, which is an unprecedented stretch for the 35-year-old, who comes from one of London’s most well-connected high-society families. Her maternal grandmother served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret, while her mother, Pandora, was one of the glamorous trendsetters of the 1980s.
Delevingne, similarly, knows how to make a statement. She was a top model before younger sister Cara, 28, ever walked a runway, and has since become an outspoken advocate for causes near and dear to her heart. She’s appeared in films like Kingsman: The Golden Circle and King Arthur: Legend of The Sword, and her drive to impress as an actress means she’s spent much of lockdown attending virtual acting classes. “I’ve used this time to really hone my craft,” she tells me. “I’ve been devouring books and scripts, and have just been doing everything I can to keep my brain in check.”
See also: “I Always Try To Follow My Heart”: Cara Delevingne On Dior, Diamonds And Saving The Rainforest
This hasn’t, however, stopped her from binge-watching Game of Thrones—“I’d become convinced I was the Mother of Dragons by the end of London’s second lockdown”—and finding time for yoga sessions and learning how to bake, much to the delight of her aerospace tycoon husband of seven years, James Cook.
Delevingne hasn’t completely abandoned her party girl lifestyle though. She stars in Chopard’s latest high jewellery campaign, for which she wears the brand’s Precious Lace collection. The line features four designs: the floral Mini-Froufrou, the oceanic Vague, the cloud-like Nuage and the heart-shaped Cœur, all of which capture the traditional patterns of lace, with their unfurling curls and scalloped edges.
As to her favourite, “I love the Cœur design,” she says in her velvety voice. “With the world in its current state, we could all do with some more love in our lives.” She recalls seeing photos of Julianne Moore wearing a pair of emerald- and diamond-set earrings from the jeweller’s Green Carpet collection at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016. “She looked wonderful with her beautiful auburn hair, which popped against the green of the emeralds. I’d just love to wear those earrings, although I don’t think I could pull them off in the same way Julianne did.”
See also: Chopard’s Caroline Scheufele On Why The New Happy Sport Watch Will Make You Smile
Delevingne met Chopard’s co-president and artistic director, Caroline Scheufele, at a 2015 after party during the film festival, which she describes as a “pinch-me moment”. Robbie Williams performed a special concert for A-list guests, and the two women bonded over his music. “I was standing right at the front of the stage because I love him so much,” she laughs. “Caroline was also there, and we had an instant connection. She’s a remarkable woman.”
Chopard’s ongoing commitment to sustainable watches and jewellery is evident in its use of Fairmined gold, while Delevingne has partnered with Save the Children for the past eight years. She’s just taken part in the charity’s Save With Stories project, for which she read bedtime stories to her 1.5 million Instagram followers.
The actress has also visited refugee camps in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia and, more recently, Jordan, where she met children suffering due to the conflict in Syria. She recalls a group of teenage girls who were aspiring vocalists. “They were incredible. They were only about 14 or 15 years old, and they were rapping to me about the war in Syria. They had this unbelievable drive and power, which was really inspiring.
After speaking with Delevingne, my head is in a spin. I’m taken aback by how productive she’s been during a year of pitfalls. “Now that I’m talking to you, I realise that I have had a lot on,” she laughs. Oh, did I mention she and her two sisters also launched their own brand of prosecco last year? “Honestly, though, most days I feel like a Gruffalo that hasn’t been doing anything.” That may be, but there’s no doubting Delevingne’s putting us all to shame.
See also: Co-President Karl-Friedrich Scheufele On The Past, Present And Future Of Chopard
