Will Poulter's been in Hollywood for almost two decades now. And with that comes the Hollywood menswear experience: shows, big fits, the industrial stylist complex, and so on.
For many guys in a similar position, Paris Fashion Week is one of the busiest and most stressful spells in the entire calendar. But the 31-year-old actor's keeping it chill. “You know what? It's actually not too bad. Not too bad at all,” he says over the phone from the InterContinental Hotel. “Paris is beautiful at the moment. Loads of people are out on the streets. It's a nice vibe.”
Achieving fashion week nirvana is a rare phenomenon. But for the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 star, he has a lot of trust in the team – and trust is a soothing thing. “You know, over the past couple of years, I think my style has evolved under the guidance of people who know better than I do,” he says. “I'm very lucky to work with great stylist Rose Forde, and a team of people who've helped me make more informed choices.
“My own personal style has become more and more defined by the things that I feel good in as opposed to dressing for someone else, if that makes sense. I also think it helps if you're wearing a brand that you have a genuine relationship with, and that you respect and admire the ethos of, and Thom Browne very much fits into that category for me. They've shown me a lot of love and loyalty over the past couple of years, and I appreciate that.”
Poulter has been working with the New York label since 2022. For yesterday's Thom Browne haute couture show, he wore a white tee, neatly-creased trousers, and an overshirt that was covered in an intricate grid pattern. He also held on to the Mr Thom luggage bag, which was decked out with shiny gold hardware throughout.
“It's inherently kind of cool and unpretentious. There's this kind of uniform that Thom Browne has, which is super understated but super creative. It's interesting when you look at creativity in the context of a set framework. The brand doesn't step outside of certain boundaries, but yet within those boundaries, they maximise their opportunities and make some of the most beautiful and unique things.”
So, when he's not wearing Thom Browne, who inspires him aesthetically? “I think Skepta is an incredibly well-dressed man. And particularly in the last 10 years, he's been impeccably dressed. So that's someone that I really, really admire the style of.” When Skepta's latest Puma trainer was broached, Poulter cuts into the conversation: “They're pretty cool. They're unmistakably Skepta. And he debuted them with Mains at London Fashion Week – I think Mains is really cool as well.”
Will Poulter has come a long way. But he still remembers his first big event, and the fit, and the starriness of it all. “I wore a Topman suit, and I'm pretty certain I felt a million pounds. Back then, when we were all growing up, we all aspired to buy certain things from that shop that were outside of our price brackets, and the suits were the most expensive things that they had. So then, to be in a position where Topman was giving you a suit to wear, it was like: ‘Oh my god, this is crazy!’
“I was gassed. I was super happy. It was very cool. You know, anytime a brand extends themselves to you and align themselves with you, it's really nice. I definitely don't take it for granted, and I hope I never will.”
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