If aliens came to Earth right this second, they'd think Stella Maxwell was famous for a) crashing a wedding, b) getting a puppy, and c) introducing said puppy to the wonders of nude lace bodysuits. Maxwell is actually famous for being a Victoria's Secret Angel—the one who wears biker boots on a daily basis, hangs with Jeremy Scott and Barbie, and appears glued to our favorite moody movie star.
Along with her regular Angel duties, the 27-year old is the new face of Wicked, a perfume blend of black sugar, Tahitian vanilla, and freesia that's out this month. Which might explain why she called us from New York to discuss her latest projects, including tons of dog-mom details.
You wear lots of black leather in real life—and also in the Wicked campaign. Coincidence?
The Wicked shoot was really fun because they were like, "How are you going to style yourself?" I think because it's a really young fragrance—it's like a trendy and a new twist on [the VS scent] Crush—and I loved how on set, they asked your opinion personally. They know exactly how to make a girl feel sexy and cool. They're an amazing company for that.
Did you get to keep the choker?
I loved that choker. We had a few of them on set, and they were all really good. A black one works with everything, so it's one of my favorites.
I'm from Boston, where we say things are 'wicked cool.' Is that weird?
No, I use 'wicked' all the time! It's part of my slang! When something's really rad, I'm like, 'That's wicked.' It has many meanings but worldwide, it seems like young people think it alludes to being either the naughtier side of you, or the trendier, cool side of you. I like it either way.
You travel everywhere. Do you ever just work out in your hotel room?
Yeah, because I travel a lot and spend a lot of time in hotels, I've kind of figured it out. I do a lot of yoga, and so I have a lot of yoga videos on my phone from my own workouts.
You film yourself doing yoga?
Yeah, my yoga teacher will come to my house, or I'll go to their studio. And if I want to practice and get better, most of that is doing a lot of work on my own time at home. So I film my classes and take the videos around. Sometimes I FaceTime my teachers, too.
How does that work?
Just to ask about sequences or postures. You know, 'Can you go through that pose again for me?' And if you're in a hotel without a mat, you can usually do yoga comfortably on the floor and it's fine.
I know athletes like to watch game tapes to improve their performance. Is that something you do with your yoga videos?
Yeah, and it's definitely interesting, because you can track your progression—like, I can tell I'm getting better and stronger, and I can see when the poses become second nature, which they do after a while. And then the funny thing is, I see a series of all my VS Sport outfits going through the year. So it's like a fashion timeline, too.
You're from New Zealand, but you were born in Belgium. How many languages do you speak?
Fluently? Two. Belgium is half French-speaking and half Flemish, and I was born on the French side. So we spoke it a lot—like in kindergarten, it was almost all French. But then I moved to New Zealand when I was 10, where we obviously spoke English all the time, so I lost the French a little bit. But it comes back when I'm in France.
Do people speak French around you, thinking you don't understand them?
In Paris, I guess I can always understand what the [backstage] crews are saying, but I'll usually talk right back to them, so it's not a surprise. I can hear them, and they know it!
Your new dog is becoming an Instagram star. What's his story?
He's a shelter dog! And that's important, because I was never going to go to a breeder. There are so many dogs out there that need homes, and so many awesome dogs who are stuck in shelters. When I decided to get a dog, I went looking on the internet, and I found quite a few—but I knew I needed a little one that I could travel with, and who was easy to look after. I'm working and traveling so much that it was important to get a dog who could go on a plane, who could go on fashion shoots. So I made some appointments to meet dogs that needed homes, but because I was working, I showed up late and I missed them by a couple of minutes! So I was going back home, so bummed because I didn't even get to meet the dogs and see what their vibe was. And then my friend and I passed a random shelter, like a pound. And they were like, 'Want to pop in and check it out?' We did, and going into the shelter broke my heart. I wanted to take them all. They're just found strays, and they will be such good pets for people. So that's how I found my little guy.
What's his name?
His name originally was Lightning. I've renamed him Trip. He's a Chihuahua mix—unfortunately, we don't know much else about him, because he was found on the street. But he's the chillest little dog in the world, and I love him. I can't even explain how cool he is. I took him on my shoot yesterday, and he was the star on set.
So your puppy is good on planes. Are you?
Yeah, I'm really lucky because I can sleep on planes. I wear an eye mask, I have a book, and I sit down and pass out pretty easily. I know that not everyone can. I think I'm good at it because I travel so much, and for me, being on planes is like a sacred time. It's the only time to zone out and meditate.
What's your favorite thing to buy in foreign drugstores?
I like to get wellness pills anywhere I can, like all-natural multivitamins. I've taken them frequently throughout the last few years, and I think they really boost your immune system and prevent you from getting sick. That's essential in my job, because I'm around different people, in different air, and building my immune system for travel is part of how I stay healthy. So I'm always looking for those.
What about junk food?
Have you ever had a Tim Tam? It's an Australian chocolate cookie. You've got to get those. They're so good.
I feel like the hardest part about being famous is having so many people wanting to be your friend. Is it easier or harder to have 'true' friends as a supermodel?
Listen, I've been blessed with the coolest job in the world. Outside of work, I still have the same friends I've had for years. But because I travel so much, I meet new people every day, and I'm just as open to new friends as I was before I started working. At this point, I have a group of friends in every city where I work, and so I always try to make time to see them and catch up with them, because it's part of why my job's so great. I literally have friends everywhere.
To you, what's the definition of a good friend?
I guess being a good friend is always being there for each other and looking after each other, and always wishing the best for each other. A real friend is someone who tries to bring you up all the time, and someone you want to do that for. That's what makes a friend special.
