Solenn Heussaff: Girl (Un)Interrupted

Solenn (or Sos) strikes us as someone who despises being labeled and boxed in (not that she’d care, though). “In the beginning, I was like, ‘Ew!’” she exclaims, face wrinkled in feigned disgust. “Why am I an ‘It Girl? “First of all, I don’t even like the term,” Solenn Marie Adea Heussaff says. “It’s flattering…but I guess you could find another word.”

A couple of months before her 30th birthday, she shares “I wish I didn’t make the time fly so fast when I was younger,” she admits. “You’re always trying to look older. You’re always trying to be faster than others in your generation.” Verily, Solenn must be referring to the throes of pubescence and the nebulous frontier and brashness of young adulthood. It appears she has now arrived at the time of discernment.

But even as she doesn’t really care what people think about her, Solenn does find the misconceptions amusing — to say the least.

Raising Solenn

When shifting the conversation to family matters, Solenn says “I am the middle child, so I was always the peace maker,” Solenn begins. “My (elder) sister (Vanessa) and my (younger) brother Erwan would fight a lot. Until we got older, every time there’s like a mini fight in the family, I would always be the one who calmed everyone down.”

“My parents are amazing parents. They always let us do whatever we wanted to do. Mom has always been the (stricter) one because Dad would always say ‘yes’ and make it hard for Mom to say ‘no’.”

Still, Solenn maintains that her parents came from humble beginnings. “They really taught us the value of things and how to treat people with respect. Good job, Mom and Dad! None of us went through a weird, depressing stage of rebellion.”

Painting the future

If you’ve dined at the Hatch 22 Cafe and Bakery at the Rockwell Power Plant Mall in Makati City, (which Solenn co-owns with Erwan and other partners), then there’s a good chance you’ve seen a large, hauntingly captivating portrait of an ethnic-looking woman. That was rendered by Solenn herself.

An avid painter (when she has the time, she stresses), Solenn plans on holding an exhibit of her works one blessed day. “No one’s going to believe me because during every interview I say this,” she says with a laugh. Upon turning 30 then, she says “(I’ll be) coming of age. I’m going to have my exhibit on my 30th birthday as I don’t want to celebrate. I’m so tired of parties and events.”

Turn ‘write’

She’s accomplished a lot of things,  but the lady herself surely wouldn’t have guessed that she’d be co-authoring a book with Georgina Wilson. But things kind of fell into place.

“Now, when I see an 18-year-old sport a side boob, I’m like, wait until you’re 22 or 23 so that you can evolve as a person — styling-wise and selling your image. That’s why we came up with the book Besties to try to show what we’ve learned through our experiences. Don’t rush; there’s so much time. We’ve had very good feedback from teenagers and even younger people than what we’d like (to target).”

Despite her mainstream small-and big-screen successes, Solenn is not averse to making independent films. “I like (indie films) a lot because mainstream movies are trying too hard to sell,” she enthuses. ”I’m not bashing the mainstream industry, but indie films offer more variety. You get to play more with your role. You get to improvise a lot. There’s also no pressure on set because you only have 30 days to shoot. The budget is smaller also, so you have to get close to your co-actors right away for it to work on-screen.”

Taste test

Solenn Heussaff is the epitome of busy with the sheer volume and diversity of projects on her plate. With her food show Taste Buddies, preparations for a custom popcorn business; working at developing her own perfume line, her love for painting — the list is impossibly endless.

“I’m still very busy,” she underscores, “and the fact that I’m very involved when it comes to my endorsements. Even when I’m not working, I’m always asking if I can do things out of my own will (even if) not in the contract. I’m always finding ways to keep busy.”

One thing she’s never too busy for, however, is keeping track of her finances. And while Solenn admits to hating numbers, she’s smart enough to put a lot of value in her accountant. “Spend wisely, too. See what you really need. Know what you have, and don’t overspend,” says Solenn.

Solenn thinks nothing has changed about her since becoming an unwilling It Girl. “I’m really a normal kind of girl,” she asserts. Of course, and she’ll probably agree, Solenn Heussaff is obviously not your generic kind of person — celebrity or not.

(By KAP MACEDA AGUILA | Photography by BJ PASCUAL)

Editor’s note: The article containing these excerpts was first published in PeopleAsia’s August – September 2015 issue. 

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