Penelope Cruz had no hesitations in becoming the new face of Loewe.

The Spanish actress was announced as an ambassador of the Madrid-based fashion brand last month and she says she took them up on their offer as soon as they got in touch.

She said: ''They approached me and I said yes very quickly because it's a Spanish brand and everyone involved is from Spain - although the designer is British - all the work is done there in the factories in Spain. It's such an old company. It's been there forever and I have grown up looking at their wonderful things.''

Loewe's creative director Stuart Vevers called Penelope a ''strong, sensual beauty'' when it was announced she was the brand's new face and she was very grateful for his comments.

She told vogue.co.uk: ''Well I am grateful - and sometimes I don't know what to say when it comes from a person that I also admire very much. I will thank him for saying all the beautiful things that he wrote for the [Loewe] press release. I think he's really very talented.''