Leith Clark of LULA Interview

“There needs to be some magic, and you need to be able to create things the way you want to, not because you’ve learned how you’re supposed to do it.”

Leith Clark. Editor of LULA Magazine

Where are you?

In a ballet studio in Soho, New York City.

What are you up to at the moment-at this minute or generally ?

Sitting amongst tulle and pearls (shooting a story for Lula with Yelena Yemchuk). We started at 7:30 so right now we’re taking a break. I’m sitting on the floor in the dressing room eating a mushroom omelet.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was little I wanted to be a ballerina or do dressage or play violin or train circus animals or…. I loved dance and animals and costumes and I loved the sound of violins!

By the time I was 11 or 12 I knew I wanted to work in fashion in some way. Though I thought I wanted to be a writer. I was interested in photography…. In high school I took a photography course at a community college in the evenings.

Who was your style or beauty icon when you were an early teen?

There were pictures of Marianne Faithfull in my room and there was that picture of Jane Birkin carrying her basket bag wearing the transparent black dress with Mary Janes.

I loved these images of children dressed up as punks…. A series of posters from a cheesy poster store at the mall. Black and white images of little girls wearing black lace tights on and black lipstick….

I also had images on my wall from Woodstock of girls with peace signs drawn on their faces ripped out of Life Magazine…

Nadja Aurmann in lots of different Harper’s Bazaar stories (left below).

Gloria Steinem (right,with friend). I had photocopied pictures of her on the wall.

I looked up to my friend Chris’s older sister Rebecca. She wore long floral dresses with Doc Martin boots and no makeup.

What did they represent to you at the time?

I think all of them to me were a mixture of grace and cool.

Who are your favourite heroes/heroines of fiction? (film/literature/poetry/other) OR in real life?

I love Marie-Anne in Sense and Sensibility. Did you know it was originally called ‘Eleanor and Marianne’? I like that title so much more.

In high school I wrote short stories about a woman called Natalya Coreia from the poem ‘For Natalya Coreia’ by Irving Layton. I was fascinated by her. I always thought she was fictional but just Googled her and she was real!

I love Juliet (Olivia Hussey) in the original romeo & Juliet film, (by Zefirelli)

Where do you find inspiration?

Everywhere. I think I am someone who notices everything – very selectively.

Where do you find peace?

In nature and in bed.

What creative outlet/s would you- one day- like to pursue that you haven’t already?

Directing & writing.

What quality do you most admire in a woman?

Grace.

What quality do you most admire in a man?

Strength & Silly.

In what ways has your life turned out as planned?

I love what I do and I love the people around me.

If money were now absolutely no object, how would you live your life?

I like traveling as I do now. But if money was no object I would simply own more property: London, Oxfordshire/Cotswolds, NY, Big Sur, Harbour Island (Bahamas)…

In one word, what does the world need most right now?

To listen.

Who/what makes you laugh?

My fiancee James, Laurie, my cousin Tris, Rod, Tilda (my dog), my parents, my god daughter Violet…