P&C Questionnaire: Claire of Lola is Beauty

I'm so pleased to present today's P&C Questionnaire by one of my long-time favorite bloggers: Claire from Lola is Beauty. (Lola is actually Claire's cat, and she is indeed a beauty.) Claire lives a lovely and artistic life in London, but spends a lot of time abroad for her work as a stylist. I have been enjoying her writing, photography, and non-sequiteur humor for as long as I've been blogging (and before!), and have been inspired by Claire consistently over the years. Lola is Beauty celebrated its 5th Anniversary just yesterday too, so I'm tickled pink that Claire is the questionee of the day!

What is your occupation and how did you arrive at it?

I’m a freelance writer. Every work related decision I’ve ever made has basically stemmed from loving clothes and not wanting a 9 – 6 job!

After leaving school I studied fashion design, then worked (unpaid!) in the studios of various fashion designers in London, moved to Italy for a year, then did fairly low level jobs for two big Italian designer brands, assisted a stylist for a really, really long time mostly on music videos, was a stylist, wrote a few articles here and there, then after starting my blog in 2005 I found I was being offered more writing jobs because of it.

Name three things that inspired you this week.

Linen dresses, linen bedlinen, linen everything

The thought of me + Paris next week – woohoo

Drinking a lot of coffee

What is your personal style "uniform"?

Wiksten bamboo skirt worn with:

Stripy T-shirt or linen Vanessa Bruno T shirt or striped shirt

Flat sandals in summer, navy tights and Sessun suede booties in winter

APC beige cashmere sweater

Petrol blue cotton scarf

Toujours Toi –Family Affairs calico tote bag

Hermes Cape Cod Double Tour watch

Persol 0649 tortoiseshell sunglasses

Various pieces of matte gold jewellery.

Name one type of clothing, shoes, or accessory that always makes you stop and stare, and explain why.

Sailor trousers, sailor tops, fishermen’s sweaters, striped Breton tops…actually I have no idea why, but maybe it’s the design – they’re things that are very simple and functional but have a kind of rigorous beauty.

Do you buy vintage? If so, what piece in your collection is your favorite?

My most cherished pieces are always things that were handed down, rather than things I’ve bought, or things picked up on travels – I’m weirdly attached to some old, not very special buttons I bought in the Rastro market in Madrid that cost €1, for example. Just because I remember the hot day, the white cotton dress I wore, walking in the shade, being laughed at for spending €1 on some manky old buttons…

Do you ever feel like you were born in the wrong time? If so, what era would you like to have lived in and why?

Yes, all the time, every day. I could bore on for hours about how ill suited I am to modern life, but the frivolous answer is I’d live in the twenties for the decadence, the thirties for the line of the clothes and design, the early sixties to pretend I’m in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and later in the sixties to witness the revolution in fashion. Honestly though, I don’t think it would be at all bad if we reinstated the rhythm of daily life. Reading the papers at breakfast, a proper lunch, teatime, an aperitif, sitting down to supper. I really dislike our “balance a sandwich on your keyboard at lunch time” culture.

What current trend do you like the most?

It took me a long time to get into them (literally) but I do like a playsuit on a hot summer’s day.

What current trend (in your opinion) cannot disappear fast enough?

Most trends look good if they’re on the right person. Having said that; loudly printed maxi dresses look like shower curtains on everyone.

What film could you watch over and over and still find something inspiring? Why?

I can’t choose just one! The Graduate, Bonnie & Clyde, Days of Heaven, Lost In Translation. All for the same reasons: cinematography, production design, costumes, editing, script!

If blogging didn't exist, how would you fill your extra time?

B.B. I constantly filled sketchbooks with pictures torn from magazines, bits of writing, tickets stubs and other ephemera - kind of the same diversion but more lo-fi and solitary. Now I’d have to make some kind of zine.

Comments

[Erika]

Thanks so much for posting this interview! I love Claire's blog and, like you, it's one of my daily inspirations. Love, love, love her taste in clothes and movies!