Model Decades
Vogue US August 2008
interview: Mark Holgate
Yasmin Le Bon
Her teenage daughters raid her closet full of
Chanel, Converse and cool vintage.
I
never really thought about my age - I'm 43 - until I recently did a Chanel show,
when I realized that I owned sneakers older than some of the other models! My
tastes haven't changed since I started working in the eighties: Azzedine Alaia,
Manolo Blahnik, and vintage finds, which I've collected forever. I've had
to ration how much I wear them, though, as they are starting to show their age.
I am weaning myself off a 1930s floral chiffon tea dress bought years ago from
the London vintage store Steinberg & Tolkien because the fabric has become so
fragile. I'll maybe wear it with a Loewe navy suede trench, dark tights
- I show my legs less than I used to! - and some Prada heels. I don't want to
look too 'vintage', but I also don't want to look too done. I like comfort, so
something has to give. My three daughters, who range in age from thirteen
to eighteen, have started sneaking stuff out of my wardrobe, like perfectly
worn-in Converse sneakers. Actually, it's wonderful to see the clothes
have a second life. Amber, my eldest, wore an Alaia shirt dress to a Marc
Jacobs show; Naomi (Campbell) stopped in her tracks when she saw her in it.
Back in the day, it was our uniform. I just bought Saffron a Chanel bag - she'd
begged and begged for her birthday - so perhaps the borrowing will become a
two-way street. I do shop less. My most recent purchase was a pair of
emerald chandelier earrings from Boucheron. I have never spent so much
money in my life, but [laughs] they'll be beautiful for the girls once I'm dead
and buried.
I
never really thought about my age - I'm 43 - until I recently did a Chanel show,
when I realized that I owned sneakers older than some of the other models! My
tastes haven't changed since I started working in the eighties: Azzedine Alaia,
Manolo Blahnik, and vintage finds, which I've collected forever. I've had
to ration how much I wear them, though, as they are starting to show their age.
I am weaning myself off a 1930s floral chiffon tea dress bought years ago from
the London vintage store Steinberg & Tolkien because the fabric has become so
fragile. I'll maybe wear it with a Loewe navy suede trench, dark tights
- I show my legs less than I used to! - and some Prada heels. I don't want to
look too 'vintage', but I also don't want to look too done. I like comfort, so
something has to give. My three daughters, who range in age from thirteen
to eighteen, have started sneaking stuff out of my wardrobe, like perfectly
worn-in Converse sneakers. Actually, it's wonderful to see the clothes
have a second life. Amber, my eldest, wore an Alaia shirt dress to a Marc
Jacobs show; Naomi (Campbell) stopped in her tracks when she saw her in it.
Back in the day, it was our uniform. I just bought Saffron a Chanel bag - she'd
begged and begged for her birthday - so perhaps the borrowing will become a
two-way street. I do shop less. My most recent purchase was a pair of
emerald chandelier earrings from Boucheron. I have never spent so much
money in my life, but [laughs] they'll be beautiful for the girls once I'm dead
and buried.