Chloe Lonsdale

Chloe Lonsdale

What’s new with Made in Heaven?

Chloe Lonsdale: Made in Heaven is not the average denim collection. It’s done like a true fashion collection, so now we’re working on Spring/Summer 2008. I’ve been between Portugal, Istanbul, and Tunisia to make these new cotton fabrics, based on old vintage polka dot blouses and things that my mom wore in the ’70s when she modeled the jeans!

Most denim lines are scared to branch out into clothes…

CL: It’s all coming together and it’s quite exciting. We just had a model casting for the campaign and the samples need to come in time for the shoot, but it’ll look really fresh and a big move on for us. Obviously the denim’s still great, but the clothing is going to really mark us apart.

Which girls in London are wearing Made in Heaven?

CL: The best ones! Well, no, I mean, Sienna and Kate, but I’d almost rather not talk about them… We have Ella Windsor who’s a Ralph Lauren ambassador, Jodie Kidd, and Yasmin Le Bon. Meredith Ostrom likes Made in Heaven and she’s getting quite a bit of notice for her acting now. And Daniella Helayel, the ISSA designer is a big fan.

Had any good fashion adventures lately?

CL: In March, I was in Paris with my right hand woman, Misty. We were selling the collection in the Park Hyatt and these two boys that Misty met back in London rang us. They were like, “Let’s go out, and by the way, you don’t have space in your hotel room, do you?” And we were like, doing the whole thing from our suite, and these two boys I’d never met – I was quite amused they had the balls to ask us about that!

Who were the boys?

CL: They were the boys from Rodnik, the British fashion line! They did end up sleeping on our floor in Paris, only to be woken up at 8 am by a group of denim buyers. It was quite rock ’n’ roll how we met them. We always vow to carry on the party with them. They’re another Brit design duo and they think along the same lines as us.

That’s pretty dreamy. When are you coming to America?

CL: Soon! September! We’ll take the suite at Soho House in the Meatpacking District to meet with buyers.

Share your favorite places in London.

CL: Well, when I go out there’s a classic like The Electric in Portabello. It’s a brilliant place with a cinema and footstools, which is so rare! It’s owned actually by Soho House. And if I go into town, some nice places are… I love J. Sheekey, it’s great – it’s in theatre land, where all the actors go late at night after performing in the shows and it’s an amazing fish restaurant. I love my little Thai restaurant, but I can’t tell you where…

What about little pubs?

CL: The Ladbroke Pub in Notting Hill is amazing, and the Lonsdale – it’s on Lonsdale Road, that’s why! They serve the most amazing cocktails ever and it’s where you end up at the end of the night. And they wear Made in Heaven t-shirts and put fresh flowers in their cocktails.

I know everyone’s dying to know where you shop…

CL: I could be giving away my trade secrets here, but there’s the most brilliant second-hand shop in Fullham and it looks like an old grannie’s OxFam but I’ve bought Ozzie Clarke dresses there for seventy pounds. It’s called Insight. For great proper vintage clothing, particularly men’s old top hats and crisp white shirts (and I got an ascot there last year), is Old Hat, and it’s on Fullham High Street.

What about the markets?

CL: Portabello is great on Fridays only. Don’t go Saturday; it’s full of different stalls and a different crowd. Borough Market is great too for food. You can do that on Saturday.

Favorite boutiques?

CL: I don’t really shop for new clothes! I mean, between my jeans and generous friends who are all designers, I don’t really need much, but Bluebird is owned by old friends of our family. It used to be the coolest store in the ’70s and ’80s, and now it’s really great and cutting edge. They have a café outside. It’s going towards the Colette concept but way less snobby, and the clothing is much more low-key.

Do you have a favorite London walk?

CL: I do! Up through Holland Park is the best walk in London; they’ve got a Japanese garden that’s very cool. Very few people even realize it’s there. Richmond Park is also amazing because there’re wild herds of deer and stag and you walk around these herds and you can’t believe you’re still in the city.

What advice would you give to London visitors?

CL: My advice is to walk around everywhere. Get a travel card and see the city like that. Go to the big sights but don’t go inside; walk around them and look at them. You can’t see anything inside!

Where do you like to holiday?

CL: I love to go anywhere by the sea. I love Ibiza. I like Istanbul but I have to work there! But it’s just so incredible, the Byzantine city. But my ideal situation is on a boat anchored off the beach, maybe the West Indies.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever done on aSmallWorld?

CL: I bought my flat on aSmallWorld!

—- Faran Krentcil