Our first Muse of 2024 is very close to our heart; both a beautiful soul and also one of the most creatively talented individuals out there.
Stylist and Editor in chief at The Violet Book, Leith Clark, seamlessly moves between industries and mediums and is celebrated as a tastemaker across fashion, art and design.
Read on to find out what gets her creatives juices flowing and how she'll be styling our dress this summer.
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When do you feel most motivated creatively or otherwise?
Filling up the cup. Nature. Forests. When tall trees touch at the top and create that speckled light tunnel... Canadian Lakes. The ocean.
Night time. When everyone is asleeeep.
Art. Marlene Dumas, Francesca Woodman, Hilma Af Klint, Julia Margaret Cameron… And also my favourite art from teenage-time, too, still… Like, I love to visit The Lady of Shalott at Tate Britain, the Degas ballerinas at the Courtauld, La Primavera at Uffizi…
Cinema. Bergman and Kieszlowski were my first big teenage loves. Anything Brit Marling makes. Francois Ozon. Jan Svankmajer's Alice (which my daughter now loves! ‘The creepy Alice,’ she calls it). I am still spinning after ‘Poor Things.’ The colours, the costumes, that dance sequence… I love documentaries about artists. I recently saw Eva Hesse by Marcie Beglieter for the first time and it was beautiful.
Ballet, dance, performance... ‘The Cellist’ and ‘Woolf Works’ at the Royal Opera House this year. Everything Emma Portner, Crystal Pite & Pina Bauch.
Travel, wandering, getting lost. I went to India last winter for the first time, by myself. This summer I visited Japan with my family for 3 weeks - a great adventure.
I love airports, airplanes, being in the clouds.
Music. Mazzy Star, Phillip Glass, Beach House… Poetry and Margaret Atwood and Rebecca Solnit…
The feeling and the act of curiosity. Violet encourages an even deeper curiosity, too. It makes me go further.
Night time. When everyone is asleeeep.
Art. Marlene Dumas, Francesca Woodman, Hilma Af Klint, Julia Margaret Cameron… And also my favourite art from teenage-time, too, still… Like, I love to visit The Lady of Shalott at Tate Britain, the Degas ballerinas at the Courtauld, La Primavera at Uffizi…
Cinema. Bergman and Kieszlowski were my first big teenage loves. Anything Brit Marling makes. Francois Ozon. Jan Svankmajer's Alice (which my daughter now loves! ‘The creepy Alice,’ she calls it). I am still spinning after ‘Poor Things.’ The colours, the costumes, that dance sequence… I love documentaries about artists. I recently saw Eva Hesse by Marcie Beglieter for the first time and it was beautiful.
Ballet, dance, performance... ‘The Cellist’ and ‘Woolf Works’ at the Royal Opera House this year. Everything Emma Portner, Crystal Pite & Pina Bauch.
Travel, wandering, getting lost. I went to India last winter for the first time, by myself. This summer I visited Japan with my family for 3 weeks - a great adventure.
I love airports, airplanes, being in the clouds.
Music. Mazzy Star, Phillip Glass, Beach House… Poetry and Margaret Atwood and Rebecca Solnit…
The feeling and the act of curiosity. Violet encourages an even deeper curiosity, too. It makes me go further.
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What’s making you tick right now, is there something new you’ve discovered you can tell us about?
Right now I am about to leave Canada where I have been for Christmastime (so the answer could be snow. I love the snow though it is not new..) to go to Los Angeles for the Golden Globes (the answer could be palm trees. Also not new, but so delightful).
Actual new things:
‘A Murder at the End of the World’ by Brit Marling.
‘The Other Side’ by Jennifer Higgie.
‘Listen, the snow is falling’ by yoko ono, The ‘Poor Things’ score…
Flatiron Pilates with Amy Nelms.
Acupuncture with Sarah Bradden.
Actual new things:
‘A Murder at the End of the World’ by Brit Marling.
‘The Other Side’ by Jennifer Higgie.
‘Listen, the snow is falling’ by yoko ono, The ‘Poor Things’ score…
Flatiron Pilates with Amy Nelms.
Acupuncture with Sarah Bradden.
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When you look at the fashion/creative landscape, who inspires you?
Miuccia Prada + Manuela Pavesi, Bella Baxter, Simone Rocha, Rose Glass..
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How do you start your day, what does your morning routine look like?
I’m slow and quiet in the morning. I have a hot bath with epsom salts and drink a hot water with lemon. I love some Vinter’s Daughter, Crème de la Mer, Tara Harper, Barbara Stern. Then I make matcha and start to reply to emails or get on with the day. Sometimes that email part is in the car on the way to set. Sometimes there’s a morning meditation (I like The Moon Studio).
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What’s most exciting you about this year?
Violet celebrating our 10th year! Award season with Rosamund Pike. Francesca Woodman is coming to the National Portrait gallery & Yayoi Kusama is coming to Tate! A trip to Costa Rica… & I always look forward to August by the lake in Canada.
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Song that never fails to lift your mood?
Cloudbusting - Kate Bush
What is your favourite possession and the story behind it?
My engagement ring, probably. Pink diamonds, Fred Leighton, New York.
If you could visit anywhere in the world tomorrow, where would it be?
Badrutt's Palace Hotel, St. Moritz to ski. Or Hotel Corazon. Or my family in the Bahamas.
And finally...how would you style our dress?
The original dress with pink satin Miu Miu ballerinas and a classic beige trench (my favourite is by Tsumori Chisato), violet cat eye glasses from my Warby Parker collection, and a Chanel bag.
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