Analyse This - Claire Coleman

Page 48
Daily Mail, Monday, July 30, 2007
Analyse This
L.A. STYLE
RICHARD GERE, actor
HUMANITARIAN, actor and devout Buddhist Richard Gere is
still one of the sexist movie stars in Hollywood. As well as
unforgettable roles in American Gigolo, An Officer And A
Gentleman, Pretty Woman and Chicago, he is a founding
member of Tibet House, a non-profit organisation
dedicated to the preservation of Tibetan culture. The
57-year-old is married to actress Carey Lowell, 45. They
have a son, Homer, seven, and Richard is stepfather to
Hannah, 16, from Lowell’s first marriage. His latest film, The
Hoax, is out on Saturday.
another enough attention. Every
day, you’ve got to take a moment
and let that person know they are
special. Tell them you really like
being with them, by a touch, a
look, a note, or a message you
leave on their machine. If each
person doesn’t have a little light
on inside of their heart in general
about life, you can’t bring anything
to the relationship.
DO YOU SEE YOURSELF HAVING
MORE KIDS?
TWO is enough. Any kid is a handful.
My parents had five and
if my father wasn’t working two
jobs, he was working so
hard on one,
working
18-hour days,
and it
monopolised
everything he
did. We
suffered when
they weren’t
around. My
mother didn’t have
maids or nannies;
she cooked, did all
the dishes and took
us to music lessons.
Being parents is an
enormous amount of
work and I just can’t
imagine what it’s like
with five kids. And my
mother had us all before
she was 30!
WHAT IS HAPPINESS
TO YOU?
THE ultimate happiness is
transcendence. It’s
liberation. It’s
Buddahood. It’s
enlightment. Whatever
your religion is — that’s it.
That is happiness.
Everything below is relative,
at varying degrees, but is
still relative.
WHAT ARE YOUR PASSIONS
IN LIFE?
MUSIC. My creativity
is about rhythm and
about searching. Someone asked
Miles Davis what he hears in his
head, and he said: ‘I play the note
that’s not there.’
It’s a very profound thing. He plays
something else, which suggests
something greater than the
obvious.
WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST REGRET?
OF COURSE I can regret turning
down roles that have gone on to
become hits at the box office, but
I’ve learned not to live in regret.
It’s a waste of time — and time is
precious.
HOW HAVE YOU KEPT IN SUCH GREAT
SHAPE?
AT THIS point, because it’s so hard
to get back into shape, I don’t let
myself get too far out of shape! In
the old days, in a week or two I
could get into great shape again
before starting a film — but now it
takes too long and it’s too hard.
When I do put my mind to it, I do
a lot of stretching, sit-ups, pushups and dumbbell work. It’s not
really that regimented, but it
works for me.
TIFFANY ROSE
Illustration: leepeters.com
WHAT SCARES YOU IN LIFE?
THESE interviews and all the
Press stuff used to terrify me. To
go on television was like: ‘Oh my
God!’ When you grow older, it
doesn’t matter that much
because you’ve done it so many
times before.
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST
CHALLENGE?
IT’S in every moment. You can
make this a non-meaningful 20
minutes or have meaning. We
can both agree to make this
interview positive and
enjoyable. I’m meditating with
you right now to make it
meaningful.
WOULD YOU RATHER
BE RICH AND
FAMOUS OR POOR
AND
ANONYMOUS?
I WOULD rather
be rich and
anonymous. All
this fame stuff is
still a mystery to me. I
really have no
idea why I’m still
here.
I’m really fortunate. I
thought I was good
at being an actor
way back, but there
were also other
very talented
people who didn’t
enjoy the same
success as me. So I’m
not sure how it works —
but I’m grateful to still be
entertaining.
WHAT WAS YOUR GREATEST
MOMENT OF DESPERATION?
WHEN I was a young guy
starting off in this business —
those were the desperate
times. Today, I’m less needy
about expressing myself
through acting. I have many
different lives outside of this
which are
extremely
fulfilling. It’s
healthy to transform your
career but that’s not the only
reason to act. The motivation is
probably less egocentric now in
terms of my need to perform. If
it were all to go away tomorrow,
I’d be OK. I wouldn’t be
desperate for it.
WHAT’S THE SECRET TO A HAPPY
MARRIAGE?
LIFE is about choices. Many
marriages are frustrated,
because maybe they would like to
have an affair with somebody
else, but they know it’s not the
right thing to do. If people are
really connecting, then the
marriage is really a partnership
of not leaning on each other, but
walking the path in the same
direction. If you are stuck with
someone else leaning on you,
you’ll never get there. But I don’t
give marriage advice to people —
it’s not my place!
HOW DID YOU KEEP THE PASSION
ALIVE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP?
MY WIFE and I are crazy about
each other, but you can fall into
patterns of not paying one
As Victoria Beckham struggles to find
her style groove in L.A,three Brits tell
CLAIRE COLEMAN what it’s really like
keeping up appearances in Hollywood
THE STYLIST
BELEN HORMAECHE, 33, is
head buyer and stylist for
Madison, a small chain of
exclusive boutiques in Los
Angeles. Belen is Spanish, was
brought up in London and has
been living in West Hollywood
for just over two years:
MY PERSONAL style is very
schizophrenic. One day I’ll be
quite punky, the next more
grown-up and sophisticated.
It depends on my mood, but I
don’t make a distinction
between work and going out.
Labels are very important
here. A Marc Jacobs or YSL
handbag will sell for $2,000,
but an unknown brand just
won’t sell. Even more
important than the label, is the
celebrity factor. Nicole Richie,
Lindsay Lohan, Rachel Bilson
and Paris Hilton are in the
magazines every week and
they’re all customers of ours.
As soon as the magazines hit
the streets we get bombarded
with phone calls and an item
just sells out.
Areas of LA have very
individual vibes. For example,
on Robertson, it’s the young
party girls; in Malibu, it’s very
rock ’n’ roll; and Brentwood is
like London’s Chelsea with an
older, more sophisticated
customer. Nevertheless
there’s a definite LA look —
jeans and flip-flops.’
Barneys
FAVOURITE SHOPS
PARIS and Nicole are very LA,
but I prefer Mary-Kate Olsen’s
style. She’s LA’s Kate Moss.
Madison
OBVIOUSLY I shop here a lot,
and I’m really excited about
the new Malibu store,
Madison Gallery, it is going to
be really high end and very
rock ’n’ roll.
Diavolina
ONE of the coolest stores in LA.
I come here whenever I’m
looking for something quirky
or unusual as they stock loads
of new designers.
THE best of all the department
stores — they sell Christian
Louboutin shoes, which I’m
obsessed with.
FAVOURITE ITEMS IN
MY WARDROBE
MY Christian Louboutin shoes.
Also, a leather jacket, by Golden
Goose and Hermes bracelets.
MY LA STYLE ICON
QUINTESSENTIAL
LA ACCESSORY
AN oversized bag, preferably
by Balenciaga, and oversized
vintage sunglasses.
TOP LA TIP FOR
VICTORIA BECKHAM
TONE it down, she’s making too
much effort and needs to be
more carefree in her style.
Daily Mail, Monday, July 30, 2007
Page 49
LIFE style
Freebies of
the week
CONFIDENTIAL
Tickets to
the Big
Chill Festival
Win
THE BOHEMIAN
ALEXANDRA POTTER,
36, is a writer. Her sixth
novel, Me and Mr
Darcy, is out this
month. Originally
from Yorkshire, she
lived in London for ten
years and has been living
in Venice Beach for three
years.
VENICE, where I live, is home to a
lot of creative people. I don’t know
anyone who has a nine-to-five job
and goes to work in a suit.
When I’m writing I’m usually in my
dressing gown but otherwise it’s
comfy jeans, combat trousers or
Juicy Couture tracksuit bottoms and
T-shirts. When I’m going out I wear
jeans — bootcut or skinny Citizens
Of Humanity — with heels and
a top.
Although I live by the beach, nobody
except tourists and teenagers
sunbathe.
It’s all SPF30, a hat and sunglasses. I’ll
occasionally use fake tan, but you
don’t sunbathe — your dermatologist
would kill you. Every one out here has
a dermatologist, even if you don’t
have a skin problem.’
FAVOURITE SHOPS
Zara
I’m a real High Street girl, I live in
Zara. It’s exactly like the one in High
Street Kensington in London so if I feel
homesick, I pop in here.
Urban Outfitters
I like the quirky designs and get bored
of things quickly so I won’t spend $140
on a designer T-shirt. I leave that to
rich women in 4x4s.
Abercrombie & Fitch
The music is really, really loud and it’s
full of young kids but I like their stuff,
even though I have to buy everything
in a large as the sizes are tiny.
FAVOURITE ITEMS IN MY WARDROBE
An Eley Kishimoto coat from Harvey
Nichols in London. I’d had my eye on it
for ages and it was reduced from
£600 to £120.
My Marc Jacobs shoes, too. Although
I’m not usually a designer fan, shoes
are different. And these were on sale.
And a silver backless top from Zara. I
wear it with jeans.
MY LA STYLE ICON
Rachel Bilson. She has great style;
she’s such a tiny, pretty little thing and
she always looks good.
QUINTESSENTIAL LA ACCESSORY
A Starbucks coffee, a dog and a
mobile phone.
TOP LA TIP FOR VICTORIA BECKHAM
Get out of those stilettos and into
some Havaianas. I buy them on the
beach or from a store called Lorin on
3rd Street Promenade that sells them
in every colour.
THE FILM INDUSTRYINSIDER
SIOBHAN FLYNN, 29, is an actress who
lives in the Hollywood Hills. She is
originally from Wales and moved to LA
from London three years ago. Recently
she finished filming Sex & Death 101, a
comedy starring Winona Ryder. Her next
project is an as yet untitled, independent
film about transatlantic relationships:
IN THE UK you go to auditions as you
are. At my first audition in LA, I thought
I was looking nice and fresh, but they
said: ‘It’s so lovely, you look like you’ve
just stepped off a farm.’
Now, I have a blow-out, pedicure and
manicure before an audition. And, I
wear the ‘uniform’ — a nice pair of
jeans, a shirt, and a v-necked jumper
or a jacket. The in brand of jeans is
always changing, but I usually wear
James or J Brand.
Pictures: KELLY FAJACK
FAVOURITE SHOPS
Bleu
A lovely designer boutique that sells a
lot of labels I like, such as Diane Von
Furstenberg and Louis Verdad.
Decades Two
A designer resale store where stylists
take clothes after they’ve been used on
shoots — great stuff.
American Rag
A good mix of young designers and a
huge number of jeans so you can try
loads on until you find ones you like.
FAVOURITE ITEMS IN MY WARDROBE
A Missoni coat. Missoni is one of my
favourite designers, although I don’t
have a lot of her pieces so I treasure
this. And a pair of vintage Valentino
sunglasses that I found in a thrift shop
for $3. Fem tops, too. Separates in
incredibly soft jersey material and
great colours that are nice and easy to
wear with jeans.
MY LA STYLE ICON
Kate Hudson. She can be quirky but
never looks like she’s dressed for
attention.
QUINTESSENTIAL LA ACCESSORY
A Blackberry, a Bluetooth headset and
an It bag. It used to be the Balenciaga
Motorcycle, then the Fendi Spy, now
there are a lot of Chloe Ediths and black
patent Marc Jacobs around.
TOP LA TIP FOR VICTORIA BECKHAM
Go to Thai Town. A place called Nuch
Massage gives you an amazing massage
for $45. They wash your feet in rose
petals and bring you tea and Thai
sweets. Then there’s a really good
Armenian restaurant nearby called
Carousel.
WE HAVE a fantastic festival
trip to the Big Chill to give
away to one lucky reader,
courtesy of Finlandia Vodka.
The Big Chill Festival (August
3-5), set in the enchanting
grounds of Eastnor Castle,
deep in the Malvern HIlls, is
the ultimate laid-back
weekender.
The lucky winner will receive
a pair of weekend camping
tickets, as well as festival wear
from Fenchurch clothing.
Of course, no festival is
complete without a bar to
relax at with your friends, and
the Finlandia Vodka Cocktail
Bar is a Big Chill favourite.
It’s the perfect place to kick
back with a cocktail and
tune in to the chilled out vibes
of its DJs.
Our lucky winner will also
receive vouchers for the
Finlandia Cocktail bar and,
of course, a bottle of the
newly launched Finlandia
Grapefruit Fusion.
Finlandia Grapefruit Fusion is
available from Sainsbury’s
stores nationwide.
For more information visit
www.finlandia.com or
www.bigchill.net or www.
fenchurch.com
Keep your judgment pure.
Drink responsibly.
■ IF YOU would like a chance to
win, telephone 0901 655 5034
and leave your name, address
and telephone number where
you can be contacted
tomorrow.
Calls cost 60p (from a BT
landline; mobiles may vary).
Alternatively text ‘bigchill’
followed by your name and
number to 83088. Texts cost
50p plus standard network
charges. Or you can e-mail
your details to:
[email protected].
All entries must be received by
11.59pm tonight.
The winners will be contacted
by the Daily Mail. No purchase is
necessary. Prize is nontransferable and there is no
cash alternative. Entrants must
be 18 years or over.
Travel and all out of pocket
expenses are not included. For
full terms and conditions, go to
www.dailymail.co.uk.