Closet Confidential: Yasmin Le Bon

I feel like having a Supermodel flashback.  I love looking at classic photographs of Yasmin Le Bon during the 80s.  She has always been one of my absolute favourites - (I should mention the brief period of time in 1985 when she married my heart-throb Simon Le Bon - I did eventually get over it).

Yasmin started modelling at 19, and she became the first-ever cover star when ELLE UK launched in 1985.


According to UK ELLE, when you're Yasmin Le Bon, every outfit tells a story.  Supermodel, rock-star wife and now designer; Yasmin's closet is an archive of incredible fashion moments, wild parties and designer friendships.  

Yasmin has the gift of youth, she looks as youthful today as she did when she first started out.  She has amazing bone structure and her hair is always just gorgeous, whether she wears it long or short.

Yasmin's fashion obsession began not unlike my own.  She spent any money she had on fashion magazines: "I loved fashion, but I was fascinated by design and photography too." - Yasmin Le Bon.


Yasmin dominated the catwalk along with other supermodels of the 80s and 90s and was lucky enough to be given many wonderful designs from the likes of Azzedine Alaia.  Many of these designs now hang in her closet.  


Yasmin says of the shows in those days: "Those shows were always the best fun. They would fly in models from Brazil and Germany and older models who had real character.  I'm so happy I came in at a time when I had the honour of walking with the likes of Pat Cleveland, Iman and Diane deWitt.  They were goddess to me.  They were dance trained and would go spinning down a runway.  They had a real attitude as did Azzedine.  He was a rebel and he did things his way.  He taught me to stand up for what I believe in." 

Yasmin has been very clever with the clothes she has collected over the years, many of them are Alaia, Lagerfeld, irriplaceable icons of the fashion world that her three daughters, Tallulah, Saffron and Amber  will have to fight over one day into the future. "Like me, they love the history.  they only try to pinch the stuff I've had for years.  Everything is going to be theirs eventually, anyway.  Clothes are to be used: why would you not wear them again and again?  That's why I'm such a hoarder.  I made a very silly mistake once.  In a moment of madness - I'd probably just had a baby - I sold an Azzedine dress.  I went back the next day to get it back and it had gone.  That's my great fashion loss and it taught me a lesson." Oh Yasmin?  To have had a moment of weakness like that, how awful?  I now archive whatever I don't want to wear.  Even things that have worn out I keep in my archive.  The only things I toss are lingerie, socks, and everyday basics.  That's it.   Surprisingly I don't have a very big archive - but I'm sure I will have in the years to come.

Yasmin and her eldest daughter Amber, who is making a name for herself in modelling these days.

Is this the most gorgeous bridal party ever?  Yasmin (with her three daughters as flower girls) joined Ciny Crawford and Helen Christensen at Gail Elliot's wedding.

I love this portrait of Yasmin and baby Amber.  

Yasmin has added designer to her CV in the last year launching the YLB for Wallis collection.  "It's something I've always dreamt of.  The collection is made up of pieces I've always wanted to make and that I'm drawn to.  My outlook has changed.  I've grown up, my body's changed (hmm - H) and my attitude to my body's changed, so I do have a different remit."


It's always about the clothes, as I've said before and as far as Yasmin remembers, "I thought I could remember everything I'd ever done over the 26 years of being photographed, but I have come across shoots and thought, 'I don't remember doing that.' There were a lot of Margaritas involved."


I love that because like many of us, we would like to think we can remember everything, but sometimes, there are a lot of Margaritas involved.  ... or Cosmo's, or Champagne, or red wine, or Mohitos, or ...

H