Harper's Bazaar (September 2005)
A Fashionable Life: Gwen Stefani
The fashion icon and musician shares her eclectic Mediterranean-style home with rock-star husband Gavin Rossdale. She shares her expansive closet with us.
“I never thought I would be able to fill up a whole room with clothes," says Gwen Stefani, standing in the center of her white-walled, white shag-carpeted converted closet (once a bedroom). There, among Dior moon boots, Pierre Hardy shoes, Vivienne Westwood pieces and miles of Celine and Dior bags, stand racks of her personal L.A.M.B. collection. "Everything in here makes it truly my dream closet-or at least it would be if it was a little bit better organized!" says Gwen. It's a sunny afternoon in Los Feliz, California, and Gwenhas invited her girlfriends (Rosanna Arquette, Lucy Liu, January Jones and the Harajuku Girls) and her family (her parents, from Orange County, two of her siblings and her niece) for an afternoon trunk show for her fall L.A.M.B. line. An enormous vase of pink tulips welcomes her guests into the foyer. On the right is an all-white living room, complete with white grand piano; on the left, her blood-orange dining room, which boasts a Francis Bacon triptych, is slowly filling up with friends.
The chanteuse-turned-fashion designer has set up a traditional high tea to get the girls in the mood. (Her fall line has a strong English feel.) She's dressed in L.A.M.B., save for her Christian Louboutin leopard-print heels, bright-white tights and signature red lips. "It's kind of an Alice in Wonderland thine," she says of her look. "White tights make the minibreeches look more piratey." Gwen fell in love with breeches and military coats when she and L.A.M.B. co-designer Zaldy visited costume houses in London for research.
Like her Kabuki-meets-pop pixie mix, Gwen's fashion sensibility is rich in tradition but with a punk-rock twist. And it's this very same ability to marry the two that is making L.A.M.B. so highly sought after. "My friends and family have never seen the whole collection," says Gwen. "That's why today is so gratifying for me." (L.A.M.B. will make its runway debut with spring clothing at New York Fashion Week this month.) Zaldy and Gwen lead the way through the garden, which is strewn with Chinese paper lanterns, to a dressing room. "I'd seen the Dior couture show in 2004 that John [Galliano] did with the big dresses and, subliminally, I was thinking I wanted to do something very royal-I was in that mode anyway from my album," says Gwen of her fall themes. "So I told Zaldy, 'Let's do schoolboy uniforms, royalty-anything English.'" A final inspiration, adds Gwen, was the costumes from Pirates of the Caribbean.
"That's my favorite piece, that coat," Gavin says, pointing to the military-style number in black leather. Along with Zaldy and Gwen, he's on hand for spontaneous styling tips. Actress January Jones falls in love with a trench. Rosanna Arquette arrives with her daughter and winds up placing the day's largest order. Lucy Liu tries on ripped jeans. (She later buys a sophisticated tweed jacket.) Next, Farrah Fawcett shows up, looks at every single item and is the last guest to leave, but not without chatting with latter-day Angel Liu.
Observing the scene, Gwen can't help laughing a little. "This collection was nearly a disaster," she sighs, proving that even a Grammy-winning singer can suffer from insecurity. "I was working so much this time when the samples first came in, and they just looked wrong. Then we went back and fixed all the samples. This is the first time I'm seeing people get into these clothes."
"She was very quiet growing up-a late bloomer," says Gwen's dad, watching his daughter play stylist as she layers a plaid vest over a white T-shirt on one of her guests. "But she always put clothes together in an interesting way." And Gwen's not stopping at clothes. L.A.M.B.'s new sneaker line-all elaborately detailed with chains, charms, inscriptions, gothic prints and multicolored Rasta linings-will debut for fall. Also, after her successful collaboration with LeSportsac, Gwen is planning a range of L.A.M.B. handbags for 2006. (Not to mention Harajuku Lovers, her just-launched line of accessories and casual wear.)
After her guests depart, Gwen changes into rehearsal sweats and gold sneakers. She seems genuinely pleased by the effusive response from her friends, and some of the proceeds will go to her favorite charity, the Orangewood Children's Foundation, so today everybody wins. Especially Gwen. "I love fashion just as much as writing or music or performing," she says. "Long after I'm too old to do cartwheels onstage, I'll be making clothes. I want to be making clothes forever."
IN GWEN'S HOME
Art on her walls: Herb Ritts portraits, a Dennis Morris photo of Bob Marley (given to Gwen and Gavin as a wedding gift by the photographer), antique religious artifacts bought in India and paintings by Shinjuko, John Copeland and up-and-coming L.A.-based artist Eve.
Lighting: Crystal chandeliers from Morocco. "I bought a few beautiful pieces on my last trip to Morocco. I always shop when I travel."
On the floors: Terra-cotta tiles, Moroccan tiles and antique Oriental carpets.
Flowers: Pink and orange double peonies and French tulips from L.A. florist Joseph Free.
In the living room: White sofas, an ornate black fireplace screen and black and white wedding photographs.
Favorite way to entertain: "I love to invite people over and just hang out."
Room scent: Diptyque Pomander.
GWEN’S TEA PARTY
On the table: Candles in white, orange, blue, yellow and red, silver candelabras and sterling-silver trays.
On the menu: Cucumber sandwiches, petits fours, raspberry almond cakes, baby lemon beignets and miniscones, all by Patina Catering.
To drink: 1998 Veuve Clicquot Rosé Reserve, Earl Grey and Darjeeling teas and lemonade.
Outdoor seating: Red-velvet couches and Moroccan poufs.
Outdoor decoration: Paper lanterns from L.A.'s Chinatown.
Vases: A mix of clear, red and orange glass.
Glassware: Champagne flutes and Moroccan glasses.
Event producers: Bryan Rabin and David Rodgers of Rabin Rodgers Inc.
Gifts: L.A.M.B. boudoir sachets and camisoles.
Soundtrack: White Noise and Gorillaz.
True romance: Gwen and Gavin designed this heart light
Teatime: The dining-room table holds an English-style feast
IN GWEN’S CLOSET
Current obsession: L.A.M.B. High Heel jeans.
Everyday favorites: "Sweatsuits, wife beaters, all of the LA.M.B. cashmere hoodies, especially Lambie Cammi, and the Harajuku Lovers B-A-N-A-N-A-S hoodie."
Favorite shoes: Dior by John Galliano, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin, Marni, Nike, Adidas and L.A.M.B. sneakers.
Best fashion investments: "Everything I've bought from Vivienne Westwood."
Handbags: Dior by John Galliano, Celine and L.A.M.B. for LeSportsac.
Worn to shreds: "My Levi's and my L.A.M.B. tank tops."
Style icon: Vivienne Westwood.