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| Bella Freud |
Bella Freud: ‘My guiltiest pleasure? A menthol cigarette and a scone’
The fashion designer on Edwardian style, therapy and her artist father, Lucian
Rosanna Greenstreet
Saturday 30 September 2017 09.30 BST
B
orn in London, Freud, 56, is the daughter of artist Lucian Freud and Bernardine Coverley. She launched her eponymous label in 1990, was named most innovative designer at the London fashion awards the following year, and is known for her signature jumpers. Her new Psychoanalysis fragrance and candle has just been launched at Liberty. She lives in London and has a son with the writer James Fox.
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| Bella Freud and Kate Moss |
When were you happiest?
When my son, Jimmy, was two and I was just pottering about with him.
What is your earliest memory?
Being in the bath, with my mother holding me; I was worrying I would drown. I must have been under one.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Self-righteousness and withdrawing.
Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?
An Andy Warhol Polaroid of Debbie Harry.
What is your computer wallpaper?
An early pastel drawing by my father of a boy that reminds me of my son. There is something uplifting about it.
What would your super power be?
A mixture of being the top judge in the world and a minister for peace.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
I used to dislike everything and now I like it all. When I was pregnant I thought how useful my body was.
If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
Libraries – so many have been closed. Some of our greatest writers and poets found refuge in them.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Guy Pearce – he’s such a good actor, I reckon he could do anything.
What is your favourite smell?
Amber.
Which book changed your life?
When I was 13 or 14 I read Jack Kerouac’s The Dharma Bums and it changed my concept of language and how important it could be.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
A farmer.
Is it better to give or to receive?
Part of giving is being receptive: it’s false humility to only want to give.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
A menthol cigarette and a scone.
What do you owe your parents?
Their lack of concern for what other people thought. It was good to see them doing things regardless of people’s disapproval.
To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?
I’ve said sorry to everybody I wanted to – I’m good at saying sorry quickly.
Which living person do you most despise, and why?
Tony Blair, for all the lies and cravenness.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
My dad and my sister Esther. I liked the way we used to chat, the way the conversation was always incredibly stimulating and interesting.
If you could edit your past, what would you change?
If you could go back in time, where would you go?
I like the Edwardian way of dressing, so maybe there.
When did you last cry?
Probably in therapy.
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
A more even mood.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
How would you like to be remembered?
As a fighter.
The Q&A / 2002
Life and style / Richard Guest / I don't read books
Life and style / Kathryn Williams / I look like a fish when I sing
The Q&A / 2007
Life and style / Kathryn Williams / I look like a fish when I sing
The Q&A / 2007
The Q&A / 2013
The Q&A / 2014
The Q&A / 2017
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