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Reveal Magazine - Coverage of the Fifi Lapin makeup and stationary collection
Juicy Couture collaboration
The Globe and Mail (Canada)
One-on-one with fashion blogger Fifi Lapin
Katherine Gougeon
Katherine Gougeon
What Shall I Wear Today by Fifi Lapin
Since London-based Fifi Lapin began her eponymous blog in 2007, the long-eared fashion maven has become the belle of the style world. Among other rabbit feats, she has been featured in Elle magazine (which dubbed her “the world’s most stylish bunny”), designed capsule collections for a variety of cool brands (including Le Sportsac, Topshop, ASOS and, next up, France’s Pimkie) and authored the chic rabbit’s guide to contemporary fashion, last year’s What Shall I Wear Today? Style Secrets of a Furry Fashionista. Unlike other bunnies, Lapin lives not in a warren, but in a human-sized townhouse. And she prefers kitten heels to carrots. True to her species, though, this prolific “hare-ess” seems unstoppable. Katherine Gougeon: In your book, released at the end of last year, you interviewed top designers from around the world. Who really dazzled you?Fifi Lapin: I adored Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki. She was a riot and gave me some amazing snippets from her fabulous life in fashion. I still can’t believe she dumped the last of the Biba stock in a favela in Brazil – there are probably still a few gems floating around Rio. I’m tempted to book a flight and start searching.KG: Carry-on or steamer trunk?FL: Steamer trunk, of course. Traveling light is not a concept that sits well with me.KG: You also had a chance to talk to Anna Sui about her “serendipity closet,” a seemingly ordinary armoire that leads to a huge walk-in wardrobe. How and where do you store your couture?FL: Anna inspired me to convert a room in my London townhouse into a walk-in wardrobe. It’s set up like a boutique with space between each item of clothing. I have special shelves for my shoes and hats and a gorgeous carved-wood chest of drawers with cut-glass handles for accessories. I browse my wardrobe like most people browse their family albums, so my pet peeve is when things are all squashed in.KG: Your book cautions readers not to relax simply because they’ve found the right dress, that accessorizing is key. What other lazy style mistakes do humans make?FL: Jeans! They are obsessed with them. I admit they don’t look great on my generously padded tush and maybe I’m a little jealous, but, seriously, there are other options.KG: Are there any trends that you’d like to see disappear down a rabbit hole?FL: Crop tops – enough said.KG: As an It bunny, is it difficult protecting your anonymity from admirers and nosy media types?FL: Not really. They just accept me for who I really am – a rabbit with an innate style sense.KG: Do fans ever e-mail you for fashion advice?FL: They mostly send their appreciation. I have a little collection of Fifi Lapin dolls wearing beautifully sewn little garments that fans have made. Those sorts of things are very special to me.KG: Fans love your blog for the charming illustrations of you modeling designer looks. What will you be wearing this spring?FL: My main theme will be sixties-hippie-meets-seventies-biker-punk, so I’ll be swinging into the new season with bell-bottoms and studded jackets. Crafty textures are also a must: lace, macramé and crochet. No more platforms. My paws will be adorned with the finest kitten heels and maybe the odd clog. I’ve already ordered my cat’s-eye spectacles. My must-have piece is an amazing feathered gown from Alexander McQueen.KG: What can we expect from you in terms of future projects?FL: I have been working on a T-shirt project with Pimkie, a European fashion store that will bring Fifi to the masses. I also intend on making more limited-edition items like my gold and enamel Fifi brooches, which were a big hit last year.KG: 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit. Any special plans – or outfit – to celebrate Chinese New Year?FL: I’ve been working on a project with the APM Centre in Hong Kong. They’ve created life-size 3-D likenesses of me wearing 12 specially designed outfits for the Year of the Rabbit. The model for January is 12 feet tall and features a gorgeous cheongsam-inspired party dress in vibrant red, which denotes good luck. I can’t wait to jet out and admire my giant self!
Special to The Globe and Mail. This interview has been edited and condensed.
Vogue Girl Korea
Vogue Australia
Bunny Businessand you thought Beatrix Potter's Peter was cute. Meet Fifi Lapin, a four legged fashionista and rabbit-about-town. She favours Chloe over carrots and attends the European shows with the likes of Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfield. Detailed drawings of her favourite items each season make this bunny's wardrobe the envy of her two-legged friends. Never one to stick to a single designer she cites Karl Lagerfeld's work at Chanel among her favourite ('everything he does is an instant classic') and is having a rekindled romance with Ozzie Clarks vintage dresses. Her pick of the coming autumn/winter 08 season? Alexander McQueen, for the fairytale grandeur of the 'girl who lived up a tree' collection. You read it here first. Just watch out for falling rabbits! Ilona Hamer
teenvogue.com
If the fashion world is a sartorial jungle, then style bunny Fifi Lapin rules the pride! From the Zac Posen pompoms tucked between her two pointed ears to the Marc Jacobs purse dangling off her white paws, Fifi proves that with a little imagination and a deft sketching hand, style can come easy to a girl--no matter what shape, size or species she is!
interview and images here
Little Thing Magazine (China)
(content coming soon)
Little Thing Magazine (China)
Little Thing Magazine (China)
(content coming soon)
Little Thing Magazine (China)
Little Thing Magazine (China)
Translation of interview for Little Thing Magazine...
Q. Besides carrot, what is your favorite food?A. Hmm, lettuce maybe, but it’s hard to beat a good carrot especially when it’s combined with cake!
Q. You are indeed slim and chic, please share your secret of keeping yourself in excellent shape all the time.A. Well being a rabbit I do tend to eat a lot of vegetables which are very good for me. However, thanks to my carrot cake addiction, I am a little round in the middle. I can hide that quite well though, with the help of some giant control knickers.Q. Would you be glad to show us some of your hats? Are they custom made for your ears?A. Yes I have some lovely hats, I just love them, I think they suit my cute little face really well. I get them customized with little slits so I can put my famously long and silky ears through.Q. How about your glasses ?A. No need for me to customize glasses, luckily my head is quite big and they come up quite tight so they don’t fall off! I have a huge collection, my all time favorites are the split lens ones from Chanel.Q. What’s your childhood like? What’s the dream you held when you were a bunny?A. As you may have read before I lost my brothers and sisters to myxamatosis (a horrid illness that rabbits can get) when I was very little but really I was too young to remember. My childhood was really very happy. My parents doted on me and they loved to travel to all corners of the globe. It was at this time that I fell in love with the fashion capitals of the world and found my true calling - professional fashionista!When I was little I used to dream of being a famous model like Twiggy or Kate but really I knew it would never come true, I just don’t have the legs for it. So I gave that up. Now I am aiming for plain old fashion icon. Coco Chanel is my muse.Q. What did you wear when you are a little bunny? Dior baby or something else ?A. Of course, baby Dior, baby Chanel, baby Gucci, I was sick on them all!Q. What is inside your handbag?A. Some lippy and blusher, my cell phone, my gold card and a pair of emergency Lanvin ballet flats (shoes) even fashionistas get sore paws.Q. Can we have a look at your wardrobe? Or would you describe it to us?A. Actually It’s a whole room that I converted into a walk in wardrobe. I never wear the same thing twice and my clothes are forever changing so I need to have plenty of room. I had it custom made so that everything is exactly as I wanted it. It’s all set up like the most beautiful boutique with space between each item of clothing. My pet hate is when things are all squashed in so you can’t see anything. I have special shelves for my shoes and hats and a gorgeous old wood chest of drawers where I keep all my accessories. I give a lot of things away to my friends so they love coming to visit, there’s a lovely antique chaise and Louis chair and an art deco table for our refreshments. We can spend hours in there just having fun getting dressed up.Q. How can we interpret expression on your face? what's the signal I should be looking for which means you are happyA. When I’m having my picture taken I go for the ‘sullen model’ look which is why sometimes I can look a little moody. If you look closely at some of my shots I am trying not to laugh! Also when I’m really happy my right ear bends inwards a bit, it’s weird I know but it’s true!Q. Do you love dresses more than trousers?A. Oh yes definitely, trousers can sometimes make me look a little dumpy and anyway dresses are just way more fun.Q. Other than styling and shopping what else do you commit yourself to ?A. I support animal rights I never buy makeup that’s tested on animals, ew I can’t even bear to think about it. And if I like something with fur on it I always have one specially made for me using the fake stuff. It's very good you know. On a lighter note I love watching old films and also home décor. My favourite Sunday afternoon activity is browsing the fleamarkets at Porte de Clignancourt in Paris, Oh I’ve come back to shopping again, whoops!Q. Do you have some favorite games or toys?A. When I was little I had a stuffed Peter rabbit toy that I used to take everywhere with me, it was so raggedy my parents used to try and swop it for other toys but I would never give it up, I’ve still got it somewhere.Q. What’s your favorite book, and music? Please tell us some of your favorite movies.A. Watership down breaks my heart every time and I also loved the velveteen rabbit when I was little, I don’t have much time to read novels but I just love fashion magazines! I have a really varied taste in music from Kimya Dawson to Kitty Daisy and Lewis. I’m also keen to hear Amy Winehouse’s new album, I’ve always wondered what I’d look like with a giant beehive.As I mentioned earlier I love the classic Hollywood era. Sabrina and Breakfast at Tiffanys with the lovely Audrey, Top Hat starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers and anything with Katharine Hepburn. Their glamour is just so appealing to me.Q. Name some items you like to collect in life?A. Hmm, clothes, shoes, hats, handbags, jewellery etc. etc... Oh and friends too!Q. What’s your favorite little things?A. A beautiful Biba bangle that my mother wore when she was younger and a tiny framed black and white picture of me and my childhood friend Ruby in a photo booth in New York. It was our first trip together and you can see how excited we are.Q. Who has the strongest influence on your styling? Before and present ?A. All the designers past and present who allow me to wear their amazing creations.Q. Given the choice, what place on the planet would you like to live?A. Anywhere nice – as long as its London, New York, Paris or Milan!Q. How will you describe your Aesthetic ?A. Cute and eclectic.Q. Is there anything you can’t live without?A. My puppy Stella, I can’t imagine life without her now that she’s finally toilet trained!
Heartymagazine.com
Q. Carrot or lettuce?A. A tough question to start but after much deliberating I have to say… carrot.Q. When did you start gaining recognition for your work?A. I started my blog at the beginning of 2007 and it has been a whirlwind since then. Something about my blog and my art really touches people and I have had the most amazing response. I am very grateful to all my fans for encouraging me to keep telling my story and developing my work.Q. What did designing the LeSportsac bag mean for you?A. Wow, that was an amazing opportunity. I had only really existed in cyber space up until then so to see my cute little face released into the real world was an amazing feeling. The response has been amazing too so I can’t wait to work on more projects like this.Q. How did this opportunity come about?A. The designers at LeSportsac spotted my blog and liked it so much they contacted me and asked if I wanted to be the next artists in their artists in residence collection.Q. Where do you reside?A. Well I have 3 homes. First and foremost there is my main town house in London where I spend most of my time, then a pied-à-terre in Paris with a distant view of the Eiffel Tower and lastly a top floor apartment in New York overlooking Central Park. One day I’m going to get a place on the Via Montenapoleone in Milan, perhaps with a view straight into Gucci or Marni I haven’t decided which yet! (oh and I haven’t persuaded Daddy that it’s a great idea).Q. Who are some of your favorite artists?A. I love the fashion illustrator Rene Gruau. His style has been replicated over and over, but he managed to add that extra bit of zest to his drawings that bought them to life. I also love the some of the classic children’s book artists like Kay Nielsen and Tove Jansson.Q. What are some of your favorite clothing brands?A. Chanel, Luella, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Chloe, eley kishimoto, philip lim…I could go on!Q. Have you ever revealed what you look like as a human? Will you ever?A. Sorry I don’t really understand this question, I’m not a human, I’m rabbit through and through. There are loads of lovely pictures of me on my website… here’s one of my favourites.
Q. Where’s your heart at?A. My heart is looking forward to a summer of friends, laughter and happiness under a pure blue sky.
Vogue.com (British)
