Living life in colour, embracing ageing and being unafraid of change. No wonder Lucinda Chambers is both a mentor and muse to women of all generations.

After 35 years working at British Vogue, largely as the title's Fashion Director, Lucinda faced the abrupt end to her Condé Nast career with grace and gusto. Enter a colourful new chapter with Collagerie and Colville - an exciting era of democratic fashion, curating without constraint and mixing high and low with a signature splash of colour, print and whimsical fun.

Known and loved for some of the most iconic fashion shoots of all time and for working with (and often discovering) the photographers, supermodels and celebrities of the day, Lucinda remains unaffected and true to the creative curiosity that is part of her DNA. 

Arriving at British Vogue after art school (and a lot of creative crafting during her London upbringing with her industrious and inspiring mother), Lucinda knew nobody. A chance phone call with the head of HR made way for a role as secretary and a heady rise to one of the most influential voices in fashion globally. But in perhaps her biggest move yet, Lucinda becomes an entrepreneur in the fashion and tech worlds in her 50s.

"Leaving a job you love is never easy" reflects Lucinda. "And yet it has given me the incredible opportunity to start new things. Which can be very frightening, I understand that.  But I never was.  When you have ideas you just want to do them, you put one foot in front of the other and weirdly things happen."

Here we chat with Lucinda about careers, crossroads and change; about her compulsion to create and to collect; how she unwinds, her glorious gardens in London and France, and why she's happier in her early 60s than ever before...

Please tell us a little about your upbringing and early aspirations -  where you lived, what you loved and what you wanted to be...
I grew up in London, we moved 17 times before I was 18, but only around page 58 of the A to Z! Walking distance to Harrods and The Brompton Oratory.  My mother was brilliant at doing flats and houses up, wallpapering and painting herself, building walls etc.  As soon as it was finished we moved on.  We used to go to Harrods to have a look and try on all the clothes, my mother always had a tape measure in her pocket (I have adopted that habit) and we would measure up, buy some fabric and copy them at home.  I still have my sewing machine and I love painting and decorating so I think that was from very early childhood, the passion of transformation.  And the love of decoration.

Tell us about your first job at Vogue, how old were you and how did it come about? 
I was about 18 when I applied to Vogue for a job.  I had been to art college and was making jewellery out of Perspex from my bedroom when a pair of earrings found their way into a magazine.  I couldn’t believe it.  I felt it was magical, that something I had held was now on a model.  It felt impossible.  So from then on I was determined to find out what that process was and if I could be a part of it.  I did various jobs, working in Topshop, and making clothes for a theatre company and then one day I thought I would just call Vogue.  I was lucky, my call was picked up by head of HR, her assistant was ill that day.  I started as a secretary and worked my way up…it took a while!

What are some of your career highlights from your incredible tenure at Vogue and consulting with fashion brands like Marni? 
I think every shoot I have ever done and do has a highlight.  It’s about the people and collaboration and when you put a shoot together with people you really admire and like, something happens.  It’s magical.  And the energy of being around creatives, taking your idea and making it a reality and often something better, something unexpected, it’s something I never take for granted, even though it's something like over 4,000 shoots, each one stands out and counts.  I think when something stands out it's probably about the people…and also the place.  Travelling is an incredible privilege and one used to travel for a lot longer and to very inaccessible places,  it was all part of the adventure.  Ladakh in India, with Cindy Crawford, staying in tents for two weeks and driving through the Himalayas was pretty fantastic!  But also shooting Taylor Swift who came with one person who then left, who let us transform her into quite a toughie, she was incredibly trusting and easy, a beautiful person inside and out.  Pharrell Williams was like that too.  Just supremely intelligent and in his own skin.

When you left Vogue abruptly in 2017 it made many of us reel as your name was synonymous with Vogue so we can only imagine how that felt for you?
Leaving a job you love is never easy and yet it has given me the incredible opportunity to start new things.  Which can be very frightening, I understand that.  But I never was.  When you have ideas you just want to do them, you put one foot in front of the other and weirdly things happen.  The best advice I can think of is if you think of it as a huge and daunting idea, it’s overwhelming.  But if you just think of the next right step, things will come together, and the steps can be small.  As small as anything…but they will add up.

You spent over 35 years at British Vogue/Conde Nast working from entry level when you started and knew nobody.  How did your identity as ‘Lucinda from Vogue’ change and what’s the transition been like? 
I found learning new things, particularly around tech very daunting.  But you have to address that otherwise fear gets the better of you.  And it really keeps the mind agile, never not learning new tricks and ways. And always from others.  And a bit or trial and error myself when no one is looking.

What advice would you give other women facing a career change after many years? How did you pivot and was this hard? 
I also think all change is good, even if it is for the worse, it’s for the better.

You’ve been hugely busy since with your fashion launch, Colville and curated shopping platform launch, Collagerie. Can you tell us a little about these and how you balance your time and skills for both?
Serena Hood and I had the idea of Collagerie when we left Vogue.  It started by us both literally asking one another where we would go to shop, where we would get our inspiration from and how would we find that.  And we both realised, there was no one place.  So we had to start it!  Equally obsessed about interiors and fashion we wanted it to reflect where we would want to shop, which is across all price points,  bringing new brands and designers into the mix and that you could shop a ‘mood’.   We were very clear from the beginning that it would be beautiful, uplifting, not anxiety-inducing.  

Colville was started around the same time with my partner Molly Molloy.  We had worked together for over 10 years at Marni and we had such a great time we didn’t want it to end.  Also, we knew when we left that Marni was going to be very different and for a very different customer so it really was to address our own needs!

How do you unwind? What’s your favourite thing to do when not ‘working’? 
When not working I chat.  Catching up with friends, cooking, reading, swimming and most of all, pottering.  I read that its very good for the mind and I took that to heart!

What are your thoughts on ageing?
I think ageing is fine, and I think it’s almost easier after 50.  You are never going to look near 40 so no point in trying.  I think I’m happier in my early 60’s than I ever was.  I know what suits me, I know who I love to spend time with,  I am more adventurous in my social life as I love young people and their energy so I’m pretty open to change and having new experiences.

Do you regularly feel the need to ‘create’?
Yes, I think being creative is a compulsion.  A wonderful one though.  You have to be able to let your mind wander so time out to see different things is vital and not always easy to achieve!

What does wellness mean to you?
What wellness means to me is when you can strike the right balance in your life.  Which can be hard when you are juggling small children, career, friends and life in general.  When you can cope with enough of each, and enjoy each of those, that is wellness.  It’s a balancing act, and its really important to acknowledge that sometimes, quite often, we don’t get the balance right, but that we can put in changes we need to make so that the tipping point doesn’t come hard and fast.  And, when you can take a moment to let yourself know that you have done that, that is wellness to me. And time out, usually involves swimming.

Have you ever had a mentor in business or in life?
One of the amazing things about starting up your own business are the people you meet along the way.  Who are ahead of you on the journey, and who are willing to give advice.  It never ceases to amaze me how generous people are.  And it’s fine to reach out, to people you admire, who have taken the entrepreneur ride and who just want to help as they believe in your business.  And cheer you on.  Very impactful and important.

Best place to shop for antiques? And for art?
The best place for antiques is Friday on Portobello Road for ceramics and bric a brac, Chiswick car boot on Sundays is great and for art, The Art Shop on Collagerie is just brilliant.  We launched with 15 female artists and they are beautifully printed and you can have them framed or unframed, but the frames are fantastic. 

Your Summer Wardrobe Essentials?
1. Yellow Amalia's espadrilles
2. With Nothing Underneath X Collagerie tunic
3. Cossie & Co X Collagerie Gemma bikini top in black & sand 
4. Cefinn Sierra cotton maxi skirt in leopard print
5. Le Hat Lee hat
6. Colville Arrow cylinder midi bag
7. J&M Davidson Bonny medium black belt 
8. Little Liffner stripe tote bag
9. Taylor Morris sunglasses