INT ERV I EW – K E L LY HOP P EN MBE
possible today. How do you approach the design concept for each client? They've come to you because they love your work, but do you have to balance that with their personality, lifestyle etc? Each design project is bespoke and, for me, the most important preliminary stage of a design brief is getting to know the client and how they live their life. Yes, it should look good, but the layout needs to also be functional for them. Afterwards I am able to visualize the space and it all snowballs from there.
Your list of clients has a host of A-list stars laced through it, is there any additional pressure when working with a celebrity? Regardless of whether they are a celebrity or not, my goal has always been to create real homes for real people. I never set out to design the homes of celebrities when I started out, it sort of just happened. The process is the same for every client – to incorporate their personality into their interior and create a space where they can truly feel at home.
How important are 'trends' to you in your work? How much attention should people pay to trends when it comes to home interiors? I’m not one to follow trends as such. Of course, I am influenced by the world around me, but I believe in classic and timeless design. I’d say not to use trends as a rule. Trends are interesting and what is in fashion certainly has an impact on how we design our home, however trends are ultimately an expression of a period of time and, when used incorrectly, can cause a space to look dated. Redesigning your home is not as easy as buying a new dress! A home is personal and has to last; look back in time, historically people never changed their homes once they were designed.
You created an accessible range for QVC and your own interiors website, how important was it to you to be accessible to people who wouldn't necessarily be able to tap into your services? I felt it was exceptionally important to evolve my design ethos and make both my designs and products more accessible. The ranges which are available via QVC and
kellyhoppen.com are affordable luxury home products which I hope will inject some inspiration into
the homes of a much broader audience. From Yacht interiors to QVC, do you love how diverse your design concepts have become and did you ever worry about striking that balance and not impacting on your higher-end work? Absolutely, I love the diversity of my work. After so long in the business, there were very few stones left unturned, but I love challenging myself and doing something new – that’s what makes it interesting. I recently designed the Celebrity Edge ship for Celebrity Cruises, which is sailing for the first time at the end of this year and designing it was incredible. The work that I do on both sides of the spectrum complement each other; it’s fantastic working on high-end projects for private clients, but I wanted to make my style available to a wider audience. Great style should be accessible to everyone, regardless of budget.
Your cameo role in Ab Fab the movie really is like having your coolness signed and sealed isn't it? What was your reaction when approached to be involved? I adore Absolutely Fabulous so was delighted when I was approached to take part in the Ab Fab movie – it was such good fun to film. When I first heard them say, “That’s very Kelly Hoppen” in the original Ab Fab series and realised that my style had become an adjective, I was thrilled! I adore their talent and ability to make people laugh, they’re geniuses!
I recall reading somewhere that you love to host fabulous dinner parties and that you used them to build your business when you
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