Style and Grace

STYLIST Grace Lam, FORMER SENIOR FASHION STYLE EDITOR AT Vogue China, DISHES ON HER FAVOURITE MEMORIES—FROM DRESSING KATE MOSS TO BEING STAR-STRUCK AT FORMULA 1

I WAS BORN IN HONG KONG BUT MOVED TO THE UK AFTER PRIMARY SCHOOL. I GRADUATED FROM CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AND THEN WENT ON TO WORK AT I-D MAGAZINE IN LONDON.

MY ADVICE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO WORK IN FASHION IS TO WORK HARD AND WORK FROM THE BOTTOM SO YOU KNOW HOW TO DO EVERYTHING. ALSO, DRESS WELL; IT’S IMPORTANT TO LOOK GOOD SO THAT YOU CAN CONVINCE PEOPLE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

MY PRIZED POSSESSIONS INCLUDE MY CHANEL VINTAGE BAGS, MY AQUAMARINE AND DIAMOND WEDDING RING AND A ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY DIAMOND RING FROM MY HUSBAND, JASON.

MY STYLE ICONS ARE TILDA SWINTON, KATE MOSS, FAYE WONG AND DAVID BOWIE.

I WILL NEVER FORGET WHEN I INTERVIEWED FORMULA 1 CHAMPION FERNANDO ALONSO FOR VOGUECHINA ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO IN SHANGHAI. I’M A HUGE FORMULA 1 FAN, AND IT WAS LIKE A DREAM TO SPEND THE ENTIRE DAY AT THE RENAULT GARAGE.

BREATHLESS(ÀBOUTDESOUFFLE) IS MY FAVOURITE FASHION FILM. IT WAS DIRECTED BY JEAN-LUC GODARD IN THE EARLY 1960S.

POINTED METALLIC FLATS BY TABITHA SIMMONS ARE THE LAST THINGS I BOUGHT; I HAVEN’T TAKEN THEM OFF SINCE.

RIGHT NOW, MY TOP LABELS ARE CÉLINE, LANVIN AND HONG KONG’S VERY OWN JOHANNA HO AND JOURDEN, BUT MY ALL-TIME FAVOURITE IS NICOLAS GHESQUIÈRE FOR BALENCIAGA.

ANOTHER FUNNY MOMENT IN MY CAREER WAS WHEN WE WERE SHOOTING KATE MOSS FOR I-D IN LONDON; SHE WORE MY (CLEAN) KNICKERS—DON’T ASK WHY!

I DON’T BELIEVE PEOPLE SHOULD FOLLOW FASHION TRENDS TOO BLINDLY—IT’S ALL ABOUT BEING EFFORTLESSLY CHIC. THEY SHOULD DRESS ACCORDING TO THEIR BODY SHAPE AND AGE.

MY CAREER IN FASHION STARTED AT I-D MAGAZINE, WHERE I ASSISTED THE FASHION DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE, EDWARD ENNINFUL. HE IS MY MENTOR AND HAS TAUGHT ME EVERYTHING ABOUT THE INDUSTRY. WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE BEST TALENTS, INCLUDING KATE MOSS, NAOMI CAMPBELL, MARIO TESTINO, PAOLO ROVERSI AND PAT MCGRATH IN LONDON, PARIS AND NEW YORK.

THE TWO PEOPLE IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY THAT I ADMIRE THE MOST ARE EDWARD ENNINFUL, WHO IS CURRENTLY THE FASHION AND STYLE DIRECTOR AT WMAGAZINE, AND THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF AMERICANVOGUE, GRACE CODDINGTON—SHE IS SO MULTI-TALENTED.