ELOISE The actress, author, and director discusses her new documentary about Hilary Knight, the artist behind the iconic ‘Eloise’ books.
Lena Dunham fell in love with Eloise before she was even old enough to read – formed an attachment so strong that, at age 17, she had the character tattooed on her lower back. When she later met Eloise’s illustrator, Hilary Knight, they became fast friends. “I am inspired by women with power, style, and most importantly, imagination,” says Knight, now 88. “Lena has all those qualities in spades and nailed to the wall.” Their mutual admiration led Dunham to produce her first documentary for HBO, It’s Me, Hilary, which premiered in March and chronicles Knight’s life and collaboration with Eloise’s author, Kay Thompson. (The pair, as it turns out, were introduced in the 1950s by Knight’s neighbour, D.D. Ryan, then an editor at BAZAAR.) Here, Dunham reflects on her lifelong fascination with Eloise and the artist who brought her to life. “My earliest memory of Eloise is being handed the book by my mother who said, “This is a classic.” I sat on a stool shaped like a crayon, staring at the pictures, creating my own words because I couldn’t yet read. My mum would read it to me before bed. I too had an Irish nanny, like Eloise, so I obviously thought the book was about me. Indeed, we do
Dunham’s Eloise tattoo share some characteristics : a potbelly, a refusal to brush out hair, and a serious authority problem. Eloise’s most admirable quality is that she is a true and pure eccentric, without fear or pretense. Hilary Knight is quite insistent that Eloise will never grow up, but that doesn’t stop a girl from dreaming. I imagine that an adult Eloise has held on to her Plaza suite despite the changes in management and that she writes comic essays published in the nation’s top magazines, using the proceeds to fund a pug-and-turtle rescue. She has regular dinner salons and shops almost exclusively at uptown charity shops. Also, she’s probably dating a woman.
“I met Hilary because he found out about my Eloise tattoo (my first! I got it on a road trip across the Southwest with my family when I was 17). He sent me a card and some signed books, and I kvelled and contacted him immediately. He invited me to his house for Indian food, our shared passion, and it became quickly apparent this man was as fascinating as his creations. I brought over my friend Matt Wolf, a documentarian I admire deeply, to meet him, and they hit it off like gangbusters. It became the first official project of Jenni Konner and my company, A Casual Romance Productions. We are very moved and proud to share Hilary’s story.
“Of Eloise’s many wise expressions, I have to say that my favourite is “An egg cup makes a very good hat.” It’s her way of saying you don’t have to take fashion so freaking seriously and of reminding us that there are a lot of different and creative ways to perceive one object or situation.”