Ahead of our upcoming live passionately event, Pattie Boyd delighted us with tales from the swinging ‘60s, Beatlemania and Vogue cover shoots, as well as explaining why she believes it is important to live life with gusto, whatever your age.
During the 1960s, you shot to fame as a fashion model and became internationally known as the ‘embodiment’ of the British female look. How did this influence your personal identity?
There were all sorts of other people who all embodied the ‘60s. The fabulous Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton, Celia Hammond and many others. I can’t think of it being just me, that is too much pressure!
You did all look fabulous! Many of our readers will remember you wearing some iconic miniskirts. What did your style represent to you personally during that transformative decade?
I thought miniskirts were wonderfully provocative and flirtatious. They were everything that my stepfather would hate!
His values were so old fashioned and conservative, it drove me crazy. I could sense that there was a change happening and it was such a relief to find people who felt the same way as me. I found those people through fashion. You only needed to walk down the Kings Road, and you could see the change in front of you. The boys were growing their hair longer and wearing beautiful shirts, and the girls were wearing beautiful shirts too. We all felt freer than our parents’ generation.
Tell us a little about what it’s like to star on the cover of Vogue magazine. Can you share a behind-the-scenes moment or feeling from one of your Vogue shoots that has stayed with you?
My first Vogue cover was taken by Barry Lategan and it was so exciting! Most models that I knew who had worked with him said he made them look beautiful – we all trusted him implicitly. I was thrilled with the photos he took of me; he was very talented.
Fashion is often about reinvention. How has your sense of style evolved as you’ve grown older and what advice would you give to those looking to express themselves through fashion in later life?
One important thing to remember and to learn is what colours suit you. It makes shopping so much easier if you go for the colours you know! I know what colours not to go for, because they literally do nothing for me, so there is no point.
Sometimes I shop with something in mind and other times I just like to be surprised. I like looking for new ideas.
Going back to the swinging sixties, what was it like to live in London during this time?
I lived in Oakley Street and shared a flat with a girlfriend. New shops kept popping up everywhere all the time.
Pat Booth, who became a friend, opened the first boutique to stock multiple designers in one place, which hadn’t been done before. I remember John Lennon used to sit in the shop window and just watch people go by - that certainly made you look twice!
You were married to George Harrison at the height of The Beatles’ popularity. Being at the heart of Beatlemania must have been surreal. How did you and George find moments of normalcy amidst the chaos?
I can’t describe what a normal moment would be – there wasn’t such a thing. My life was my life; everything was normal to me. I was absorbing it all, and I suppose it became my norm.
Both George and your second husband, Eric Clapton, wrote multiple songs about you. What’s it like to be an iconic muse?
I was deeply flattered. It was fantastic, but then, that became the norm as well. Once you have experienced something once, and it occurs again, it becomes normal.
During this time, your modelling career was thriving but you also managed to find the time to take up photography. How did this hobby come about?
I learnt photography whilst modelling at photo shoots. I would always ask the photographer if they would help me and give me tips, like what to look out for etc. So, I was working and learning at the same time. I shot lots of my girlfriends who wanted to be models or actresses. I would photograph anyone who would let me! So, I was self-taught initially, and then I did a three-month course where I learnt how to process film and print photographs.
It was only in 2005 that you first exhibited these photographs, what was it like to share them with the world 30 years after they were taken?
Agony! I thought people would say ‘she has taken advantage of her situation’, for example who I was married to. I felt so nervous thinking that people would seriously criticise me. However, I showed for the first time in San Francisco, and people were thrilled with the photographs, which was a great relief. My collection includes lots of well-known people, as well as landscapes from all over the world, which I had taken on my travels.
Is photography a hobby that you still pursue today?
Yes. Every day I will stop because I ‘see’ a photograph. I see the light hitting something (it could be a flower, a person, a landscape) and I know it would be a great photograph. My heart literally stops. I see it and I can’t unsee it. I want to seize it and keep them in my memory.
On your Instagram account, you stated that you’re lucky that your life today continues to bring you joy and different adventures and you would encourage others to follow their passions and live their lives with gusto. This aligns beautifully with Wallacea Living’s mission. What specific habits or routines do you practice daily to maintain this vibrant outlook on life?
I love gardening and I am passionate about cooking. I love to go to Borough Market with a girlfriend to find the new spices when they come in. We start with a glass of champagne and oysters, then off we go!
We can’t wait to hear more from Pattie when she’s chatting to our Creative Director, Sue Timney, in just a few weeks.
Keep your eye out for more of our live passionately series of events by regularly checking our calendar.
