SOPHIE HICKS ARCHITECTS

LEARN THE CULTURE THAT IS UNLIKE MYSELF

Q. You started as a guest editor at Harper’s & Queen at the age of 17 and became an editor of British Vogue. Were you always interested in fashion?
A. 70’s disco fever that came from the film ‘Saturday night fever’ made me to find something dynamic. And I am thankful to the editor in chief who gave a mission to find out interesting issue among teenagers.

Q. You chose to get into the real world instead of going to college.
A. It was not the era that everyone goes to college and going to the college was the essential thing in order to get a fine job. How could 17 years old girl possibly plan for her future? I just wanted to learn things by experience. I believe that I learnt lot more than I could possibly learn from school.

Q. Do you give the same advice to your daughters?
A. No. My daughter is also working in the fashion field (British top Model Edie Campbell) and I told her to go college before start real career.(Ha ha)

Q. What did make you to change your mind?
A. I still think that it is good to deal with the real world. However in this world there are always certain criteria that we need to adjust. And from college we learn things that make us improving and help us to connect to the world. My daughter had some work experiences related to advertising and branding while studying at college. She was too busy back then so she even studied in a flight. At that time I told her that if she wants to have good results she better ask to someone busy, because busy people always have their own know how.

Q. I have heard that you traveled a lot, especially to third world. Why is that?
A. I was interested in different cultures and in different type of people, especially the native tribe in Papua New Guinea. I learn wisdom thoughts from the people who have different culture or who is older than me. Every culture has its own characteristic. I was fascinated by the differences of each culture while I was designing the store for Paul Smith, Yohji Yamamoto, and Chloe.

Q. How did you end up with taking a role in the film(Intervista.1986) directed by Federico Fellni?
A. It was a tiny role. I was interested in film production back and I got a chance to meet Mr. Fellini through my friend who was acquainted with him. I asked if I could participate in the production but he rejected and he gave me a role instead. The shooting was taken place at Cinecitta studio in Rome and at that moment Bertolucci was filming ‘The last emperor’ in the same studio. The filming set of Chinese imperial house that was full with red and gold colors was fantastic. It was such a good experience.

DRAG IDEAS THAT CLIENT COULD NOT THINK OF

The exhibition ‘Sensation’ that was held at the Royal academy of arts in 1997 has a significant meaning in the history of contemporary art. Damien Hirst, Tracy Emin, Sarah Lucas started to be renowned after the exhibition. The birth of ‘yBa(young British artist)’. And Sophie Hicks was the one who designed this exhibition.

Q. How did you get involved with the exhibition?
A. A friend of my friend was acquainted with Charles Saatchi (the sponsor of the exhibition) and one day called me and asked how I would design the exhibition. I explained casually that I would put the shark piece (‘The Physical Impossibilities of Death in the Mind of Someone Living’ of Damien Hirst) in the evident spot and keep the rest minimal, etc….’

Q. You suggest an idea and it was convincing.
A. It was the same when I got to work with Paul Smith and Yohji Yamamoto. They always ask casually not officially. It was also in the same way when I designed for the exhibition ‘Pop Art’ at the Royal Academy of Arts.