SCULPTING GREAT STORIES

Designer turned ceramicist Nicole Farhi explains why she's moved from fashion to art, how her new exhibition pays tribute to lost children - and why her daughter buys her clothes

- TRACY SCHAVERIEN

Her eponymous fashion brand was a fixture in London and New York for more than 30 years, but these days, you are far more likely to find Nicole Farhi wearing overalls and covered in clay than sitting in a front row.

The celebrated fashion designer hung up her tape measure and scissors years ago, and for the past two decades has turned her creative talents to an alternative career as a sculptor.

"I have no interest in fashion these days," Nicole tells HELLO! in this exclusive interview. "My daughter is the one who encourages me to take an interest in clothes - she often buys them for me.

"The work and life of a sculptor involve working alone most days. It's physical work and can be messy, so I would describe my wardrobe ast more functional than fashionable these days." For the past two decades, Nicole - who also goes by her married name, Lady Hare - has been creating busts of a variety of famous figures, from artists Francis Bacon and Thomas Gainsborough to Sigmund Freud and her friend Dame Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of Vogue.

"Essentially, I'm drawn to people who have changed lives," says Nicole, who has been married to playwright Sir David Hare for 33 years.