ROCK'N'ROLL ROYALTY

Fashion designer Ace Harper shows us around the villa she shares with her musician husband in the atmospheric desert town of Palm Springs, known for its mid-century modern architecture and starry residents

- NANA BOTTAZZI

A stylish oasis in the desert, just a short drive from Los Angeles, Palm Springs has the serene glamour of a place that has spent a century as a celebrity retreat. It’s where former Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum and his longtime love, designer Ace Harper, celebrated their wedding and, more recently, where they found their family home.

Today, as Ace welcomes us into the gorgeous light-filled villa— named La Maison de Lou, after their young daughter ~ she tells us: “We discovered paradise here; a centre for creativity.”

And creativity is something the couple very much share. “We met at the 2004 Super Bowl, back when I was a professional dancer. We connected deeply around our art,” she tells us.

Two decades on, Matt is one of rock’s best-known drummers, while Ace has turned her focus to fashion, founding a label dedicated to bold, free spirits like herself.

And she has poured the same passion into decorating La Maison de Lou, giving it a colourful and eclectic glam-rock vibe that’s irresistibly upbeat.

Ace, tell us your story...

“I'm from a little town in Oklahoma, where I grew up doing all kinds of dance. That was my first love, my escapism, my creative outlet. Thanks to some great mentors who helped train me, I was able to make it my career.

“At 18, I moved to Los Angeles, where I worked with some of the best choreographers in the world, performing alongside artists such as Britney Spears, Lenny Kravitz, Jennifer Lopez and Pink.