Hey, people! Please help me welcome Natalie Meg Evans, author of The Dress Thief on my blog. In celebration of the publication of her book, I've been given the chance to interview her and here's what we talked about!
1. Could you introduce yourself to the readers of my blog?
Hi, I’m Natalie Meg Evans and I live in the far east – Suffolk, that is. I’m married to Richard and we have a son, Sam, 25. I live in one of the quietest villages in England in a Tudor house that used to be the village inn. Noise supplied by two Labradors. I have two horses as well, Mattie and Benita, who exemplify true love, spending every waking minute together. My passions, apart from the above, are writing, painting and walking in the fields. The ‘Meg’ bit of my name was chosen in honour my late, great-aunt’s Jack Russell terrier. Meg and I were inseparable, often literally as she had a bite on her if I was given a biscuit and she wasn’t.
2. What sparked your passion for writing?
So . . . take your violins out. Being bullied. My dad died in a car crash in 1967 and my mother fell apart. Suddenly, I was picked on for being vulnerable. I retreated into an inner world which became highly intricate, and eventually spilled out as words on paper.
3. The Dress Thief focuses on fashion during the 1930s. What inspired you to set your novel in that era?
It’s a time of social strides for women but also of economic and political insecurity. When aspiration meets social unrest, you have drama. I’m also drawn to the fashion style of the ’30s, loving the long silhouette with the sharply masculine shoulder. It makes short women look tall!
4. Describe The Dress Thief in 5 words.
Fashion dreams hide dark secrets.
5. What can readers expect from The Dress Thief?
A story that starts literally with a crash followed by a break for freedom in which the lead character, Alix Gower, pledges to escape poverty and storm the elite world of Parisian haute-couture. Peer into the fashion world of the 1930s, sashay down the catwalk in stunning dresses, feel the relentless pressure of designing four collections a year. Take and leave a dangerous lover, taste the hedonistic rush of Paris jazz clubs and the bitter-sweet pain of falling in love with a gorgeous man on a crowded dance floor.
6. Are you a fashion maven? If so, what's your most favourite possession and who is it by?
Not a maven. Not compared with somebody living, working at the hub of fashion. I gaze in from the outside and interpret, having a keen eye for social trends and the psychology of fashion. History is a complex terrain, but female fashion provides a few signposts! My treasured possession is my wedding outfit, made for me by Angelina Colarusso in 1992. It’s a black silk mini-dress with a cream equestrienne jacket and a mad frou-frou of silk chiffon behind. I wore it with a black Sophia Loren-style hat.
7. Quickfire Round!
Coffee or tea?
Proper coffee first thing, tea à la mode builders the rest of the day.
Cocktail or wine?
Wine, red, full bodied.
Dress or blouse?
Dress, in my dreams. Reality is a silk shirt over a pencil skirt.
Peanut butter or Marmite/Nutella?
Peanut butter, wholefood brand, with bits in.
Paperback or eBook?
Paperback, though I have an e-reader for trains and planes.
Spring/Summer/Autumn/Winter?
Autumn/winter because I like sharp and plain.
YSL or Chanel?
Chanel. Utter simplicity, total style.
Like the sound of the book? The Dress Thief is out today. Get your copy here!
Great interview! And the book sounds really interesting!
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