“Tabitha Denholm is a VMA-nominated music video director and creative director for Florence & the Machine for her past three albums. She is also a frequent contributor to the Dazed, Ch4, I-D and Nowness. Since relocating from London to LA Tabitha has made a goal for herself to use her influence to make a positive impact in the industry that she loves.”
on her morning routine
My morning routine varies but I prefer to get up with my roommate who has a proper job - we have breakfast and head into Hollywood together, on a good day having a bold sing a long on the way.
on looking back at her career
I’ve done a few things in my career, I was a model for a while, then I was part of a DJ duo call Queens of Noize. Mairead, my partner, started to manage Florence and The Machine so I started do the artwork and then came to make a video for her. It was a real penny drop moment so that is what I have been doing ever since. I just learned as I went along.
on her favorite part about what she does now
My favorite part of the job is when you get an idea and it feels original - sadly that is not part of my DAILY routine though. When an edit goes well and it feels right, that is particularly satisfying and I love shoot days! I always think it's a bit like being in a band and shoot days are like performing live.
“I am a lot more minimal than I used to be - mostly because I purposefully got rid of most of my things when I moved to LA. But in all honesty my style hankers back to a grandmother sometime in the 70’s. All the funky little mid-range mid century furniture shops like Hernandez are a novelty because we don’t have anything quite like that in London. ”
on women under the influence
Women Under The Influence is my project to raise awareness of women directors. I feel that a lot of the industry’s bias towards male directors is fueled by some very deep-seated misconceptions about women filmmakers (often shared by women in the industry.) There is certainly a pervasive myth that there are only about 6 working women directors and I wanted to challenge all that! This project is a positive one all about sharing the amazing stories of the wildly varying women who have and are making films, often in incredibly adverse conditions. Beyond advocacy it is a passion. We run a screening series at Neuehouse and I’m developing a series and of course the instagram @womenundertheinfluence.
on finding inspiration
When I can’t come up with ideas I like walking and or reading some British mags like i-D and Another, but more often than not it is a matter of putting everything aside and just concentrating.
on her personal style
I like Silver Lake Farmers market (they have fashion too) and the Rose Bowl. I’ve been trying to avoid the high street shop bargains more and more because it feels better for the soul!
on her beauty routine
My beauty routine is pretty basic, I use water perhaps a little bit of moisturizing cleanser, I just want things to be simple and most of all not drying, I am quite partial to Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery though. I also like to use Kiehl's Creme D'elegance Repairateur. I do like overnight and under moisturizer serums to combat the LA dryness! My only MUST HAVE in life is a selection of orangey / red lipsticks (Bobbi Brown Art Stick Liquid Lip). For hair, I like to use Nioxin Intensive Treatment
on her favorite books
Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Letham - Dang I love this book it's got a magic realism that feels very contemporary. I love the combination of the potted history of New York culture, hip hop, graffiti etc. teamed with the story of this kid - and the magic of a kids eyes that recedes but never fully disappears as the kid grows up.
The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter - This blew my mind when I first read it, it just felt like nothing I had ever read before, rather than a linear narrative it grows like crazy tree giving you a distinctly different experience of being in a story.
The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles - What happens if you fall into another place where all the things that make you secure and define you aren’t there anymore? I always think that is such a thrilling prospect.
The Wormwood Star by Spencer Kanza - This is by no means the best written book! But I am reading it at the moment, it is the biography of a fascinating occultist called Marjorie Cameron who came into contact with all these subversive elements in Los Angeles through the years, staring in Kenneth Anger movies, I lap up the colorful history of Los Angeles.
SLASH: A PUNK MAGAZINE FROM LOS ANGELES available from hatandbeard.com which is a local publishing company trying to reestablish the world of local publishing! This is another awesome slice of LA history.
on her night time routine
I'll read a little before I go to sleep so my brain gets a rest. My roommate has started making these hard marbled silk sleep masks @resetandrewind they are a miracle worker for getting a sound nights sleep.
Tabitha's Favorite Movies
Morvern Callar, Beau Travail, Smithereens, Driller Killer
Tabitha's Favorite Books
Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Powerful Women of Early Hollywood by Cari Beauchamp
The Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem
The Passion of New Eve by Angela Carter
Wormwood Star: The Magical Life of Marjorie Cameron by Spencer Kansa
Slash: A Punk Magazine from Los Angeles
Tabitha's Favorite Records
Primal Scream by Primal Scream
The Verve by The Velvet Underground
Tabitha's Favorite Places
The Best Mescal: Yola Mescal
Best Bakery: Proof Bakery Atwater
Best Place to Work: Dinosaur Coffee
Best Local Dinner: Bowery Bungalow
Best Cinema: Cinefamily
Suit: Vintage, Sunglasses: Vintage, Clutch: Vivienne Westwood
Photography by Lauren Moore