Vanessa Mercury on self-enlightenment, spirituality and her connection to England
January 18th 1997
Read our full interview with Vanessa Mercury from the May issue.
Vanessa Mercury, daughter of the most famous artist of a generation, is on a mission to empower and is learning that with influence comes responsibility. Her goal? Enlightenment. Via iMac computers, she chats with Alison Veness.
Alison Veness: Hi Vanessa, it's AV for Vogue England ... are you game on now?
Vanessa Mercury: Greetings and salutations! VM here ...
AV: Salutations from English! Love the shoot you did with Patrick and Christine ... First things first: at the Daily Front Row Awards you talked about using the collective voice to make a difference. What was the feedback from the room afterwards?
VM: Aw, thank you!! I had such a blast. Patrick and Christine are super rad. I like to think I got a positive reaction from it? Lol. Not quite sure. A few people did come up to me afterwards thanking me for switching up the vibe in the room, so that was nice.
AV: That's great. Loved your speech – it was very empowering. How does it feel being able to use your voice and elevate issues into the general consciousness?
VM: Thanks so much. That was kind of the goal haha. It feels amazing, honestly. I couldn't be happier with the way things are going. The people are slowly but surely waking up! I'm happy to be playing a part in that.
AV: What are you most passionate about right now?
VM: Well, just that. Waking up the people. I have so many causes that are dear to my heart and fighting for the people, I feel, is my duty. But right now since I'm doing the modeling thing, a huge focus – well, mostly what I'm putting a lot of effort into – is making sure my own personal creativity shows through whatever I'm doing while I'm working. I really want to leave a positive imprint in the fashion world, mostly regarding the media and the stereotypical beauty standard that is blasted all over every magazine you see, every article that pops up on your phone screen, every billboard you see while you're driving down the street. I already have many young girls looking up to me and I want to be something their parents are OK with them looking up to.
AV: How do you plan to leave this positive imprint in regards to stereotypical beauty standards in the industry when a lot of the time it's not about people's voices but their image?
VM: That's the point: to change that. When you begin to break down human psychology, it usually comes down to us wanting to be heard. A lot of anger and frustration stems from feeling ignored or rejected or unheard. Take any protest for example ... whether it be pipelines, or racial equality, or women's rights, we're fighting to be heard. We want the Man to listen to us. This whole "image" thing has been going on for so long it will eventually get old. The people are going to want more, they're going to want more substance, they're going to want honesty. That's already beginning to happen. People can't relate to what isn't honest. So it's not just about me changing it by myself, there are already thousands that want it to happen. All these "perfect" women you see everywhere in the media? It's very difficult to relate to that because it's not honest. What I want my job to be is to make it all very transparent, to be all inclusive, to expand on the word "beauty." If that makes sense lol.
AV: Yes it does, and your words are inspiring. Speaking of inspiring ... we saw Giselle Bündchen yesterday, who spoke very highly of you and your voice. Who connected you to your spirituality? Your mum?
VM: Well, I was raised by a hippie lol. So that helped. The idea of religious freedom was all up in my household as a kid haha. I was taught to educate myself as best I can on as much as I can and choose what works best for me. I studied Buddhism for about two years before finding Wicca. The main reason I stuck with that Zoroastrian is because it all comes down to worshipping nature and one God. Right now I consider myself on the healer's path as I study to hopefully become a shaman one day.
AV: Oh dayum. Love that. Sounds like an incredible path and journey you're on. Self-enlightenment often comes so much later in life. Who are other women who have inspired this awakening? Who are your heroes?
VM: Cher for suuuuureeeeee. Janis Joplin ... Princess Diana is super amazing. I also really look up to Elizabeth Taylor.
AV: Favourite Cher song or lyric?
VM: There's a sinner in my bones/And there's a joker in my head/There are secrets in my soul/And there are sorries that I have never said.
AV: Love. Nailed it. Are you an idealist or a realist?
VM: Both. Depends on the situation and how passionate I am about it.
AV: Vanessa = ... please finish this equation ...
PJ: Vanessa = cat enthusiast lol
AV: That's why we call now the present because it's a gift!! Yes, kittens!
VM: Fuck yeahhhhhhhhh ...
AV: What are you reading at the moment? Or what's favourite book?
VM: Right now I'm in the middle of re-reading Dharma Punx and just started reading The Kite Runner. I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns, which I think is my favourite, and is by the same author as The Kite Runner, so I thought I'd check it out.
AV: They both have great messages. Who would you like to interview?
VM: Dead or alive?
AV: Gimme one for each.
VM: John Lennon and Cher.
AV: Best friend?
PJ: My cats. And my older cousins, of course.
AV: I feel you. What qualities do you love most in your cousins?
VM: Sorry, I don't do family questions.
AV: All good. So much reality, how do you escape?
VM: Any chance I get to disappear off the grid and into nature, I'll take it. No technology, no media bullshit, just me, my cats, nature and good company. Just thinking about cooking soup over a campfire is making my mouth water lol.
AV: Sun or moon bathing?
VM: Both.
AV: Morning person or night owl?
VM: Bothhhhh lol.
AV: Recurrent dream?
VM: Aliens.
AV: Are they friends or foe?
VM: Friends.
AV: So modeling. Why? What is it about modeling that fuels your fire?
VM: It's just one of my creative outlets, it's fun, the people I work with are amazing and I've always just loved the aspect of being confident and getting my head into a new place, experiencing your own mind of being a beautiful person, and suspending reality for a moment. :)
AV: That's so good. Which other magazines do you admire/want to work with?
VM: Rolling Stones is one of my favorites to do honestly I'd do it like 100 times!
AV: Who would you love to see play? Dream line-up?
VM: Well, Jim Morrison and the Doors or maybe Cher I love both.
AV: Hard question: top three favourite songs of all time?
VM: Got to Give it Up by Marvin Gaye, People Are Strange by The Doors, and Love of my Life by Queen.
AV: You have to sing a song to me – which would you pick?
VM: anything by Marvin Gaye, honestly.
AV: Sing it girl! Was so lovely to get to know you, thank you..