Lacy Phillips

This story is about clothes, yes, but also about friendship, timing, and returning to what feels true. 
Nitsa is an early contributer to Women in Sheepskin (the first name for this blog), and when we recently re-connected in person, we explored the possibility of shooting more regularly and more intuitively. 
One of the people that came up is Lacy Phillips, whom I have mutual friends with, but never met in person. Lacy, who recently purchased a property in Northern California, was excited to be photographed in what she calls her "soul home". And Nitsa, en route to visit family, happily made the stop. 
In Nitsa's words: 
Lacy is truly one of the most authentic, radically angelic, generous, wise, attuned and unique beings on the planet. I feel so grateful to have her as a friend, muse and ally! Every time I go near TBM I experience transformation in my life, the work itself is wildly magnetic, and like Lacy, inspires me to step into my highest vibration and alignment. Such an honour to to witness her expansion and collaborate with her over the years!

Where were you born, where do you currently reside?

I was born in the Central Valley of CA and I currently live between the Santa Monica Mountains, Mendocino, and Yosemite, CA.

What kind of landscapes are you most drawn to? Can you describe the colours, sounds, smells, feelings?

Landscapes and weather are everything for me. My soul place in the whole world is Scotland. I almost bought a place to split half the year there, but my partner refused to do it with me, so we settled on Mendocino, which is like Cornwall had a baby with Big Sur, and now it is my second soul place. I'm obsessed with moody, stormy weather. When I wake up to fog, my heart skips a beat. I once dated a surfer who said he could never live far from the ocean, and now I truly understand what he meant. I have to be near a moving body of water at all times. So for me, my ranch in Mendocino is my ultimate landscape. You can see the dramatic sea from every front window of my old Victorian farmhouse. Native plants are everywhere, including the purple native iris and white yarrow. Its moody weather and rugged cliffs are breathtaking to my entire being.

What does inspiration mean to you? How do you seek it out? How do you channel it?  

I'm a Taurean North Node, and I'd say that this dictates a lot of inspiration for me. I love design, gardening, and I have a menagerie of animals including alpacas, donkeys, chickens, and large Flemish Giant rabbits, so much of my inspiration comes from rhythm with nature, the seasons, my family, and animals. Lately, so much of my inspiration has been coming from going analogue. I've had the strongest pull away from electronics as of late. I've turned to two vintage cars, reading novels instead of being on my phone, and getting back into letter-writing (17th-century style with no envelope and wax seal only). I've become completely allergic to cities and only prefer to be in small villages by the sea and river, which all three of my homes are. I yearn for a small community and a close daily connection with the natural world and beauty.

What was the last book you've loved?

I have just finished my first full novel since having my four-year-old daughter. I’ve completed many audiobooks since, but not one single analogue book. Now, I'm living for reading. I'm about to start Frozen River, about a midwife in Maine in the 1700s.


We believe that our creative processes should adapt with flexibility and fluidity to the ways in which we live our lives. Could you share with us a change that you have made in your professional life to align it more closely with your personal values?

I launched the #1 manifestation brand back in 2015, and by 2024 I had manifested everything I had ever desired. Something incredible happened with that realization—I started desiring so much less. I started desiring a personal connection with my community again, so I launched my weekly Substack. I pulled back tremendously at my company. I started being present and savoring every moment with my children and cleared my plate a lot. Nothing feels more exciting to me now than a very slow heirloom life full of beauty, nature, time, and space.

Can you remember the first time you put on one of our garments? Which garment was this? How did that feel? Where were you? Who were you with?

The very first piece I bought from MS was the transition vest to wear in Mendocino.
It's actually still my favorite piece today, as I love its multi-texture, its neutrality, and that it can be worn perfectly in all seasons as a layering piece.
I was newly pregnant with my second baby and we were enjoying a lot of bonfire dinners on the beach with friends. It still makes me feel elegant and wrapped in warmth.

 
TO BE MAGNETIC

LACY'S SUBSTACK

Lacy wears her own one-of-a-kind Transition Vest, Allie Coat in Oat & Transition Vest bi-colour from AW25/26.

Interview by Lizzie Lloyd