Caggie Dunlop and Catherine Balavage
Catherine Balavage: You must be very proud of the film.
Caggie Dunlop: Yeah, I am really proud of it. I actually only saw it for the first time this evening just before everyone arrived so I was a bit nervous, but I really loved it. I thought it was great. I think it is a lovely story
Quite French
Very French. Well that’s the theme and my styling is very Brigitte Bardot. I think that really lends well to it.
What is your favourite film?
True Romance.
What are you wearing? You look Stunning.
Virgos Lounge. They are an online store which is kind of vintage inspired. They do really pretty little dresses. And this is from my clothing line. [points to necklace].
You are really branching out into different areas: you have a sex column for the Evening Standard, you have the clothing line, and the acting.
And music.
Yes, that is how we first saw you wasn’t it?
Yeah, I have a lot going on, but I am not doing the Evening Standard anymore. It was very fun doing it but I am not doing it anymore.
It was very Carrie Bradshaw
Yeah, and it was great and it was fun playing that role but I really think music is where I want to go.
What would you choose between singing and acting?
Everyone asks me this. It is like saying ‘choose between your mum and your dad’, but in terms of career I don’t know, but if you said to me: ‘you could never sing again’ I would have to choose that over acting because I love singing. It just makes me happy to sing on my own. It came about quite randomly. When I sang on the show that was the first time I had ever sang in public. I have had to decide what I really want to do.
How was the acting experience?
I went to drama school and I studied acting so for me it was kind of what I wanted to do, and then when Made in Chelsea came along I got side-tracked from the acting because that was what was available to me at that point in time. The acting world is quite a tricky one. You really have to work it out. I had a great opportunity on Made in Chelsea. The acting is definitely something I want to go back to.
What does your Tattoo mean?
Sanatana Jiva. It means the never-ending and the never beginning spirit, and this [points to tattoo, specifically to the ‘J’ bit] this was for a boy who I’m not seeing anymore! [No!] It’s fine, I’m not bothered. It’s a nice tattoo.
Are you seeing anyone now?
No. I am very very spinster single
Aw, you are too young to be a spinster.
I’m happy being single.
You have so much going on with your career….
Yeah, it’s kind of like I need to focus on that at the moment and I don’t have time to focus on a relationship unless I find someone who has a complete understanding about what I am doing.
What is your clothing line called?
ISWAI. [Spells it out] I.S.W.A.I.
How did you come up with the name?
It’s an acronym for ‘It Started With an Idea’. The idea of it is about starting something new and organic with new talent, so young designers who are at school or university are designing the clothes. They get involved and hen they design an idea that I give them.
It that your motto in life?
I think so, yeah. It’s a very good one. It’s a more business thing. Though maybe not in an ethical situation.
You were the first one to leave Made in Chelsea
Yes I was
You were the biggest star and the main focus. Do you think it was a good idea to leave?
Leaving? A lot of people would argue that ‘why would you leave something when you were the central character and it was at its height of popularity and you just walk away from it with no explanation’. For me I stopped believing in what the show was about. It was a very good opportunity but I always wanted to do different things. I am very grateful for what it gave me and what I gained from it. Now I can go and become my own person.
It really has an effect on your own life and that’s not necessarily a good thing.
A lot of people are leaving now. Hugo’s leaving.
Yeah, Hugo’s leaving. I don’t know how much longer it will last but I wasn’t enjoying it and my heart wasn’t in it anymore and if something doesn’t feel right you have to go with your gut.
Would you do anymore reality TV like Spencer is doing with The Bachelor?
I would never do anything like that show. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with Spencer doing it. We are very different people, but I actually value my privacy. That could be considered a ridiculous thing to say coming from a reality TV show. I would never close any doors but it’s not in my plan. If it was something more documentary, like my music, something like that.
Who is your favourite film director and if you could work with any director who would it be?
Woody Allen or Tarantino. I think that would be a pretty crazy experience.
Did you enjoy making the film?
Yeah, I enjoyed making the film. We had to do it in a day, and it was a full on day. It was raining really badly but morale was up.
Do you have any plans to go the Hollywood Route?
I haven’t been to LA yet. So I can’t really say whether I would end up there. Watch this space. Maybe in a few years time.
Do you think doing Made in Chelsea helped you learn how to be in front of a camera?
Yes, I mean I studied method acting so it was all about being private in public. With Made in Chelsea you are having very private moments with five cameras on you. It is more staggered than people imagine. If you know anything about filming you know that you can’t create those scenes just by us walking into a bar and following us. It is all quite organised. In that sense it was helpful but then reality TV doesn’t really help in acting. It’s probably more acceptable in America.
Do you watch any reality TV like Keeping Up With The Kardashians?
I do, I love the Kardashians. I am so excited. Has the new season started now?
I think so. I saw a poster.
I do love that and I like the American ones. I don’t really like the English ones.
What do you think of Kim dating Kanye West? Are they a good couple?
I think they are. It’s nice that they were friends for ages. They are the ultimate power couple.
They are.
I’m surprised but they seem really into each other.
What’s next for you?
I am realising an EP hopefully in September. So I am developing that at the moment, which is really exciting, because for once I am in the public eye for something that I am putting out. The music is taking centre stage at the moment, but I would love to do some short films on the side and slowly developing that on the side.
Grabbing it with both hands.
Exactly, you only have one life.
What are your musical influences?
Ah, I listen to a lot of Matt Corby, who is this Australian singer who is very singer/songwriter: guitar and vocals, but also there is something quite challenging about his music, it’s really quite beautiful. I also love Jessie Ware. I have been listening to her a lot.
Do you still spend a lot of time in Chelsea?
Yeah. I was in Sloane Square today. I do spend a lot of time there, but because of what I am doing I am kind of all over. If I am gigging [ I could be in] Manchester or Shoreditch. I do love Chelsea.
Who is your favourite actor and actress?
Michael Fassbender in terms of actual ability. I think he is amazing. In terms of who I fancy: Ryan Gosling, but he is also a very good actor. He is a bit more mainstream. An actress…who was the girl who was in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.
Noomi Rapace
Yeah, her. I watched that for the first time the other day and I was blown away by it.
She’s brilliant.
She is fantastic. She was in Prometheus too.
No! She’s not! I was watching an interview with her and she was talking about how Ridley Scott picked her, and she said something about the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I was thinking ‘why has he picked this random women? ‘
She’s brilliant.
Yeah, She’s fantastic.
Are you going to do anymore writing?
Not in that nature. I would like to write a poetry book which is half poetry, half what is was like growing up. I’ve written poetry since I could write so I have volumes of poetry. Poetry is such an under-rated thing.
How do you keep fit?
I am quite bad. I go through phases of being hard-core. There is a place on the Fulham Road that I have joined called Lomax. I go there and they kick your ass, but in a good way.
What beauty products do you like.
Loving Word by Impulse, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.