HENRIETTE LEFORT
CEO & Creative Director of Lefort Sport
My favourite thing about the place I live are the people. I just moved to Zurich and it is a beautiful community of cultured and international people. It is one of the most important things for me, meeting people that push my intellectual and creative capacity, people that I can learn from and also have fun with. The people you are surrounded by play a huge role in how you grow as a person.
Sea, Mountains or Countryside? I would have to say mountains. I go up to the Engadin in the summer and the winter and I am always enthralled by the landscape. These flat lakes juxtaposed with mountains, and the more you travel towards Italy, the more dramatic the mountains become. It’s a place where I can always reflect, yet I feel I get a fresh start and I am constantly inspired.
Important values that have been passed down from my family are the significance of generosity and commitment. My parents have always taught me to be generous. This does not mean spending money, but is about being generous with time and effort. When a friend or family member discusses a new project, I love to be generous in helping them in any way I can.
I’m dying to travel to the Yamal Peninsula. The landscape is supposed to be unbeleavable. It is a two week adventure, so I will need some more time to plan it!
Do you collect anything? I started collecting contemporary art just before I turned 20. I am primarily passionate about emerging artists and underrepresented estates, particularly tackling materiality and process, as well as themes around identity politics, the power of institutions and investigating language.
For the last few years I have become interested in Design and Architecture, but I would not really consider myself a collector in this field. I find collecting itself about acting as a patron to support an artistic vision and being a gatekeeper to this vision. In this sense, for me being a collector is about supporting that, and therefore you should try to reduce as many limitations as possible to being able to support something that you believe in. Of course the main limitation will always be budget, but the one that I think people allow themselves to be more impacted by is scale! Never be afraid – you just need good storage!
For me, collecting is not about decorating – so I find allowing your decision to be limited by a wall in a living room is a bit of a shame.
I have recently become intrigued by first edition books with a particular focus on post-war feminist literature and early 20th century Encyclopaedia’s. I love how something as simple as a single sentence definition can give so much insight into the time in which it was written.
I can’t leave the house without my La Montagne Skincare Mountain Balm. It’s a100% natural oil based balm that comes in an aluminium refillable tin. I use it on my lips, eyebrows and hands. I have a bit of a dry-skin phobia so it keeps me calm!
