Claire Pinckney is born and raised in London, England, she originally moved to California in 1997. After almost 10 years living in Santa Monica and Marina Del Rey, she moved back to London to marry her childhood sweetheart, Simon. They spent 6 years in London, before Claire was headhunted for the role of VP of Design at White House Black Market. With her sweetheart Simon, they both moved to Florida in 2012, and eventually found their way back to California in 2019 with their Frenchie, Dexter at their side. Claire has a creative mind and loves to travel; over the years, she has lived in 4 countries, three US states, and she has visited over 25 countries, some multiple times. She is an Aquarian Sun Sign with Virgo Rising which makes her both innovative and grounded. Claire has a passion for style, a deep love for the ocean and she holds a fascination with the moon and stars.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I have always loved fashion, from a very young age I would sketch dresses and make clothes and recently launched my own clothing brand, Rocking Gypsy. After modelling in Europe for a few years in my late teens, I realised I wanted to be on the other side, designing the clothes. My career began as a buyer for London based company, Jigsaw in the mid ‘90s, and switched to design when I moved to LA in 1997 working for companies like Guess, Rampage and XOXO. My favourite part of designing is creating something from nothing, picturing an image in my mind, sketching it in 2D, then seeing it come to life in 3D form. Seeing something you have designed being worn on the street is an amazing feeling; there is nothing more gratifying than helping to make someone feel beautiful. After working for other companies for many years, I finally had the opportunity to step out on my own and launched Rocking Gypsy in April of this year. It has been a tough road and a rollercoaster of emotions, but I’ve learnt so much. Having my own brand has been a dream for many years, and I am finally living it!
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met in LA?
I’ve met so many interesting people in LA over the years, from all different walks of life. One of the most unexpectedly interesting is a homeless man called David that would sometimes sit at the end of our street. He is a very lovely, kind man with a fascinating life story. It’s so easy to dismiss people less fortunate than ourselves, but when chatting with David you realise that any number of unfortunate events can lead to homelessness and life on the streets. Everybody has a story! During Covid we also unexpectedly got to know Kelly Graval, an artist AKA @riskrock who tells a beautiful story of his life from Anarchy to Monarchy, and creates art with the symbol of the butterfly to represent his life journey. I also had the opportunity to meet Retna, another brilliant artist at his downtown studio, and watched him create a masterpiece before my eyes. It was breathtaking to see creation at its finest.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
As I mentioned, I Iove to travel and haven’t yet been to Bali or Australia. Both are destinations on my mind and we are hoping to shoot the next Rocking Gypsy campaign in Bali, sometime in 2024. I can’t wait!
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
There are so many things I love about LA. I love the color of the sky, it is such a unique, vibrant shade of blue; there is nowhere else like it, I call it Cali Blue and it features in the first RG collection. I also love to walk the neighbourhoods of Santa Monica and Brentwood, I find it meditative and invigorating; walking along the tree lined streets, each with its own signature of trees, houses and people. I love the combination of rural charm and suburban amenities this area has to offer. I especially love Montana Ave, with its charming, independent shops and restaurants, great people watching and everyone is open and friendly, it has a real neighborhood vibe.
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
Ha! That’s a tough one because I am an open book. Actually, I guess that’s a good one; I love to write. Before we moved back to Cali in 2019 I had started to write a book but hadn’t had the time to focus on it, thanks to Covid and our forced isolation, I finished the book in 2022. It is a suspense novel based on true events in my childhood. I’m looking for a publisher so if you know anyone. Lol!
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
I have been inspired and encouraged by so many wonderful people in my life but I have to say the most consistent has been my husband, Simon. Simon was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s in 2010, just over two years after we were married. He handled the diagnosis and subsequent symptoms with dignity, strength and grace. In 2015, Simon had two brain surgeries known as DBS, where he had to be awake whilst the surgeon drilled into his skull – unlike me, he was fearless. The surgery was a huge success – a miracle in fact, and we are beyond grateful to the doctors and nurses of the University of Florida. Simon’s fearlessness is one of the things that spurred me on to step out on my own and start Rocking Gypsy. We have to take chances in life, on ourselves and Simon teaches me that everyday.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV Shows?
My favorite movie of all time has to be The Wizard of Oz, it is such a wonderful story and as I grew up and began to understand the hidden meanings behind it, my wonder only grew. The symbolism of the Yellow Brick Road being the road to finding yourself – all that you seek is within you, and the allegory of the characters, each representing different facets of human nature – it truly is a work of art. More recently I loved the remake of A star is Born – such a sad and wonderful love story, Simon and I cry every time we watch it. My favorite TV show of late has to be Ted Lasso. I love shows and movies that make you think, that are emotive and meaningful, Ted Lasso has it all, with an extra dose of humor; you can’t ask for more than that.
Q: What are you most passionate about out?
Spreading love, kindness and joy, whilst creating beautiful, sustainable and consequential fashion. The world can be a challenging place to live these days, sadly, there is a lot of anger, hate and fear and a lot of throwaway fashion. I am passionate about trying to change that, however possible; whether through random acts of kindness, smiling at strangers, taking part in a beach clean-up or making someone feel beautiful inside and out knowing their outfit is eco-friendly – however I can contribute to leaving the world in a better place than I found it – that’s my mission.
Q: Name a favorite song, band, or genre of music.
It has to be Nina Simone, Feeling Good. I have the initials AND tattooed on my wrist representing A New Day, A New Dawn. At each and every pivotal moment in my life, this song has appeared – playing in a bar, on a TV advertisment, in a hopsital ward or because I choose to listen to it. It reminds me that every day is an opportunity to start over and that there are always things to be grateful for.
Q: Tell us about a challenge you faced along the way and how you overcame it?
The biggest challenge has got to be Simon’s illness, but another that springs to mind is being so far away from family & friends. We recently had Simon’s parents in town from the UK and we had a wonderful time with them, but it is always sad, and difficult to say goodbye, especially when you aren’t sure of the next time you will see them. We love having visitors and have an open door policy for friends and family, but when its just the two of us and Dexter, Simon’s favorite expression is “us against the world”. We overcome it by always being there for each other.
Q: When family and friends come to visit, where are your favorite places to take them?
The beach of course, not matter the weather the LA beaches are absolutely magnificent. Coffee on Montana or Brentwood Country Mart is a must, as well as a visit to the Farmer’s Market for fresh flowers and veggies. The Griffith Observatory is obligatory for the views, Malibu Country Mart for a spot of retail therapy and dinner at Tony Taverna is a lovely way to end the day! The Rose Cafe and Zinqué, Venice are both great spots for dinner and/or drinks too.
Website / social media links
www.rockinggypsy.com @rockinggypsy