No Sleeping Beauty

On the sunny, late-summer morning I’m catching up with Lily, she’s in full-on mom mode. It’s her son, Winston’s, six-month birthday and they’ve just returned from his first Mommy and Me class. Sounding enthusiastic, warm and energetic, she talks about the typical things you’d expect from any busy modern mother, which is exactly how she views herself at the moment. But while the parental topics are clearly relevant, she’s definitely worlds apart from what most would consider the typical local mom juggling the family schedule. Today might be all about children and nursing, but she could just as easily be posing for a camera in a remote location across the globe. Such is the life of this Nashville-based supermodel of international fame.

Bjorn Iooss

If you haven’t heard of Lily Aldridge, chances are you recognize her frequently photographed face. Early on in her career, she was the face of brands like Abercrombie & Fitch, before graduating to seriously influential fashion brands such as Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors and Carolina Herrera. She’s also been regularly shot for features in publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle, among many others. If you open any fashion magazine this month, you’ll likely see her gorgeous face at the center of advertisements for luxury jewelry design house Bulgari. She’s also widely recognized for her role as an angel for Victoria’s Secret, as well as for her steamy photographs for Sports Illustrated’s famous swimsuit editions.

She comes into the modeling world honestly, if family ties are any indication. Her brother is an acclaimed fashion photographer, her father is a well-known artist and her mother and sisters have all been models. The California-born beauty went to school in London and lived in New York prior to making her home in Music City after falling for Kings of Leon frontman Caleb Followill. After meeting him at a music festival in Southern California, the two began dating and married soon after. Since Followill is a long-time local resident, it made sense that the couple would be based out of Nashville—an excellent decision, according to Lily.

She gushes when talking about all of the things she loves about her current (and, hopefully, forever) hometown. “I’m amazed at the growth that’s happened since I moved here. I loved Nashville from the start, but it just keeps getting better and better. There are so many new things to explore from interesting neighborhood spots to fine dining,” she says. Curiosity and interest about the “new” Nashville has also been instrumental in keeping her life as grounded as possible when it comes to work. “I’ve been fortunate to work with many companies who are extremely supportive of my position as a working wife and mother. And, because Nashville has become so intriguing to the outside world, those brands now are eager to comehere to shoot campaigns and covers. I get to work from my home-base and show visitors the best of the city. It’s the perfect place to be.”

She may be globally recognized as a model and ambassador, but the most important role for her over the past seven years has been being a mother. Bringing their daughter, Dixie Pearl, up in the south has been a dream come true for the whole family. Now, with Winston joining the Followill crew, they’re even happier about having such a wonderful place to raise children while still being very active in the fashion and entertainment industries. Like other famous personalities who call Nashville home, they’re able to be a real part of the community without the hassles often experienced in more media-frenzied locales.

Not only do Lily and her husband love their surroundings, they also get involved with local causes and happenings as often as they can. One of the most rewarding (and fun) efforts is the upcoming Music City Food and Wine Festival, which Followill co-founded. This year’s event is slated for September 20-22, and Lily says she cannot wait for the weekend. “The festival is such a great way to check out all of the things happening with the local food scene. You get to sample things from all of the new chefs and restaurants and catch up with people who are in town for the event. I also love Harvest Night for the music and entertainment along with the food. It’s the perfect situation for Caleb, too, since he really wanted to be a chef.”

The festival has been steadily growing and drawing famous food personalities to participate since its inception when Followill and members of Kings of Leon got behind it. In fact, MCFW is now one of the most recognized culinary festivals in the nation, bringing thousands of visitors to the city each fall. Some of those visitors could easily be other runway sensations, as Lily reports that she often entertains industry friends who come to town to enjoy the festivities. At the moment, she may be on a bit of a strict regimen due to the nursing schedule, but she’s saving up to enjoy a bit of fun during the celebration nights. “I am a huge tequila fan,” she admits with a giggle. “My favorite at the moment is Casa Dragones, but I enjoy trying it all.”

Music City Food and Wine may be a fall highlight, but it’s not the most exciting thing happening in Lily’s world. She’s also fulfilling her dream of becoming a true entrepreneur and launching her own brand. Her ongoing partnership with Levi’s has been a source of pride for the model, and this season they’ll release her special capsule collection, which she describes as casual, timeless and classic. That alone would make most people feel accomplished, but it’s just one of the things on Lily’s list. She’s also been preparing for the global launch of her fragrance line, which is a bucket-list milestone. “I am a total beauty junkie and have always wanted to be more involved with the industry,” she reports. “I’ve wanted to do something under this umbrella for years, and now I have my own company.” She didn’t just jump into the industry or offer her name to another company, but has actually been involved in every facet of the brand’s development and associated campaigns.

The first scent, Haven, is a musky, peony-rose floral and will be released this month. In December, the second fragrance in the line, Summit, a spicy blend of leather, tobacco and cinnamon notes, will arrive. She says it’s based on the smells she associates with the Great Smoky Mountains. “I’ve been very selective in the scents, but also in the direction and mission of the brand. I did a great deal of research and learned so much from beauty industry experts. Makeup artist Rose Marie Swift has been a huge help and inspiration. I love what she’s done with her natural line. I tend to gravitate toward natural products, especially with motherhood and nursing. You’ll find items from Swift’s line, RMS Beauty, in my bag as well as favorites like the reparative moisturizer from Tata Harper. My friends are also now big fans of Windsor Edward lip balms, since I always stock up on extras to give away.”

Lily’s taking her appreciation for naturally created beauty and love for gifting to the next level with her brand, and that starts with the packaging. “The fragrance box is also the shipping box, which reduces waste for more sustainable packaging. There’s also a wooden element tothe bottle.” She’s happiest to report that each scent will be linked to a particular charity, offering the chance to give back to worthy causes while growing the business. “While I was pregnant, and clearly not doing runway work, I put all of my creative energy into this project. We shot the promotional campaign at Blackberry Farm shortly after I gave birth, and now I’m ready to deliver this ‘baby.’ It’s surreal, exciting, and something I look forward to developing across multiple product lines.”

For now, she’s enjoying all of the launch activity from her home in Nashville, although frequent travel is expected soon. “We’re all adapted to travel. It’s part of our lives. When Caleb’s on tour, we pack up and go with him. If I have to shoot in New York or abroad, I bring the kids along. One of the jokes in the family is that Dixie has been to both Rome and Venice, two places Caleb has yet to see,” she laughs. “I feel blessed to get to visit extraordinary locations and to share them with my children. But most of all I’m grateful that I’m able to return to Tennessee and to be home as much as possible. Family is everything to me, and the center of that for us is here.” When asked what else she might be looking forward to in the months just ahead, she pauses for a moment and states that, honestly, she can’t wait until winter. “We hunker down and hibernate. Caleb cooks, making lunch for all of us, and we just enjoy our time together at home in Nashville. There’s nothing better.”

Bjorn Iooss

LILY’S FAVORITE NASHVILLE DATE-NIGHT DESTINATIONS:

We always love going to visit Tandy Wilson at City House. Newer discoveries on rotation are O-Ku in Germantown for sushi and Bourbon Steak at the JW Marriott.

MEALS OUT WITH THE KIDS:

Giovanni Ristorante is like a second home for us. The people are like family. We also enjoy all of the offerings at True Food Kitchen in Green Hills.

FOR BUSINESS MEETINGS & CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS:

Café Roze in East Nashville has a great vibe, and I also really enjoy the coffee bar at Noelle downtown.

LOCAL FASHION FINDS:

I’m in Nordstrom in The Mall at Green Hills often. In fact, I just purchased a beautiful Celine bag there that I’m really excited about for fall. I’m also a big fan of Burberry and frequent the store here.

FOR THE MOST EXCELLENT GIFTS:

White’s Mercantile on 12South is my one-stop-shop for “all the things.” Holly Williams does an incredible job of curating clothing, jewelry, kitchenware, candles, books and kids’ stuff. They also sell amazing bath salts that I love.

FOR RECREATION:

We always enjoy taking the kids on a hike through Percy Warner Park. It’s beautiful!

SUPPORTING ROLE:

Lily is dedicated to her work with causes including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, World of Children and Levi’s Every Town Charity.