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Landon: I Was Broken by Life
Landon discusses coming to terms with her divorce and moving to Charleston.
Bravotv.com: How long had you been separated before you moved back to Charleston?
Landon Clements: I had been separated about a year and a half. The divorce itself took almost a year to finalize. Once that paperwork was finished, I felt I needed a little break from LA, so I headed to Aspen for the ski season. I had an absolute blast, but in April they closed the mountain, so I came to Charleston to visit my sisters and friends and had such a nice time that I decided to give Charleston another shot. It was the best decision I have made in a long time, and I am thankful every day to be here surrounded by so much love.
I, too, wanted to maintain the facade that everything was fine, but it was literally killing me. ”
Bravotv.com: Has your mother come around at all about your decision to get a divorce?
LC: She has come around 100 percent. Her words of encouragement to hang in there had come from a few long-distance phone calls. Of course, you're going to say try harder when you aren't there to see the real situation. When we finally came face to face, she could see that I was broken by life. It was then that she slowly began to change her tune. Also, my ex-husband's behavior during this time became quite erratic, and she finally got a glimpse of what I had secretly been dealing with. I am a very private person when it comes to my emotions, and I think if I had been able to be more honest with myself, I could have been more honest with her. I, too, wanted to maintain the facade that everything was fine, but it was literally killing me. At one point, I got down to 95 pounds (I'm 5'9" so that's not great), and my hair started falling out from the stress. I had an amazing therapist, and he really helped me to find some clarity and to harness my own strength to remove myself from a dark place.
Bravotv.com: Who were you able to lean on for support through the separation and divorce?
LC: Honestly, I think my first big step came from my therapist. Sometimes you need a third party who isn't so invested in your decision-making process to help you change your process. He helped me to make up my mind about getting a divorce, and then I was able to tell my family and friends. After that, so many people rallied by my side that it makes me tearful just thinking about it. When I first moved out, I lived in my friend’s guest house that I had designed for him to use as his writing studio, and now he was kind enough to let me stay there. It was perfect. It felt so homey, and it was nice to live in one of my designs during this deeply depressing time. It's funny sometimes how life works out. From there, I remodeled a little bungalow in West Hollywood and briefly lived there before taking off to Colorado. I suppose mostly, though, I relied on my sisters for support through the separation and divorce. Especially Bam, because she'll always tell you the truth, and it's never sugar coated.
Bravotv.com: You mention that you’ve done styling in the past. Can you tell us about that?
LC: I had styled a few films and done some fashion editorial stuff for fun in the past, but it wasn't until the divorce that I got really involved in styling and discovered how much I loved it! A good friend was working with Topshop internationally, and they needed someone in LA to help expand the brand and handle celebrity relations and styling, so I came on board for a few months. I'll never forget it: The opening of the new store was on Valentine's Day, and I had just been separated, so what should have been the worst day actually turned into a brilliant star-studded event, and we danced all night long. The other girls who were working with me were so sweet, most of them were students at FIDM and younger than me by a decade, but we made a great team, and it was their youthful vibes and fast fashion that made divorce seem almost hip. Sometimes, I would let the girls dress me and do my makeup. I believe there is a lot to be said about a new dress and some fresh lipstick--it really can make you feel better.
Bravotv.com: Did you have fun at Shep and Whitney's party?
LC: I had a blast at the beach party. I just wish there had been more cute boys!
