MATTE FINAL

Q: If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?
A: Traveling the world and getting high.
How would you describe what
you do for work to a very small,
inattentive child?
I’m lucky enough to do what I love
for a living. I slide down waves in
the ocean for work.
What is that you do professionally
that you are most proud of?
I’m most proud of having done well
on the contest scene for a while. As
much as I don’t feel like I want to
surf in contests anymore, I was able
to make the Championship Tour a
few times and even managed to win
a couple of major events against
some of the best surfers in the
world. I’m also very proud of what
we’ve been able to accomplish with
the woman’s swimwear collection at
Rip Curl. It’s been a fun ride helping
make what have become some of
the best suits in the industry.
MATTE: Do you see yourself as an actress
or a businesswoman?
Blake Lively: I don’t see an “or” there.
I see myself as a storyteller—or at least
that’s what I try to do. As an actress, I try
to tell stories in the most honest way possible,
and hope people will connect to that
emotionally. With Preserve, I’m doing the
same thing: meeting chefs, meeting artisans,
designers, craftsmen. I’m moved by
their stories and I’m sharing them with my
friends. Instead of keeping that insulated
as a personal pleasure, I’m sharing that in
a greater way. I’ve always been so drawn
to this: I kept over 80,000 photos from 12
years of traveling, taking photos in restaurants
and shops, names, photos, business
cards. I still don’t know how I’ll bring it all
together. This is my attempt at that. We’re
a start-up, and we’re experiencing the
growing pains of a start-up. It’s a full-time
job, and it’s hard to combine with another
full-time job. But they lend themselves to
each other: I discover antique shops or an
incredible painter when filming on location.
Who is the Preserve customer?
It’s women… Women are our biggest
audience. The reason I pause is because I
believe I am the Preserve customer. It’s my
vision and I’m the one creating, curating,
and driving this. If I look to myself first, I’m
a woman for whom family is the most important
thing in my life. I love stories, I love
quality stories. Quality doesn’t come with a
number. That is to say that yes, one of my
favorite restaurants in the world is French
Laundry… but I also love Waffle House.
If it’s delicious, there’s no judgment. I’ll
wear a fancy designer coat or handbag
but with a Forever 21 shirt. I love to—you’ll
think this is a plug for the site, but I love to
preserve things that are old and give them
A MATTE Magazine • Summer 2015 • Lifestyles