Life Of A Fashion Stylist
What is the best part of your job?
I would truly say that it is the people that you work with. I have been lucky enough to work with the most amazing mix of people over the years. Some were funny, others difficult but eccentric, endearing, lovely, interesting, intelligent, wise, but all of them, just , had things to say. Whether it's been from the world of TV, film, you name it. I just think there's never ever a dull moment and I wouldn't change it for the world.
What is the worst part of your job?
The worst part of my job as a fashion stylist, without a shadow of a doubt, is returning clothes once you've finished a project you're working on. You know, the excitement and the build-up of choosing them, whatever hard work it is, is great because you've got the project in front of you. Afterwards it's like, "Phew! Job done," hopefully the client's over the moon. You're already happy with what you've done and then you're just surrounded by bags and bags and bags of clothes that all have to be relabelled, retagged, you have to revisit Oxford Street forever. And quite frankly, I'd like to throw them in the bin, but obviously I don't and they get returned. And obviously it's very important that they go back perfectly as well, and that they look great. That's part of our responsibility as fashion stylists, but I hate it.
What is the worst fashion disaster you have seen?
The worst fashion disaster I can think of would have to be me when I was younger actually, because nobody means to make a fashion faux-pas and at the time I thought I looked amazing and I think this applies to every single person. I was at college and I was between 16 and 18 years old. I thought I was so hot, and I remember it very clearly. I look back at photographs now and I think "Oh no! That's me! What a fashion disaster!" When I was at college, I generally used to live in belts that were supposedly skirts. There wasn't a lot to them. And I loved, absolutely loved, mad patterns, bright colors, you name it. I was into prints as well. I had a real mix of color and texture going on in terms of tops, also colors in my hair - really, really mad. And everything was tight. Really tight. Very revealing. And I wasn't shy at the time, not really.
Have you dressed anybody famous?
I have dressed some famous people. I am really lucky to have worked with such a wide cross-section of people, from TV presenters like Claire Sweeney, through to sports stars like Sharon Davis, to pop stars like Ronan Keeting. You name it, a really broad circle of people. But funnily enough, you get just as much a buzz from working with an everyday person as well. The fundamental thing about being a great fashion stylist is innately understanding people and wanting to see them look amazing, but also feeling fantastic at the end of it yourself. That is a buzz in itself.
Who is your all-time fashion icon?
I'd say I have a couple of all-time fashion icons really. Audrey Hepburn, because I just think she is exquisite in every way. Her face was so beautiful and her understanding of herself as well. You see that's the brilliance about a successful personal style. She absolutely knew what suited her. In fact, she wasn't very adventurous and quite often she would repeat styles of clothing in a different fabric, but I love her for that because she was very self-assured, she had a real knowledge of herself and her own personal style. Bridgette Bardot as well, just because I thought she was an icon, and is still today, I love her natural beauty, her sexiness, her outdoors, hippy, tousled, free style. I think that's probably my favorite type of fashion style.
How do you deal with a diva?
Being nice, I think, goes a long way when you're a fashion stylist. If you continue to be nice, eventually people can't continue to be nasty or demanding, so it diffuses the 'diva' situation. Part of your job as a fashion stylist is actually being able to deal with and manage people, understand their insecurities as well. Quite often you're taking people back to the core of how they really feel about themselves, particularly if you're creating a dramatic change. I think you got to have enormous empathy and understanding as fashion stylist, but sometimes that's going to rock people's security and bring out their vulnerabilities. As well as looking after fashion, I think stylists are therapists as well, in some sort of way, building confidence and making people feel better about themselves.
What has been your worst fashion mistake?
My worst fashion mistake is always shoes. I absolutely love killer heels and the number of times... I remember buying one pair of shoes which went on forever. They were like this high. [Motions with hands]They were a pair of Gucci sandals, and I loved them. You know, I wanted to take them to bed with me at night. I remember wearing them to an event and they were agony to such an extent that I had to sort of like stand on my insteps almost. And every person who spoke to me or I had to speak to them, I was so annoyed. Not because I didn't like them but because my feet were hurting the whole evening. My fashion disaster? Shoes, shoes, shoes!
What is your favourite fashion item?
Being a fashion stylist my favorite fashion item is a necklace that was given to me by a jewelry designer friend, called Slim Barrett. I absolutely love it; if I ever lost it I would seriously be heartbroken. It's not the most expensive thing I own, nor is it the least, nor is it sort of inexpensive, but what it means to me is just like everything. It hangs, sort of on a long piece of leather and Slim Barrett, he is a jewelry designer, but he is an artist as well. This favorite fashion time of mine basically has a little story behind it and it's got metal pieces hanging from it and is like a little glass bottle. The story behind my favorite fashion item is the sun, the moon and the stars, and the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It's really hippie and it's really quirky, and I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and it goes with everything. And whenever I wear it, wherever I am, it may be at the petrol station, supermarket, out for an evening, somebody always stops me and says, 'Oh my God, that is so beautiful.' So that to me as a fashion stylist is my favorite fashion item, it means everything.
Can you make anyone look good?
I believe I can make anyone look good, and there are so many things that I know I would be hopeless at, but in terms of my job, I am capable without a doubt. Some people are more of a challenge than others, and with some projects sometimes you have to stop and question yourself, but I fundamentally believe that there is joy in making anyone look good. I just know it has nothing to do with a degree or diploma, I just believe that I do understand color, texture, and balance as well on people.
What does the expression 'the new black' mean?
The "new black" applies to a sort of key colour for the season that's almost overtaken black so there's lots of it around. Predominantly black is considered to be a staple in most people's wardrobes. Which means black is a general colour, and you can add other bits of colour to it, and create lots of versatility, but every season now that other colour, the new black, changes. For instance, next season it may be brown that is a big staple colour, so that would be considered to be the "new black." So that would be your staple colour and you will add other different colours to that to create your versatility, so that's what "the new black" applies to.
Who would you most like to dress?
In the life of a fashion stylist I think that there are two people that I would most like to dress. You are probably going to be surprised really. The first person I would most like to dress is Victoria Beckham, for the reason that I really like her as a woman actually. I have got tremendous respect for her, but I sometimes think she looks really contrived, and I wonder if there is a much more natural, relaxed Victoria underneath what we see. I am not there to criticize her clothes, but she just has almost like, an over-sense of style sometimes that to me is untouchable, and I think she comes across as so like, self-effacing and lovely actually when her guard is down. So, I would love the opportunity to see if there is something beneath the surface that just could be so much more natural and more beautiful I think, and more real. My second person that I would most like to dress as a fashion stylist myself is Katie Price, because I think she is really a raw beauty that we quite often don't see. It would be amazing to take her back to that sort of "Bordeaux" glamour, but in quite a sort of like pared down way. I would love to see her in a simple cashmere sweater and you know just some gorgeous tailored pieces and just really fabulous, but classy makeup because I truly do believe that she is really exquisite.
Why do you think wearing the right clothes increases confidence?
I think wearing the right clothes automatically increases confidence, because lately, we all look in the mirror and see what we see, but you can't fail to admit if you look good, and if you look good that rubs off in terms of making you feel good about yourself. Clothes can be seen like a sort of like a form of armor, I get up in the morning, prepare to face the world but I'm not saying they're everything, but they are one of the greatest tools to building self confidence and self confidence is what helps you be successful in life. When I say successful I mean to be happy, to be self assured, and we all know that when we bounce out of bed when we are feeling good about ourselves our day goes better, things seem to click into place. The right clothes for you as a person help you to archive all of that, so I don't think they should ever be underestimated, and yeah... it is "only fashion" but fashion that has a powerful affect.
