Welcome to Style DNA, the podcast I created to uncover the
lives behind the looks of your favorite well known faces and
help unveil their style DNA. As a designer, I've always been
inspired by the premise that wearing the right pieces should
make you feel the best version of yourself, gorgeous and
confident, and that these pieces should be designed and crafted
for longevity. I'm delighted to share that this
episode is supported by Karen Millen, a brand that has a 42
year legacy in the world of fashion.
Their commitment to affordable luxury and making investment
pieces accessible has truly stood the test of time.
Whether you're searching for a timeless winter coat that will
serve you for years to come or an elegant evening dress, you'll
find both classic and modern designs that are perfect for
refreshing your wardrobe for the season ahead online at
karenmillen.com, head over to my Instagram for a link to a
special treat for listeners. Today I'm going on a sartorial
journey with Karen Millen OBE. Karen founded her eponymous
brand, Karen Millen with her husband Kevin Stanford in 1981.
With a £100 loan, they purchased 100 metres of white cotton,
which she whipped up into stylish shirts and they sold
party style to friends. From this they gradually grew a
retail empire, founded on their commitment to affordable luxury
and making investment pieces accessible.
In 2004 they sold Caran Millen to Mosaic Fashions under an spa
for £100 million. The terms of the spa prevented
Caran Millen from using her name in connection with any similar
businesses or competition in the future.
She later challenged this in court and lost.
She swivelled and followed her love of interiors, culminating
and creating an online interiors business called homemonger.com.
In 2019, the Boohoo Group bought the Karen Millen brand, and in
2022, in a full circle moment and in an attempt to inject some
of the original DNA back into the brand, Karen was invited to
create the Founder Collection, a capsule collection of 30
signature pieces. The huge popularity of the first
collection saw her invited to create a second collection,
which launches this week. Congratulations.
Hello, and welcome. Hello.
God, what a journey you've been on.
How does it feel returning to Karen Millen?
It's really exciting actually. Yeah, you're right.
I have been on a journey, not an easy one and minds, but yeah, I
feel really empowered again now. Just being back doing what I,
you know, know so well and love. I feel re re energized now.
Time is right. So it's been great.
What was it like when you picked up the phone to Karen Millen?
Or did they e-mail? What was the What was the
approach? Yeah, it wasn't a phone call as
such. A few people when they first
bought the company had mentioned to me or e-mail be saying, you
know, they're really keen to talk to you if you're interested
to, you know, go back and do some work with them.
And I was like at that point, no, I don't think so.
They're taken, you know, they're an online business anyway, so I
knew the stores were closed, which really broke my heart, I'm
honest. So I wasn't too happy at the
time and it wasn't really until two or three years later when
things are settled down and my own personal life was going in a
different direct or coming out of a difficult time and I
started feeling very keen to get back into the industry again.
It's something that's always been there obviously, but.
I did fall out of love with it for for a while and particularly
when we sold in 2004 because I was just exhausted by the whole
journey and not only that, the fact that I'd gone through a
separation with my partner who was partnering the business as
well. So it was an exhausting time and
and I just sort of turned my back on the industry.
So 20 years on, I just feel ready to get a tow back in.
And I mean on that point, it is a relentless industry isn't it?
I know we're just starting to chat about it before recording,
but but actually. Yeah, I mean, because you start
and you're on a treadmill, it's never ending.
The moment you finish one collection on to the next.
And as you said, you know, you start introducing accessories
and things like that. And it just.
I mean, it's endless, but it's fun.
And I think the great thing about it is the fact that you
get. A new season to start all over
again. So it's constantly changing and
that's what gives you the the excitement, I think, to keep you
going. But at the end of the day, you
know, alongside everything else that you're going through,
whether it's personal things, having children, all those
things, they, you know, take the toll.
And I think by the end of the 20 years, you know, that that had
had taken its toll with me personally.
And so, yeah, it was a good time for me to exit.
Really. But now got your mojo back.
And now I'm ready to go back. Has it?
Has it Exactly, Has it felt a bit sort of ducked to water?
Do you you feel straight back into it and sort of really
excited about? It I was excited but really
apprehensive as well because obviously I'm, you know going
back into an industry that I've been absent from for 20 years.
So it was like, can I do this, You know, have things really
changed that much and. You know, how will I be received
by the other members of the team?
So there's all these things going on.
And, you know, no, I never really doubted myself personally
in terms of my creativity. That was always there.
And I think if you're a creative person, you know, you don't stop
being creative. Yeah.
So that side of it didn't bother me.
It wasn't a worry. It was just more how would I be
received? But I have to say, you know, I
got in there and they were. As nice as anything, you know,
they were just so almost subservient, you know?
And that, and I was like, Oh yeah, I would think there'd be
in awe of the woman that created this wonderful.
Brand they were, but I probably I I don't know.
I didn't know how how it would be.
But when I realized now that most of them are.
Some of them weren't even born when we started.
Wow. And so I think when you inject
some of the stories back as well to them of how it was that
really excites them and they love to engage with the things,
you know how it was when we started and and and the the
journey that we went through and the DNA and the DNA you are that
they give her a. Yeah, that they actually can put
a, you know, a face to the name. There is a person and and there
is adna there that they're trying to, you know.
Recreate has have the design processes changed a lot from
when you stepped out. They have for me personally, I I
think as a company when we started we were quite unusual.
I don't think many tell me about that.
Well, we we were literally doing everything.
So it was like an Italia really, where I was designing, we were.
Producing our own patterns. We were doing our own samples in
house and then they would go off to the factories, so but that's
very that's a very designer approach it isn't it it.
Was and and it is because it doesn't happen and it.
I don't think it happened then, but that's how we used to run
our company and I think that's what gave us our point of
difference because we were designer LED business and
bringing in affordable clothes, design clothes to the High
Street. And that's, you know, how we
built our reputation, I think, really.
So we were able to, you know, go through that journey from start
to finish and have total control, which was amazing.
Yeah, amazing. I get frustrated now because you
know things are not done that way now and that's one of the
things I find difficult to control, working with the team
that you know, they're doing everything from a specification
sheet and I can't work from, so there's no 12.
There's no 12. There's nothing like that and I
need to sort of. And feel and and and see
something on a on a stand or or a body and so I'm having to get
used to that way of working but it and it is frustrating because
when you're getting samples back you know there's silly mistakes
or they haven't followed all of the instructions.
And you know for me I just think what a waste of time.
You know, if we could sort the problems out or deal with it in
house here, then surely there will be.
Be be more efficient? Class efficient?
Yes, it feels like be. So much backwards and forwards,
yeah, it feels like a waste of time and resources.
I think so. I mean, that's how I feel.
But you know, because does it come back?
You know, it goes out as a spec, A specification.
Does it come back as a sample or?
Well as a sample and then you tweak from.
That so then it will go back again probably for.
One or two more samples after that, yeah.
And sometimes there's just not time to get it right.
So, you know, you just have to hope and pray that there's, you
know, the amendments that you made will get through to them at
the other end. So it's quite nerve wracking
actually at the end of it when you're actually signing off on
something to say, yeah, good to go because, you know, sometimes
you don't see it, yes. And sometimes those really
critical pieces, if if those have to get dropped because
they're not right that, then the essence goes, doesn't it?
Yeah, it does. And in fact, I think that may
happen with something that's just gone through on this last
collection, so let's hope not. I hope not, because it'll be a
shame. But yeah, so those things can
happen. And particularly because this
next collection is time collection.
It's only 20 pieces, so you know, to lose one piece would be
a shame. A real shame.
Gosh. So you've had to be really
edited and disciplined. Do you have full creative
control over the Founder collection?
I do, actually. I mean, in fact, that was the
other thing that was quite strange is that they didn't
really give me too much of A brief.
It was almost like, do what you want.
I'm like, oh, can you just guide me a little bit, You know, tell
me what you know, what you want me to do.
So it was fairly open, brief to start with.
And then this next one, I think it was easy because they said to
me, you know, we need a November, December collection.
It's 20 pieces. So for me straight away it was
like evening wear, no brainer, really party so and because I
love tailoring, it had to incorporate, you know, the tuts
and that kind of thing. So for me that was a dream.
You've actually touched on my next question because I wondered
whether you had approached this collection from a personal
perspective, sort of as to what you would wear yourself or did
you put your Karen Millen hat on in the design?
Yeah, that's interesting because it is quite different actually
and particularly I I guess you know 20 years on we do change
our stuff slightly and I'm, I'm that much older for a star, but
so, so yes, I have put a lot of me into to this collection.
So tailoring is quite predominant throughout, which is
something that has been part of me from a long.
As I can remember really in fact, which is a lovely story.
One of the first manufacturers we used in London here when we
first got going, when we actually found some
manufacturers aside of the out workers that we were originally
using, was a tailoring factory in Peckham.
And there was an old Polish guy there, Mr. Stone, who was so
sweet and he took me under his wing really, and taught me all
the things I needed to know about Taylor and.
And so I think that was another reason why the tailoring element
was really strong throughout the collections, really so.
But I've always loved to wear a jacket.
I was going to say there's nothing more transformative than
a really beautifully cut jacket. I agree.
I mean, even in menswear, I'd still love, love a suit.
Yeah, I love a jacket. And a jacket.
I mean, how would you describe that original Karen Millen woman
was always. Very much a lifestyle rather
than an age, although. And I mean we like to sort of
like see it as a mother daughter type thing really.
So it was much more about the person rather than the age.
Very much a work career minded woman but like to socialise as
well. So very strong.
I I always thought of her as a power woman.
Yeah. And I think because of the
suiting and the that element of it, we did very well throughout
the city selling you know tailoring to to women in you
know those kinds of jobs. I think it did did gain that
reputation. Just to give me a sneak peek on
the Founder collection because it will launch the day this
podcast gets released. So tell me about your favorite,
favorite piece of the collection.
Oh, I don't know. I I like, it's so
interchangeable, which is what I like to include with all my
electricity. So it's it's very monochrome
black and white with neutrals and then a little bit of
metallic thrown in. So everything sort of changes.
You can change, you know, the the jackets with the pants and
things like that to create different looks.
So as much as it's an evening wear collection, there are lots,
lots of parts within that that you can wear during the day.
And even the fact that I've got a long skirt in there with a
tail on it, you know, in the black and white with a belt,
it's very much great evening skirt that can be worn with
there's like a little Cape, kind of Bolaro type.
Jacket slips over your shoulders, waist, coats and all
works really well with it. But the fact that the skirt I'm
loving, you know these long skirts during the day with boots
and things and AT shirt. Yeah, so you know, I don't think
there's anything in there that you couldn't wear during the day
even there's like a tux coat that you could just throw over a
pair of white pants during the day and black shoes or
something. So you know, it's there's lots
of favorite pieces. Oh, I can't wait to see it
probably. You know, the last collection
had more, I guess a bit more typical caramel and pieces in
it. This has got a lot more of me in
it, so I would wear pretty much everything great.
Now today we're here to talk about style, your style.
How did you decide what you were going to put on to come here
today? I didn't think too long about it
and you never know with the weather, do you?
So I knew I had to walk, but so it was going to be flats and it
was just. Don't think about it.
The black roll neck, black trousers and black coat.
It's a uniform, isn't it? And the mirror, you are really
weird. I know it's the uniform in the
fashion industry. It really is.
I I often think of that uniform because for me, when I was
designing it, I I actually needed to put on a bit of a
uniform in the morning so that all I could focus on was the
colour, the design that I I just didn't even have to think about.
Exactly my And so actually, in a weird way, I'm enjoying getting
dressed more myself now. Yeah, I done when I was
designing. Yeah, yeah.
No, I agree with that. But it was the other thing that
makes me laugh about this whole black uniform type thing is did
you ever go to Premier Vision and you sort of like walk down
there and it was a sea of black, Absolutely twice a year for
three days. I love.
That event and I actually, I think I'm going to go back just
for the fun of it. Do you know what I was thinking
that the other day is just just that, those sort of football
pitch size? It was exhibition of just
exhausting but. Fantastic.
Yeah, Now you grew up in Kent. Were you surrounded by fashion
and style? From a young age, No, not at
all. No, I don't know really where
that came from. I mean, no, none of my family
were in that industry. Or do you remember, though, your
first I call it your sartorial memory, that moment that you
thought, oh, this really makes me feel good?
Or it really doesn't make me feel good?
I know this is a I've been thinking about this question and
it's a really hard one to answer because I can't actually
remember one moment. I feel like I was born with this
within my veins and I've always been interested in in clothes
right from a young age, so I used to watch my mum sew.
And really, I think through the lack of of money she used to
make our clothes, my sister and myself, So if they were like we
come from like quite a big family, both parents had big
families so it was quite a few weddings going on and we'd have
the odd holiday which my mum might make something new to
wear, so. I kind of remember her always
sewing, but I was always very instrumental in in what it was
that she was going to make for us.
I was going to say, were you very involved in that process?
And until the point came when I could actually make my own, but
I also used to have my dolls that I dress my my Cindy doll, I
would always dress and make her clothes.
So it was something that was built in me from a young age and
actually from a frustration of being small and not having
access to. Fashionable clothes at that time
because you know, we we didn't have what's available now.
It was very limited. You know, we would have to go up
to Lewisham or something to CN as to buy something that was
like fairly, you know, on trend. And for me, as I say, I was
quite small so nothing really fitted me.
So it was a lot of it was out of frustration for not being able
to afford or find something that I that was fashionable, that I
liked so. Yeah, I guess it was way back
then. And then even going through
school, my secondary school, I would, I think it must have
been, I guess, around about punk, the punk era.
So for me that was quite revolutionary in terms of, wow,
these people look really different.
I I kind of love it. Not to the extent that I loved
all the music, but I just loved the the freedom to dress the way
that people were dressing it. And so I touched on that
personally, my friend and I would.
You know, have our dark lipstick and we have our pink plastic
mats on and, you know, masses of safety.
Pins everywhere. So, so got into that trend and
and really from that just continued.
So yeah, I just knew then it was and I suppose I used to go to
school and and my teachers were like, you know, that's not, you
know, conforming to the uniform, you know.
So I left my hair a bit of a different colour or, you know,
be asymmetric or something different.
And they'd frown upon me. But do you know what was really
sweet? My headmistress at the time
could see this within me, could see this passion within me.
And she was very prim and proper.
And as she'd sit in her her office, and she would have a
stack of vogues and she would always give me her vogue that
she'd finished with. So I've got vogues that date
back to the 76, So I started collecting them after that.
So yeah, way back then I was always interested.
How amazing. I bumped into a very old school
friend the other day and she said, my God, I remember you
were always at the back of the geography class with a Vogue.
My parents would really love hearing that.
But I read that you were you loved creating shirts.
Now we both know enough about this to know that a shirt is not
the easiest piece to create. What's that about?
Well. I did.
I don't know why. I kind of mastered the art of
making shirts for some reason. Like you say, they're quite
tricky. It's amazing.
I tempted it now. I'd I'd struggle, but I just
went. Really complex, yeah.
And then it just so happened that I saw this.
I was. I don't even know where I was,
but I was somewhere and there was this box with these remnant
fabric outside the door and it was all this sea island cotton
or stripe cock. Gorgeous.
I just got to have that, you know, that's got shirts written
all over it. So that kind of pushed me into
making these shirts just for friends.
So that was basically the first thing that I did once I'd left
college. And then did you use the Sea
Island cotton in other pieces other than shirts?
I don't think I did at the time. I think, you know, it was quite
narrow, wasn't it? Yeah, she's always quite narrow.
So, no, I think that's what led us on to buying this white
cotton. That was the next stage.
Well, we got the opportunity and it's, you know, 100 meters or
whatever, but this cotton gave me the opportunity to actually
produce a very bland collection. But it's sold.
That's it. It got me started in the lens or
you know, my mum then said, you know, let's do a close party at
the house. Oh, I love that.
I know. I mean, I love it now as well.
By the time it's like I know. And I was so shy and so she was
so keen for me to get out and do something after leaving college.
And I was really quite scared about going out into the
industry. I felt really, you know, I I
come from a small town in Kent and I I wasn't really moving in
those circles and I I just felt I didn't know where to go.
But she was really encouraging me to go into little boutiques
and say you know, you know, with a little collection and try to
sell, which I did in some little places.
We ended up selling to some little boutiques, independent
boutiques and we did market stores and all the things that
you do, you know when you're trying to get things off the
ground. So the closed parties were
something that became a regular thing for the next two years,
really until we actually opened our first shop.
It's interesting, isn't it, the fashion industry, Because so
often, yes, talent is hugely, hugely important.
It's an indelible part of of success, but also actually
having the balls to go out there and say this is what I do and I
believe in it and I love it. That for me, was the hardest.
What is it? And it is.
And I think, yeah, I totally agree with you.
And I think I'm lucky in the fact that I met Kevin because
had it not been for him, I would never have done what I've done
and achieve what we achieved and vice versa probably.
Yeah. So we were very compatible in
the sense that we brought different things to the table.
Yeah. And it worked.
We'll chapeau to that. I mean we both had a very hands
on approach to the start of our businesses by the sounds of
things, sort of serving customers all days and day and
then making clothes all night at the weekend.
Do you remember how your style evolved personally through that
time? Yeah.
Well, I guess it was a case of what one was, what fabrics we
could get a hold of. So we were dictated a little bit
by that. But I think also at that time we
were lucky in the sense that it was the 80s.
Everything was quite big and baggy, so big shoulders.
I'd done some patent cutting at college, so I knew the basics,
but I wasn't great on grading. But the idea that everything was
quite loose meant that I could. I lost my way through everything
and managed to do things one size.
I love that. So, so we did and I, you know it
it worked for a while until things I started wanting to sort
of you know get into the tailoring side of things.
And that's when I took on a pattern cutter and I gave her
the most complicated of jackets to do to start with and bless
her, she was young herself and had only recently come out of
college, university. And anyway, I challenged her.
She did it and and she stayed with us for a long time.
And the rest is his. Yeah.
So. I only mentioned that because I
I think there's sort of this was a particular chapter in your
life and sometimes the different chapters in our lives lead us to
different sartorial choices. It certainly has changed, I
think in terms of, you know, say go through the punk era to the
80s and you know, I went through that whole Japanese sort of
stage and the Belgium speech. And it's been, although I've
always had a great love of kind of utilitarian kind of wear and
vintage, a lot of that. I think probably because, again,
not being able to afford designer clothes or, you know,
expensive clothes. So I'd shop in thrift clothes
stores. But that hones your eye.
Yeah, definitely. And that was a little bit of
upcycling then because there would be some surplus where the
army surplus, that type of thing and then you make them your own
that and yeah, actually Lawrence Corner was a go to play out then
and was so cool. So you kind of like, and I've
always been quite androgynous in my style most of the way
through, apart from my I did have a little phase which I
don't know if you'll come on to, so I don't want to say too much.
Yeah, certainly. Say, say, you know, I think when
we sold the company and and you, you find yourself with, you
know, wealthy and you're able to afford all those things that you
couldn't do before. Yeah.
And I found myself being amongst people that dress differently.
Maybe they were more glamorous and they were, and that's how I
ended up dressing, a bit more glamorous, which really me.
Were you spending a lot of money at the time on your clothes?
Do you think as a result of that?
Yeah, I guess I was. I could afford to buy more
expensive clothes, so I bought more clothes, but the style of
the clothing got a bit more glitzy, if you see what I mean?
It was a little bit. It wasn't really true to my
character. I felt almost like I was having
an added body experience that's particularly fascinating on it.
I think, you know, where was I going with that?
It's not really me who. Was that who was that person
actually on that? Because I felt like I needed to
be doing that. I felt almost like, well, you're
you're, you know, you're a wealthy woman now.
You should be, you know, dressing this way and behaving
this way. So I kind of went on that that
journey with other people around me and but when I look back and
that was just so not me. But I know you went through a
particularly unpleasant court case because when you were
fighting for the right to use your name and I wondered how did
you you dress to empower yourself in court to.
That's interesting. Yeah, I bought a couple of new
pieces actually purposely poor. Where from?
I bought a couple of dresses. God, I can't even remember who
the one of them was. A mosquito, actually.
Would you say they were power pieces?
I definitely bought them with the, you know, with that kind of
in mind that they, they made me feel quite empowered.
Yeah, quite structured and you know, just strong.
So yeah, there was definitely an element of my mindset thinking I
have to go in here. Feeling in control and strong
didn't really help me much, but. Well, it helped you at the time.
It made me get, you know, I got through it.
As the founder of an eponymous brand, did you ever feel the
pressure to dress the part, to be seen as the embodiment of the
brand? I think during the time there
wasn't that many occasions when we actually socialized, but
particularly on these events where people would know who you
are. So I was very much that those 20
years were very much working, being a mother and just getting
on with the job. So it wasn't really until I came
out of it, but I actually started going to events and
became a bit more recognized. People didn't know what I looked
like. But, but the whole landscape of
fashion has changed, I would say.
Yeah, since that era to where it is now.
Yeah, I think you're right. I think it probably has.
And so the pressure now, yeah, I do feel the pressure to be
obviously to dress well if I'm going on occasion or whatever.
I do feel that you're being judged so that and I, you know,
it makes you understand the pressure that some of these, you
know, well known people are under at times when they have to
do the red carpet and all these things because you know, people
are ready to put you down at the moment.
Out of interest, being a a fashion person, do you find
yourself reading what someone is wearing?
Reading as in. Just sort of not judging, but
reading. You have an opinion.
Yes. And you know, I don't look at
these things and I don't, I don't watch these things that
often, you know, the Baftas or whatever.
I might glimpse something that's, you know, there's a
magazine or something on Instagram or something.
Social media. And I might look at it and
think, oh, I wouldn't have put that on you or whatever.
You know, there's some of them are quite shocking and then
others are great. But you know, that's a lot of
it's down to the stylist, isn't it?
Because you know, most of them just wear what their stylists
tell them and sometimes they don't always get it right.
It's a pressure, huge pressure, huge pressure.
Me, you know, you have to take in consideration all the
elements of yourself and and you know your age, your size and and
trying to sort of enhance the best parts of you.
And as you get older, I think it becomes a little bit harder as
well. Yes, but I think.
We know who we are. We do it more, I mean.
As we get older what would you what would your advice be to
similar age women who are struggling a little bit with
sort of knowing who they are. Yeah I but I think even for the
likes of us I don't know about you but for me even going in
though in through those transitions of age, not that you
it's like a right one minute you're that and then you're
that. It is a slow transition and
sometimes you have to check yourself and think actually, can
I do that anymore or should I be doing this or what actually does
suit me? So sometimes it's a good idea
just to go and and try things you've never tried before.
I I totally agree. And then I'm a big fan of a a
wardrobe selfie or a, you know, a mirror selfie.
And then looking at it and thinking, yes, I've done that
recently. Actually, what should that woman
be wearing? Yeah, I I did this the other day
actually. And I I looked at it again a few
days on, actually. I was like, oh God, no, no.
It's it's quite useful though I I always think sort of.
I find it easier to look at something in the third person
sometimes. I always used to design and
mirror it with a mirror. I'd like to look at the design
in the mirror rather than straight on.
If yeah, if I agree, yeah, but yeah.
I think you have to experiment a bit.
But I think as you get older you there's certain things you want
to cover up. Yeah.
And it's about finding your the best parts and trying to, you
know, embrace those parts, Yeah. Good answer.
Do you have a huge archive of Karen Mills?
No. Oh yeah, I wish I had.
I've got a huge archive of clothes which I've always been
reluctant to get rid of because as my children or my daughter
probably would say when she says, oh, well, do you need.
It's all, you know, I need it for reference.
I might need it for reference one day, you know.
And I'm so pleased I've kept it now and I had the luxury of
having the space to do that, but not so much now.
So I've had everything in boxes and things, so it's more
difficult. But recently I've been going
through it again and you're finding things that you've
forgotten you have and it's great.
It feels like you've just got a new wardrobe.
But yes, going back to have a caramel in pieces.
I've got, I've got quite a few pieces, but nowhere near as me
as I'd like to have had. And if only you knew what was
going to happen, you would have hung on to a few, I think.
I think people that work for us probably got more more than what
I've got in my wardrobe. You know, I know that some of my
old customers have way more. Amanda Wakeley Than I do, Yeah,
exactly. Which I I find really in
duration as well, but I do have any fact that was another funny
story. I've got a couple of really old
pieces that when we very first started, so back in the 80s, and
I I took them into the office the other day.
And and as I say, some of the guys that are so young and
they're like, oh, my God, what did that?
This is amazing. Yeah.
And one of the pieces that I'd actually had made myself.
Oh, lovely. So, yeah.
And they got the old labels on them.
Oh, that label's really cool. We should do the label again.
So yeah, I mean, it's nice to have kept a few other pieces,
but I wish I'd got more. Do you have a style icon?
I've always quite admired Cate Blanchett because she's just,
she rocks it. She just rocks everything.
She's that chameleon that just can be so cool in any part she
plays. And yeah, she's just so cool,
so, so cool. I have to say, I do like Daphne
Guinness because she just is the master at being, I don't know,
just having fun really. She's she's got that well
ability just to be who, you know, play dress up, really.
I mean, who wouldn't want to play dress up like she does?
You can, you can see how she's been amused again and again
because she's got this beautiful silhouette and this
extraordinary hair and spirit. Yeah, she's just unique really,
so that I do admire her and I I look at her and think, wow, you
know, she's she's cool. If someone were to describe your
style DNA in three words, what would you want those words to
be? Shall we say contemporary like
today? Almost classic contemporary, but
I like a bit of rock chick and I like that androgynous look.
Really so. From from what I know of you, I
think that really sums you up. Yeah, love that.
Do you have one item of clothing that means the most to you?
I've had a few pieces probably over the years, but there's one
or two pieces that you, you keep in your wardrobe and they just
keep coming back out and they still work and that's always
amazing. I mean, I've got a particularly
amazing black Gucci dress from Tom Ford days.
It's so classic, but the fabrics beautiful and the cut is it's.
Coming will be sublime and I can put that on when I can squeeze
into it and actually put on a little bit of weight at the
moment. So it's left on in in the closet
at the moment. But it is one of those dresses
that you know, I know I can put on and feel $1,000,000.
Do you think you ever had a worst fashion moment?
Yes. We're going to share it what I
was talking about earlier in that sense that I kind of
drifted off into this world of glamour that wasn't really me.
I mean, yeah, of course I like nice jewellery.
I like to sort of wear a bit of bling from time to time, but I
probably was dressing in a way that just didn't really suit my
personality. I was just trying to be
something I wasn't or or trying to be what I thought I should be
because I'd suddenly come into wealth.
And do you think that aged you out of interest?
Was that less public than you are now?
Yeah, definitely. I mean, I have.
I'm not saying I dress like that all the time, but, you know, if
it was an occasion I'd I'd find I'd be dressing up, you know,
differently to what I would. I think I'd lost my coolness.
Yeah. And did you change your hair
with that? Yes.
Or even more flow dried and blow dried and that and interesting,
interesting, and you're wrinkling your nose.
I know it. Just I cringe at that.
And when I look at photographs, I'm thinking, who is that?
Isn't it funny though? I mean, you know, our clothes do
really tell a story. They do do.
You ever have a big old clear out of your wardrobe?
I'm trying to do that now because as I say, I do have
quite a quite a lot and it tends to be in boxes a lot at the
moment and I'm sort of transitioning between where I'm
going to be. So there's lots of change.
So it's very difficult to actually organize anything.
But I am trying to get rid. I'm trying to edit now and
think, OK, what are these pieces, you know, am I going to
wear them again? Maybe not, but is there
something of relevance that I can use from keeping them?
If it's no, then we have to get rid of it.
So I try to. Doubt it because oh absolutely.
Yeah, It's a great feeling. And not just with clothing.
It's with furniture and all your bits and pieces around you.
Let's talk about travel. Do you pay particular attention
to what your airport look is going to be, what you're going
to travel in? That's so now than I used to.
I go for comfort more than anything and practicalities.
So I suppose my main thing is don't worry about because I
don't want to have to take about.
I thought that off would happen so that's a no no.
So basically that cuts out jeans and everything else.
So I generally go to something that's like a tracky type panel
or something that's comfortable. So it is trousers because I live
in trousers most of the time anyway.
Your comfort really more than anything.
And when I'm packing I am much more edited about obviously
depending where I'm going and how long for.
But you know that whole weight issue is a big thing, so I try
to be quite strict. It's the shoes that sort of can
add you know weight and space. So I try to be a bit more
limited about what I'm wearing and.
I was going to say, are you a good Packer?
Bad Packer, I would say. I'm a fairly good Packer and
I've got it down to quite a good art now really.
And how do you deal with the shoe thing?
Because I think that is a real art.
Because I. I think shoes can be really
transformative, definitely. And I think they're really
important that they are. And I it does depend where
you're going because obviously if you're going somewhere where
you need heels, you definitely want some flats as well.
So you've got to have a combination of something that
works with across all of the things that you're taking with
you. So I do try to lay out and think
about, OK, what are my occasions, what do I need.
So I will in my mind sort of try and lay out those items and
decide what shoes are going to, you know, I'll be able to use,
you know, throughout that collection.
So 3 pairs of shoes probably would be my next.
Good girl. I mean, I'd take more if I
could, but. In terms of your wardrobe, what
do you feel, if anything, that you have an excessive amount of
everything? No, no, I think probably.
I was quite shocked when I pulled out.
My summer went through a lot of my boxes and I pulled out all
these jackets and they're mainly black.
Of course. I looked and I thought, my God,
I'll never need to buy another black jacket again.
There's just so many here. But of course you still.
I was going to say. And then and then that is then
we something. You haven't got that perfect.
Yeah, new black jacket. Just appeared.
So I did and but you know, I used to buy a lot of handbags
because I was never really big on.
Although I love shoes, I've got big feet and I'm only little.
So I was always conscious of my footwear and unlimited by what I
would wear, and I didn't want to draw attention to them.
So I thought, well OK, forget the shoes, I'll just it will all
be about the bag. So I used to buy a lot of bags.
OK, so guilty secret. What is the most expensive item
that you've ever bought? I'm not asking the price tag,
but clothing. No, it could be an accessory.
Sounds like it could be an accessory.
It would have been jewelry, probably watches and jewelry.
They would have been the most expensive.
But clothing, probably, probably coats.
I've bought some expensive coats I did buy and which I was gutted
about. Once I bought a fur coat and
lost it. Well, it was stolen in a
cloakroom. Have you ever justified an
expensive purchase with pounds per wear?
Always. Yeah.
Absolutely, I mean. Value for money.
If you're wearing it all the time, it's cheap.
So what's your approach to sustainable fashion?
I. Think I've always been conscious
of not wasting because you know, I grew up in a family that that
we had little and and we had to make do.
So I've always been conscious of not wasting things and certainly
now as I say, I'm recycling in my wardrobe and I'm having a lot
of fun with it. So I I love doing that, and I
love to see that. You know, the younger generation
are more aware of this now and there's a lot more recycling and
upcycling going on. What would you say is the oldest
piece in your wardrobe? Well, it was probably one of
those Karen Milan pieces that I was just talking about.
I think it probably is. I think this, this dress that I
pulled out, I think that must be, it's got to be.
It's got to be the oldest thing in.
Great. Let's just turn on to some quick
fire questions. What fashion advice would you
give your 20 year old self? Oh, I just be yourself.
Good one. True to yourself, which fashion
trend would you most like to see make a comeback do?
You know, everything comes back, doesn't it?
Really? I'm loving the fact that the 70s
is back at the moment. What's the 70s?
What fashion or beauty trend would you consign to Room 101?
Probably. Oh, those big bows of the 80s,
big bows and puffball skirts. You were going to say puffles
because? Yeah, there's some horrendous
pictures of of some of the earlier collections actually
with these big bows on them and taffeta.
And that's like, you know, the whole Diana wedding days.
It's like, thanks, what was your last impulse spy?
Probably probably be shaped shoes now, boots shoes, because
because I am actually upcycling, recycling, I'm wearing a lot of
my old clothes shoes. I'm heavy on my shoes so you do
need to replace them. So I think that would be my my
go to at the moment views on tattoos.
Love them blow dry or manicure. Oh, blow dry, High end or High
Street. Well, actually saying that I
don't know both, both was sorry, what was the high end or High
Street? Or high end minimalism or
maximalism. Minimalism.
That thing with the math sometimes Crocs.
Q No sneakers or stilettos? Both sports lux or rock'n'roll?
I do a bit of both, but I suppose mine more rock'n'roll
glamour grunge. Again, it's baldry, really.
Sort of the bit of both crosses over skinnies or boyfriends.
I think I'm more boyfriends, really.
Trend or style or style? Definitely.
Color or monochrome? Monochrome.
Little. Plain.
Experimental or uniform.
Good at both. Cashmere or cotton?
Both. Order or editor?
Order shapewear or sexy lingerie.
Again, a bit of both there because I find it really hard to
get in shapely underwear to fit. I mean, you all comfort, don't
you? At the end of the day, bikini or
one piece. Bikini Beanie or baseball cap,
Beanie. And finally, at the end of the
day, what do you or don't you wear in bed?
Usually I love my pajamas. I do love to get into pair of
cotton pajamas or silk pajamas, but often nothing.
But I like to get ready for bed earlier, so sort of minching
around in pet pajamas is is probably my fave.
What a pleasure to go on this style journey with you today.
Thank you. I'm talking about.
Style Thank you, don't we.