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plan. Today I'm going on a style
journey with author, broadcaster and coach Rosie Nixon.
Hello and welcome, Rosie. Hello, thank you for having me.
It's lovely to have you here. I mean, you have been on quite
the career journey. We met during your 16 year
tenure as editor of Hello magazine, during which time you
also managed to pen 3 novels and one non fiction book, Be Kind
Plus had two boys. Those 16 years also saw the most
metamorphic change in the magazine landscape, didn't they?
I just would love to talk about that for a moment because, you
know, that's quite a journey. It is.
I do feel like when you say it like that, I had a whole.
Life at hello, didn't I? I lived a lot of my life there.
16 years was in a long time. Yeah, but the magazine industry
really started in one place, and then by the time you left, you
were digital, you were podcasting, you were doing
everything. Absolutely.
I feel as though, yeah, I evolved whilst I was there in
age, but so did the publishing world enormously and it's so
different now, completely different media landscape to the
one that was when I first took up that role at Hello.
Obviously publications now are multi platform, available to
their audience 24/7. A new platform emerges and
you've got to be there otherwise you're going to fall behind the
curve and you will lose your audience overnight.
So it's a really competitive, different sort of world.
But I feel. Really lucky that I had all of
those years kind of in the heyday of print, when magazines
could sell a million copies in a week, as we did many times It's.
Extraordinary. Yeah, and there was no social
media. So when the stars wanted to
present an exclusive to the world, they really needed a
print media partner to do that with.
So some of the access that we got was incredible.
And I felt like I had the best job in the world for years
because I was right there on the front line And that huge
exclusives and and breaking them to an audience before the
Internet had kind of developed in the way it had and people
took control of their own image. And what was the most
challenging part of that journey, would you say?
The speed of it, hello. It was big.
I mean, even though obviously we weren't reacting to news by the
second as as the as news outlets do now across social media
platforms, but we were a weekly magazine.
So we would go to press every Friday night back in the day.
That was an extremely late night.
I mean, we'd go to press at sort of two in the morning on a
Saturday or or later because we'd want to make the magazine
as current as it possibly could before it went on sale the
following Monday. So often a lot would happen.
Often, a week's worth work would happen on a sort of Thursday.
And Friday so that the pages could be as fresh as possible.
So keeping up with the news agenda was a big part of my
role. I mean, I was pretty addicted to
my phone and keeping in touch with what was going on.
And it was always really exciting when you'd get a call
from an agent saying can I talk to you confidentially?
I've got a really big one for. You and you'd be like, yes, I
can't wait to hear what this is. If it was a big.
Wedding or something. So you never quite knew what was
going to happen actually from day-to-day and who was going to
phone up. And suddenly you'd be sort of
planning, you know, a photo shoot in Barbados or in LA or
somewhere, you know, with a really big name.
So it was an amazing, amazing time.
And also during that time, you had a slew of royal weddings,
royal events, didn't you? And that was probably very
mission critical for Hello Magazine.
We did. It was, yeah.
And I remember when we were waiting for the date of the
wedding of the the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William
and Kate, who got married in 2011.
I remember it very well. 29th of April.
They were because I was due to be getting married two weeks.
Later, so I was crying that their wedding day wasn't going
to clash with mine and then I'd have to make a difficult
decision as to whether to go ahead with my own or put work.
1st, I don't think that would have gone down very well with my
husband, would it? But that was an incredible day.
Because the thing about Hello is that it's almost a cross between
a newspaper and a magazine because we had all the
glossiness of amazing photography.
But we'd be able to turn things around quickly.
So we all came into the office on that morning and there was
sort of 200 empty. Pages of a magazine.
That we're going to be filled within the next 24 hours and
then we went straight off to press so.
And did you have to do any television work during that time
as the editor? Yes, I did do bits and pieces.
I mean, I always put my role at hello first because I was needed
there. And at that time I thought we
were just starting to do some video content because I remember
we very excitedly thought let's get our own video team.
I mean, now it's a. Given that you would always have
video, I mean. You do it on your own phone.
You and we hired this, we managed to get a room in or like
rented this room that was part of somebody's office that
overlooked Westminster Abbey and where they were going to come
out probably paid an extortionate amount because it
was like the hottest kind of place to be and we had a little
balcony. So we had a team out there.
For most of that day, though, I was in the office just focused
on making the pages the best that they could be because this
was the big issue of the year. How many?
How many copies did you sell? Well, that one sold 1,000,000
copies in three days, and we had to reprint more.
Yeah, so. And it was such an exciting
feeling knowing that you've really nailed it as well.
I think I left the office probably at 6:00 in the morning.
We worked the whole night. That night.
A slightly delirious I think you cracked a bottle of fizz at God
knows what time 4:00 when it felt like the ends insight and
and you know the challenge was picking what is going to be that
iconic image because we hadn't even seen all the newspapers
because obviously they're not out till the following morning
we had. Did you have to pick your iconic
image before you saw Times Telegraph?
We had saw the challenge was sifting through thousands and
thousands of images because every photo agency, every
independent photographer, I mean, everybody was in London
capturing images of the day because they all knew that if
that shot becomes the shot, it's going to go all around the
world. So the challenge was picking
what are those images that really capture the moment in a
way that are really going to get people's attention but become
iconic? Now we're here to talk about
style DNA, but I would love to just quickly ask you what what
would you say is the DNA of hello?
I'd say it's like the magazine of record, and I think a moment
like the royal wedding really says that.
I think it's sold so many copies because people wanted that issue
as a keepsake. It was like a photo album.
It's a snapshot of the zeitgeist of a moment in time that you
could keep for generations. So I've still got all my iconic
hellos. Yeah.
Because I I will enjoy showing if my kids ask, what was that
royal wedding like? You know, in years to come, I
can get out. Hello.
And there it all is. And actually, lots of costume
designers for films use hello. Because if you're making a film
set in 1992 and you want to know what were the hairstyles, what
were the fashions? What were people drinking at
parties? What were?
Real people rather than what the exact magazines were feeding us.
It would. Give you that exact snapshot of
that week in that year, really to know who were the movies in
the Shakers? What were the trends.
Yeah. So it's it's all there.
So that's why I think the magazine of Record is a really
nice way to describe. It OH.
That's lovely. Do you have one copy of each one
that you edited? I oh God no, because that was
would be hundreds yeah, in the 16 years, but I do have a little
my little stash of my favorite ones so particularly big into.
Not really, actually. You're making me feel God,
actually. Where are they?
They're kind of in a box somewhere.
But yeah, but it would be nice to have that.
I've got all, all of my magazines actually, that I've
worked on over the years. And it's quite a tradition when
you leave a magazine to have a front cover and I have got many
front covers of me on the front of Glamour and Gracia and Red.
And I love. It list all the bags I've
worked. Most of them cannot be seen
publicly because the cover lines are always a little bit risky or
funny in some way. You know, capturing some of the
dramas that were had while we were there.
Brilliant. I mean talking the magazine
industry, do you think that and and specifically probably
because hello, was your your real main job through the years
or your longest job through the year and years?
Do you think that AI will affect Hello magazine for example?
Yeah, no, I don't think it will. I think will.
It will have to be embraced, you know, and obviously it can be
incredibly helpful in lots of ways with journalism, but I
think nothing will replace that tone of voice that a magazine
becomes known for. And Hello does have a unique
tone of voice, and most of our best loved titles do, albeit
they sell less these days and they coexist alongside different
forms of technology. So I don't think journalists
should be scared of their jobs, you know, over AI.
And same as the consumer likes to read something that's been
written by an actual person as well.
So I think there's place for all of it.
Now, I always think of you when you wrote a book called Be Kind,
and I always think of you as a very kind woman and hello was
very kind. How much of that was you and how
much of that was the owner saying I want this to be kind?
Well, yeah, I think I first started thinking deeply about
the subject of kindness during my role at Hello.
Because if I'm honest, when I first started there, it was a
bit of an anomaly. You know, I'd worked at Conde
Nast, I'd worked at Bauer, I'd worked at a lot of the big
publishing houses. And then there was like, hello,
that was just on its own as a family business.
And I didn't really know a lot about it.
And, and in a way it would get vilified.
I felt a bit as people think, seeing it as a soft touch and
oh, hello is always lovely about everything.
And almost as if that wasn't practicing accountable proper
journalism. The UK can be very snobby over
journalism. The broad sheets, you know, and
then the red tops and that divide of what type of person
are you? And I really didn't like that.
And it made me feel that actually being lovely and nice
or kind as as we kind of sort of.
Started to call it. Actually is our superpower and
it's a badge of honor and it's something we should be really
proud. Of.
So instead of thinking, oh, we're not proper journalists,
let's like really own this area. And the reason why we are so
successful and there's been such a longevity in the brand is
because we're kind to people. We treat them well and that's
why they want their wedding. Photos to be featured.
In the magazine, that's why they will invite us into their home
because it's a trusted relationship.
So, you know, and I felt really passionately that we should be
really proud and protective of this stance and that actually it
should be the thread that, you know, is woven throughout the
fabric of the magazine. Love that.
I mean, you lived 8 read Hello for 16 years and that ultimately
meant that you burnt out. Yes.
Just tell me about that for for a moment, because we're both
into new chapters and we, and that's a wonderful, wonderful.
We were just saying it's an amazing privilege to be in a new
chapter. But just to put a little bit of
context about next chapter, yeah.
Well, I think, and it's funny sort of reflecting on sort of
what happened a few years ago now and that benefit of
hindsight and what you now sort of understand it to have been.
And I now understand that I had evolved as a woman during that
time. It was formative for me.
You know, I met my husband while I was at hello, got married.
You mentioned the children and you know, my life coincided with
the life of this magazine. That was an all consuming job.
But I think I reached a point in my late 40s, I'll be, I'll turn
50 this year, but I was 47 and. It just it.
Wasn't so aligned anymore with who I was becoming and I didn't
want to feel resentful for it either because it was an amazing
chapter in my career. But I had evolved my values were
changing the things that really motivated me in life, my
strengths, the things that I really loved doing.
And I think if you're not in line exactly with what you love
doing and your strengths, then eventually you're going to hit
burnout or stress. Plus, you know, the media world,
as we've discussed a bit had was evolving around me.
It was becoming a sort of 24/7 job, keeping on top of all the
different elements. I was hosting a podcast, as you
mentioned, lots of events, more involved in the commercial side
as well of the brand. So I felt as though I was being
diluted and that I was losing the real reason why I wanted to
be involved in that role in the 1st place.
And that was nobody's fault. You know, I had to move with the
times as we all do. Our job descriptions change and
there has been an enormous shift in journalism.
And it reached for me a kind of perfect storm, you know?
I mean, I remember the exact date.
It was the 3rd of October 2022. Well.
I remember seeing you on the 2nd of October 25th because it was.
The day after I'd hosted Yeah The Inspirational, which had
gone really well, but I realised, well, my body realised
I had been running on empty for a long time.
Adrenaline. And I woke up that next morning,
I was in London Hotel where I'd been for a couple of nights or
like really focused on these awards.
And as you know, when you've got a big event, it's like you just
can't think of anything else. And it seems slightly mad now.
And I look back thinking we were only running a magazine, like it
wasn't like we were performing hearts.
Open Heart. Surgery.
But at the time when you're in it, it is all consuming and it's
everything and. It has to be.
It has to be yeah, if you're if you're passionate about what you
do and you have high standards and you want to do everything
well. But I woke up and there were
missed calls from my boys, which was the thing that really got
me. I hadn't even noticed them from
the night before because I'd been so busy and, and I was
just, it was like the adrenaline left my body and I think
hormonally things were going on as well.
I was definitely in the early stages of perimenopause, even
though, again, I didn't recognize that at the time
because I never. We're too busy, yeah.
I was too. Busy even though I was actually
running a menopause campaign, I, I hadn't really put the two and
two together that oh actually, this could be why I'm feeling a
number of these symptoms and it's a penny dropping moment for
many women. And I just thought, I just can't
do this anymore. And I actually ended up sobbing
basically for two weeks and I felt as though I was losing it.
I you. Were probably grieving that part
of yeah and your. Life.
Does sort of come into it a bit, especially when a role has, you
know, been become your identity for such a long time.
But you know, luckily I am a very positive person.
I'm really well supported with a great family and friends and I
sort of knew I would be all right and even in the darkest
sort of moment because I ended up having some weeks of work.
I mean, which isn't a lot of time in the scheme of things,
but for me it felt massive because I was never off sick.
I even sort of in that time there was a little seed of
excitement that Oh my God, something's going to happen now.
I don't want to become be a person that's moaning about
their job and how busy it is and it's all too much.
I'm not enjoying it anymore and not do anything about it because
I can't bear that. You know, I am a guest of and go
sort of person who is driven and loves the world of work, but
needs to be doing things that I'm really passionate about.
And it had been a long time and actually that's OK.
It's all right to evolve, to think that was a brilliant
chapter, but I'm ready to move on to another one now.
The difficulty is how to then navigate it, because we're
really bad at endings. I think that's particularly a
British thing as well. I think some other cultures are
perhaps a bit better at it, but we don't like to leave things
and we find it really awkward to have those conversations and
they're a bit icky and hard. Particularly I think if it
involves a certain showing a certain vulnerability, you know,
we're, we're not, especially if we've been successful and that,
that doesn't sit right with us. No, it doesn't.
And I felt, though, that I, I didn't have anything to be sort
of ashamed of. You know, it was to be proud.
Yeah. But it's hard to think straight
when you are sort of feeling the physical effects of stress.
And I think it really was the first time I had realised that.
Stress lives in your nervous system and if you ignore the
signs for long enough, it will affect you physically.
It will stop. You, I always thought, oh
there's work stress stuff over here and then your physical
health is something completely different.
Well, it's not, it's very much interlinked.
And so that was a wake up call to actually have to confront
that and put measures in place to look after myself a bit
better and. Also, think about what is really
important to me at this stage of life.
What does success mean to me now?
And actually, it isn't a job title.
It isn't working all hours as if that's a kind of badge of
honour. I've done all of that striving.
Now I want to use all of that accumulated wisdom in a more
purposeful way. And I want to be around a bit
more at home just. And and no, totally.
And So what was the penny dropping moment to explore
coaching, which is has been your next step?
Has, yeah. So coaching.
I'd had a bit of coaching in the past at various times and I've
got a couple of friends that are coaches and actually my brother
and sister are both coaches. So I've.
Sort of. Been around slightly in the
family. Set.
Yeah, for a long time and I've always liked.
The coaching approach that it's very positive.
It fosters a growth mindset. It's all about right what what
you're going to do from here. Whereas therapy looks back into
the past, coaching is really looking forward and the coach
takes the coachee as they are on that day and helps them to
identify their goals and draws out of them what steps they're
going to take to try and reach them so that.
The. Practical positivity really
spoke to me and I did turn to a coach during my trying to sort
of extricate myself from a hello period, and I found it so
helpful. And then it just started to dawn
on me as I started to look at the elements of my role that I
did really enjoy and the things that I might like to do in the
future, that gaining A qualification as a coach could
be a really positive thing to do.
I think as well as women, we often have this sort of fear of,
well, people talk about imposter syndrome, even though I hate
that phrase. But if you are feeling that
you're not properly qualified for something, well then get
that qualification, do the work, understand it properly.
And I wanted to feel as though if I was going to move into this
area that I had done the work. And so I signed up to do a
course to get gain a qualification in life coaching.
It was a course that you could do remotely.
I really enjoyed it. And there were twelve other
people on my course, or maybe more than that actually.
Was it about 16? And we met every week and nobody
cared that I was editor in chief of Hello.
Like it wasn't about that. I felt like I was really me
again. And you feel free, something I
felt free. And the freedom was massive for
me because I felt so constrained at hello by somebody else's
agenda, by the schedule of the magazine, by the news agenda
constantly going on, You know, that I could never sort of just
take a step back. So it was trained.
That qualification was eye opening for the self-awareness
that it brought and what I learned about myself during it,
but also that I gained this skill set and something that I
absolutely love. And I think it plays quite well
into journalism because it isn't about asking the right
questions. It's about being a really good
listener, an active listener because we're not the same, you
know, you and I would have a different approach, you know, to
what, what we might want to do in our careers and how we're
going to get there. So it's, it's about drawing the
best out of people. And I really love it, but I
really enjoy tying it in with the other elements that I
enjoyed, which was hosting events, use, building a
platform, speaking to a midlife female audience.
Because you've now gone on to create Rosie's Midlife
Reinvention retreats. Yeah, yeah.
And that that came about from having the courage to share my
own story because I felt that I needed to be honest about what I
had gone through at Hello and the reason why I was leaving.
And I think that's a very powerful, well had story.
I wasn't doing a service to other women if I am just
contributing to this narrative that I'm nailing life at all
stages and now I've decided to be a coach and that's going to
go brilliantly because it. Really wasn't that
straightforward. It was a complete shitstorm at
times. To get through and I, I felt
like as soon as I was able to just be honest about that, the
response that I got was huge and I really felt I'm onto something
here. So many women writing to me.
I did a piece in the Telegraph all about it and I wasn't ready
to do it for quite a while after it happened.
And when I did do it, I mean, the first time I wrote the piece
myself and I just absolutely lost it in tears the first time
that I wrote it because it was all still there.
But then I wrote that piece 4 times through and that was like
therapy because by the time I then sent it off I was like, I'm
fine with this now I understand it.
How? Interesting.
That was sort of part of your probably part of your grieving
process for the the Rosie. Had been yeah, yeah.
And that's OK, you know, to feel like.
Salute. I think it's phenomenally
freeing as well, exciting. And your toes are held so to the
fire. And it's frightening at times.
And yeah, you feel like a complete novice, but what a
privilege. Yes.
And and always as we touched upon earlier when we were
chatting, it leads to a period of growth.
And actually the most challenging hardest moments are
really the ones that are going to make us.
And it's so worth remembering that if you are going through
something that when you're that down, the only way is up and you
were going to rise again like a phoenix and it's going to be
even better than it was. So I'm actually really grateful.
But I had that experience now. I I would say I would 2nd that
it's, it is a real privilege. It doesn't feel like it at the
time, but my God, now it's how lucky are we to be?
To be able to tell the story. Now in new chapters.
To give birth then to a whole other chapter that opened up
sort of before me like it was meant to be.
Yeah. And I also think we're living in
a, in a time now where we will be having different careers,
different chapters and, and they'll be, you know, quite well
defined and, and that's really exciting.
Working life will be so much longer.
You know, gone are the days when you get your, you retire and
draw your pension and that's it. You've got your feet up for the
next 30 years. I mean, I can't imagine anything
work. I, I can't either because I
think, you know, being interested and inquisitive, if
that's what keeps us well. That's life, isn't it?
It's not. And that's the other thing, you
know, seeing work as siloed from the rest of your life doesn't
work either, you know, because we do bring our full selves into
our workplace. I really believe.
And you know, workplaces need to acknowledge that as well.
Actually, I was on AI was hosting a panel just the other
day about longevity and there was a doctor on the panel and
somebody said to him what is the key to living a long and happy
life? And everybody thought he would
say something about aesthetics or kind of diet or And he said
don't retire. I thought that is so such good
advice. Very good advice.
Very, very good advice. Now let's spin back to the
beginning. Where did you grow up?
So I grew up in North London, yeah, in a place called
Winchmore Hill, near Muswell Hill.
Really happy childhood. Spent then lots of my teenage
years on the 29 bus going down to Camden.
And that was my first experience of.
To Camden. Market.
Yeah. Interesting.
The nightlife and the clothes. And and was that your sort of
earliest experience of clothes? Well, no.
Or was your mother fantastically stylish?
Well, actually my grandmother was a huge influence on me from
a fashion perspective. She was a real fashion Easter
and she made a lot of her clothes.
And I really vividly remember, I mean, all the fur coats in
hanging in her wardrobe, just the smell of her clothes.
And I would love going in there. She lived in Queue opposite Kew
Gardens but was Welsh originally and lived in Swansea.
That's where she was born and where my mom was born as well.
And I'm raised and then my grandma moved to queue later in
life and she just was the epitome of glamour to me.
She taught me to always paint my fingernails.
She taught me how to do my cuticles, to cut my nails.
That's what we'd do if she was babysitting and I would hang on
every. Word and she'd always wear be
wearing a matching pearls, earrings and necklace, always
faced with a makeup. Do you remember trying on her
clothes? Was there any, was there one
particular moment that you tried on something and you just.
Felt, I think my different coats really, I mean the fur coats, I
mean, I would never wear them now because some of them were
real because it was very much of the time.
And obviously I never took any of those coats because I just
was, I'm very sort of anti, you know, any kind of real fur.
And, but I remember trying on items, she'd make a lot of her
clothes copying patterns from like Christian Dior or
something. And then she'd make the suit
that would just look like it. I've still got some of her coats
because I just can't bear to part with them.
Do. You have one in particular that.
I've got a cream coat of hers that I still have and you still
wear beautiful. I don't.
I mean, the sleeves are too short for me now.
She was like smaller than I am but.
A three quarter sleeve with a. Long.
Sleeve coming a long skinny sleeve coming out.
Yeah, you're right. You could probably style that
brilliantly. I should get it out and re and
look at it. Get it out.
I've still got that. Yeah, it's a beautiful coat.
And I should think the. Fact she made it, it makes it
even more special. Lovely.
And, and do you have some of her jewellery, did you say?
Yeah, of course I wear her wedding band actually here, yes,
I feel a real connection to her. She lived to 101.
She died actually during the pandemic, which was.
Really. Jeans, Rosie.
I know, although I'm a bit. Like, do you want to keep going
on and on and on? She.
Died of old age and I think by the end she just wanted to go,
but she always had false teeth that would just like amazingly
white and straight and like she just was super glamorous.
A glamorous grandmas was very lucky to have had her for so
long. So more would you say you were
more inspired by her than your own mother?
Probably like from a fashion sense, although my mum inherited
so much when my. Grandma's out.
Always does her nails. Too and enjoys makeup and our
favorite thing to do together is to meet in Chelsea and walk
around the Kings Road and see what's happening and and go to
Peter Jones for to cafe for. Lunch.
So yeah, that is that is that is one of the things we love doing
together. But back in the in teenage rosy
years, what were you wearing? Well.
I was a real do you remember jumble sales were really.
Popular when I was sort of in the guide.
Absolutely. And I always loved rummaging
around those hidden gems. So I was very into sort of
vintage fashion and Camden Market became a really important
place to me. And I would go a Mecca and the
red or dead shop, the shoes that was on the corner there and
going to the market and buying sort of tie dye T-shirts or a
sheepskin coat or those sort of 70s long coats with fur inside.
I used to have these wedges as well that I bought.
I mean, it was all vintage. I loved those 70s.
Yes. But they were all from India,
weren't they? Yeah, and they stank.
Actually, actually, most of my wardrobe stank.
And that's like, you'd buy something.
It'd be like, oh, of cigarettes and.
Yeah, it was sort of. Musty.
Badly tanned leather. I think it was just.
But we'd go out to Camden and always come back with these sort
of treasures because it's just amazing to find something
vintage that then really fits you perfectly and it feels
completely unique. Do you?
When do you think you really discovered your your style?
Yeah, I think I'm still discovering it in lots of ways
because I have definitely gone through phases, in fact.
Actually, it's just a reminder of my dad.
In his speech at my wedding, I talked about my faces and.
The fashion phase. Yes, because I had peroxide hair
for a bit short were like in that DA shape.
Do you remember that was like a high Barb were shaved at the
back kind of thing, but then long at the front?
Oh my goodness, I can't imagine. That on you and I remember,
Yeah. And it was peroxide, really
blonde. And when I was at university,
there were two Rosies in our halls of residence and I was
known as rosy haircuts. It was like the other one was
dozy rosy, which is so good, and rosy haircuts.
So I always liked having a look kind of thing.
But it would change. And as my dad said in his
wedding speech, there was the pola next phase, the peroxide
hair phase, the leather jacket face I.
Love it the baggy. Jeans, you know the all St.
The sort of look, the Maharashi trouser face.
So and then what were you married in?
And then I married in. Actually, I was kind of ahead of
my time here because I borrowed A gown because I found wedding
dress shopping really stressful and I really didn't enjoy it.
And I look horrendous in white dresses.
They just don't do anything for me.
And I remember traipsing around all of these traditional wedding
shops feeling I just wanted to cry often after the appointment
because I think I just don't look right in any of this.
And then I went to my wedding dress was from Alberta Ferretti,
who I love as as a designer, always have done.
And it was in a sample sale. And I just happened to see it
there because I always used to go to these sample sales, you
know, get invited as an editor. And I saw it there and I tried
it on and I just absolutely fell in love with it.
And they said, well, you can just have it borrow it to get
married in. Because I was like, I don't even
need this. I didn't feel like I needed to
buy my. I didn't want my wedding dress
forever, which is lucky because I've got 2.
Boys now, so there wouldn't be anyone to hand it down to.
And I, I wore that dress and it was perfect and I loved it and I
felt so like me in it. So it was very typical, typical
Alberta Ferretti, very sort of delicate and it was like an off
white color, almost like a peachy sort of creamy kind of
color. It had a very light chiffon over
a beaded tight fitting dress underneath.
And yeah, it had sort of thin straps of the beading, very
flattering sort of shape around the body and then flared out and
it was floor length. They had a little bit of train
on the back and then this very light shift on kind of over the
top. Did you feel any floaty?
Did you feel any pressure when you were at your wedding not to
destroy it? Yeah, but I did actually put my
heel through it pretty much just.
Before I went to walk down the aisle, but by that point I was
like, oh, well, it's fine. And they took it back fine.
They understood I had a great relationship with them there.
And they they did say, look, you can buy it, you know, a really
reduced rate. And I thought, I've sort of worn
it now. I've been there, done that.
Yeah, so I was ahead of my time borrowing, but that dress I
loved and I wore actually a brooch that had with my
grandmother's that I put at the front and it felt perfect and I
didn't want to take it off. And I wore it for the whole day
and danced in it all night and just loved it.
During your years as an editor, did you ever reach out to the
fashion editors to say Style Me, give me a new look, or any of
that? Well, I sort of obviously knew
our fashion team very well and and got to know lots of fashion
PR. So I would often get loaned
dresses and things for big events.
I remember this Dolchinger Barna dress that I wore for it was
Hello's 20th birthday I think, or 15th something like that.
And when I was panicking about what to wear and, and they,
yeah, loaned me that dress, which I absolutely loved.
And I, I feel really lucky to have worked in that industry so
that I could try things as I think it's so hard to know often
you know, what is going to work on you.
So being able to go with APR into the changing rooms of the
shop and then say why don't you try all of this and give you
honest feedback was always really great.
Any fashion disasters? Oh, just two high heels.
That is always a disaster. I mean, I now steer clear of
them at all costs. I've got very sensible heel
heights on today and and I have done many a party where I've
just thought why the hell did I wear this?
Because I can't walk around like I want to.
Or can't take enough neurofence? Yeah, it's the worst, worst
feeling. There's nothing worse than I'll
fitting shoes and ones that are too high.
What shoe or what heel do you reach for when you know you want
to be in a heel that will be comfortable for you to?
Wear Do you know what these are from M&S and they're just really
comfortable. And I go through heels quickly
because I do sort of traipse and I like to walk everywhere.
So probably if I'm going for a heel boot, it will be something
very standard. You know, I've got some sort of
best shoes. I've got a pair of Labutans,
I've got my Jimmy Choos that I wore for my wedding day.
But although I did swap out of those and put on a more comfy
pair later on, I felt like I should have them because it was
my wedding day. Your wedding shoe.
I'm sort of shedding all of that now.
I'm just going to wear what I feel comfortable in.
I've embraced trainers a lot more.
I never used to wear trainers really, was always a kind of
smart, smartish person. And now?
But also Hello had a very smart aura about it.
I guess I felt slightly pressure to dress a certain way, you
know? I was going to ask you that did
do you feel like you've ever dressed the part more than
you've dressed you? Well, no, I do think I have
dressed me always, but I've definitely I enjoyed getting
dressed up for work. So I quite like that of going
into the office and thinking what am I going to wear and I'm
going to be well put together. But I think I was always aware
that when you're the face of a brand like that, you are
representing that title. And I think it's really
important that you look, the parks people expect you to.
Although often when I got to know people, they would say, oh,
you're not like what we imagined.
The editor of Hello. To be like and I think what?
Would you have imagined? I think they thought some really
high society kind of And I I've always been more accessible.
Yes. Yeah.
And I've always sort of prided myself on that, that being me
within that is really important. Yeah.
Because yeah, we're not. We shouldn't be judged, you
know, by anything other than how we really are.
How would you want someone to describe your style DNA in three
words? Oh.
Gosh, I think, well, I'm always, I'm quite a colour person and
colour has a huge impact on my mood.
So even today when I thought I quite I'm really into black, I
wear a lot of black trousers and a shirt that has sort of become
my go to for midlife dressing, I think.
But I do like a silk shirt. This one's by Tabitha Web.
But it but the colour really, really lifts me.
Yeah, I like to show a bit of personality and I think colour
helps me to do that. So.
Colour. Yeah, so colour.
Gosh. Come, I have to be comfortable.
It's really important because I can't be myself if I don't feel
comfortable. And that starts with the shoes,
without a doubt. Jewelry I really like.
So I do like accessorizing things.
So I've learned as I've got older as well that less is more,
that I don't need to go for it fully in my outfit, but I can
let the jewelry do some talking. I like an earring.
Comfort. Accessorized.
Yes, Accessorized. I'm not putting words in your
mouth. I.
Think most will be the three? That's good.
Like that, would you say you've got a style icon?
I have lots of different style icons.
I notice what people wear and I like to take influence from
that. Recently I started to notice
Mariella Fostrop was wearing because I always look at people
the next and you I've always looked at as well your
effortless, classic style of how you can have a jumper like that
and but mix it, it still looks sexy.
I think you do that really well. And Mariella, I noticed because
she was wearing a lot of suits and I'd been starting to think I
really want a couple of good suits for this next era of me.
And so I took a lot of notice of where her suits were from and
how she was wearing them. Because I think it's, it's not
just where they're from, it's how they're being.
Worn and she she has trainers exactly she.
Keeps it very cool. She does.
And youthful? Yes, in the way she puts it
together, either with a T-shirt or a yeah, a sweater underneath.
And I've that's it. I'm far more to look at real
women rather than images in magazines.
If I'm honest anymore, I want to see how real women are wearing.
Them, yes. But I want to see how real women
are wearing them. And I bought a suit from Sandro.
I really like Sandro clothes because I like that slightly
sort of the masculine tailoring of trousers, but they're also
feminine as well. I think that brand does that
really well. So I bought, and it's actually
turquoise, this suit, and I love it.
I mean, I haven't really worn it.
I need to start just wearing it all the time because I love
spring. Yeah, it's not really winter,
it's definitely more spring summer, but I I can wear that
just with AT shirt underneath or I could just wear the trousers
with the shirt if I want a bit of a boost and a pop of.
Colour justifying that purchase, yeah.
Maybe slightly. Yes.
Does your weight or perception of your body affect your
clothing choices? Yes it does.
And I think I'm very of the day and of the moment because I feel
like as women we look and feel slightly different every day if
we're completely honest. And I feel like my body looks
and feels different every. Day at the moment as well.
And I find it really hard to plan too far in advance, like
I'm not someone that can lay out their wardrobe for the week like
Joe Elvin. Oh my God, wardrobe.
I look at that every Sunday night.
I think I. Quite aspire.
To that. I wish I could and I get it from
an organizational perspective, but I will wake up like today.
It was not a dress day. I just would have felt weird in
a dress. It just wasn't right.
Like I kind of I'm very of the moment, but then I do have my go
TOS that are of the flavor of the month kind of thing that I'm
particularly into. But then I love, you know,
recently we're actually having our some building work done at
home, having a new master bedroom where I'll finally have
a proper walk in wardrobe room, which I've been desperate for
for years. Because currently my wardrobe is
in sort of three different wardrobes around the house.
And it drives me mad. And I have been sort of trying
to get my clothes in order ready for it.
And I have rediscovered a number of things.
And that's such a joy. I'm really into the yeah, the
fact that you don't need new. I'm trying to be really
conscious of buying less and rediscovering things.
I wore some leather trousers on Monday that I completely forgot
I had in my wardrobe. I had some on this morning that
I had forgotten. Yeah.
And then I put them on. I thought they felt.
Great. Absolutely.
Yeah, absolutely. Talking about being a mood
dresser during your three weeks of proper burnout removal from
work, do you remember what you reached for to slightly cocoon
you or uplift you or. Comfort you?
Yeah, I am a comfy's person at home and often if I've had a
busy day out in town that I've been quite smart for, I will
think, actually I'm just going to get changed out.
I won't stay wearing a suit jacket or whatever at home and I
will put on, I've got like a couple of cashmere twin sets.
That are my ultimate. When I was ill last week, that's
what I wore. What sort of joggers?
Joggers and a jumper and I love that in the winter, so I'll put
though that on. And yeah, and I think during
that time I was definitely down dressing.
And I do like a pair of jeans and a nice long jumper that's
baggy and feels cozy. I like to feel cozy and
slippers. I am.
I'm a 200% a slipper person. I love slippers when I'm at
home. Now are they?
They're Lammers Sheepskin. Yes, yeah, I've got a couple of
pair and actually quite a few people bought me slippers for.
Christmas this year, so I'm really happy.
So my favorite pair pairs of slippers.
So I've got a lovely pair that Grace Foda gave to me.
Actually, do you know? Grace, who founded Studio 10
Makeup. She lives locally to me and
we've become friends and she bought me because we discussed
slippers A sheepskin pair with my their initials on the.
Front of gorgeous. That's sort of like my feather
ray feather. That's where they're from, yeah.
And I've got other sheepskin ones that sell that I've had for
a long time and really comfy. I've got some fluffy cream ones.
There's nothing better than proper sheepskin though, is
there? Because it's sort of you don't
get too. Hot.
You don't get, you know, they warm.
You up? Yeah, you're right.
And they're classic. Gorgeous, gorgeous.
Now you must have worked with hundreds of celebrities during
your time at Hello magazine. Do you remember any particularly
tricky wardrobe moments you're not allowed to talk about
You're. Going to say people and I'm
always like I would never say. Oh gosh, I did have a wardrobe
moment actually a couple of years ago when it was the
Platinum Jubilee, when the Queen was still around and I hosted a
party with Dame Joan Collins, who I adore.
We became very close. Hello.
And she still is someone I consider a great friend.
I really love her. And we were hosting a party
together and she arrived. I'd helped her find the right
dress, actually, through a personal shopper at Phoenix, and
she came in this dress and I sort of felt half responsible.
She looked amazing. And then she sat down in the
corner and then stood up and it split all the way.
I remember. Were you there?
Yeah, that. Party had split all the way down
the back and I was like, oh God. And I felt kind of responsible.
But luckily she had a big feather boa and she just said to
me, Rosie, you're just going to have to stay next to me and
we're going to have to sit in the corner for.
Until Percy was sent her husband back home to the house, luckily
not too far away, to go and get a replacement dress.
And it was like Joan invited everybody for an audience.
So we had to get people to come up to the table because she
couldn't stand up. But.
What was lovely is she was so open about it.
I can't get up because my dresses I.
Loved again which of these things happen and Percy arrived
with the replacement and I sort of she had shadowed her from
mind. To a space where she could get
changed. So these things happen to the
best of us, even Dejan Collins. Exactly.
And let's talk about aging for a moment.
Are you? Is age a consideration as to how
you dress? Not really.
I wouldn't say that age is a consideration.
It's more I don't ever think, oh, I'm, you know, entering my
50s, I shouldn't wear that or I should.
I think. I think it's probably more body
shape and how I feel. It's the biggest consideration.
I don't dress to look young, you know, I dress, I remember
actually in previous roles dressing to look older because I
felt like I was quite young in my role.
Even when I started at hello and was joint editor, initially I
but she tried to look older because I felt people didn't
take me seriously. They were like, oh, you're the
editor. I seemed young.
So that's quite interesting actually.
I hadn't thought really about that for a while.
But I also think we're probably dressing younger.
Yeah, we ever have. Yeah, maybe.
I mean, I'm interested. I take fashion influences from
all ages. I mentioned Mariella earlier
because I do sort of tend to look perhaps older to just see,
you know, where I might be going and how they're dressing.
But I take influence from younger people as well.
I think it's all I don't need to be defined by age at all.
Are your boys very vocal on what you wear?
Yeah, well interestingly they are interested in fashion.
One of them in particular has got a very unique way of
dressing and it was amazing actually when they had a non
uniform day at school. This was a a couple of years ago
now and he decided to wear a kilt with socks and trainers and
then like AT shirt and a sweatshirt and he styled it and
he has half his hair plaited the other half long.
And he was he's just a unique style and he absolutely rocked
it. He looks amazing.
Scottish. He yeah, well, half Scottish,
yeah, got family from the Isle of Arran, but.
So, so the kilt he's he's. Been.
Yeah, he was influenced, definitely, yeah.
Because yeah, the surname Macmillan.
So they, they know what is the Macmillan tartan.
So they've been interested in that.
And he and I just thought how amazing.
So I really hope he keeps this sort of unique identity.
And obviously I encourage it and I really love it.
Occasionally if we're in shops together and they take an
interest and often they will say to me and yeah.
And, and him in particular, you know, if I'm going out for a
night and often I'll be like, oh, I don't know which shoes to
wear. Should I wear these or those?
And he'll have, and I'll ask them and they'll have an opinion
and I'll trust them. I don't know whether that's.
The right thing to do. And you're hubby?
Yeah, so his. Style has evolved.
I mean, it's quite funny actually.
When we first met, I had to change his style of jeans
because they were not good. I was kind of like, I really
like you, but we have to do something about these jeans.
Why? What would they?
He always jokes about that. They were kind of flappy.
They were like, not good. But he's probably be very good
right now. A lot.
Better now I can let. Him go out shopping on his own
and he'll come back. He, yeah, I think for men as
well, it's hard to know what your style is.
And now he's got no hair, so he always wears caps and they
really, really suit him. So he's got a huge array of
caps. And then he discovered sort of
bell stuff a number of years ago and that's his sort of look with
their jackets. They just really work on him.
Love it. Let's talk about travel.
Are you a good Packer? Bad Packer.
Probably an over Packer. I try to not be.
OK, now rumor has it I know for a fact actually you have a
campervan. Oh yes, you cannot be an over
Packer with a campervan, no. So how do you deal with that?
Yeah. And actually I was so nervous
about that because. We went away in the campervan
last summer for a number of weeks.
I'm. Nervous because of how much you
could do. Yeah, how am I going to deal
with this capsule wardrobe? Actually, summer is so much
easier because and, and I had to remind myself normally when I'm
on holiday, you wear the same few things that you really love
over and over again. So I had to be really strict and
think I'm only going to put in there things I really love that
you just think I can't. I'm definitely going to want to
wear that today, but not the things that I should think I
should be wearing. Was it quite a cathartic
process? Yeah, it was actually, and it
was really liberating. I mean, we did do washing along
the way as well as we really needed to and there was still a
little bit of space. So I think I bought one dress
while I was away as well from a French market.
It was like a nice thing to do, a little silk dress I picked up
and, and it was actually, it was really liberating just having
the freedom of not much stuff. And we, we did as part of that
holiday, we stayed in a hotel for a few nights in the middle
of it. And actually all of us couldn't
wait to get back in the van again.
We were like, oh, it's so limiting being in a hotel.
We just want to be free and hit the road and just make our food.
And it was lovely. What?
Fun wardrobe secrets What, if anything, do you feel you've got
an excessive amount of in your wardrobe?
Coats and bags. And as an editor, did you get
given a? Lot of bags get given some bags,
yes. And I, yeah.
And actually, every time I've published a book, I've bought
myself a bag. Yes, but I think a gift to self
to mark time, it is a lovely thing to do.
Yes. And was it always a bag?
It was always a bag and when the stylist came out, I bought
myself that Anya Hindmarsh bag with the eyes on it everybody,
because I loved it and I was just like at my launch party, I
want to have this bag. And then Rosie Green, Amber
Green, Amber Green takes Manhattan.
What was that? For that one I definitely did,
but it might have been a Gucci crossbody bags.
I'd had my eye on one of those for a while and now I've got to
think as I've got a new novel out this summer, maybe that'll
be what another. Slurge is it going to be?
But they feel really treaty and I like them because they age
well. Although as I said, I'm into
keeping things a bit leaner now and actually digging out.
Maybe I should just wear my Anohimash bag from the stylist.
I mean, on that note, what's your approach to sustainable?
Fashion. Yeah.
Well, yeah, I've, I've been thinking about it a lot recently
because I've actually started selling some items on Vintid.
And how's it going? Really, well actually I mean it
was became a bit of a full time. Job.
For, well, that that is what worries me about sending.
Things off and like getting confused about which Postal
Service to use, so I've kind of cooled it down a bit now.
But it's a great bank account. You're looking for something.
You know, I have got this pair of Russell and Bromley boots
that I have worn to death I absolutely love and that
obviously they don't sell them anymore.
And I was and they've they're kind of they've they've just
been worn too much. They're really running out.
I've had them re healed a million times and resold just
scruffy. And I found a replacement pair
on vintage, which was amazing. A good feeling, isn't it?
So I think it makes you be really purposeful and mindful
about what you really need and what you really, really want,
and less sort of just making purchases for the sake of it.
I don't want to do that anymore. And I want to spend well on
things that are going to last and that will feel like
treasures when I get them out of my wardrobe again.
And I just won't feel that way about a lot of fast fashion.
And it won't last. Where do you sell or gift your
clothes? I I've given stuff to charity, a
lot to friends and smart works is amazing actually it's a
really good place to get close to.
I did for a while. I've dabbled in other sort of
second hand resale sites, but I've gone through phases with
them. Because it's quite a lot of
admin, isn't it? Yeah, it is.
It is. Yeah.
I like the ones that will just come and collect it all and then
sort it all out. Vintage is a lot of admin, but
it but it is becoming a sort of job for lots of people I know
and it's great. I think the circular nature of
fashion, I mean, it's so important.
I think it's really a really a good thing.
Yeah. Do you ever have clothes sort of
upcycled or altered to give them a new?
Yeah. Occasionally if I'd love
something, yeah, I've got a brilliant dry cleaners who's
also a tailor that's near to me and I'll go in there and get
something altered slightly. And that's really satisfying
feeling actually when you breathe new life into something
or it's got a hole in it or doesn't work in a certain way or
you can get the hems taken up to change the look.
I did that recently with a a sort of cat suit that I've, that
was always just a bit too. I didn't wear it and then I
thought, well, but I love it on the top.
So I'm going to actually spend a bit of money getting it altered
so that I can wear it. And now I can.
And that's. And I love.
It. Yeah, great.
Great. What would you say is the oldest
piece in your wardrobe? Probably that coat of my
grandmother's, yeah. And some of her jewellery, I
would say. And I've got a handbag as well
that belonged to my other granny who was a hair stylist, used to
work in the Ritz, actually. Long, yeah, obviously long, long
time ago where the Queen used to go in there to get her hair cut
when she was a child. And I've got one of her handbags
that I love as well. It's a very formal black lower
handbag. And I just won't let go of those
pieces. They're they're heirlooms.
Spin on some quick fire questions.
What fashion advice would you give your 20 year old self?
The you. Which fashion trend or era would
you most like to see make a comeback?
Well, I loved watching Rivals recently for all of the 80s
fashion and the power dressing and the cinched in waists and
the shoulder pads, so I loved that era.
Lot of naked bottoms too. There were a lot of naked
bottoms, but it's such brilliant escapism.
They must have had so much fun dressing up in all of those
items so. I loved all of that.
I don't know that I'd want to power dress.
Like that every day. Or wear a puffball skirt.
But it does take you back hats, yeah.
Fashionable beauty trend that you would consign to room 101.
Oh God, some of the tie dyed T-shirts that I wore from Camden
Market. Not good.
Your last impulse buy? Actually, that was some trainers
on vintage that were pretty much the same as some as.
Some other trainers that I've. Got yeah, and I did, as the
minute my finger hit the button I thought I don't really need
those, but there we are. They can go back up there.
They can go back up there, true. Your views on tattoos.
I have got a number of small tattoos, tiny ones, tiny ones.
Yeah, my group of girlfriends, we have all got this.
Where's it gone? There it is, Lightning Bolt,
which I had in New York with my friends, and it's like a we kind
of recharge each other. So I wouldn't be against getting
others. That's a heart that's in that my
son Drew, and an Infinity sign for my other son, so.
Beauty treatment you couldn't give up.
It's not a treatment so much but mascara.
I have got fair eyelashes which is.
I've got good eyelashes. I've got.
Good eyelashes, but I look like a rabbit without.
Mascara on. I cannot be without it.
My fear would be if mascara got banned I wouldn't be able to
leave that. High end or High Street?
Probably high end. Bling or bare?
Somewhere in between. Minimalism or maximalism?
I think in the middle as well. I can do both, but I'm
comfortable in the middle. Couture or charity shop?
Charity shop, Crocs, cute or puke?
Puke all. My boys wear Crocs, puke for me
but great for them. Sneakers or stilettos?
Sneakers. Birkin or Chanel as in bags?
Yeah. Chanel boyfriends or wide legs
boyfriends, Experimental or UU. Cashmere or cotton?
Cashmere. Order or editor?
Oh that's tricky. I'm trying to be more of an
editor. You'd be amazed how many people
say. Really.
Charity shop or resale? Charity shop.
Shapewear or sexy lingerie? Sexy lingerie.
Tights or stockings? Tights.
Bikini or one piece? Have done both more into one
pieces at the moment. And finally, traditional last
question, at the end of the day, do you or don't you wear in bed?
Well, I being perimenopausal, I get very hot.
In bed at the moment. So sometimes nothing, but mostly
something silky. And yeah, not too much because I
am like a furnace. For all the wrong reasons.
Thank you for sharing, Rosie. What a lovely, lovely
conversation. Really enjoyed it, thank you so
much. For the chatted forever.
We could, yeah.