Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. Guests include Trinny Woodall, James Blunt, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, David Furnish, Yasmin Le Bon, talk about their best and worst fashion moments as well as answering the question, 'What Do They Wear In Bed?'. New podcasts every Thursday.
In this extra episode of Style DNA we celebrate the highlights of Season 8 …reliving some of those moments when my guests shared insights, transparency and at times hilarity ….Style DNA Season 9 will be launching in mid September with a fabulous mix of guests in store…in the meantime I hope you enjoy this episode …ooh , and please do me a favour and hit the subscribe button if you haven't already … thank you x
In this episode of Style DNA I recorded a special bonus episode with Ro Huntriss, Chief Nutrition Officer (I love this title) of this Season's sponsor, The Simple Life App. Health and Wellbeing have always fascinated me and so I was not only curious to interview Ro on the benefits of Intermittent Fasting but I wanted to discuss how the way we live, and eat, can influence the way we dress. Just to give you a little background, Ro Huntriss is an award-winning, London-based Registered Dietitian with 14 years of experience working across the NHS, private practice and commercial business. Ro has specialist clinical experience in a number of areas including weight management, metabolic health, gastroenterology and women's health and seven years of experience working within international health tech. She has two Master's degrees, the first in Advanced Nutrition and the second in Clinical Research and is the Chief Nutrition Officer at Simple App, an AI weight loss coach with 17M downloads globally, recently crowned Best Virtual Health Coach in the 2025 Med Tech Breakthrough awards. Ro's is a passionate advocate for how digital tools can empower healthier habits and drive measurable outcomes across populations and one of her key missions is to make credible, personalised nutrition support accessible at scale...yes! We discussed our personal Intermittent Fasting journeys...I am a genuine advocate of IF and have been for many years ... I find that it keeps me focused and has helped hugely with balancing my blood sugar levels. Of course we discuss Style and body confidence, when we are feeling good in our bodies we tend to have more enjoyment in our clothes... I've always believed that personal style starts from within. But Ro isn't all about strict rules...she is an advocate of "80/20" (me too)...whereby 80% of the time you are consistent in your habits and nutrition and 20% of the time less so... ultimately it is about finding what works best for you personally. Thank you Ro for being such a great guest xx---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this week episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the British luxury footwear designer, the wonderful Penelope Chilvers.Penelope grew up in Britain but as a child she spent every school holiday in the province of Girona and her love affair with Spain and local craftsmanship began.For a few years, Penelope lived in the city of Barcelona, working as a painter and designer where she collaborated with artists and artisans. While living in Barcelona, she enjoyed riding in her lunch break in the national park of Collserola in the hills above the city wearing traditional Spanish riding boots. She pursued the idea of bringing the Spanish riding boot to England and commissioned a small number of traditional artisans in the hills of Spain to make the perfect equestrian boot to her own specifications. The Long Tassel boot remains a firm favourite in the collection, most famously worn back in 2004 by Prince William's then girlfriend, Kate Middleton and the photo of her wearing these boots went viral the day they announced their engagement. HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales continues to wear her boots to this day.We chat about her memories of being allowed to tidy her mother's silk scarf drawer as a young girl and how that ignited her passion for colour, pattern and luxury.She has a dedication to timeless style, designing boots and shoes that will stand the test of time…she really believes in the power of longevity. She tells me that she loves the process of taking care of her shoes and boots… how footwear can get better with age and wear… and her desire to teach her customers how to care for their shoes…lovely. I ask her about how she feels about being the face of her brand and her response is charming and endearingly humble …she says she feels lucky that she is still relevant. She has clearly enjoyed creating and building her brand…saying it's like a work of art to her. Both of her daughters are now involved, one working with her on design and the other in marketing and as the company stylist. It is a true family business and Penelope clearly enjoys the cross generational aspect. I question whether she feels that her style changes when she spends time working in Spain, and she admits that it does actually… she admires the fact that Spanish women have a confidence and a femininity and that it's probably a little more formal. The Penelope Chilvers brand has gone from strength to strength and has recently added a store in Stow on the Wold in the Cotswolds to its collection.In full disclosure I own several pairs of Penelope Chilvers shoes and boots…sublime embroidered velvet slippers, Spanish leather boots and beautiful suede cowboy boots … all timeless classics …I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you @penelopecheilvers for being such a lovely guest. xx---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode I had the privilege of interviewing the fashion designer and creative director Harris Reed... and I have to say I was blown away by his vision, his confidence, his charm and his down to earth warmth.Fighting for the beauty of fluidity, half-American, half-British Harris Reed designs to create conversation. Growing up with a strong sense of self, Harris was able to quickly understand the transformative power of clothing and its correlation with identity and liberation.While still studying at Central Saint Martins, he caught the attention of the likes of Harry Styles who he dressed in some iconic looks for his tour including his signature pussy bow blouses and flares. Alessandro Michele, the then creative director of Gucci, spotted him and recruited him to his design studio. His brand has gone from strength to strength showing Demi-Couture collections biannually in London and garnering VIP fans and clients including Beyoncé, Adele, and Sam Smith. The overall DNA of the Harris Reed brand and personal identity, is best described as Romanticism Gone Nonbinary. It puts the wearer and their fluidity - in whatever way it manifests, front and centre yet all while staying true to the brand's ethos that strives for a vision of gender fluidity and inclusivity. Personally, Harris dresses to invite the looks and stares, to blur the preconceived fault-lines people have about gender and sexuality. He is an incredibly striking and magnetic human being. In 2021 he was invited to dress Iman for the prestigious Met Gala... both he and Iman looked spectacular despite a little personal mishap on his way there...too funny and too personal to write about but listen in and you will hopefully laugh with us.In September 2022, aged just 26, he was appointed the youngest ever Creative Director of French fashion house Nina Ricci. He is absolutely flying... In October 2023 Harris married his husband Eitan Senerman in an intimate ceremony in London at Chelsea Old Town Hall and Claridge's... The second wedding celebration in Palermo, Sicily in June 2024, saw Harris in 4 different outfits ... looking ever more spectacular in each one...of course we delve into why he designed each look...and how he wanted to feel... His recently published, beautifully illustrated book Fluid, is well worth a read...---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the simply joyous Gaby Roslin....one of the most positive and kind human beings on the planet. Gaby is one of the country's most popular TV and Radio presenters with incredible amounts of energy & enthusiasm for all things moving pictures and spoken words.Alongside hosting BBC1's Morning Live, on Saturdays on Magic Radio and Shop Smart Save Money on Channel 5, Gaby has released her first book Spread the Joy, as well as having her own incredibly successful podcast Reasons to be Joyful, and the list goes on... Work is her passion and she has no intention of slowing up, in fact, she admitted that she "would like to work until she is 99, host a live show and just go to sleep" ... Gaby grew up around the broadcasting world and was obsessed by TV from a young age, following her father into the TV studios and dreaming of being part of that world with a mission to make people smile...she does that in spades.She is passionate about #shoppinginyourwardrobe ... LOVES colour and believes that age is irrelevant ... that we should wear what we want to wear...YES to that.We laugh about being eternally 33, in our heads at least, Gaby has a wonderful, youthful positive energy and it makes her shine...she is magnetic. Her aptly named That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful is unsurprisingly a happy listen.We talk wedding dresses, the power of a white trouser suit, dressing for 28 hours of back to back broadcasting on Millenium Night (not quite sure how she managed that) ...and in full disclosure, some of her old Wakeley favourites... Thank you @gabyroslin for our joyous conversation xx---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode I go on a style journey with one of the UK's original and leading digital creators, Lydia Millen. I was drawn to interview Lydia as she focuses on the luxury space for her content creation, which, perhaps needless to say, is a space I have always loved. Her 15 year journey has seen her work with brand giants from Jo Malone to Hugo Boss and Tiffany…Lydia's commercial influence is hugely impressive and often unrivalled.She is influenced by the beauty of nature and seasonal living, and has amassed a global audience of over 3 million who respect and trust her authentic opinions and eye for industry-leading products and passion for timeless style that defies trends. Her journey has not always been straightforward and she has experienced her fair share of trolling but she is pragmatic about the fact that not everyone will love her content and perhaps in the early days she didn't fully know who she was, very few people do quite frankly, but she is clear now. We chat about how she didn't really understand the full impact of a good outfit on her wellbeing until Covid hit, when there was no reason to get dressed up as you weren't going anywhere but she realised the importance of taking real care with what she wears on a day to day basis is an investment in herself, it was less about other people…in her words she was “telling myself that I am worth dressing up for”…I SO love this sentiment… By her own admission there have been some dodgy style choices including choosing to have a full blonde mullet haircut as a teenager to impress her then boyfriend. Lydia is incredibly considered about her clothing choices and just one look at her feed shows a glorious and curated grid featuring a mainly neutral colour palette…saving strong colours for big moments…ie Ascot and special occasions… Its no secret that she has always loved bags and by her own admission was a big collector of well made (and expensive) bags. Her first designer bag was a Mulberry which she worked 3 jobs while at university to be able to afford. Many of us have those memories of saving for that first designer purchase…mine was a Dior bag, and it was probably the cheapest one in the range but my, it felt good to go into the immaculate dove grey store on Conduit Street and soak up every moment of making my selection, watch it being beautifully wrapped and walking out of the door swinging that carrier bag proudly for the rest of the afternoon in London… We bond over a mutual love and awe of Harris Tweed… the tradition, the craftsmanship and the local passion that still goes into creating it. She slightly surprised me with her Style Icon…but on reflection I fully understand why… I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you Lydia for your considered conversation xx---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode I go on a Style Journey with the English TV personality and Co-Founder of the wellness app Shoorah, the inimitable Ferne McCann. Ferne first became a public figure when she appeared in the hit reality series The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) for no less than 9 series... She quickly became one of the standout stars on the show and led to her appearing on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, plus having her own ITVBe series, Ferne McCann: First Time Mum (2018) which later became Ferne McCann: My Family & Me. The show marked Ferne as one of the most trusted and relatable celebrity mums. In addition to her TV career, Ferne has become a successful entrepreneur, collaborating with premium global brands in the fashion, lifestyle, and wellness industries. Her influence on social media reflects her dedication to health, self-care, and family, inspiring her followers with a positive, relatable approach to modern motherhood. Ferne co-founded Shoorah, the wellness app that promotes personal growth & mental health. It is now one of the most successful apps in that genre. Ferne's healthy ambition for a new challenge saw her compete on Dancing on Ice in 2025, adding a new chapter to her career. Ferne is a true Essex girl born and bred and I ask her if she is stereotypical ... that is for you to discover...As such a well known star on Social Media I ask her how she deals with the inevitable trolling that comes with the profile and she offers a valuable and practical insight as to how she protects herself...in fact how we can all protect ourselves if we so choose.One of the things that is very endearing about Ferne is that she doesn't take herself too seriously, although she does admit to being "very competitive"... she laughs about her early elimination from Dancing on Ice and how her grandfather blamed it all on her choosing to be a Troll for the dance...however she was clearly blown away by the creativity of the costume team.Ferne clearly has a tight knit team around her including her mother, her "style icon". She bemoans the fact that social media has perhaps made us all less creative and more inclined to question our own tastes and follow the pack...to the extent of making us believe that we want something because we see it so frequently on different feeds...social media drives you to follow rather than stick with your own personal style...there is some truth in that...it certainly is the quickest way for brands to reach the widest audience possible now.She has been very open about her post-partum journey and how she has been an advocate for breast feeding, and continuing to breast feed. She understands that this can be a divisive subject but she is also very aware of the support it gives to many women at a similar point in their lives. We discuss the aging process, tweakments and her well documented rhinoplasty (nose job)... and the dilemma of staying totally true to herself and her audience yet being tempted to "fix" her boobs post breast feeding... she is refreshingly transparent on the whole subject. She is about to start her own podcast called Every Cloud, to talk about trauma and people's stories inspired by her own life and how "when you are in the thick of trauma it often bumps you into the right direction"...very true. Finally we had a properly hilarious disconnect moment in the Quick Fires when I ask her whether she preferred Boyfriends or Wide Legs...of course I was referring to her choice of jeans ...Ferne, on the other hand thought I was referring to Ahem something completely different...!I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you Ferne for being such a great guest x---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with Hannah Almassi, the Editor-in-Chief of Who What Wear UK. It's a wonderful digital fashion, beauty and style platform which can take you down rabbit-holes of inspiration … Hannah joined Who What Wear UK following a seven-year career at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 18 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Her passion for fashion started very early, as a young child she would “edit” fashion catalogues, cutting them up and creating her own mini catalogues…proving that some things are just innate in us! Hannah first got into fashion as she wanted to be part of the democratisation of fashion….in her words she wasn't the “archetypal fashion girly, I am not tall, I do not come from a wealthy background, I am not slim …I felt like I had a responsibility to represent (me) and sometimes that's hard because at times it would be easier to look great in a picture if I was 6ft tall but at 5'1” it's definitely more challenging”…but how inspiring and refreshing. We talk about how intimidating it can be to circulate within the fashion industry and the importance of remaining true to yourself rather than being too “influenced” by those around you. I ask her about wardrobe planning for those epic fashion week trips to the shows. Of course I ask her about ageism in fashion … and her opinions on sustainability in an industry that is designed to encourage you to consume more…her answers are thoughtful, informed and those of a true industry insider delivered in a pragmatic, considered way. Being the fashion insider and editor that she is I couldn't help but ask her opinion on the top 3 trends from the Autumn/Winter 25 catwalks… She is also happy to laugh about her own fashion mishaps along the way too… Thank you @hannahalmassi for being such a great guest x---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode I go on a style journey with the inimitable and side-splittingly funny, iconic British Jeweller, Theo Fennell. I have been lucky enough to have known Theo for decades ...our first shops were close on the Fulham Road in Chelsea. Theo has always been the most brilliant raconteur, often making himself the butt of the joke and I must admit as I listened to his two books, narrated by him, I found myself howling with laughter...a great summer listen (links below).Born in Egypt, to an Army family, Theo's early years were spent moving around the globe before being sent to boarding school in England...in truth he went to Eton College where the uniform was and still is to this day, tails and a stiff collared shirt. He went on to art school in York, and he tells me with some hilarity about his choice of clothing for his first day there. Initially he pursued portraiture, but, unable to get a likeness, he luckily discovering a passion and talent for jewellery and silversmithing.Theo Fennell is one of Britain's most iconic and original jewellers, renowned for his bold, imaginative designs and a distinctive creative voice blending fine craftsmanship with storytelling, wit, and a quirky flair. For over four decades, Theo has redefined the traditional boundaries of jewellery, creating extraordinary, bespoke pieces worn and collected by patrons from royalty to rock and roll, stars of stage, screen and fashion to tastemakers around the world ... and also his friend Norman.From his first studio in the Fulham Road in the 1980s to his current gallery and workshop in the Chelsea Barracks development, Theo has built a reputation as one of the few jewellers who still designs and makes each piece by hand in-house in London. His atelier brings together master goldsmiths, engravers, enamellists, and stone-setters, producing work that fuses rare artistry with theatricality and timeless appeal. A passionate advocate for the applied arts, Theo has mentored emerging talent, collaborated with artists, and championed the importance of craftsmanship in a fast-paced, mass-produced world. His pieces often tell intimate, sentimental or humorous stories, making them cherished heirlooms as well as expressions of individuality.Being the story teller that he is Theo entertains us with stories of his earlier, let's say, more than slightly inebriated years when he managed to loose a priceless emerald during a celebratory night out, having sold said emerald but not delivered it.... lesson learned...We chat about his passion for unusual stones, craftsmanship and telling stories through pieces. Knowing that he has a who's who of rock and royalty as a client base I couldn't help but ask what his most unusual commission was...the story of the Yellow Rose of Texas is brilliantly told!We talk about his style inspirations (from Fred Astaire to the dandyism of Patrick Litchfield in the 60s) and the influence of accompanying his father on days shopping... from Henry Poole on Saville Row for "Gents natty summer suiting" ...and on for shirts...and shoes. Theo clearly loves clothes, shoes and socks...he has an eclectic, chic style, and an eye for detail befitting of the brilliant designer he is.I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed this conversation with the raucously funny Theo...and if you don't know his jewellery (unlikely) but do check it out...it is truly exquisite. Thank you Theo for entertaining us so fabulously!---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a stylistic journey with the Author, Broadcaster, Editor and Coach Rosie Nixon. Rosie is the author of three novels, The Stylist, Amber Green Takes Manhattan and Just Between Friends, plus the Be Kind book. Her new novel called Bad Influence is out this August.After a long career in women's magazines, including Grazia, Glamour and Red she became the award-winning Editor and Editor in Chief of HELLO! Magazine for an incredible 16 years. The 24/7 pressure of being at the helm ultimately led to her near burnout (which she is very open about) and like many of life's challenges, there is often a silver lining. She says that she didn't think she was serving herself as a woman saying it was all going well, so being honest about her own struggles really helped her and inspired her into the next chapter. She became a qualified life coach and in 2024 she launched Rosie's Reinvention Retreats - a series of day retreats for midlife women, to support navigating changes in career, business and wellbeing. A complete career change, starting from scratch in a way, albeit with all the knowledge built up over the years ...and I know well what guts that takes. We discuss how the magazine world has changed over the last couple of decades and the 24/7 pressure that goes with being the editor or a magazine that in its heyday sold 1 million copies a week. We talk about Kindness and she says that she started thinking about kindness when she first started at Hello! which was slightly vilified about always being nice about people. Rosie believes that Kindness is a super power and should be worn as a badge of honour... yes to that! She feels that kindness is probably responsible for the longevity of the magazine and is one of it's strengths because everyone is treated with respect. She felt proud and protective of this stance and was passionate that it should be the thread that was woven through the magazine. Of course we discuss Rosie's personal style journey, her haircuts and fashion phases...her borrowed Alberta Ferretti wedding dress (way ahead of her time back then) and the all-important discussion of dressing our age ...she admits to dressing older than herself earlier in her career to be taken more seriously ... I hope you enjoy this episode ...thank you Rosie for being such a warm, open and inspiring guest x---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode I go on a Style DNA journey with the very impressive Jade Holland Cooper Founder and CEO of her eponymous brand, Holland Cooper. Jade had a rural upbringing which was all about her ponies and horses...she didn't really think about clothes other than their functionality. It wasn't until she went to study at the Royal Agricultural College that she realised that everyone was dressed the same...that there were very few options for chic country clothing. This was her lightbulb moment. She drew up a business plan, left college, created a few tweed miniskirts that she sold from a "2 metre stand at Badminton Horse Trials" and she realised then that she was on to something. She has built an astonishingly successful brand in just 15 years, turning over 40 million pounds, and is in the process of building a 7,000 sq foot head office in Gloucestershire. I can honestly say, her achievements are extraordinary. I ask Jade who her biggest inspiration is and she says Ralph Lauren, ironically the king of classic British style . The Lauren influence is clear but in a more obviously branded way. She admits that she wants to get the name on as many items as possible as it is effectively "free advertising". We laugh about how in the early days she bought an embroidery machine so that she could get her name embroidered onto as many pieces as possible, how she would have the machine running 24 hours a day with the assistance of a baby monitor.She tells me that her mother is her style icon, and was a designer herself, and that although they have different styles she is very inspiring. I ask her whether she thinks about her mother when designing? She says she is aware of her age group but makes the point that classic product appeals to multiple ages ...so true and so appealing to so many. I ask her about the pressure of being the face of her eponymous brand (something I remember well), and to a degree an influencer of sorts. She admits it could be a full time job...but as the business gets bigger her "minutes get more important" but that she never want to lose the experience and interaction with her customers. She personally replies to her Instagram messages to get feedback, she is on the shop floor every 2 weeks and admits to obsessing about her business, living and breathing her customers. Talking customers, she says that having Catherine as a good customer has been a great endorsement for the brand. Despite her incredible success she admits that there are "many days I feel like I can't do this. It's an inner battle to get things over the line. Can I do this? It's really hard and really lonely" (gosh it is). I ask her what she reaches for on those vulnerable days and it's always a suit...the power of good tailoring is always a winner.She is clearly the style queen of Cheltenham Races...her home turf. She is her own best ambassador, there more than anywhere else I would say, and we laugh about how she always decides what she is going to wear at the last minute, much to the frustration of her fabulous team. I hope you enjoy this episode. Jade is a truly awe inspiring and incredibly focused human being... I wish her continued success and look forward to visiting her in her dreamy new head office later this year. Bravo!---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the award winning BBC radio host, TV fashion presenter and Influencer, who goes by the name of MiddleAgedMinx, the fabulous and joyous Jo Good. I first met Jo when she interviewed me for her Gold show for SheerLuxe and we clicked immediately…laughing about how age was just a number, that it is wrong to be pigeon-holed, and agreeing that we like to think of ourselves as ageless. She talks with great humour about customising her very conservative “English public school inspired” school uniform while growing up in Australia…which included steaming her stiff boater into a Stetson shape…I would love to see a picture! At 5 foot Jo is an inspiration to other petite women…she refuses to conform to the normal “rules” of petite dressing and has great style hacks to offer on the subject. Jo loves to document her life in her popular YouTube vlog and her Instagram channel. We discuss the term Influencer and she makes the excellent point that as an actress she was paid to be in a lot of commercials promoting all kinds of stuff, stuff that she had no knowledge of and no affinity with the brand. She feels that as an Influencer it is wrong to be chastised to be paid to promote things that you have actually trialled and like. As she says, the insights from Instagram will tell you how well you have performed, and this is why she has great respect for Influencers who work consistently for the same brand, because they are clearly proving their worth otherwise the brand wouldn't keep working with them. We close by discussing her approach to Sustainable Fashion …why she doesn't do fast fashion but also why she doesn't buy vintage…in her brilliantly quick turn of phrase she says “I have a thing about vintage on vintage - I think it can make you look really old!” Of course the Quick Fires were far from quick and this whole recording ran on for longer than normal but it was so full of joy, wisdom and nostalgia that it was hard to cut. Thank you @middleagedminx for being such a wonderful and witty guest x---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with none other than the world-renowned self-development coach, inspirational speaker, manifesting expert, and three-times Sunday Times Bestselling author, the inspirational Roxie Nafousi.I first met Roxie when she came to one of my London Fashion Week parties at my Mayfair Store and the shy woman I met back then was worlds apart from the confident communicator that I had this Style DNA conversation with… I have to say it is heart-warming to see someone evolve so positively…and in this conversation she eloquently explains how that evolution came about.Roxie has talked opening about being lost, until she found manifesting and I ask her how her style has evolved from being the person she was previously? She admits she hated her style before, how she felt only as worthy as the man she was with and that impacted her dressing. She states that her style growth is aligning with who she is now.We talk about when she discovered her passion for fashion? Fashion had always been a bit of a mask for her…that she liked fashion for all the wrong reasons, it's probably only in the last year that she has started to take more care of what she wears. She writes about it in her latest book Confidence, that a big part of manifesting your higher self or stepping into your most empowered self is about the way you dress. In Step 8 of the book she talks about dressing the part as one of the ways that you can show up as your future self. Alongside this, she says that a big part of the manifestation journey is letting go, letting go of all things that don't serve you, whether it's bad habits, behaviours or people but also the kind of clothes that don't serve who you are anymore, or that are not who you want to become. It's definitely food for thought…She has clearly found her confidence…and feels that she is of value to the world but is humble enough to admit that she has days when self doubts creep in but she is better equipped to deal with them and most importantly wants to share her learnings…Bravo @roxienafousi…thank you for your frank and open conversation…hugely thought provoking and helpful to many I am sure x---A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off.
In this extra episode of Style DNA we celebrate the highlights of Season 8 …reliving some of those moments when my guests shared insights, transparency and at times hilarity …. Style DNA Season 9 will be launching in mid September with a fabulous mix of guests in store…in the meantime I hope you enjoy this episode …ooh , and please do me a favour and hit the subscribe button if you haven't already … thank you x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Style DNA I recorded a special bonus episode with Ro Huntriss, Chief Nutrition Officer (I love this title) of this Season's sponsor, The Simple Life App. Health and Wellbeing have always fascinated me and so I was not only curious to interview Ro on the benefits of Intermittent Fasting but I wanted to discuss how the way we live, and eat, can influence the way we dress. Just to give you a little background, Ro Huntriss is an award-winning, London-based Registered Dietitian with 14 years of experience working across the NHS, private practice and commercial business. Ro has specialist clinical experience in a number of areas including weight management, metabolic health, gastroenterology and women's health and seven years of experience working within international health tech. She has two Master's degrees, the first in Advanced Nutrition and the second in Clinical Research and is the Chief Nutrition Officer at Simple App, an AI weight loss coach with 17M downloads globally, recently crowned Best Virtual Health Coach in the 2025 Med Tech Breakthrough awards. Ro's is a passionate advocate for how digital tools can empower healthier habits and drive measurable outcomes across populations and one of her key missions is to make credible, personalised nutrition support accessible at scale...yes! We discussed our personal Intermittent Fasting journeys...I am a genuine advocate of IF and have been for many years ... I find that it keeps me focused and has helped hugely with balancing my blood sugar levels. Of course we discuss Style and body confidence, when we are feeling good in our bodies we tend to have more enjoyment in our clothes... I've always believed that personal style starts from within. But Ro isn't all about strict rules...she is an advocate of "80/20" (me too)...whereby 80% of the time you are consistent in your habits and nutrition and 20% of the time less so... ultimately it is about finding what works best for you personally. Thank you Ro for being such a great guest xx --- A message from our season sponsor: Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this week episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the British luxury footwear designer, the wonderful Penelope Chilvers. Penelope grew up in Britain but as a child she spent every school holiday in the province of Girona and her love affair with Spain and local craftsmanship began. For a few years, Penelope lived in the city of Barcelona, working as a painter and designer where she collaborated with artists and artisans. While living in Barcelona, she enjoyed riding in her lunch break in the national park of Collserola in the hills above the city wearing traditional Spanish riding boots. She pursued the idea of bringing the Spanish riding boot to England and commissioned a small number of traditional artisans in the hills of Spain to make the perfect equestrian boot to her own specifications. The Long Tassel boot remains a firm favourite in the collection, most famously worn back in 2004 by Prince William's then girlfriend, Kate Middleton and the photo of her wearing these boots went viral the day they announced their engagement. HRH Catherine, Princess of Wales continues to wear her boots to this day. We chat about her memories of being allowed to tidy her mother's silk scarf drawer as a young girl and how that ignited her passion for colour, pattern and luxury. She has a dedication to timeless style, designing boots and shoes that will stand the test of time…she really believes in the power of longevity. She tells me that she loves the process of taking care of her shoes and boots… how footwear can get better with age and wear… and her desire to teach her customers how to care for their shoes…lovely. I ask her about how she feels about being the face of her brand and her response is charming and endearingly humble …she says she feels lucky that she is still relevant. She has clearly enjoyed creating and building her brand…saying it's like a work of art to her. Both of her daughters are now involved, one working with her on design and the other in marketing and as the company stylist. It is a true family business and Penelope clearly enjoys the cross generational aspect. I question whether she feels that her style changes when she spends time working in Spain, and she admits that it does actually… she admires the fact that Spanish women have a confidence and a femininity and that it's probably a little more formal. The Penelope Chilvers brand has gone from strength to strength and has recently added a store in Stow on the Wold in the Cotswolds to its collection. In full disclosure I own several pairs of Penelope Chilvers shoes and boots…sublime embroidered velvet slippers, Spanish leather boots and beautiful suede cowboy boots … all timeless classics … I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you @penelopecheilvers for being such a lovely guest. xx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I had the privilege of interviewing the fashion designer and creative director Harris Reed... and I have to say I was blown away by his vision, his confidence, his charm and his down to earth warmth. Fighting for the beauty of fluidity, half-American, half-British Harris Reed designs to create conversation. Growing up with a strong sense of self, Harris was able to quickly understand the transformative power of clothing and its correlation with identity and liberation. While still studying at Central Saint Martins, he caught the attention of the likes of Harry Styles who he dressed in some iconic looks for his tour including his signature pussy bow blouses and flares. Alessandro Michele, the then creative director of Gucci, spotted him and recruited him to his design studio. His brand has gone from strength to strength showing Demi-Couture collections biannually in London and garnering VIP fans and clients including Beyoncé, Adele, and Sam Smith. The overall DNA of the Harris Reed brand and personal identity, is best described as Romanticism Gone Nonbinary. It puts the wearer and their fluidity - in whatever way it manifests, front and centre yet all while staying true to the brand's ethos that strives for a vision of gender fluidity and inclusivity. Personally, Harris dresses to invite the looks and stares, to blur the preconceived fault-lines people have about gender and sexuality. He is an incredibly striking and magnetic human being. In 2021 he was invited to dress Iman for the prestigious Met Gala... both he and Iman looked spectacular despite a little personal mishap on his way there...too funny and too personal to write about but listen in and you will hopefully laugh with us. In September 2022, aged just 26, he was appointed the youngest ever Creative Director of French fashion house Nina Ricci. He is absolutely flying...In October 2023 Harris married his husband Eitan Senerman in an intimate ceremony in London at Chelsea Old Town Hall and Claridge's... The second wedding celebration in Palermo, Sicily in June 2024, saw Harris in 4 different outfits ... looking ever more spectacular in each one...of course we delve into why he designed each look...and how he wanted to feel...His recently published, beautifully illustrated book Fluid, is well worth a read... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the simply joyous Gaby Roslin....one of the most positive and kind human beings on the planet.Gaby is one of the country's most popular TV and Radio presenters with incredible amounts of energy & enthusiasm for all things moving pictures and spoken words. Alongside hosting BBC1's Morning Live, on Saturdays on Magic Radio and Shop Smart Save Money on Channel 5, Gaby has released her first book Spread the Joy, as well as having her own incredibly successful podcast Reasons to be Joyful, and the list goes on... Work is her passion and she has no intention of slowing up, in fact, she admitted that she "would like to work until she is 99, host a live show and just go to sleep" ... Gaby grew up around the broadcasting world and was obsessed by TV from a young age, following her father into the TV studios and dreaming of being part of that world with a mission to make people smile...she does that in spades. She is passionate about #shoppinginyourwardrobe ... LOVES colour and believes that age is irrelevant ... that we should wear what we want to wear...YES to that. We laugh about being eternally 33, in our heads at least, Gaby has a wonderful, youthful positive energy and it makes her shine...she is magnetic. Her aptly named That Gaby Roslin Podcast: Reasons To Be Joyful is unsurprisingly a happy listen. We talk wedding dresses, the power of a white trouser suit, dressing for 28 hours of back to back broadcasting on Millenium Night (not quite sure how she managed that) ...and in full disclosure, some of her old Wakeley favourites... Thank you @gabyroslin for our joyous conversation xx Join the millions of people hitting their weight loss goals with Simple. To start your personalized plan complete the quiz at simple.life/amanda and use code AMANDA for 70% off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I go on a style journey with one of the UK's original and leading digital creators, Lydia Millen. I was drawn to interview Lydia as she focuses on the luxury space for her content creation, which, perhaps needless to say, is a space I have always loved. Her 15 year journey has seen her work with brand giants from Jo Malone to Hugo Boss and Tiffany…Lydia's commercial influence is hugely impressive and often unrivalled. She is influenced by the beauty of nature and seasonal living, and has amassed a global audience of over 3 million who respect and trust her authentic opinions and eye for industry-leading products and passion for timeless style that defies trends. Her journey has not always been straightforward and she has experienced her fair share of trolling but she is pragmatic about the fact that not everyone will love her content and perhaps in the early days she didn't fully know who she was, very few people do quite frankly, but she is clear now. We chat about how she didn't really understand the full impact of a good outfit on her wellbeing until Covid hit, when there was no reason to get dressed up as you weren't going anywhere but she realised the importance of taking real care with what she wears on a day to day basis is an investment in herself, it was less about other people…in her words she was “telling myself that I am worth dressing up for”…I SO love this sentiment… By her own admission there have been some dodgy style choices including choosing to have a full blonde mullet haircut as a teenager to impress her then boyfriend. Lydia is incredibly considered about her clothing choices and just one look at her feed shows a glorious and curated grid featuring a mainly neutral colour palette…saving strong colours for big moments…ie Ascot and special occasions… Its no secret that she has always loved bags and by her own admission was a big collector of well made (and expensive) bags. Her first designer bag was a Mulberry which she worked 3 jobs while at university to be able to afford. Many of us have those memories of saving for that first designer purchase…mine was a Dior bag, and it was probably the cheapest one in the range but my, it felt good to go into the immaculate dove grey store on Conduit Street and soak up every moment of making my selection, watch it being beautifully wrapped and walking out of the door swinging that carrier bag proudly for the rest of the afternoon in London… We bond over a mutual love and awe of Harris Tweed… the tradition, the craftsmanship and the local passion that still goes into creating it. She slightly surprised me with her Style Icon…but on reflection I fully understand why… I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you Lydia for your considered conversation xx Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I go on a Style Journey with the English TV personality and Co-Founder of the wellness app Shoorah, the inimitable Ferne McCann. Ferne first became a public figure when she appeared in the hit reality series The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) for no less than 9 series... She quickly became one of the standout stars on the show and led to her appearing on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, plus having her own ITVBe series, Ferne McCann: First Time Mum (2018) which later became Ferne McCann: My Family & Me. The show marked Ferne as one of the most trusted and relatable celebrity mums. In addition to her TV career, Ferne has become a successful entrepreneur, collaborating with premium global brands in the fashion, lifestyle, and wellness industries. Her influence on social media reflects her dedication to health, self-care, and family, inspiring her followers with a positive, relatable approach to modern motherhood. Ferne co-founded Shoorah, the wellness app that promotes personal growth & mental health. It is now one of the most successful apps in that genre. Ferne's healthy ambition for a new challenge saw her compete on Dancing on Ice in 2025, adding a new chapter to her career.Ferne is a true Essex girl born and bred and I ask her if she is stereotypical ... that is for you to discover... As such a well known star on Social Media I ask her how she deals with the inevitable trolling that comes with the profile and she offers a valuable and practical insight as to how she protects herself...in fact how we can all protect ourselves if we so choose. One of the things that is very endearing about Ferne is that she doesn't take herself too seriously, although she does admit to being "very competitive"... she laughs about her early elimination from Dancing on Ice and how her grandfather blamed it all on her choosing to be a Troll for the dance...however she was clearly blown away by the creativity of the costume team. Ferne clearly has a tight knit team around her including her mother, her "style icon". She bemoans the fact that social media has perhaps made us all less creative and more inclined to question our own tastes and follow the pack...to the extent of making us believe that we want something because we see it so frequently on different feeds...social media drives you to follow rather than stick with your own personal style...there is some truth in that...it certainly is the quickest way for brands to reach the widest audience possible now. She has been very open about her post-partum journey and how she has been an advocate for breast feeding, and continuing to breast feed. She understands that this can be a divisive subject but she is also very aware of the support it gives to many women at a similar point in their lives.We discuss the aging process, tweakments and her well documented rhinoplasty (nose job)... and the dilemma of staying totally true to herself and her audience yet being tempted to "fix" her boobs post breast feeding... she is refreshingly transparent on the whole subject. She is about to start her own podcast called Every Cloud, to talk about trauma and people's stories inspired by her own life and how "when you are in the thick of trauma it often bumps you into the right direction"...very true.Finally we had a properly hilarious disconnect moment in the Quick Fires when I ask her whether she preferred Boyfriends or Wide Legs...of course I was referring to her choice of jeans ...Ferne, on the other hand thought I was referring to Ahem something completely different...! I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you Ferne for being such a great guest x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with Hannah Almassi, the Editor-in-Chief of Who What Wear UK. It's a wonderful digital fashion, beauty and style platform which can take you down rabbit-holes of inspiration … Hannah joined Who What Wear UK following a seven-year career at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news and features editor. With experience in both print and digital across fashion and beauty, Hannah has over 18 years in the field as a journalist, editor, content strategist and brand consultant. Her passion for fashion started very early, as a young child she would “edit” fashion catalogues, cutting them up and creating her own mini catalogues…proving that some things are just innate in us! Hannah first got into fashion as she wanted to be part of the democratisation of fashion….in her words she wasn't the “archetypal fashion girly, I am not tall, I do not come from a wealthy background, I am not slim …I felt like I had a responsibility to represent (me) and sometimes that's hard because at times it would be easier to look great in a picture if I was 6ft tall but at 5'1” it's definitely more challenging”…but how inspiring and refreshing. We talk about how intimidating it can be to circulate within the fashion industry and the importance of remaining true to yourself rather than being too “influenced” by those around you. I ask her about wardrobe planning for those epic fashion week trips to the shows. Of course I ask her about ageism in fashion … and her opinions on sustainability in an industry that is designed to encourage you to consume more…her answers are thoughtful, informed and those of a true industry insider delivered in a pragmatic, considered way. Being the fashion insider and editor that she is I couldn't help but ask her opinion on the top 3 trends from the Autumn/Winter 25 catwalks… She is also happy to laugh about her own fashion mishaps along the way too… Thank you @hannahalmassi for being such a great guest x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I go on a style journey with the inimitable and side-splittingly funny, iconic British Jeweller, Theo Fennell. I have been lucky enough to have known Theo for decades ...our first shops were close on the Fulham Road in Chelsea. Theo has always been the most brilliant raconteur, often making himself the butt of the joke and I must admit as I listened to his two books, narrated by him, I found myself howling with laughter...a great summer listen (links below).Born in Egypt, to an Army family, Theo's early years were spent moving around the globe before being sent to boarding school in England...in truth he went to Eton College where the uniform was and still is to this day, tails and a stiff collared shirt. He went on to art school in York, and he tells me with some hilarity about his choice of clothing for his first day there. Initially he pursued portraiture, but, unable to get a likeness, he luckily discovering a passion and talent for jewellery and silversmithing.Theo Fennell is one of Britain's most iconic and original jewellers, renowned for his bold, imaginative designs and a distinctive creative voice blending fine craftsmanship with storytelling, wit, and a quirky flair. For over four decades, Theo has redefined the traditional boundaries of jewellery, creating extraordinary, bespoke pieces worn and collected by patrons from royalty to rock and roll, stars of stage, screen and fashion to tastemakers around the world ... and also his friend Norman.From his first studio in the Fulham Road in the 1980s to his current gallery and workshop in the Chelsea Barracks development, Theo has built a reputation as one of the few jewellers who still designs and makes each piece by hand in-house in London. His atelier brings together master goldsmiths, engravers, enamellists, and stone-setters, producing work that fuses rare artistry with theatricality and timeless appeal. A passionate advocate for the applied arts, Theo has mentored emerging talent, collaborated with artists, and championed the importance of craftsmanship in a fast-paced, mass-produced world. His pieces often tell intimate, sentimental or humorous stories, making them cherished heirlooms as well as expressions of individuality.Being the story teller that he is Theo entertains us with stories of his earlier, let's say, more than slightly inebriated years when he managed to loose a priceless emerald during a celebratory night out, having sold said emerald but not delivered it.... lesson learned...We chat about his passion for unusual stones, craftsmanship and telling stories through pieces. Knowing that he has a who's who of rock and royalty as a client base I couldn't help but ask what his most unusual commission was...the story of the Yellow Rose of Texas is brilliantly told!We talk about his style inspirations (from Fred Astaire to the dandyism of Patrick Litchfield in the 60s) and the influence of accompanying his father on days shopping... from Henry Poole on Saville Row for "Gents natty summer suiting" ...and on for shirts...and shoes. Theo clearly loves clothes, shoes and socks...he has an eclectic, chic style, and an eye for detail befitting of the brilliant designer he is.I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I enjoyed this conversation with the raucously funny Theo...and if you don't know his jewellery (unlikely) but do check it out...it is truly exquisite. Thank you Theo for entertaining us so fabulously! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a stylistic journey with the Author, Broadcaster, Editor and Coach Rosie Nixon. Rosie is the author of three novels, The Stylist, Amber Green Takes Manhattan and Just Between Friends, plus the Be Kind book. Her new novel called Bad Influence is out this August.After a long career in women's magazines, including Grazia, Glamour and Red she became the award-winning Editor and Editor in Chief of HELLO! Magazine for an incredible 16 years. The 24/7 pressure of being at the helm ultimately led to her near burnout (which she is very open about) and like many of life's challenges, there is often a silver lining. She says that she didn't think she was serving herself as a woman saying it was all going well, so being honest about her own struggles really helped her and inspired her into the next chapter. She became a qualified life coach and in 2024 she launched Rosie's Reinvention Retreats - a series of day retreats for midlife women, to support navigating changes in career, business and wellbeing. A complete career change, starting from scratch in a way, albeit with all the knowledge built up over the years ...and I know well what guts that takes.We discuss how the magazine world has changed over the last couple of decades and the 24/7 pressure that goes with being the editor or a magazine that in its heyday sold 1 million copies a week. We talk about Kindness and she says that she started thinking about kindness when she first started at Hello! which was slightly vilified about always being nice about people. Rosie believes that Kindness is a super power and should be worn as a badge of honour... yes to that! She feels that kindness is probably responsible for the longevity of the magazine and is one of it's strengths because everyone is treated with respect. She felt proud and protective of this stance and was passionate that it should be the thread that was woven through the magazine. Of course we discuss Rosie's personal style journey, her haircuts and fashion phases...her borrowed Alberta Ferretti wedding dress (way ahead of her time back then) and the all-important discussion of dressing our age ...she admits to dressing older than herself earlier in her career to be taken more seriously ...I hope you enjoy this episode ...thank you Rosie for being such a warm, open and inspiring guest x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode I go on a Style DNA journey with the very impressive Jade Holland Cooper Founder and CEO of her eponymous brand, Holland Cooper. Jade had a rural upbringing which was all about her ponies and horses...she didn't really think about clothes other than their functionality. It wasn't until she went to study at the Royal Agricultural College that she realised that everyone was dressed the same...that there were very few options for chic country clothing. This was her lightbulb moment. She drew up a business plan, left college, created a few tweed miniskirts that she sold from a "2 metre stand at Badminton Horse Trials" and she realised then that she was on to something. She has built an astonishingly successful brand in just 15 years, turning over 40 million pounds, and is in the process of building a 7,000 sq foot head office in Gloucestershire. I can honestly say, her achievements are extraordinary. I ask Jade who her biggest inspiration is and she says Ralph Lauren, ironically the king of classic British style . The Lauren influence is clear but in a more obviously branded way. She admits that she wants to get the name on as many items as possible as it is effectively "free advertising". We laugh about how in the early days she bought an embroidery machine so that she could get her name embroidered onto as many pieces as possible, how she would have the machine running 24 hours a day with the assistance of a baby monitor. She tells me that her mother is her style icon, and was a designer herself, and that although they have different styles she is very inspiring. I ask her whether she thinks about her mother when designing? She says she is aware of her age group but makes the point that classic product appeals to multiple ages ...so true and so appealing to so many. I ask her about the pressure of being the face of her eponymous brand (something I remember well), and to a degree an influencer of sorts. She admits it could be a full time job...but as the business gets bigger her "minutes get more important" but that she never want to lose the experience and interaction with her customers. She personally replies to her Instagram messages to get feedback, she is on the shop floor every 2 weeks and admits to obsessing about her business, living and breathing her customers. Talking customers, she says that having Catherine as a good customer has been a great endorsement for the brand. Despite her incredible success she admits that there are "many days I feel like I can't do this. It's an inner battle to get things over the line. Can I do this? It's really hard and really lonely" (gosh it is). I ask her what she reaches for on those vulnerable days and it's always a suit...the power of good tailoring is always a winner. She is clearly the style queen of Cheltenham Races...her home turf. She is her own best ambassador, there more than anywhere else I would say, and we laugh about how she always decides what she is going to wear at the last minute, much to the frustration of her fabulous team.I hope you enjoy this episode. Jade is a truly awe inspiring and incredibly focused human being... I wish her continued success and look forward to visiting her in her dreamy new head office later this year. Bravo! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the award winning BBC radio host, TV fashion presenter and Influencer, who goes by the name of MiddleAgedMinx, the fabulous and joyous Jo Good. I first met Jo when she interviewed me for her Gold show for SheerLuxe and we clicked immediately…laughing about how age was just a number, that it is wrong to be pigeon-holed, and agreeing that we like to think of ourselves as ageless. She talks with great humour about customising her very conservative “English public school inspired” school uniform while growing up in Australia…which included steaming her stiff boater into a Stetson shape…I would love to see a picture! At 5 foot Jo is an inspiration to other petite women…she refuses to conform to the normal “rules” of petite dressing and has great style hacks to offer on the subject. Jo loves to document her life in her popular YouTube vlog and her Instagram channel. We discuss the term Influencer and she makes the excellent point that as an actress she was paid to be in a lot of commercials promoting all kinds of stuff, stuff that she had no knowledge of and no affinity with the brand. She feels that as an Influencer it is wrong to be chastised to be paid to promote things that you have actually trialled and like. As she says, the insights from Instagram will tell you how well you have performed, and this is why she has great respect for Influencers who work consistently for the same brand, because they are clearly proving their worth otherwise the brand wouldn't keep working with them. We close by discussing her approach to Sustainable Fashion …why she doesn't do fast fashion but also why she doesn't buy vintage…in her brilliantly quick turn of phrase she says “I have a thing about vintage on vintage - I think it can make you look really old!” Of course the Quick Fires were far from quick and this whole recording ran on for longer than normal but it was so full of joy, wisdom and nostalgia that it was hard to cut. Thank you @middleagedminx for being such a wonderful and witty guest x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with none other than the world-renowned self-development coach, inspirational speaker, manifesting expert, and three-times Sunday Times Bestselling author, the inspirational Roxie Nafousi. I first met Roxie when she came to one of my London Fashion Week parties at my Mayfair Store and the shy woman I met back then was worlds apart from the confident communicator that I had this Style DNA conversation with… I have to say it is heart-warming to see someone evolve so positively…and in this conversation she eloquently explains how that evolution came about. Roxie has talked opening about being lost, until she found manifesting and I ask her how her style has evolved from being the person she was previously? She admits she hated her style before, how she felt only as worthy as the man she was with and that impacted her dressing. She states that her style growth is aligning with who she is now. We talk about when she discovered her passion for fashion? Fashion had always been a bit of a mask for her…that she liked fashion for all the wrong reasons, it's probably only in the last year that she has started to take more care of what she wears. She writes about it in her latest book Confidence, that a big part of manifesting your higher self or stepping into your most empowered self is about the way you dress. In Step 8 of the book she talks about dressing the part as one of the ways that you can show up as your future self. Alongside this, she says that a big part of the manifestation journey is letting go, letting go of all things that don't serve you, whether it's bad habits, behaviours or people but also the kind of clothes that don't serve who you are anymore, or that are not who you want to become. It's definitely food for thought… She has clearly found her confidence…and feels that she is of value to the world but is humble enough to admit that she has days when self doubts creep in but she is better equipped to deal with them and most importantly wants to share her learnings… Bravo @roxienafousi…thank you for your frank and open conversation…hugely thought provoking and helpful to many I am sure x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In this final episode of Season 7 of Style DNA I go on a Style journey with a true icon of British design, my friend, the world-renowned Interior Designer, Author of 10 books, affectionately dubbed the 'Queen of Taupe', ...the titian haired, inspirational pocket-rocket power house that is Kelly Hoppen CBE. I first met Kelly when she was looking for a wedding dress...there are some designs that you never forget as a designer and to this day, 35 years on, I could sketch that dress, coat and shoes precisely ... all very pre-Raphaelite...I was thrilled to learn that Kelly still owns it and what's more still wears the floor length velvet coat over jeans.She talks openly about how long it took her to find her style and how much more relaxed she is in making her purchasing decisions now that she has her style formula...her Style DNA.We laugh about her going to give a talk at Bloomberg and how she dressed up to fit in with what she thought was expected of her, as though she was going into a boardroom, only to be told by someone very close to her to go and change, asking "where has Kelly Hoppen gone?!" and reminding her that Bloomberg had invited her because of who she was. This was clearly a pivotal moment for her, and the lesson was to never lose your own identity because of what you perceive to be someone else's expectations of you. Such good advice.Of course, I had to ask her about her time as a WAG when she dated the footballer Sol Campbell (16 years her junior) and she talks honestly about some of her fashion choices being "quite questionable" for a time.Now she lives between London and the Cotswolds and we discuss what country dressing means in that uber glam part of the country...it's certainly not jeans and tweeds!But more importantly, we chat about her being chosen by L'Oreal to be one of the faces of their brilliant Age Perfect Campaign...a real pinch me moment for Kelly but one that she truly deserved. The Kelly I know has always worked diligently at her fitness and wellbeing and at 65 she has never looked better, clearly comfortable in her skin, and more relaxed than ever. Bravo Kelly and thank you for sharing your Style journey, Prozac boots and all!I hope you enjoy this episode ...it was a treat for me to take a journey through time and style with someone I have known for so long...thank you @kellyhoppen for friendship and this style chat xx
If you've ever wished that beauty treatments could come to you at home instead of the other way around, then you have Venetia Archer to thank. In this episode of Style DNA, I sit down with the brilliant entrepreneur behind Ruuby, the concierge beauty app that has revolutionized the way we book and receive our treatments.A true multi-hyphenate, Venetia started out in the corporate world, where she quickly realized that busy women (herself included) needed a more flexible way to fit beauty into their schedules. And so, Ruuby was born—a service designed for the busy modern woman who barely has time to grab a coffee, let alone schedule a salon visit for a beauty treatment.Prior to founding Ruuby, Venetia worked as a geopolitical risk analyst, specialising in Somali piracy - and spent a stint in Kenya researching pirate gangs and negotiating with Somali pirates (yes, really) – and during that time she learned that fashion isn't just about looking good—it's a tool for power and confidence.We dive deep into her mother's influence on her personal style...lucky Venetia appears to have the perfect source of vintage designer pieces care of her mother's generous cast offs! We chat about how fashion has always been her armour—from boardroom battles to fundraising rounds. In the early days she admits to a bit of a rebellious ripped jean, cool jacket tech spirit and how now the armour of a great jacket and a heel are her go-tos when she wants to feel empowered. We discuss the joy of buying a “treat to self” to mark time or a deal …has anyone else discovered the sheer independent delight of that?Venetia is as sharp as she is stylish, and our chat is filled with gems…whether you're into beauty, business, or just love a great fashion story…Thank you Venetia for sharing your insights.
In this episode I go on a style journey with the longest standing former editor of British Vogue … Alexandra Shulman CBE. As a young designer at the time I will never forget being invited by Alex to a one on one lunch at San Lorenzo not long after she became Editor in Chief. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I came away thinking how kind and approachable she was…in fact the polar opposite to the intimidating image of most editors at the time…There was never anything Devil Wears Prada about Alex. In this episode she talks openly about her relationship with fashion …proclaiming she knew nothing about fashion when she took the job and maybe “ignorance was bliss”. But when she took the helm of Vogue it was a unique moment in fashion…there was an incredible pool of British design talent and at the same time the High Street was breaking through and democratising fashion. Of course I ask her what she wore on her first day in the ever-imposing Vogue House… We talk about the pressure of dressing to attend all the shows around the world and she is wonderfully pragmatic about how she knew she was never going to be a “Carine or an Anna”… How the editors grand hotel rooms would always be laden with flowers on arrival from all the big houses, often with handwritten notes from the designers…and a time that Karl (as in Lagerfeld) wrote several pages to her as to how he was feeling about a particular situation… During her editorship she was asked by the then Kate Middleton to recommend British designers for her wedding dress…Alex submitted her ideas, bearing in mind the possible dynamic between the designer and Kate, the obvious need for incredible security not to mention, could the designer/house create a dress worthy of making history for all the right reasons. She had no idea until the wedding day who had actually got the job. She talks lovingly of spending time in her mother's dressing room as a child (the only time she and her siblings got to see her during the week), watching her get dressed for work as the editor of Conde Nast Brides magazine. How glamourous and stylish she was and indeed still is in her 90's… Alex's book Clothes and Other Things that Matter… is not only about clothes but about the way we live our lives. “From childhood onwards, the way we dress is a result of our personal history”. Not dissimilar to this podcast, our clothes have stories … I hope you enjoy this episode…it was a rich conversation peppered with stories of the crazy world of fashion. Thank you @alexandrashulman for being so wonderfully open and brilliantly eloquent x
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with one of the original YouTubers Jim Chapman. It's hard to believe that that was only 15 years ago and yet it feels, to me at least, like half a life time ago. I am showing my age now, but when I was Gen Z age the internet didn't even exist and we were consuming our news the old fashioned way…via a printed newspaper or on television, now online is the primary source of news information. So it is not surprising that characters like Jim Chapman achieved such a massive following so quickly…it was a moment in time and by his own admission it happened by accident. But as one of the original ‘content creators' he has also carved out a role as a high-profile brand ambassador, presenter and writer. He has amassed an audience of over 7.5 million people across social media, has written for various publications, including British GQ, and is a published author.Jim graduated in psychology but wanted a creative outlet, so he turned to creating content and posting it on YouTube, inspired by his sisters the makeup artists PixiWoo who had started to post makeup tutorials. In terms of building a following it was a unique moment in history, it was new and exciting with very few people doing it and followers were truly organic. By the time Instagram was launched he was ready to pounce on it. Over the years his audience has not only grown, but grown up with him.With a psychology degree under his belt of course we talk about how we message through clothes. He grew up in Norfolk and his stylish mum ran a second hand clothes shop … he always had an opinion on what she wore but he also talks about how he has blanked out his abusive father's style (unsurprisingly).We talk about the next chapter in the world of Social Media …there are so many issues with it. He has concerns about the fact that the platforms are drawing us all in to get that tiny hit of dopamine as we scroll but as he says, that hit is net negative as you are not doing anything that is constructive, which actually makes people less happy. He is hopeful that there will ultimately be legislation around usage and the need to register your identity so that no-one can post anonymously…idealistic perhaps, but well-meaning for sure.I am always fascinated by how men approach clothes versus women…I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you@jimchapman for being such a great guest.
This episode's Style DNA guest is the Best-Selling and multi award winning English Singer, Businesswoman, Model and Actress - the truly fabulous Rachel Stevens. Rachel is best known as one seventh of one of the largest pop bands of the noughties, S Club 7. Rachel tells me about her sliding doors moment when she was in the right place at the right time to audition for the band and the rest, they say, is history. She was just 19 years old when the band was formed by the brilliant Simon Fuller and by her own admission it was not the easiest time in her home life, S Club provided a "huge and exciting escape". Did she know who she was? Perhaps not...the 90's were high octane but behind the glossiness she had her vulnerabilities and in her words she was "playing a part". The process of writing her recently published book Finding my Voice - A story of Strength, Self-Belief and S Club 7 was clearly a cathartic process. I ask her about finding her own stylistic identity within the group and it is clear that she has always had a passion for fashion and a really clear vision as to what she likes and what works on her... and being a diminutive 5 foot tall has also made her critically aware of proportion. This has stood her in good stead for her collaborations with various fashion brands ...work that she clearly loves.Of course we discuss all of her various costumes from S Club to Dancing on Ice to Strictly and how her clothes have always been part of her performance ..."style is a silent communicator"...so true.It hasn't all been perfect ...she recalls wearing a yellow Julien McDonald dress for the Brits which was not her finest style moment...I couldn't help but ask her about being voted FHMs Sexiest Woman of all time in 2014...quite an accolade whilst being a lot of live up to! She chats about loving the collaborative process of working on the shoots for FHM, how they were done with integrity and how she was fully in control of her sexy image. Refreshing to hear. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you Rachel for being such a great guest x
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the Author, Diversity Advocate, Speaker and Influencer, the simply positively infectious and inspirational, Candice Brathwaite. Candice is a prominent British author. Her latest book, Manifest(o) was released in September 2024, becoming an instant Sunday Times Best-seller…with good reason. Sharing her revolutionary and inclusive approach to manifesting, The Law of Attraction…call it what you will, there's no denying that using your mind to bring your dreams into reality is having a moment. Believing that you deserve abundance is the route to inviting it into your life. But what if your life experiences so far have demonstrated the exact opposite? What does Manifesting look like if you're not white, thin, traditionally pretty, or able-bodied? In Manifest(o) Candice, with her customary no bullsh*t candour, shows you that manifesting can be for everyone - not just those to whom the universe has already been kind… The conversation I had with Candice had me laughing and nearly crying …she has a lot to say and she says it well…she is massively entertaining often when the joke is on her. Whether recounting stories of slipping out of her school “uniform”, to her clothes now being her armour. We talk about the sheer luck of finding her perfect wedding dress …or did she manifest it? …her Oscar de la Renta dress had first been priced at a whopping £22,000, yes you read that right… reduced to the £700 she actually paid for it. In terms of discovering her personal Style DNA she tells me how she had a lightbulb moment in her early 30s and decided to dress as her and not to cosplay anymore…but not before a time of being in the public eye and feeling the pressure to “be dressing like everyone else” …but the everyone else at the time were “white, middle class, yummy mummies” wearing Boden, M&S and hiking boots…she confirms that all photographic evidence of this chapter has since been deleted! We also talk about the inspiration for her shaved head and red lips…and much much more. Thank you @candicebrathwaite for sharing your style and life stories so beautifully... you are truly inspirational xx
In this episode of Style DNA podcast I go on a style journey with a long time friend and collaborator, the woman who I think is the most passionate fashion editor I have ever met… the inimitable and fabulously energetic Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou. Sophia is the Founder, Global Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of 10 Magazine, 10 Men and 10+. In 24 years, the 10 Magazine empire has grown to include a series of international sister publications, including 10 Australia, 10 USA, 10 Japan and most recently 10 Deutsch. She began her fashion career at British Vogue, and went on to hold Fashion Director titles at a slew of revered publications, including The Independent Magazine, Sunday Times Style, Harper's Bazaar UK and Vogue China, Japan and Russia. Throughout her career, she has worked alongside industry renowned brands including Antonio Berardi, Elie Saab and Roland Mouret and was Collection Creative Director for Victoria's Secret for nine years. Sophia talks so knowledgeably about the industry…we chat about the incredible spectacle of the shows, especially the immersive experience of the Cruise shows put on in exotic locations by the very big houses, and how tough it is for smaller designers trying to compete with that spending power. I ask her about how younger designers can cut through and who has done it well…and of course we chat about the joy of working with both the models and the brilliant creative teams on the Victoria's Secret shows. Sophia undoubtedly has real fashion chops but aside from her infectiously positive personality, I have always admired the fact that she found her personal Style DNA quite early and then she has honed it through the years whilst staying very true to herself despite the vagaries of fashion and trends. She talks about being a “curvy girl” and which brands she has always been drawn to…the timeless appeal of Alaia and The Row in particular. I ask her about trade discounts and much quoted press freebies, but for as much as I am sure that there have been those, they do not sway her opinion on what she wears and she is fully prepared to pay full price as she works on the price-per-wear mentality. We laugh about her choice of wedding dress as a 23 year old Greek/Cypriot bride …considered an “older bride” at the time…and her mother's reaction to the dress she had commissioned. We talk about her 600 pair shoe collection…yes, but they have clearly been acquired over decades and all have memories attached…a nostalgic diary of sorts. Then there are the bags… Thank you Sophia for sharing your warmth, fun and wisdom x
I kick off Season 7 of Style DNA with a dose of true hilarity from the queen of quick quips and feminist observational wit, the brilliant and irreverently funny million copy best-selling author Kathy Lette. Many moons ago we shared a hilarious evening at a bar in Florence… I can remember howling with laughter all night… Oh my, how I have laughed and laughed re-listening to this recording, trying to whittle down the clips. We talk about everything from ageist sexism, she was dropped by both her agent and her publisher because she wanted to write a book about middle aged women and being told that “Middle aged women are like Mogadishu and Sudan…we know they exist but no-one wants to go there”…She admits it knocked her confidence but the resulting novel, The Revenge Club about four scorned women and one perfect plan (every snippet apparently true but reconstructed for the purpose of the story) has clearly been Kathy's best revenge, together with a huge dollop of humour and well deserved success… We laugh about the misogyny she and her girlfriends experienced growing up in the “surfy” culture of Australia which included “tan tattoos” …and then 80's fashion, replete with perms and shoulder pads…how she invented the term Pussy Pelmet (who knew that widely used term was her wordsmithing?). How and why she started wearing comedic clothes including a custom suit printed with corgis, originally made for when she commentated on Kate and Wills wedding for Australian TV, and then pulled it out again for an Aussie gathering at Buckingham Palace which the late Queen found highly amusing. She confesses to being “a bit of an Imelda Marcos” when it comes to shoes and the joy of receiving her good friend Kylie's cast offs …every story delivered with a sharp, often feminist, wit. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did having it…and if you need some light relief I urge you to download The Revenge Club or HRT Husband Replacement Therapy on Audible and let her mellifluous tones accompany you on your morning walks or a long journey … I promise your abs will get a work out and you will probably also have some light bulb moments to chuckle about.Thank you Kathy for being such a fabulous and hilarious guest. But I first came across Kathy's writing when her cult classic Puberty Blues was published in 1979. It is the definitive story of teenagers navigating the chaos of life…her observational and totally relatable humour had me, as a teenager at the time, totally hooked on her writing and I have chuckled and guffawed through most of her novels since.
In the final episode of Season 6 of Style DNA I go on a style journey with none other than the Retired Ballerina, the President of the Royal Academy of Dance, Presenter, Judge and Classical Ballet Coach at the Royal Ballet Company …the dazzling and divine Dame Darcey Bussell DBE. Full disclosure, I have been a fan of Darcey's dancing for as long as I can remember …not only was she the most technically brilliant ballerina she danced with such a palpable joy and flare that she was mesmerizing to watch. Much of our conversation centred around dance and she talks openly about her body, dancer's bodies, and I ask her how she went about de-tuning hers after the intensity of training for at least 8 hours a day for 20 years. She admits that having had two children during her career helped prepare her for stopping but obviously nothing prepares you for the full stop and losing the “family” of the Company. Darcey is the consummate professional, you don't get to the very top of your field without 100% commitment and she certainly has always had that. She is passionate about the transformative power of dance and is working hard to get it into all schools, as much for mental wellbeing as for physical wellbeing. She was invited to perform at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics for which she came out of retirement, giving herself, her confidence and her body 8 months to prepare. She laughs about how little rehearsal time they had at the stadium itself and that the actual pyrotechnics had never been rehearsed…it wasn't until she was gliding down the wire with the pyrotechnics alight on the frame around her that she thought about how much hairspray she had in her hair and the potential flammability of it! But even for someone of Darcey's stature she admits it was still a pinch me moment to be part of it all. We talk about preparing for a show and the inevitable conversation about pointe shoes…fascinating. We chat about her 7 years as a judge on Strictly and being in control of her own image for that…something she hadn't been for all her years as a ballerina where you are a complete chameleon to the role you were dancing. Talking image – The National Portrait Gallery owns 9 images of Darcey and she talks about one of her favourites being the one taken by the photographer Bryan Adams of her in a very covered yet sheer McQueen dress wearing “very high heels” and not a lot else… I hope you enjoy this episode…thank you @darceybussellofficial for this fascinating and insightful conversation.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the British television personality, entrepreneur, and social media influencer, best known for her role on the reality TV show Made in Chelsea, the wonderfully down to earth Mother of 3 Binky Felstead. Binky's new show, Beyond Chelsea, has just launched on E4 and she assures me that it is a very different kind of show…more a diary of her life as a mother, wife and entrepreneur with a fraction of the drama, and jeopardy (something that reality TV producers tend to strive for, often pitching individuals against each other…). She talks with disarming honesty about her lack of interest in fashion and style when filming MIC, often turning up on set in holey jumpers and the crew having to lend her their clothing so that the scene could be filmed. She was the first of her contemporaries to have a baby at the age of 26. She talks openly and relate ably about losing her identity when she had her baby India. The anticipation of a front cover for Women's Health Magazine saw her back in the gym getting fit and “strong not skinny” …she has a refreshingly healthy attitude to her body. Then, with the help of a stylist she has clearly been finding her style mojo, recently attending The Pride of Britain awards looking truly sensational… a far cry from her self-proclaimed fashion disaster when she was collecting her BAFTA. The endearing thing about Binky is that she really doesn't take herself too seriously and it is charming and funny. She tells me about her wedding dress(es) journey…from Chelsea Registry Office to the beach in Corfu… We chat about disastrous hair extensions, Botox and the dreaded salmon sperm facial… Binky has a transparent and inspiring approach to life and parenting. She shares her learnings in her 2023 book titled The Making of You: a guide to finding your identity and bossing motherhood…two things she has done rather well IMHO. Thank you @Binkyfelstead for our happy chat …
In this episode I go on a style journey with former British number one Tennis player, Broadcaster and Commentator the serene and gorgeous Annabel Croft. Annabel is the BBC commentator and pundit for the coverage of Wimbledon and hosts the Wimbledon finals ceremony … of course we chat about planning her on screen looks particularly for the final's days. Annabel grew up on the tennis circuit, (the Tour), and in her words she spent her entire childhood in a uniform …either school or tennis kit. We chat about her choice of tennis dresses and how important that was to her in an era before the fantastic technical fabrics we have now and how the Williams sisters have set a new bar in terms of women's tennis fashion. She talks openly about getting a little lost stylistically after having her children but Annabel clearly loves fashion and her daughters Amber and Lily have become her trusted style gurus, sometimes pushing her out of her comfort zone but always knowing what will work on her. . We talk about her brilliant (and brave) participation in Strictly Come Dancing in 2023. Obviously we talk about her wardrobe, the talented team led by Vicky Gill and her partner Johannes, with an incredible eye for detail, having a lot of input into her costumes to make sure they enhanced the dance and her movement. But SO brave, as Annabel had lost her husband, the love of her life, Mel, just a few months prior to this after a short battle with cancer. She talks movingly about still sleeping with his scarf … and the pain of seeing his clothes in the wardrobe … and the emotional attachment she has to certain items that he bought her or loved seeing her wear… Annabel talks with an almost disarming honesty …such openness and warmth … I loved this conversation with a woman I am lucky enough to call my friend. Thank you Annabel for this lovely conversation.
In this week's episode of Style DNA I chat with the original Princess of Punk, the truly extraordinary, iconic and zany, Dame Zandra Rhodes DBE. Known for her fabulously bold prints, she launched her eponymous fashion brand 56 years ago. Rhodes is renowned for perfecting the art-of-print as an intrinsic influence on garment shape. With dramatic designs and her own distinctive look, she paved the way for fashion as theatre and entertainment. We chat about dressing international stars including Freddie Mercury, Diana Ross, Barbara Streisand and Jackie Kennedy, as well as British Royalty, most notably, Princess Diana and Princess Anne… and I cheekily ask her if, given the opportunity, what she would design for the current Princess of Wales… She talks about how her big career break was in the 70s, meeting two Ukrainian models who persuaded her to take her collection out to America where they were sure they could find her a backer… she arrived in New York with a letter of introduction to Diana Vreeland who fell in love with her designs and instantly commissioned a huge shoot for Vogue starring Natalie Wood…and the rest, as they say, is history. Rhodes grew up in Kent and was surrounded by fashion from an early age as her mother was a pattern cutter for The House of Worth. She would quietly watch the bridal fittings and appear in the children's section of the shows. She evolved her own style including her love of pink hair and a dramatic eye…and always has, and still does, wear the clothes she has designed. In 2020 she formed the Zandra Rhodes Foundation, a charity that ensures future generations of designers, artists, researchers, students and educators are able to study her life and designs, with an emphasis on her methods and techniques. Dating from the mid 1960s to the current day, the Foundation is working to catalogue her six thousand garments, printed textiles, drawings, accessories, fashion films, kodatraces, silk screens, press cuttings, personal memorabilia and collected artworks. A central collection will stay with the Foundation and the remaining material will be donated to permanent collections of major museums across the world, including the Fashion and Textile Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Now in her 80's her focus more recently has been on strategic collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands such as IKEA of Sweden, Happy Socks and Poppy Lissiman. In 2003, she founded London's Fashion and Textile Museum, which to this day showcases some of the best in fashion and textile design. She recently published a book, Iconic - My Life in Fashion in 50 Objects …it's an insightful memoir told through a variety of mementos collected over the years, in which Zandra shares her life story for the first time…definitely worth a read! I hope you enjoy this conversation … thank you @Zandra_Rhodes for taking me on your style journey.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with Entrepreneur, Celebrity Influencer, Presenter and Media Personality …the exquisite Rosemin. I first met Rosemin when she hosted a dinner for me in Dubai in 2018 to promote my new collection…what was lovely is that pretty much every woman attending that dinner arrived wearing Wakeley, and it felt like the most generous endorsement of me as a designer. Rosemin grew up in Canada, her family emigrated there from East Africa in the 70's escaping Idi Amin's regime and effectively having to start over but exhibiting an incredible entrepreneurial work ethic to Rosemin and her brother. Her early passion for fashion took her to study fashion marketing at The London College of Fashion and then Rosemin cut her teeth in the fashion world working for Mr Ford, as in Tom Ford himself. Clearly the opportunity to work so closely with him was incredibly important to Rosemin, witnessing first hand how he approached his Creative Director role. Following her time at the Gucci Group she was head hunted to help launch Juicy Couture in the UK and Europe. Her honed eye meant that she approached celebrity seeding in a very targeted way, and it worked. Celebrities from Kate Moss, to Gwyneth Paltrow to Queen Rania of Jordan were all photographed wearing the newly expanded collection of Juicy… the sunglasses, the slip dresses and the trench coats. Rosemin recently remarried in Paris and we talk about her Faraz Manan wedding lenge (exquisite) and her Tamara Ralph gown (fairytale)..and why she chose these designers. We discuss the longevity of Chanel…what a brilliant job Stella McCartney is doing championing sustainability in fashion…her style icons…and the joy of wearing an Abaya … I hope you enjoy this episode …thank you Rosemin for being such an inspiring guest!
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a Style Journey with the Founder and CEO of the online publisher SheerLuxe … the brilliant Georgie Coleridge Cole. Georgie founded SheerLuxe from her kitchen table back in 2007 inspired by the concept of sharing her recommendations, magazine style in a digital format. It was early days in the digital revolution, but knowing that she had slightly missed the heady days of print publishing she backed herself to create the now formidable SheerLuxe which has shaped what successful digital marketing looks like in the UK. She has a team of over 70 employees, over 700,000 newsletter subscribers, over 2 million social followers and a myriad of emerging and well-established brands and retailers as its commercial partners – from Net-a-Porter, and Harvey Nichols, to Reiss, Charlotte Tilbury & Chanel. Alongside well established retail brands they are huge supporters of British founder led businesses and entrepreneurship. Not surprisingly Georgie has a great sense of her own style and we chat about how her mother and she approach clothes and style in a very different way…but both care deeply about their appearance. I question Georgie about being a deb in the 21st century and we talk about how her wardrobe has evolved now she is spending more time at her new office in the Middle East. I challenge her on ageism in fashion…something that I feel a lot of brands and publishers are missing a trick on…I do firmly believe that this is going to be the next big Ism… I hope you enjoy this conversation – and if you haven't signed up to SheerLuxe I highly recommend it. Thank you Georgie for being such a great guest.
In this episode I go on a Style Journey with the world-renowned florist, author and designer, affectionately dubbed the UK's ‘Queen of Flowers'. . .the whimsically wonderful Willow Crossley. She is best known for her innate floristry skills and knowledge of botanicals and has worked with brands from Dior to Chanel, and private clients (including The Royal Family) in phenomenal spaces in Britain, Europe and America. She is also the author of four books: The Art of Handmade Living; Inspire: The Art Of Living With Nature; Flourish; and The Wild Journal: A Year of Nurturing Yourself Through Nature. Willow and I chat about her inspirations, growing up in the country, in the wilds of Wales… where she absorbed a love of colour. Back then all her pocket money went on magazines which she would devour and analyse with her stylish mother. She moved to London and studied at the London College of Fashion and went on to work at both Vogue and Tatler which certainly honed her aesthetic eye in an era when the editors were “super glam”. We talk bridesmaids dresses…Willow has been a bridesmaid an astonishing 14 times!…and then her wedding dress and her blister-inducing Louboutins…and then moving to Provence and spending the summers floating around in Edwardian cotton pieces that she had collected over time. Back in the UK and based in the Cotswolds with a burgeoning business and 3 boys, we discuss her eclectic style, her love of colour, her passion (borderline obsession) for sneakers, and the challenge of staying warm and stylish for her frequently chilly work, as well as her collaborations with the likes of Brora and her approach to sustainable floristry as well as fashion. Thank you @willowcrossleycreates …I so enjoyed our happy conversation xx
In this episode of Style DNA podcast I take a Style Journey with the fabulous, inimitable and hilarious Katherine Ryan. Unsurprisingly, being the brilliant comedienne that she is, Kathryn's observations on life are hysterical and our conversation is peppered with witty quips. We discuss the fine line that comics walk so as not to expose too much of their family life but she has me hooting with laughter time and again as she peppers the conversation with snippets from her home life, including her husband Bobby's inspired step-parenting, not to mention Botox (apparently you can't have too much when you have babies as they need to see your expressions), and the side effects of having to take steroids during a pregnancy…all dryly delivered… When it comes to clothes, we discuss the power of dressing for the occasion – she says she “wants a world where females dress for their worth”…what's not to love about that? Being drawn to older women. Why Celine Dion is her style icon and the fashion mistake her stylist didn't allow her to make…and so so much more I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did recording it …thank you @kathbum for entertaining us all so brilliantly…
In this episode I go on a sartorial journey with the celebrated British Milliner Stephen Jones OBE. Jones is considered one of the most radical and important milliners of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is also one of the most prolific, having created hats for the catwalk shows of many leading couturiers and fashion designers, from John Galliano, Kim Jones and Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood, the house of Schiaparelli to Rei Kawakubo at Commes des Garcons. His work is known for its inventiveness and high level of technical expertise. Stephen's hats have adorned Rock Stars and Royalty and way beyond… His major retrospective exhibition opens in October at the Palais Galliera in Paris. Stephen is chatty and has a wonderful way with words, painting pictures as he goes…We discuss jointly dressing the then Meghan Markle for her first Royal engagement when she attended the Commonwealth Service in 2018 with Prince Harry. He shares his insights on the process, the importance of the Royal Family to the world of millinery, and how people the world over use hats and headwear as style signifiers. I ask him to explain his quote “You wear clothes – and hats – to convince yourself and others that you're a certain way. Fashion is still a fabulous, fabulous lie.” …needless to say his answer was both insightful and amusing. Fashion and appearance clearly run deep in Stephen's veins and he talks with such knowledge, intuition and wisdom…and more than a little cheeky humour. I felt privileged, and entertained having this conversation with him. Thank you Stephen for sharing your wit and wisdom.
I am launching Season 6 with someone who is known well to her 1.3 million followers as she lives her life so openly via her Instagram channel … she is warm and engaging, the sort of girl you feel is your friend even though you have never met her personally… I am talking about the lovely Lorna Luxe. Lorna started her career as cabin crew for Virgin, back in the day when you had to do “X Factor-like day long auditions” for the 800 places that 800,000 applied for that year. She loved her job flying around the world, proudly sporting her “empowering” Virgin uniform…that is, until her anorexia got the better of her. Unbelievably, Virgin HR used to measure each of their crew members in their annual reviews … clearly another era (not so long ago) and another story… Lorna had always loved her fashion and became an early adopter of Instagram back in 2014…she takes me on her Instagram journey and the secrets of her success but it is all underlined with a real passion for beautiful clothes, accessories and beauty. She is very considered …knows her fashion well, and talks with a wonderful Northern pragmatism. It wasn't until she had 500,000 followers that she started to monetize her feed…she is rumoured to consistently take home in excess of 7 figures a year…yes, you heard that right. Lorna is driven and always wanted to create her own brand, she talks about her journey starting up @LA Space with total transparency and honesty. We chat about her love of mood boarding, her style icons and being passionate about size inclusivity. It doesn't surprise me that she has built the community she has, and the success alongside - she is one authentic, clever and intuitive woman… I loved our conversation. Thank you Lorna x
In this final episode of Season 5 of my Style DNA podcast I go on a style journey withPrince's Trust Women for Women Ambassador and transgender fashion designer Serenity Mason. Serenity started her fashion business in 2018 - Vault of Serenity, a stall in Tunstall Market, Stoke, after completing The Prince's Trust Enterprise programme. The programme had offered her practical advice about tax, business planning and pricing her items, as well as the support of a business mentor. I met Serenity at a Prince's Trust fund raising dinner and I was so struck by her and her story that I felt the best way for me to help shine a light on the incredible, life changing (and, at times) even life-saving work that the Prince's Trust is doing was to use my Style DNA platform. It's a fascinating and optimistic conversation and I have to thank Serenity for sharing her story so openly…to be so frank about her gender identity and her struggles. I really hope that this is heard by many and reaches the ears of some who may find it helpful…
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a Style journey with the award winning BBC broadcaster, TV personality and DJ, bowel cancer survivor and marathon record holder, the remarkable Adele Roberts.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a Style journey with Actress, TV presenter, Philanthropist and Entrepreneur … the gorgeous Geordie girl Donna Air. Donna rose to early fame aged 10 as an actress in the children's television series Byker Grove, a popular show set in the Newcastle area. She went on to form the pop duo Crush which found some success in the late 1990's. Her career has spanned presenting MTV, to the Big Breakfast as well as appearing in numerous films and TV dramas. Donna is currently performing in the award winning ghost story 2:22 at the Gielgud Theatre alongside James Buckley, Stacey Dooley and Joe McFadden…The play, written by Danny Robins is a supernatural thriller that has received critical acclaim for its intense and gripping narrative with the story revolving around a couple who hear strange noises in the new house and begin to suspect it might be haunted… I for one, can't wait to see Donna's performance. Success came early in life for Donna and we chat about her teenage years in Newcastle “geared around her Saturday night outfits”…in time this passion transferred to her pop video or performing clothes. She reminisces about her youthful inability to control her clothing spending, particularly whilst touring in America. We discuss her love of strong female characters and how inspiring they are…not to mention the fact that slowly there are more female roles for women post their 30's…finally! Donna clearly loves beautiful clothes, whilst not being remotely materialistic, but she laughs about how in the past these beautiful things have slipped through her fingers …how she would give away her clothes and accessories to friends and how her daughter Freya, now 19, keeps asking her where pieces are that she is wearing in old photographs that she would love to wear now…all since long gone! Thank you @donnaair for sharing your stories and your insights so generously.
In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the English singer, songwriter and TV personality Wes Nelson… His most recent claim to fame being his incredibly catchy and hugely successful collaboration with Craig David and the hit Abracadabra but during our conversation I saw Wes in a whole new light and I found his self-deprecating sense of humour, his honesty (and his chuckle) both infectious and charming… He trained as a nuclear systems design engineer thinking he would follow his father into the motor industry but it seems that this self-proclaimed “Bloke from Stoke” has a different destiny. Passionate about music and performing from a young age, he was discovered partly through social media, and then a spell on Love Island led to his viral collaboration with Craig David (his childhood idol)… the rest is rapidly becoming history as he evolves his songwriting and music, as well as his personal style. We laugh about how he spent WAY too much in his early days …dressing in the “expected” Rapper style for his rap performances replete with the diamond encrusted gold watch and strongly logo' d designer pieces like his Nigo X Vuitton double denim. He clearly loves his fashion and is on a journey with it, evolving his style as his music evolves… I for one cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds stylistically and musically. We discuss the symbolism behind his different tattoos including a can of Sunny D to remind him of his grandfather… and his love of Rimowa luggage…why? Because apparently he rides it through the airport…probably not how or why it was designed, but I couldn't help laughing at the image of him riding his Rimowa down a ramp in Gatwick airport. I hope you enjoy this episode… I found Wes a breath of fresh air and came away from our conversation with a light-hearted feeling and a knowing smile on my face… clothes, after all, should bring us joy… they certainly do Wes. Thank you @wesnelson for bringing such a great conversation to the table…will you come back next year and update me on the style evolution that you are planning?
In this episode I go on a style journey with the Creative Director Lucinda Chambers. Lucinda has worked in the fashion industry for more than three decades…as Fashion Director of British Vogue for 25 years she certainly shaped the face of fashion and inspired the wardrobes of millions of women. She has worked as a creative consultant and stylist across both high street and luxury brands from Prada and Marni to H&M, River Island and Warehouse. We reminisce about her early days as a fantastically creative stylist at Vogue, in the pre-internet days she used National Geographic for her location inspiration…taking her to Ladakh in northern India on her very first location shoot…with Cindy Crawford and the photographer Patrick Demarchelier…sleeping in tents and drawing sticks to get the last few seats on the plane out…so naively brave… She talks eloquently about creating the story which has inspired the images…how for her image making was all about the narrative and I use the opportunity to ask about one of my favourite images of Linda Evangelista wearing Wakeley… Her journey in fashion has been a long and fabulous one …starting at Vogue as the secretary to the petty cash lady but her talent and creative vision took her the whole way…she is a phenomenally optimistic creative, making the most of every situation stating that it's never a crisis it's an opportunity...whether that was all the clothes for a cover shoot with Emma Watson being stolen from the luggage compartment of the Eurostar, to arriving to shoot in Miami as a hurricane had just flattened it… but always improvising and coming back with the shots. Since her well-publicised departure from Vogue when the then new editor Edward Enninful ushered in a new era and a new team… she has flourished creating her revolutionary shopping platform Collagerie with her ex-Vogue colleague Serena Hood. Expertly curating the best in fashion, interiors, beauty and lifestyle, the brand celebrates shopping at every price point, bringing you an innovative way to discover inspiring, and at times unexpected, designs. Thank you @lucindachambers for being such an open and generous guest …it was lovely to reconnect x
This week's Style DNA podcast episode is with the Irish chef, TV presenter, cookbook author and resident chef on This Morning - the wonderful Clodagh McKenna.It was such a treat to open the door to a joyful Clodagh who arrived carrying a freshly baked carrot cake which she proceeded to ice herself before we started our recording ... I can honestly say her carrot cake is the best I have ever eaten and it took serious will power on my part not to dig in during our conversation!Clodagh grew up in Cork and she paints a beautiful picture of her childhood family rituals including baking bread and prepping food at the weekend for the week ahead. Eating home cooked food around a lovingly laid table with fresh linen clearly influenced her appreciation of the importance of mealtime. Her mother would always tidy herself and apply lipstick before her husband came home from work which is a charming custom that Clodagh has adopted herself.Her passion for baking was ignited when a young Clodagh went on a French exchange, and she returned to Ireland able to make a cracking Tarte Tartin but also with a flavour for Gallic style which still influences her dress sense to this day.Clodagh is one of those individuals whose passion for everything she turns her hand to is infectious - she trained at the legendary Ballymalloe Cookery School. When she felt she had learned everything she could in Ireland she moved herself to Turin, Italy to immerse herself in Italian food and culture... before finally moving to London in her early 40s when she started opening up her kitchen to do dinners for guests ... a charming custom that she still does to this day. We talk about discovering her style DNA, which she feels didn't really happen until coming to London. Her formula, which clearly gives her confidence, involves a lot of denim, white shirts and tailoring. We laugh about last minute wardrobe changes on the set of This Morning when the all-male crew realised her top was just a little bit too revealing (let's just say totally see-through) for the viewers...and how being led by an overly enthusiastic stylist for a book launch shoot left her feeling totally lost...all good lessons learned and all stories told in a way that inimitable Irish way...
This week's Style DNA guest is the 90s British supermodel, turned entrepreneur, TV personality, author AND pub landlady … the awesome Jodie Kidd. We first met in the 90s, it was Jodie's first London show season at the tender age of 15. She had been encouraged to give modelling a go as a way to pay for the new horsebox she wanted as she was a competitive show jumper at the time. I remember my casting director being so excited to get Jodie in my show…but I also have a vague recollection of Jodie having to cram her feet into the shoes that I had designed for the show …at 6'2” with size 42.5 feet my show samples were a full size and a half too small… but she just did it, and as you will hear…she just carried on doing it with an incredible career trajectory walking for all the great houses doing the shows from New York to London to Milan to Paris and then on to the couture shows in between …until the pace of it all left her completely burned out, very underweight and crippled by anxiety. At which point she dramatically quit the modelling world…literally walking off a catwalk in Milan mid show. Being a country girl at heart she found solace in nature and home grown food, and then returned to her first passion, horses. However, Jodie never does anything by halves, within no time at all she was playing polo for the country, and her need for speed then saw her set a track record on Top Gear which in turn got her noticed by Maserati, who she then went on to drive for professionally in Italy… Jodie's career has twisted and turned …she is a true force of nature…whatever she turns her attention to she throws herself into 150%. Perhaps, because of her varied careers she is wise beyond her years but she shares her experiences and insights very openly. Her views on the mad world of fashion are initially through the lens of a very young country girl who came into the industry almost accidentally. She has warmth and charisma in spades. I hope you enjoy this episode.
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