Where did your career begin?
I studied Fashion Design at university and from there went to work in magazines completing various internships before landing my dream job at Harper’s Bazaar Magazine. It was at Harpers where my love for styling really grew; travelling to remote areas in the UK and being part of the team creating magical and ethereal images I am still inspired by today.
What is your favourite thing about what you do?
It sounds cliché but I love that every day is different. One day I’ll be researching trends and putting together mood boards at home, meeting inspirational people in the industry for catch ups and the next I will be striding the coastal paths of Cornwall, clothes in hand and with a talented team by my side. Seeing concepts drift from my brain in to real life, is probably the most rewarding part of it.
What is your biggest work achievement to date?
Even though I loved working at Harpers, I am probably most proud of taking the leap and becoming a freelance stylist and producer. It’s really freed up my creativity even further and allows me to implement things I’ve learnt in new exciting ways.
How do you prepare for a shoot?
As part of my shoot prep I like to, first and foremost, create a deck for my clients. It makes sure everyone is aligned and helps me visualise it all coming together. The deck will include the mood board, location, photographer we’d like to work with on the shoot, the models and, of course, the looks. In the lead up and on the shoot days, it becomes the holy grail.
What's your creative process?
I am very visual so my creative process will start with a mood board, looking through images in photographer books, old magazines,
Pinterest and even my camera roll of random things I have seen in passing. I like to see things in person, so I spend a lot of time exploring
new places and spaces. Having moved down to Cornwall I feel like I’ve unlocked entire new creative inputs.
What have been a few of your favourite shoot locations?
Last year I had the honour of styling a campaign in Morocco. We shot in the middle of the desert surrounded by vast, open, barren landscapes and even the odd camel crept in to the frame. I also have a favourite Cornwall location (I couldn’t possibly give away!) which,
every time I shoot there it looks totally different – bright blue skies and turquoise seas or dark mysterious skies and crashing waves, it really is the location that keeps on giving.
Which brands do you love to work with when styling for shoots?
When it comes to the clothes for jewellery shoots it is important that they don’t fight with the pieces, as you really want these to be the focus.
You want to show the consumer how the jewellery can be worn in their everyday lives, so I tend to lean towards a lot of natural fabrics; linens, cottons and silks that have texture or an interesting cuff or collar to compliment the style of the jewellery. Necklines are also important, so it is good to have lots of options. My go to would be With Nothing Underneath for the perfect shirt and Aligne for the luxe staple.
What's your jewellery style?
I tend to wear my core pieces everyday – my engagement ring and wedding bad, mixed gold Russian wedding ring, a welded thin chain bracelet and my Minka jewels Athena necklace. I love mixing metals and adding pieces depending on the season, so currently I am also wearing a sea pearl necklace and a multi-coloured floral beaded bracelet for a pop of summer.
Which are your favourite pieces from Minka?
It is so hard to pick a favourite and especially as the new collections being released are just incredible. I love the Athena collection as it is so wearable for the everyday and the colours of the stones are just beautiful, I like to play with layering and mixing the different stones. There are also so many rings to choose from but my favourite has always been the Mermaid Rings with their traditional stones set is such a modern and playful way.
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