My real (favourite) clients

I once had a guy call me and ask what celebrities I’d worked with (his real intention was to enquire about a gift for his partner). But I was so taken aback by this question! If a so-called ‘celebrity’ had sought me out because they needed some image assistance, there was no way I was going to divulge this to a nosey stranger on the phone!

I respect my clients’ privacy, and for this reason I rarely photograph them. I would never illustrate my worth by featuring a client in a ‘before and after’ photo shoot. I find this practice insulting and disrespectful. While this decision might disadvantage me, I’m hoping my reputation of being welcoming and compassionate, thorough in the information I provide and supportive to the clients I work with, is more important. It seems to be the case judging by the Google reviews I receive (thank you so much to everyone who has taken the time to do this!).

As for working with celebrities, this is never what I set out to do; I prefer working with people who live ordinary lives and strive to be the best at whatever it is they do. This is not to say I haven’t worked with high profile people - I have - but they’re often not household names. They are more likely to be scientists or medics, musicians, artists, academics or heads of non-profit organisations. I’m less interested in working with people for whom their looks are everything than with people who have passion for something.

As an image consultant or style specialist, I am fascinated by the intersection of personal presentation, art, psychology, history and sociology and not at all interested in perfectionist grooming for grooming’s sake or by fast fashion trends. It’s the deeper level style conversations that I love to have! Lifestyles, passions, intentions, values, goals and self image all contribute to these rich conversations.

I love working with women in particular who are seeking to redefine themselves, often as they move from a corporate career into doing something that ignites their passion more fully (I’ve been there!). It can be tough as a mature woman to confidently enter a new phase of life when society is still obsessed with youth.

I also love working with other people (men and non-binary people included) who are keen to style themselves in new and interesting ways and anyone at all who wants to learn more about their personal style so they can become a more conscious consumer (my ethical and sustainable credentials are strong).

The smaller lives, those lived by us who are not household names, can be so much more interesting than those lived by a celebrity. And don’t even get me started on the self-appointed influencer!!!!

PS: if you are a woman who is embarking on a new chapter and/or looking to refine your personal style after working in corporate, I’d love to hear from you. I’m in development phase for a program based on exactly this and I’d love to hear how you feel about it. And I’m also looking for people to participate in the pilot phase and help me review it.