I c an’t ever adm it to h avi n g an o utstanding love o f des i g n o r anything l ike that. I jus t w an ted to be par t of som eth i n g bi g ger back then and it w as n ’t ti l l I ac tual l y m oved to Lo n do n th at I re al ised it was styl i n g . How did st yling be co m e yo u r thing? When I was ap pl yi n g to Middlesex, I saw th at th ere w as a sty l ing degree w h i ch I d i d n ’t re al l y consider. Wh en I go t th ere, I heard bits and b o bs abo ut w h at t hey were doing a n d i t s tar ted to re sonate with m e a lo t m o re th an t he design side d i d . Then I guess it st ar ted to c lick that when I w as go i n g to WHSm ith’s in Don cas ter fo r th at o n e copy of i-D M ag azi n e, i t w asn’t the clothe s i n th e i m ages I wanted to create - i t w as th e im ages them sel ves , th e co n cepts behind them . I wanted to conti n ue do i n g de sign b ecause I d i d s ti l l en joy it and I loved lear n i n g a trade, so throughout stud yi n g I s tar ted to inter n for v ar io us d i fferen t st y l ists and p ub l i cati o n s , w h i ch re al l y set m e up. Is t he indust r y com pe t i t i ve ? Of course! But the i n d us tr y i s so op en and acce s s i ble n ow, it ’ s easy enough fo r anyo n e to ge t an idea togeth er, g rab s o m e ap propr iate clothes an d take so me p hotos. It makes it a l ittle h arder so metim es to m ake yo urs el f known, but ul tim atel y I th i n k i t’s a great thing that i f yo u real l y w anted to go for i t an d do w h at yo u want to do, yo u can i f yo u put your head to i t. How did you get yo u r po si t i o n at ASOS and what’ s t he st r u g g le b e en like living in Lo n do n and tr ying to get your c are e r o ff t h e grou nd? F irst, I assisted var i o us d i fferen t f reel ance styl ists w h o h ad th ei r
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ow n cl i e n t s , com m e rc i a l a n d ed i to r i a l . Mos t of t h e s e s t y l i s t s wo r ked for b i g m a ga z i n e s a n d bi g cl i e n t s , s o t h e work w a s ver y h ard . I ’d work s u p e r e a rl y m o r n i n gs , s om e t i m e s a l l n i gh te rs go i n g th rou gh w a rd rob e s , t r y i n g to d rag t wo s u i tc a s e s a t a t im e aro un d L on don a t a t i m e w h i l s t tr yi n g to c l a s p a m e t re - le n g t h box w i th a Ph i l l ip Tre a c y h a t i n to yo ur ch e s t - a l l for n o p ay.
Th e n , a f te r n e a rl y a ye a r of work i n g w it h d if fe re n t c l ie nts, t h ey b rou gh t u p t h e s u b j e c t of goi n g f u l l - t i m e . I h a d b ui lt s u c h a m a z in g f ri e n d s h i p s wi th t h e te a m a n d t h e m ode l s t ha t worke d t h e re t h a t a f te r a lo t of con s ide ra t i on I de c ide d to joi n f ull-time.
But I go t to w i t n e s s s om e am azi n g t h in gs , work w i t h re a l l y i n s pi r i n g te a m s a n d m e e t s om e celebs a lon g t h e w ay, a n d t rave l a lo t too. I on ce h a d to f l y to Par i s at 6 a m to col le c t on e p a i r o f s h o e s to b e b a c k on s e t for th e afte rn oon for t h e s t y l is t to us e th e m a s t h e re w a s n o q u ic ke r w ay.
Ye s . I ’ve gi ve n u p a l l my ot he r j ob s , b u t i n a n i n d u s t r y t h at c a n b e ve r y s u p e rf ic i a l , te a c h in g ot h e r s t u de n t s h a s b e e n ve r y re w a rd i n g, s o I h ave c a rri e d on doi n g s o.
H ow di d you m a n a ge to s ur v ive du r i ng t h a t tim e . Did you h ave to wo r k an oth e r j ob a s we l l ? I tr i ed to b u t I j u s t d i d n ’ t pr i o r i ti s e t h a t . I s p e n t a l l my free ti m e i n te rn i n g a n d work i n g fo r free , w h ic h a t t h e t im e I t h in k my fam il y a n d f ri e n d s ( a n d eve n I ) co uldn ’ t ge t to gri p s w i t h , b u t I w as pray i n g i t wou ld p ay of f a n d l ucki l y it d i d . S o I s u r v i ve d on th e bare m i n i m u m . L u c k il y I d id h ave a su p e r s u p p or t ive f a m il y an d boy f rie n d a t t h e t im e . T h en th rou gh a s s i s t i n g I m e t a lo t o f di f fe re n t p e op le work i n g i n th e i n d u s t r y, w h o eve n t u a l l y becam e f rie n d s , a n d eve n t u a l l y I s tar te d work in g on my ow n pers o n a l p roj e c t s a n d s t a r te d to get my ow n com m e rc ia l c l i e n t s , w h i ch s te a d il y gre w ove r t i m e . S o h ow d id ASOS com e of f ? Wh en I w a s gra f t i n g for f re e , I m et s o me on e w h o h ooke d m e up w i th A S OS , w h e re I s t a r te d wo r ki n g f re e l a n ce a s a n a s s i s t a n t i n th e s t u d ios . Th e n s om e on e as ked to s e e my p or t fol io a n d th ey rea l l y l i ke d i t , a n d I s t a r te d freel an c in g a s a s t y l is t for t h e m w h i l s t I re m a i n e d doin g ot h e r wo r k too.
An d you’re n ow a le c ture r at t h e Un i ve rs ity of Sh e f f ie ld too?
Do you th i n k p e op le i n Doncaster a re s ty l is h ? I ’ m s u rrou n de d by s u p e r f a s h ion a b le p e op le w h o t h ink a b ou t s t y le w h ole h e a r te d l y a s a p a s s ion a n d a s a p rofe s s ion, s o a s a com p a ris on to w h a t I ge n e ra l l y s e e i t ’ s h a rd to a nswe r. Th e re m i gh t n ot b e ton s of rive t i n g look s i n D on c a s te r town ce n t re on a S a t u rd ay, b u t I don ’ t t h in k it m a t te rs . I t ’ s com p le te ly p e rs on a l . I f you ’ re h a p py a n d m a de con f ide n t by t h e t h in g s you we a r, t h a t ’ s a l l t h a t m a tte rs. Fa s h i on m i gh t b e gove rn e d by s a le s a n d m om e n t a r y t re n ds, b u t s t y le i s tot a l l y u n iqu e to eve r y i n d iv i d u a l . I t ’ s p e rs on a l p owe r. End