HOW IT ALL BEGAN
I have always loved clothes and getting dressed in the morning, choosing my outfit is the best part of the day for me.
When I used to go out with my friends in my teens, I would always love the process of putting an outfit together and the ‘getting ready bit’ of the night better rather than the night itself!
Often, my friend and I would plan our outfits all week at school and bring in items from each other’s wardrobe that would work together – we loved mixing in pieces from each other’s wardrobes.
FASHION IS MY FIRST LOVE
As a fashion student studying Fashion Design at Manchester Metropolitan University, I loved the freedom that this place gave me and this was a time that I really experimented with my style – I met the most wonderful group of friends who I am still close with.
I loved learning about fashion designers like Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Stella McCartney, Coco Chanel, Christian Dior – I would study the looks in the pages of Vogue magazine, way before any of it was available online – I used to rip out pages that I liked and pin them onto a board in my university room (these were like my early Pinterest boards) and try to copy looks with items that I had in my wardrobe – I was always influenced by these designers.
This is also where my love of vintage fashion came from – often spending hours in vintage shops in Manchester like Afflecks Palace and also charity shops to find pieces that were different from those the high street offered. Today, one of my favourite things to do when I visit a new city is to search for vintage shops.
GETTING QUALIFIED
After graduating from Manchester with a 2:1 degree in Fashion Design, I headed to London to pursue a career in design – but it was here I learned of the role of a fashion stylist. That the looks I had admired in the pages of Vogue and Elle Magazine were actually often put together by stylists who worked alongside the designers to create these individual looks.
So, after only six months working in the design industry, I changed my path and started assisting stylists and photographers on fashion shoots for magazines, ad campaigns and generally just being around fashion.
One of the stylists that totally inspired me in my early years was Erica Davies, who was at the time Fashion Editor of The Sun – I assisted her on a shoot and just loved the way she pulled pieces together, so considered but effortlessly cool. I wanted to be just like her…
I worked in London for three years, assisting stylists and photographers on fashion shoots, editorials, ad campaigns and gained a position to work on Elle Magazine to create a publication called Future Elle. It was my dream job, and I adored sourcing the clothes for this special publication, working with a new creative team. Alongside this role I worked as a model booker in a model agency, so understood just exactly how shoots worked and how to charge out each model for their time.
I moved home to Leicestershire to take up the position of Assistant Editor and then Editor on the in-house magazine for John Lewis Leicester – a place I felt most at home with my young daughter. Working to weekly deadlines and coming up with weekly feature ideas – I was in my element.
After almost ten years at JL I moved to work in Alumni Events and Communications, whilst maintaining my fashion and style as more of a way of life instead of a paid role – family came first and meeting their needs, so I needed to be patient.
I qualified as a Personal Stylist and Colour consultant from the London College of Style with a Distinction in September 2024 – this was the kick start I needed to launch my business and work in the industry where I know I belong.
FEMALE-FOCUSSED
I come from a wonderful family of females – obviously there’s my dad, who always encouraged, but never really understood what I was doing – my three sisters, my mum, my two daughters, my five nieces and my nephew…
The female body is quite remarkable in its ability to change through puberty, adolescence, the childbearing years, motherhood, menopause and everything else in between – women’s priorities and their confidence levels change throughout these years.
I help my female clients to acknowledge the changes in their bodies as positive changes, we should be grateful for our bodies, and understand how to dress to feel confident and happy. Talking to ourselves with kind words and understanding.
WAYS WE CAN WORK TOGETHER
My aim for my clients is for them to feel confident in their clothes, for women to have the pieces in their wardrobe that they can reach for with ease – so they can have that love of getting dressed just like I do.
The services I offer will help you you to gain clarity and confidence with your style.
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"I met Katherine in John Lewis for a personal shopping experience. It was a relaxed session and the items that she picked out were wonderful - I struggle to pick items out when in a large busy shop, but she made this so easy.
Having the company and reassurance to try different items on made the experience so different to shopping on my own. If I have an occasion like a wedding or doing a holiday shop I will definitely use Katherine again.