Style Your Life blog with celebrity stylist and image consultant Ceril Campbell
I was asked by the BBC to comment on new Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s style & fashion, for his first major speech since his election to the position.
Below is my part of the article. You can read the original full article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-34262126
Savage Beauty at the V & A
What an amazing exhibition!
A visual treat.
I was one of the lucky ones invited to go to the press preview ahead of the celebrity event in the evening with Victoria and David Beckham, Kate Moss and all.
As a celebrity stylist I was invited to most of Alexander McQueen’s fashion shows during London Fashion Weeks. I went to his very first show ever, when he was the avant-garde controversial new boy on the fashion block.
This was held at the old Bluebird garage, a then derelict building on the KIngs Road, Chelsea which is now the Conran Bluebird bar and restaurant.
This first show was shocking to the audience as it was a fashion game changer with “bumster” trousers- the first time ever anyone had seen very low-rise, low slung androgynous trousers. His extraordinary creative talent, especially for tailoring, was already evident.
He was very particular about which press publications were allowed into his shows and which celebrities could wear his creations. There were many who were deemed not suitable.
I wonder how he would now view the transformed image of Victoria Beckham …….
The following photos that I took at the exhibition, need no words, as I believe they speak for themselves as a selection of McQueen’s talent and artistry in fashion.
It’s nearly July and dedicated fashionistas will be turning their attentions to Autumn & Winter’s styles; their Summer wardrobes picked out months ago. But does it follow that, to be truly in vogue, what’s hot on the High Street should be reflected in your home?
A hallmark of Spring / Summer ’14 has been the rebirth of flower power; maybe not as brash as in its ‘60s heyday but, nevertheless, livelier than Jerry and Margot’s chaise longue! With floral patterns set to continue through Autumn & Winter, does your home décor need to echo that flowery dress?
Perhaps the main difference between interiors and clothing is the fleeting nature of sartorial style. Before the High Street has a chance to catch up, leading designers have moved on to next season’s looks. We do our best to keep our wardrobes in check, but to extend that through the home would be a major undertaking – both practically and financially.
Clothes and interiors do share a similar function though. We dress ourselves and our homes as an expression of our personality. We’re unlikely to wear something that feels uncomfortable, just as we might not choose to paint our walls neon yellow – even if it was the season’s colour.
Clothing designers present a collection of styles, from which we select the elements that suit us best. A three quarter length coat might drown a petite frame, but its monochrome colour scheme could be just your cup of tea.
Good design always suits its era. ‘40s and ‘50s styles were built around post-war austerity, innocence and traditionalism. Modest wooden furniture and window blinds characterised interiors, while clothes were utilitarian, simple, and chic.
Designers in the ‘60s were pushing boundaries – colours and shapes were brighter and bolder, and the materials used were at the forefront of technology. People were excited about space travel and psychedelics, and metals and plastics were used in futuristic ways. At the same time, the hippy movement took us back to the earth, with flowers and natural materials the order of the day.
The ‘70s maintained this split personality. Experimentation was taken to overblown proportions, but equally balanced by subtle, Scandinavian minimalism.
The number of styles covered over these few decades show how quickly fashion develops from one trend to the next; the constantly changing seasons only helping to spur it on.
Interior design changes at a naturally slower pace. It’s like a go-to outfit that you change-up by varying its accessories. Imagine deciding on an outfit that you had to wear for the foreseeable future. The same kind of thought is involved in designing interiors but, fortunately, we can turn to stylists who are in tune with the zeitgeist!
Trends are a great thing for keeping us on our toes, but it’s what we choose to do with them that truly shows personality – and makes fashion and interiors such an exciting area of work.
With thanks to
www.interiorgoodsdirect.com
for this guest blog
My original replies on my thoughts on dressing rooms
some of which has appeared in the Daily Mail interiors feature on Dressing Rooms below
To me, there’s something very luxurious and glamorous about having a dressing room – do you agree? Why do you think it is? Is it our associations with showbiz etc?
Dressing rooms have an association with celebrity, glamour and 50’s style old-school Hollywood glamour in particular.
To have a dressing room also means that you are affluent or successful enough to own a large selection of clothes and accessories and also to have enough space in your home to be able to create the dressing room which is not a necessity but a luxury.
Have you worked with clients to create dressing rooms at all? Have you noticed an increase in demand?
All my female clients would like a dressing area- or a whole dressing room so that they have a separate space for their clothes to their husbands or partners. Usually I find that the man’s wardrobe space and indeed many of the wardrobes around the home have been overtaken by the wife’s clothes/shoes/coats/evening dresses etc
I created a weekly column in a magazine, quite a few years ago now, when I was regularly styling celebrities, “in the closet with….”
It was an interesting insight into the world of celebrity and how, what and where they stored their clothes….
Are dressing rooms just for very big homes/ very wealthy clients – or can they be achieved on a budget?
My whole Interior/property styling business/ethos is to create an aspirational lifestyle for my clients on the budget they can afford- however small- (cerilcampbell.com)
There are always ways of creating the look/the dressing-room/the living space you want within your budget. Its about thinking outside the box.
This is my forte.
Making the inexpensive appear expensive, and the simple look luxurious.
Have you seen or worked on any examples where space has been used creatively in this regard – for instance, a cupboard being turned into a dressing room?
yes- with clever use of room dividers, dressing areas in bathrooms, in corridors, walk-through wardrobes, walk-in wardrobes. Borrowing space from the room next door, creating a dividing area between bedroom and bathroom. Anything is possible with creativity,
What to you makes the ultimate dressing room? How can you combine practicality and luxury?
Firstly mirrors
You would be surprised how few clients have long mirrors to see how they look- (many try never to look in a mirror at all)
and mirrors to see your backview too.
Hanging space that creates logical storage and easy access to the clothes to be worn in the current weather/season.
Ie;Summer clothes in the Summer and Winter in the Winter and the rest to be stored.
rails high enough for long clothes and enough shelving for folded clothes, accessories and shoes.
My top tip is plastic or acrylic shoe boxes which can be stacked and you can see what shoes you have. I have changed many a clients life with these!
Its all about organisation
It has been said that a dressing room can add value to a property – are they quite a savvy investment in this way?
I would say that a stylish kitchen and bathroom add the most wow factor and value to a property, but I think that its often women who may help sway the decision to buy a property, so a dressing room would always be a plus point for us.Bit like Carrie in Sex and the City when she was going to get a flat with Mr Big- the flat had a walk-in closet where she could put all her shoes!
With the difficult housing market, have you noticed a trend for people making modifications to their home instead of moving/ selling – as a sort of more affordable treat?
Absolutely, especially as it is often cheaper to modify than move and also will add value.
Is it necessary to undergo serious building/ structural works to create a dressing room or can it be done more easily?
Are there any recent developments – hotels, blocks of flats, etc – which have featured dressing rooms in a way you have admired?
Dressing rooms I admire
see my board on pinterest ( ceril campbell)- “dressing room” board
Finally, any top tips for our readers looking to create a dressing room on a budget?
Find from the High st/online/charity shops/car boots etc
the following
Boxes
stack various sized attractive boxes/vintage suitcases/hatboxes for storage
arrange accessories/bags/jewellery to hang from hooks on walls
source a vintage or 2nd hand dressing table to renovate/paint/decorate to fit your dressing room theme.
find a chair or chaise longue that will make a statement in the room- maybe to re-cover with a new fabric.
A glamorous statement chandelier style light- loving the ones I have just seen at BHS press day for autumn/winter 2014
Fake or real fur cushions/rugs/throws( according to your preference)
any cushions or fabrics which are tactile and appear sexy and lush
Coloured rails for clothes
As a lifestyle and property styling expert working around Chelsea and Fulham, I love going to see new properties around central London. Last night I was invited to the amazing headquarters in West Eaton Place of the Royal Demeure Hotel group was the venue for the launch of Niquesa jewellery with the added bonus of delicious Virginie Taittinger champagne. Amongst the celebrity guests I chatted to were Santa Sebag-Montefiore and the actor Patrick Ryecart who was one of the most amusing men I have met for a long time. A great evening!
Don’t be ashamed to let your shapewear be seen! Check out our range of sexy slimming undies at www.redcarpetundies.com
Check out my new Pinterest pinboard from my visit to New Look Spring Summer press day. http://pinterest.com/styleyourlifeuk/
Snapped a selection of my favourite fashion and accessory Summer 2013 trends
Dropped past @Matalan @yellow_door press day showcasing Summer 2013 looks and trends. Took pix on my new Samsung Galaxy S3 phone. Found I'd come on leaps and bounds from yesterday when I couldn't even discover how to answer my incoming calls. Today I managed to upload pix to @Pinterest #styleyourlifeUK and onto Twitter. Soooo impressed with myself as I am not the best person at technology
Although my new business is now focused on #styleforless -styling and staging home interiors for sale or rent, I will always love fashion and especially fashions that make women feel and look glamorous. Creating Red Carpet Glamour has always been part of my life.
It was fascinating seeing the selection of British ballgowns through the ages and also seeing how our body proportions have changed so much from an impossibly tiny 20″ waist hourglass figure.
It was also particularly interesting for me, as I had worked with practically all of the Couture Designers exhibited whilst dressing my own celebrity clients over the last 25 years. I had even used a couple of the dresses shown.
Looking forward to dropping into the next V&A exhibition. They are always staged so beautifully.
p>An article on the Mail Online’s Femail section says “Men in relationships don’t buy ANY of their own clothes or even know their size”