Monday 12 October 2009

Thought of the week - Creativity

The hardest element of teaching as opposed to just doing one's job is imparting confidence and knowledge in equal measures. When I teach trainee stylists I am always aware of the nurturing aspect of talent with need to know foundation that helps talent flourish. The point being a blend of creativity and common sense goes a long way.

I love the fact one of the trainee stylists is an organised turn up on time type. She managed to bag a styling job with Joanna Sykes, as the booked stylist she was assisting was late and they needed to press on. On the spot promotion!

One element of the styling course is colour. It is on this matter I am the least prescriptive. To keep it brief, there are no rules, when it comes to colour use your eye, experiment and add lipstick if you feel a bit drained. Reference nature for inspiration, flora is fab for experimentation. Reference fashion history and have fun. There is always a shade of a specific colour to suit you and skin tone which is yellow based for everyone always changes in different lights. Light reflects and refracts and in differing ways depending on the time of day and time of year.

You see the moment one engages with logic and reason the creativity begins to falter. I think there are enough rules in life to get bogged down with, I prefer the anything goes approach when it comes to colour and clothes.

D&G shirt
Reiss Skirt
Wolford purple tights
Topshop gold cuff bracelets
Pierre Hardy for Gap shoes not in picture!

26 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your win for the capsule wardrobe challenge! (I just saw Jane's announcement on her blog.)

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  2. Hi there-love the complete ensemble, thats a really lovely outfit my dear!!

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  3. couldn't agree more - there should be no rules around colour - any colour can look good with any colour on the right person in the right situation.

    Lovely outfit btw!

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  4. Hi there, I sent you an email about the beret - let me know if you get it (I've sent one before and it seems to have disappeared!) F

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  5. I hate it when people say 'does this colour suit me' because like you I think there are no rules with colour. Obviously some people don't look great in yellow and orange but I think you can always find a shade that works.

    P.S LOVE your skirt!

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  6. Color is a tricky one... I feel it takes a lot of experimenting to get it right, and what looks good on you on a given day might look awful the next day. Light and moods seem to have a greater impact than you would think!

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  7. So true - color rules are made to be broken!

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  8. I love what you're wearing.

    It certainly seems like a stylist's job is to experiment with color and take risks, to discover new looks and combinations. You continually do that.

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  9. Having taught creative writing, I completely understand what you're talking about. Encouraging innate talent while imparting "rules" can be a tricky balance, because one really must be aware of the rules in order to break them effectly. I've often privately thought that there ISN'T any real way to teach creative writing. "Teaching" style in seems even more difficult!

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  10. You do such great colour. I love that outfit. Really, you always look brilliant!

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  11. I totally agree about colour - experimentation is the only answer and I absolutely love that outfit you're rocking!

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  12. You look great, love that blouse on you, and the skirt.xxx

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  13. everbodysaysdon't - thanks about the D&G shirt - although I did find out the hard way that the flesh colour bra which doesn't show, gets full viewing with a camera flash! Bit like white at the disco!!

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  14. I totally agree, darling!
    Love this combo!
    You look gorgeous!

    xoxox,
    CC

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  15. Mississauga! Really?! May I ask whether it was for university or some other level?

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  16. Miss Cavendish it was some bizarre high school educational/cultural exchange experiment!

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  17. what do you think about penny loafers btw? Camilla Hill, avid fan, fantastic blog, loved it for about a year now AND (getting bit SWF now) got your book delivered today via amazon to me as such a fan!
    c

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  18. Love that fab skirt, dear!!! You look great.
    And I totaly agree, nature is the best inspiration for colour combos.

    Have a nice week.

    xoxo

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  19. Man, that shirt is fantastic on you!

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  20. it is hard being a stylist. after i see what a gal pal do for her clients, i gain a new respect. btw, you look fantastic.

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  21. Joyhill - Thank you for your comments and your blog has lots of potential!

    OMG ref my book - gosh I wrote it a few years ago now in 2006! there is lots I'd change about it now as I self published. The essence of it is good and the style advice is pretty good but as with any style advice times change.

    I hope you aren't disappointed - it is meant to be a project book. Use it to write in and make notes and set goals!

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  22. I am SO behind on my blogs, so catching up on yours... When I used to do cover shoots back in the days of magazine fashion editing, my rule with colour was quite simple. Just try on all the different options and it will be quite obvious which colours suit you, there will simply be no doubt. To start with, you'll know the ones that are wrong, they make you look at best blah, at worst sickly and sallow-skinned. Once those are out of the picture you can narrow down the others. Also, don't forget that just because a certain colour looks bad next to your face, it can still work on your bottom half, on a bag or shoe or even on a watch or wallet.

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Thank you for commenting, much appreciated. Sorry about no longer offering anonymous comments but spamming had become a very annoying issue. xxx