Inspiration

When I teach personal stylist students at the NHJ Style Academy my main drive is to inspire them to be creative and not be constrained by rules. Particularly rules about colour. There are good reason for rules, like not speeding in busy urban areas, but there are no good rules when it comes to colour.

I had to make a dash to the Royal Academy to catch the 'From Paris: A Taste for Impressionists' exhibition which ends next week on the 23rd of September. I forced my father who can get me in for free to meet up and he was quite obliging despite the fact he'd seen it three times already. Even better he bought me the catalogue of the exhibition so I have a reference to it.

Image: Manet, 'Moss Rose in a Vase' Royal Academy

It is the use of colour, how light is captured and represented that is so inspiring. And it is always around the time of the big fashion weeks that I find myself more drawn to looking at everything around me than the catwalk outputs.

It is easy to be beguiled by collections and so much harder to develop your personal style in relation to inspiration and whim because collections are so definite. The looks, the trends are presented and then edited and bought and available.

As I'm not about to only make my own garments as I once used to do, I am equally dependant on availability in stores and online. But it is important to once in a while reflect and draw upon other sources rather than fashion magazines or blogs to stake stock of what inspires you.