Model and writer Laura Bailey gets snapped by the street style paps wherever she goes. So who better, we thought, to ask for her top personal styling tips? London Fashion Week is just around the corner, after all...
Have Character… 'It’s a confidence, a kind of original spirit in the way that they’ve put themselves together, that's what makes someone catch your eye. It’s more than clothes. In my role with Heathrow [as T5 Style Hunter] I’ve spotted some extraordinary looks and you almost can’t explain what it is that makes them, it’s an entire visual impact. What really seems to work though is when an outfit has classic elements teamed with playful and eccentric twists.'
Build Your Look Around A Wow Item… 'I always start with really nice underwear! I'm kidding, but often I do get obsessed with a new favourite thing – so I might have a special pair of shoes that I’m loving and wearing with absolutely everything – then I’ll build something around that item. I almost never plan outfits, unless I’m going to a premiere or something super special where I have to. Generally I’m a spontaneous mood dresser.'
Make Moodboards… 'If you’re not confident in your own style, rip out pictures of things you love, whether it’s in magazines, on the street, from films, or ad campaigns. Don’t copy them, but refine them and echo things that you like about them, such as silhouette, with items from your own wardrobe.'
Ask Your Friends… 'Rely heavily on trusted girlfriends. I’m more of a lone shopper, but when it comes to the actual outfit, I think, like most women, I like the approval of my girlfriends. I care much more about what they think than the men in my life. I’ve got a gang of very close ones, like Thandie Newton, Alexa Chung and Sheherazade Goldsmith, who all have very different styles, which I love, amongst the many other things I admire about them.'
(Above, Laura Bailey with Alexa Chung, Poppy Delevingne and Caroline Sieber. Below, Laura Bailey with Sheherazade Goldsmith.)
Keep Hold Of Good ‘Options’… 'I‘m not a hoarder, but I change my mind about clothes all the time, so I do hang on to things that I think I may wear again in the future. A lot of designers will pay in clothes if they’re just starting out and they don’t have much money, so my wardrobe is far bigger than I deserve. It’s over-spilling into my stepson’s wardrobe, and my boyfriend’s - everyday I think I must have a sort out. I’ll treasure all of my Chanel pieces forever and if my daughter ever stops being a football kit-wearing tomboy, she may appreciate them one day.'
Mix And Match Fearlessly… 'I don’t just save special things for special occasions, I’ll wear my Solange Azagury-Partridge jewels, which hold a lot of sentimental value to me, with my denim jacket. I like that scruffy and glamorous, spur of the moment mix.'
Don’t Take It Too Seriously… ‘Be joyous in the way you dress, enjoy expressing yourself and enjoy shopping, whether that’s rummaging in charity shops or treating yourself to something special at a department store. Trust your instincts, but, most importantly, have fun.'
Laura Bailey has been appointed as Heathrow’s first ever Style Hunter to celebrate the reopening of Terminal 5’s new luxury retail development. As part of her new role, Laura has used her fashion credentials to spot some of the terminal’s most stylish passengers.