Beyond trends: 4 creatives share how to find your personal style
By Nona Dimitrova and Florenne Earle Ledger published 25/01/2024
This month, the Whering editorial team have been deep diving into what it means to decipher your personal style in the age of social media and micro trends. We’ve explored why you actually want to follow trends, TikTok’s impact on trend culture, and how Wherer’s have discovered their personal style. Now it’s time to hear from creative minds in the fashion industry and learn how they found a clear sense of personal style, both in their personal and professional lives.
Starting with Feya Lanice, stylist and fashion marketer, who also runs her own preloved store, Bratlanice Vintage. Feya is also part of A Dutty World creative studio.
Having worked with the likes of Soho House, Crack Magazine, Stella McCartney, and Family Portrait Magazine, Feya explores multiple disciplines to broaden her own understanding of fashion and style, using her findings to develop her skills as a creative strategist, researcher and stylist.
Feya Lanice
- Find something that is true to you and research it. I’m not talking about writing an essay, just Google where the trend came from and find the designers that do this particular style well.
- Download the Vogue Runway app - it’s free. Use it to go back and see different style references and look at different ways to wear current items in your wardrobe. It’s a great source of inspiration.
- One thing that has really guided me is looking into my family, as my mum’s a great dresser. Some people can look into their roots and see if that’s something they want to translate into their own style.
- Have fun with it! Obviously fashion as a business is serious, but I don’t think style should be as serious as some people make it out to be. I think it’s meant to be an exploration of yourself.
Olivia Wright, Creative Director and Image Producer, shared her pearls of wisdom.
Olivia is an innovative creative director and image producer, creating striking campaigns for brands including Flannels and Barbour. She has also worked with publications like Vogue Philippines, Vogue Scandinavia, Vogue Arabia, Fashion Numéro and Harper's Bazaar Arabia.
Olivia Wright
- Look back at things you’ve worn and what items you felt good in, that you always want to reach for again. It’s not necessarily about whether it’s a ‘cool’ piece, because I can buy things I think look good on people I've seen, but if I don't feel good, it's not for me. So, keep track of what you feel confident in.
- Try and understand what silhouettes you enjoy wearing. I think that’s a really easy way to remember exactly what you feel good in.
- If you’re going to participate in trends you’ve seen, try and buy them second hand. It's cheaper, it’s more creative, it usually looks better - and obviously it’s better for the planet. Everyone is obsessed with leopard print right now, and I love it. I’ve got a few bits of it, but I’ve bought them all second hand. I just prefer it that way, it’s so much more fun.
- If you’re too homed in on a specific individual and trying to copy that exact style, it’s never going to be quite right, it’s never going to feel good, and you’re not going to feel like yourself. Pick elements from loads of different areas of life and try to piece them together. I think that makes style a lot more interesting.
Nona also spoke with Marian Kwei, an award winning editorial & creative director, brand consultant and fashion & royal style expert. Marian has been featured in Vogue, Forbes, Refinery29 and The New York Times.
Marian Kwei
- First and foremost, have a bit of a palette cleanse. Intentionally spend some time away from media, whether it’s magazines or social media. Do something fun and relaxing, have a bit of a cleanse, mentally. Purposely take some time away from anything trying to bombard you style-wise.
- Make an audit. Get some paper and write down the best celebrity style you’ve ever liked, the best outfit you’ve ever enjoyed wearing or the best item you’ve ever bought. Make a list of 10 of these things. Most of what you do like is actually your personal style.
- Ask your friends. Step away from social media and contact your best friend and ask those that really know you what they think of your style.
- Sit down and have a brainstorming session, think clearly about magazines and catwalks, think about what they might have influenced you on, whether it’s what you wear or what you buy. For example, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, i-D, might be the reason I wear more red than I want to.
- Write down a list of things you don’t like. It doesn’t just have to be about fashion- think everything. It could be about dating disasters, interior design, or a coffee trending on Instagram that you don’t like. Analysing your likes and dislikes in this way helps cultivate your sense of style.
Model, celebrity stylist and fashion consultant, Gelmira Fortunato Manico creates thought provoking narratives, whilst staying rooted within black culture and the music realm. In the last year she has worked with Puma, Nike, and Tommy Hilfiger, and styled covers for Rolling Stone, Deeds and NME magazine.
Gelmira Fortunato Manico
- I would recommend looking internally and putting everything (e.g interests and likes) into a file. I would start with your favourite celebrity and your favourite looks from them- anything that catches your eye from Instagram, Twitter, TikTok. Save it in a ‘personal style file’ and look for a pattern in what you’ve added. It might show that you like patterns, prints, or textures, or that you like simple silhouettes or elaborate silhouettes.
- You can slowly build up your style from there at the core of what that file consists of. That’s what’s helped me, so hopefully it will help you too!
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