Solihull Style
Say hello to Valerie, AKA @SolihullStyle. She’s a personal stylist based in, you guessed it, Solihull and took some time out of her busy schedule to tell us about her business and where it all began.
I’m a personal stylist..
My services include wardrobe edits and personal shopping. For a wardrobe edit I go through clients wardrobes to create outfits and find the missing items their wardrobe would benefit from having, to make the best of what they already have. I also do personal shopping days either after or without the wardrobe edit. Shopping days following a wardrobe edit work best as I spend a day before the shopping appointment researching the client’s specific requirements.
Styling has always been part of my job since I graduated..
I’ve worked in the industry for over 30 years. I’ve been an independent stylist for my own business for about 10 years. Since I was five I wanted to be a fashion designer so I studied art and design at GCSE then A Level. After my A Levels I went to design college for a year to do a foundation course in all aspects of art, photography and design. I then did my degree at Ravensbourne in fashion. I have a BA HONS 1st Class degree. Straight after graduation I went to work in London for various designers in ready to wear and couture and high street companies as a designer. Working on collections for London Fashion Week styling both customers and models alike..
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t obsessed with creating outfits! My grandmother was a ladies maid in the 1920s and her stories of the ladies outfits and all the changes they made during a day for all the different activities, from afternoon tea to going riding, definitely made an impression on a younger me!
No client is the same…
The styling process is different for every client depending on their particular needs but it usually starts with a wardrobe edit and we start the journey from there. Some clients don’t need the shopping support after a wardrobe edit and some do. Some may need further edits, some may need more shopping support. There’s no one size fits all! It’s a journey that we start together and see what works best for them. Some ladies love fashion but are too busy to make it work properly for them and some ladies are terrified by the process of choosing clothes! Some are lost with no idea how they want to style themselves and some have set ideas how they want to look but struggle to achieve their ideas.
Shopping days are usually pretty full on…
I tend to take clients shopping in Birmingham city centre. We usually have quite a few boxes to tick! Clothes for various occasions and accessories and shoes in a five hour session so we have to do it in a larger city for the choice of shops. Sometimes we head to Solihull as we have a lovely big John Lewis with lots of brands under one roof. I often put items on hold before hand if sizes are limited and prepare staff if extra support is needed to make sure the clients experience is as relaxed and enjoyable as possible. Many stores will offer discount too for personal shopper clients. I make sure this is in place before the shopping day to avoid any embarrassment at the till. The best part is seeing the client starting to understand how they want to look. It’s so much more than just finding clothes that provide a flattering fit.
Follow Valerie’s styling instagram @SolihullStyle or drop an email to valerie@solihullstyle.co.uk to find out more.
