Article for Grazia Magazine, Autumn 2009

I was interviewed by the lovely 'Style Hunter' Hannah Almassi from Grazia Magazine. See the article in situ  http://www.graziadaily.co.uk/stylehunter/archive/2009/10/29/bristol-s-got-the-style.htm

Style Hunter: What do Bristol’s most fashionable ladies do better than the rest of the UK?

Annette: They are adventurous and not afraid to show it. They’ll throw it all together and create wonderful arty, and personal, compositions. Bristolians are very well travelled, so this determines their clothing choices – the other week I saw a wonderful carpet bag from India worn with Spanish boots and a Christopher Kane dress.

Style Hunter: What are Bristol’s guilty fashion secrets?

Annette: Thermal vests and long johns. There’s a cold harsh wind that blows in from the Bristol Channel so best be prepared!

Style Hunter: Are the ladies trend setters or trend followers? And which AW09 looks have been popular on the streets do you think?

Annette: A bit of both really. I’m starting to see more faux fur jackets about and the boyfriend blazer is still doing the rounds!

Style Hunter: Is there anything you keep spotting time and time again on fashionable women on the street?

Annette: Printed dresses and skirts, and vintage ankle boots.

Style Hunter: What are your top tips for having a stylish time should any of our readers take a little visit?

Annette: For shopping, I recommend visiting Cabot Circus that boasts the likes of Harvey Nichols, All Saints andAmerican Apparel. Try Gloucester Road for some fantastic second-hand vintage shops. Bristol is a great place to people-watch so I often take a pew and a green tea outside Primrose Café in Clifton Village and watch the world go by. The Arnolfini arts centre on the waterfront boasts some fantastic forward-thinking exhibitions, art house films, art installations and talks by well-known writers, scientists and creative thinkers, or The Bristol Museum, made infamous for the recent Banksy exhibition. The Bristol Old Vic is one of the country’s if not the world’s leading drama schools which always holds a wide variety of plays and musicals at The Theatre Royal. Good for spotting the next big talent, and the theatre, having recently been renovated is a Georgian masterpiece. For food, I recommend Hotel du Vin at The Sugar House for evening meals, Goldbrick House on Park Street for lunch, and for Sunday lunch book a table at The Albion, Clifton Village.

Style Hunter: Style Hunter spotted a lot of denim shorts in Bristol – are there any other items that are instantly identifiable of the city’s style?

Annette: Wellies (you can get away with wearing them to the local pub here), Ugg boots (although they are declining in numbers!), tailored jackets, and sparkly second-hand jumpers sported by students on bicycles.

Style Hunter: We found a real mixture of high street, designer and vintage – how do Bristol’s finest go about planning their wardrobes?

Annette: They read the latest fashion blog posts, and keep up to date with trends through magazines and rummage through shops in Cabot Circus, vintage stalls, car boot sales and their Mum’s wardrobes!

Style Hunter: Some great accessorising goes on in Bristol – but what comes first? Shoes, bags or jewellery?

Annette: The shoes!

Style Hunter: If there’s one word that could sum up the city’s style, what would it be?

Annette: Eclectic.

Article for Folio Magazine, Autumn 2009

I was interviewed by Niki Whittle from Hip Shapes and Bristol Fashion - Fashion blogger & Personal Stylist and columnist for Folio Magazine

http://www.nikiwhittle.com/

What is it about Bristol that you love, why would you say it was a great place to live and work?

Bristol is historical, romantic, and innovative. I love the energy and the randomness of it all. One lunchtime I was sitting watching the city from a bench at the top of Brandon Hill, and a chap was playing Debussy’s Valse Romantique on a piano next to where I was sitting. I am always bumping into people I know - there is a real sense of connectivity here. People are willing to collaborate and create. There are some really exciting things happening, and people aren’t afraid to push beyond the ‘norm’ and innovate. It’s a wonderful place to live.

From observing what real people in Bristol wear, how would you describe Bristol’s style? What do you like about it?

A lot of people that I have come across create wonderful compositions out of recycled, eco, vintage, skate, second-hand clothes sometimes even thrown in with pieces from local theatre wardrobes. I would say this kind of look is a good reflection of the identity, lifestyle and beliefs of people in Bristol. The majority of people have their own unique style, and I would say it is either uber-chilled, ‘country’ ‘Sturban’, or theatrical.

How do you think the style in Bristol differs from other cities and why?

What is unique about Bristol is that with such a huge influx of students and professionals from all over the world and with so many lifestyle choices, it determines the eclectic style of the city. Skater, Graffiti artist, thespian, media mogul, fashionista, Cliftonite, eco-warrior all contribute to the interesting ensembles. I’ve seen a lot of pyjamas and Uggs wandering around Clifton, some beautiful tattooed women with 40’s shoes gracing Gloucester Road, and some incredibly chic, tailored ‘Parisian’ girls sipping on their espressos.

Are there any aspects of Bristol that inspire your own style?

The theatricality, the history and the ‘confidence’ of the city.