STYLED BY ME PART 1

Martha Ward
Fashion Director at Condé Nast Traveller

“I forever find myself reverting to a white blouse. Ruffled, frilled, blouson-sleeved, a collar detail… in whatever guise it may come, it’s the one item I repeat buy but wear consistently. I have so many vintage favourites – and yet there’s so much mileage in a Chloé one. I never feel pained spending the money, as I know it’s a forever piece. I’m drawn to vintage fashion and have been for as long as I can remember. Sifting through rails in the cold and dark of an early-morning market or rummaging through mountains of linen in France has always filled me with joy. And mixing and matching has always been the way I’ve dressed, unconsciously – high, low, old, new.”

Jenke-Ahmed Tailly
Fashion stylist, consultant and creative director

“I grew up in a multicultural family who came from different parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Style and garments were a huge deal in celebrating and perpetuating our traditions, rituals and generational events. My mother was the most sublime woman I’ve ever known. She loved Saint Laurent, Montana and Pierre Cardin, and was all about Carven prints, Chanel and Givenchy lipstick. My aunts Fatou and Yassine were the Piaget and Cartier queens. My other aunts, Diarra and Anta, owned a marvellous shop of fabrics imported from India, Pakistan and Sudan, and they taught me about guipure, silk, cotton voile and all the fabulous mills.
A few of my family members would bribe me with sweets so I would co-design (with tailors) ensembles for them for special occasions.”

Lubna Chowdhary
Artist

“When I’m choosing my clothes, the first thing I search for is colour, and the next is structure. And as an artist, I’m very particular about good stitching. My mother was a seamstress, so I was lucky enough to have an early introduction to the way clothes are constructed. I began making my own clothes at art school, putting into practice the skills I had learned from my mother. I like clothes that are modest, elegant and covering rather than revealing. I’m aware of the impact that the fashion industry has on the environment, and I’m working on the idea of streamlining my wardrobe, to have clothes in which I can present myself, and clothes that are comfortable and durable enough to stand the test of being used in the studio.”

Golnaz, Elnaz & Tanaz Hakkak
Content creators

“Our parents influenced our style since the beginning. They would invest in good old Italian garments that could be reused almost a decade later – timeless pieces. The 80s inspired them to wear bold colours with masculine silhouettes and a lot of leather and suede pieces. Fast forward 20 years or so, and they have triplet girls dressing up almost with the same style as them. However, we have opted for colours with more earthy and natural tones. We also like to wear men’s clothing over women’s, to blur the lines between the sexes and go for a more androgynous feel. Growing up, we dressed all the same, and now we’ve transitioned that into our own different tastes. We like to translate our individual styles to fashion weeks: Elnaz is New York, Golnaz is very London and Tanaz is Paris.”

Aliana Wong
Pastry Chef at Spring

“At the heart of it, I am a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of gal. Anything from Levi’s is a winner paired with a soft, good-quality tee from Acne Studios or Jil Sander. I don’t get much of an opportunity to dress up, but if given the chance you’ll often find me in a simple slip dress – like this light-green number by Bec + Bridge. For me, less is more. When it comes to accessorising, I have a couple of key items that I continually go to – including this pair of Clergerie Paris metallic mules, which I’ll most likely wear to the point of exhaustion.”

Ashkan Baghestani
Director, Head of Sales, Contemporary Art and Middle East, Sotheby’s

“Working in the art world, you end up spending most of your time in front of art. Travel is a big part of it, and exploring new regions and cultures feeds into my fashion sense. It’s an intellectually stimulating environment, but more importantly a very visual one; art and fashion have always gone hand in hand. My favourite example is Raf Simons for Dior back in 2012, when he transposed Sterling Ruby’s spray paintings onto outfits. My personality is quite outgoing, and that is definitely reflected in my style, which I would describe as eclectic yet composed. I try to blend traditional folkloric motifs with a touch of more traditional European style. A double-breasted dark blue blazer is a must and goes with everything – just add some textured, patterned loafers during spring and summer. My favourite decade would be the 1920s and 1930s – the Art Deco period, its overall aesthetic and buzzing creativity.”