gIRL series: Natalie

gIRL series: Natalie

Natalie was one of my first work friends in London. I think we must have met at fashion week when I was still at university but attending the shows writing for a few magazines at the time. (Actually I’ll admit I admired Natalie from afar and loved her illustration work for years before we were friends). When we did eventually meet, we got on instantly and I’m so happy we still are friends – both professional and personal – to this day. When we met she was writing for Net-a-Porter and running her own blog, and now she runs her own agency The Fashion Digital that helps brands with all things social and writing. Basically, she’s very impressive and I am very proud to be her friend.

Natalie has always been one of the best dressed people I know and is incredibly good at showing her personality through the clothes she wears. I am jealous of her colour-wearing abilities. I love her Hello Kitty collection (and obsession) and her SATC style walk in wardrobe (featured below). Here we shot her in her South London flat that she shares with her husband and two cats: Fashion and Slash.

What make you feel beautiful?
A great outfit, sunshine on my face and a dopamine hit from having just worked out. I hate exercise but love the after-effects. I never thought I’d say this but there’s nothing quite like lying in savasana pose after a hot yoga class (something I ought to do more often) to make you feel beautiful; who knew luxuriating in a pool of your own sweat could be so life-affirming?

What is beauty to you?
Beauty is unselfconscious – unfettered, double-chin-making laughter; my husband’s guitar-playing face; two-person dance parties in the kitchen.

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
My parents’ wedding photos. They eloped to Gretna Green. My mum wore a lemon sailor dress and matching headband, and white semi-sheer tights; my dad bore his trademark moustache (then blacker than black) and a charcoal suit (which is closer to his hair colour, now). Also, my cat Fashion, whose bone structure is quite simply, sublime.

gIRL stands for Girls In Real Life and is a personal photography project of mine to capture the women in my life and talk to them about their ideas on beauty. You can see more from the series here.