Even during the most sociable non-COVID times, it’s very easy for a fashion editor to exist in a bubble of one’s own industry companions. It’s the kind of safe space where we egg each other on to definitely buy those super-expensive Bottega boots (so classic!) or start wearing our jackets perched on our shoulders instead of firmly on our arms (so chic, though!). However, I’ll always say the same thing to any young budding style journo: Fashion is not an island. We do not exist alone and we certainly cannot function without the contribution and influence of other parts of our culture, society and economy, or without the input of other creatives. It’s important to look outside of one’s inner circle to understand the mood in the real world, and no more so than when you consider that the majority of people shopping in this country will not work within the occasionally bonkers business of fashion.
Trends, clothes and stores need to cater to more than just editors, buyers and stylists, and as such we’re always aiming to ensure that our content does the same too. The kind of women we feature in our stories don’t just wear cute outfits for a living, they often have important jobs, are busing looking after their children or have the kind of whizzy entrepreneurial side hustles that make us feel rather lazy. So with a New Year within touching distance, I was keen to know how cool women who don’t work in fashion are looking ahead. What are they buying? What are they really steering clear of, and why? From a poet to a florist, a lawyer to a marketing guru, below are six women I love to follow on Instagram and wanted to hear more from. Keep scrolling to get their DL on 2021.
