Stories

Style consultants aren’t scary! It’s a gentle journey to your improved self – here’s a bit of a taster of what you might experience working with one. Ideally, you’ll start your journey by taking a trip backwards. Once you and your style consultant understand why your current style has landed the way it has, we are better placed to move forward. Consider this the foundational work that your new, true style will build on. From here, you can narrow in on your own particular style resonance, including the value of mood boarding and how to pick and choose elements from various ‘looks’ to inform your own. You might set aside a day in your activewear to deconstruct and reconstruct your wardrobe with your consultant. It’s heavy work, both emotionally and physically. Then we work out your silhouette (spoiler: you aren’t a fruit) and your inner dialogue, both of which are key...

I believe you’re the best person to take charge of your own style. A good stylist is just here to support you on your journey of change. We don’t really need stylists. This may be a strange thing for a professional fashion stylist to say, but honestly, I’m just here because we don’t trust our gut when it comes to fashion. Styling is about feeling empowered to be yourself. By finding styles that suit you, you’ll feel like you can stop hiding behind unshapely, dark and bland clothing. Your wardrobe is a mirror to how you feel. We feel more sexy, strong and empowered when we wear things that suit us. I created Your Style Journal to help anyone find those flattering items that they love, no matter what style you enjoy, and whether you’re size 4 or size 24 or more. Armed with the journal, you don’t need me, though...

If you have a wardrobe full of clothes and nothing to wear, stylist Lou Heller has something innovative to change the way you think about fashion. With advice from Lou herself, Your Style Journal will help you uncover who you are and how you can express that through what you wear. You'll be encouraged to do your own fashion audit and learn the skills to make your clothes work harder for you. Learning to buy right the first time will help save you money in the long run, and Your Style Journal will have you accessorising with the best of them, elevating any outfit to be truly you. Your Style Journal is a series of 6 modules that you can go through at your own pace, in your own home, to discover your authentic style and build so much confidence. It's perfect for those who might love a one-on-one session and...

I’m really focusing this season on luxurious items that can be worn every day, finding that casual look and dressing it up. 1. Military denim shirt There’s always been the ‘chambray skirt and thick denim shirt’ style, and this is an evolution of that. It’s about owning the fact that it’s an androgynous, shapeless, structured, military-style garment: the more oversized, the better. Then you wear it in a real feminine way – heels, skinny jeans, clutch. It’s juxtaposition, and it’s a timeless look. 2. Soft clutch Hard clutches are defined by the night, but the clutch handbag deserves a place in the daylight. Going soft means you can wear it through the day and hold it close to your body in comfort. There’s a vibe of luxe, and it’s ‘everyday’ at the same time. 3. Gold punchy accents I’m loving everything chunky. Chunky necklaces, chunky earrings. Chunky gold jewellery can elevate...

Fashion stylist, writer and educator Lou Heller reflects on the trends of 2020 and predicts what’s going to be hot in 2021. The trends to watch in 2020 quickly re-navigated during what was a dynamic and exciting year for fashion. The fashion set can spend months pre-empting trends and colours. This can all change in a split second when something trends on social media, a celebrity wears something we have never seen, or a designer decides to show something revolutionary the day after creating it. In New Zealand, we are great at setting trends and sitting alongside the rest of the world with ease. We have our own style. We are small, we are punchy, we are edgy, we are in packs. One minute we’re wearing plain white tees with black strappy dresses, the next we’re in beautiful oversized pussy bow blouses. This can work in our favour in a lot...