No-one can throw prints together as well as Lucinda Chambers, hailed as one of the world’s great fashion editors and stylists. And her Vogue editorials, in the decades since Lucinda became fashion director of British Vogue…well, all of them are admired but some have been elevated to the truly iconic status.
The two “greats” in the fashion editor stakes are most certainly Grace Coddington and Lucinda Chambers. In the rarefied air that is the top fashion strata, in fact, Lucinda was Grace’s assistant before Coddington left British Vogue for the American one and Chambers moved into the director position.
However it works, the stylists/fashion editors also consult more broadly to the fashion industry, providing creative inspiration, curating collections, styling runway shows. Lucinda’s prominent clients have included Prada and Marni amongst many others. Perhaps it is the Marni relationship above all others that has represented the perfect marriage between designer and stylist. Both love colour, print, texture and textile and with Lucinda Chambers and Consuelo Castiglioni working together, fashion alchemy is the result.
Those who love minimalism might find the explosion of print and colour a bit too much. And often I struggle to imagine how to make it all work. I think the key is “edgy”…an intriguing cut or detail, and really bold accessories. But it is not all bold colour and busy prints. She pulls off simple classics in the most fashion-forward way.
I know the top (above) is Marni, and the accessories too I think. Below is another look based around the polka dot skirt. Again Marni, though I think at least a couple of these pieces were produced for the H&M collaboration.
This next one features a Prada dress. Wherever I look for fabrics I keep an eye out for stripes with which I could do a knock-off of this dress.
More Prada
Apart from her personal style, Lucinda has been the imagination behind some of the best fashion magazine editorials even published. One of her most frequent collaborators has been Mario Testino. Apparently Lucinda and Mario started out together in fashion and have grown together over the years to become the power-houses they are now. Here are but a few shots from some of Lucinda’s great editorials…
