Ads

Barbara Kennington, Creative & editorial director of Worth Global Style Network (WGSN)

Both Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors and Calvin Klein keep quiet and get out their schoolboy notepads, when Barbara Kennington starts talking. H&M, Kmart and IKEA subscribe religiously to her newsletter. She is one of the most requested speakers at fashion fairs and inspires both designers and corporate leaders by knowing exactly where art and business meet in fashion.

Barbara Kennington launched Worth Global Style Network in 1998 with brothers Marc and Julian Worth and with her as Creative and Editorial Director, WGSN is today the leading global service providing online research, trend analysis and news to the fashion, design and style industries.

To end up in every fashionista’s dream carreer, Kennington admits that she has done the fieldwork. With a degree from London’s Royal College of Art in the late 70s, she started her own label collection Lumiere. However successful, she decided to share both her insight and foresight with the rest of the industry, and in the late 80s she moved into design consultancy for among others Marks & Spencers.

As a quick-fix alternative to hours enduring catwalks or browsing numerable next-year’s collections, Factio Magazine brings you untainted style advice from fashion industry’s queen bee.

FACTIO MAGAZINE:  Give us an inside look at WGSN.
BARBARA KENNINGTON: Well, WGSN (www.wgsn.com) is every fashionista’s dream! Unfortunately (or fortunately) it is only available to WGSN’s subscribers around the world; all major retailers, manufacturers and brands who need to access fashion and lifestyle info 24/7.

My team of over 100 creative heads, journalists and researchers spend all their time tracking down whatever is new and happening in trend and product development in all the world’s style capitals. We’re based in London, but I also have editorial teams in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Hong Kong and Tokyo. It sounds like a dream job, but all of us have done our time in industry (I trained in fashion design at London’s Royal College of Art back in the wild 70s) and consequently think in terms of commercial business development as well as product innovation.

I do believe this is what makes WGSN unique, not only our global scope, but our understanding of how the style industries tick and the importance of the bottom line!

FM: Describe your signature style.
BK: My team would laugh if I overplayed this. I’ve never been into Jimmy Choo’s and much as I try to wear colour, I don’t do it well - I still enjoy the simple Japanese aesthetic of black, white, marl grey and indigo as my staples. I’m a worker not a fashion queen, so I go for clothes that I can throw on easily in the morning and that I feel comfortable in whether at my computer, at an industry event or when giving a seminar somewhere around the world (right now I’m in Vegas for the Magic trade event where I’m giving several trend presentations for summer 2006).

FM: Define the style London.
BK: London is fantastic – whilst in some ways it lacks the elegance of Paris, and the downright street savvy attitude of Manhattan, it is still the most eclectic mix of street fashion, high-end boutiques and stores like Selfridges, then great fashion chain stores in-between. We have great young designers, in many cases emerging from the world’s top fashion schools like St Martins and the Royal College of Art; London is great for junior styling – see it on the street, then in a matter of days see it in Topshop.

FM: What ladies (from which city worldwide) have great style and why? And, where is your favorite place to travel?
BK: To narrow down to just one or two women with style would be just too hard – so many women manage their style brilliantly according to their roles, whether mothers or office workers or CEOs. Women whose style works best are those who adapt fashion to their own needs, who keep in touch with what’s happening, but don’t slavishly follow. I do admire individuality, and often this has nothing to do with ‘fashion’…all that said, I still love the insouciance of Audrey Hepburn…

Favourite travel destination? Right now, I’d have to say Brazil. I was in Sao Paulo just a few weeks ago for Sao Paulo Fashion Week. Both sao Paulo and Rio have their troubles in terms of crime and poverty, but both are also hugely energetic and vibrant. The design style there is fresh and modern, as yet uncompromised by globalization.

FM: Do you think money and style go hand and hand or can style never be bought? Is it something you just have?
BK: No question – style can rarely be bought… Of course, I love and admire beautifully made designer clothes, we should enjoy and encourage craftsmanship and high quality – but these alone don’t automatically give the wearer style and class.
Natural style can come on a shoestring or can cost a fortune, and the latter often looks no better! So many of my team at WGSN have the most seemingly effortless style - mixing thrift, with Topshop, with designer sale bargains – and they look stunning!

FM: What key fashion pieces do you always have in your wardrobe? Any favorite recent buys?
BK: Well, I have to say I’m way behind here – I’ve had no time yet to shop the stores for myself…running between Sao Paulo, Paris and now Las Vegas in just the last few weeks, I’ve had no time!

As soon as I get back to London, I’ll be looking for some hippie chic – not the full-on flower power looks, but a pared down version that will work for everyday. More than likely I’ll be looking at Dries Van Noten and Marni for eclectoic fabric and print mixes, Nicole Farhi for everyday, and Helmut Lang for sharp modernist styling.

FM: What is your biggest fashion vice? What are your favorite shops worldwide?
BK: My worst vice is to buy too quickly – I tend to dash around between work assignments and buy on the run, always a mistake – for someone who knows the business, I have too many fashion mistakes in my wardrobe!

Favourite shops? Daslu in Sao Paulo (the ultimate ladies boudoir), Selfridges in London (great buying selection), Barneys in New York (always good jewellery and accessories too), Loveless in Tokyo (innovative and inspirational high-end designer store), 45RPM in New York (Japanese label specializing in indigo dyed items) and finally, Egg in London (small individualist boutique owned by Maureen Doherty (a woman with great personal aesthetic who has always supported designers specializing in handcraft and artisan techniques).

You can see I could go on and on when picking my favourite shops!

FM: What’s a fashion no-no when attending special events, galas and more? Any tips for getting ready for an event?
BK: Well, I have to admit galas are not my thing, to be avoided at all cost in my book! That said, my philosophy for eveningwear is keep it simple, and add drama through great jewellery - I have this huge necklace carved from natural horn that I bought at 10 Corso Como in Milan (another of my favourite stores) – it always adds drama to the simplest of outfits!

FM: What would people be most surprised to know about you?
BK: That I’d love even now to start my own label (I must be mad!) – a no-compromise label for modern nomads!

FM: What advice and inspiration can you give women entrepreneurs?
BK: Hard work goes without saying, but I also believe it’s key to be as honest as any situation allows. Charm and determination go along way, provided they are genuine (nothing worse than being false in any working relationship). That said work-life balance is something we should all strive for, even if it is hard to find time for!

To find out more, head to www.wgsn.com.