Bio

 Journalist, author, trend forecaster, editor, consultant, and fashion expert, Katie Baron is well versed in the world of business and style. With years of experience at notable magazines such as Dazed & Confused, Esquire, and Harper’s Bazaar, Katie has become a master of her trade. She is a Head of Retail Insights & Innovation for the research powerhouse Stylus Media Group, providing creative industries a helping hand. As if she wasn’t busy enough, Katie’s also released a book in 2012, Stylists: New Fashion Visionaries, that covers every aspect of the ever influential styling world. And she’s not finished there. Come March 2016, Katie has plans to release a new book, Music + Fashion: The Fashion Creatives Shaping the Music Industry (*title TBD*), which we already can’t wait to read. Katie Baron knows what’s what in the fashion world, which is why we think you should know her.

**Photo credits: Iona Wolff (www.ionawolff.co.uk)**

Q&A

How do you start your day off?

About 5 days a week I start the day with either a run or yoga – both equally tricky as I’m most definitely a night owl, not a morning person but it has to be done…

What is going on in the background when you get ready?

Usually the breakfast news… but I’m easily distracted so nothing makes for a quicker exit!

You never leave home without…

Red lipstick (Mac, Lady Danger), eyeliner (any that’s waterproof and glossy black) a yoga kit (just in case I can squeeze in a class somewhere), two bags minimum (a handbag and some kind of tote* – see aforementioned yoga kit) and a sketchbook and pen (although I make a lot of notes on my phone I like the feel of making actual physical marks on paper, including a lot of inadvertent mind-mapping as I try to make sense of my own personal, often quite random eureka moments. *Formerly a soft gold snakeskin effect tote, just usurped by an oversized white and luminous orange geometric print cotton and leather tote bought on a very recent trip to Thailand.

What are your closet essentials?

Heels – I’m just nipping in under 5’ 4” in height so not tiny but small enough that I find heels very empowering, especially for meetings. It’s everything from the way they make you hold yourself to the psychological notion of literally raising yourself to the sheer joy of wearing a pair of really amazing, chat-worthy objects. I tend to wear either entirely flat shoes (usually sliders or cool trainers) or heels that grace me with at least 4 inches. Very very rarely will I hit any middle ground! Also, vests (aka ‘tank tops’ for Americans!) leather jackets; denim jackets; trench coats (long); and bomber jackets. I have a significant collection of/addiction to all of the above.

What is your biggest fashion regret?

Being about 15 years old and wearing Dr. Marten boots and baggy, tie-dye t-shirts. Everything was shapeless, super unflattering and not in an avant-garde, carefree way, sadly. But it was the 1990’s and Britain or at least British teenagers were in the grip of the rave [music] scene. That was followed by some similarly tragic outfits involving sateen shirts and miniskirts courtesy of south coast club culture… a slightly more individual sensibility formed while working in London, particularly at London department store Liberty, creative agency Yellowdoor and Harpers Bazaar, has hopefully since compensated.

You always splurge on, and you always save on…

I splurge on footwear and jewellery and save on basics like vest (tank tops) and also jeans. I’m sure it’s out there but I’ve yet to find luxury denim worth the luxury price tag, plus I love denim and leather with a worn-in, vintage feel. They’re two categories of fashion that are already so loaded with additional cultural connotations that it’s (*almost) always so much cooler, and sexy to see individualized long-loved denim and leather rather than pieces fresh off the shop floor. *Having said that I love what Marques’Almeida have done with denim, and also Jean-Paul Gaultier (possibly my favourite fashion revolutionary of all-time) so there are some exceptions!

What is one piece of clothing you wish you could steal from your 16 year old self?

See notes regarding my biggest fashion regrets = absolutely nothing, except perhaps for a superb, genuine grunge-era vintage plaid shirt. The colours, the ‘hang’ were kind of perfect. I wish I knew where it was now.

Your fashion motto is…

Go for contrast in any respect: wear high fashion with the high street; wear brand new season with vintage pieces; masculine tailoring with beautifully kinky, foxy female shoes; and never ever do matchy-matchy, unless you’re at the Oscars. I think a sense of tension creates a really exciting sense of individuality, and a memorable look/style.

Your #1 style tip is…

As above – court contrast; feed a bit of bite into your look by avoid ‘matchy-matchy’ at all costs. Tip #2 (bonus!) Trust your instinct, not trends. The best stylists rarely look to the side, to those around them, because they’re far more entrenched in following their own, instinctive pre-occupations. Obviously this is critical when you’re in a professional situation where newness and (often) the need to be directional is everything, but it can be applied to everyday life too. Listening to what your instinct tells you to wear, rather than the look you planned the day before, is usually what makes for a really good fashion day.