What Women Wear: London Design Festival 2019
Kristina Stark. Photos: Claire Pepper
You’ll always find me in the Scandinavian section at London Design Festival (LDF). Simple clean designs, natural fabrics and neutral colours: Scandi Style is right up my garde. Swedish designer Kristina Stark (above) is from Malmo and has an eponymous label creating accessories for the home and for the person, including lovely leather slippers and cuffs. Her sandy coloured outfit and warm demeanour caught my attention at the exhibition, last week. Though Kristina did admit that she’s usually in head-to-toe black but had made a special effort for LDF. Might be time to start wearing Clark’s Desert Boots again… Specialising in ‘ordinary things for everyday life’, Kristina Stark makes items designed to last and be used again and again. ‘What motivates me is to the desire to create things people use everyday and enjoy using. I’m constantly searching for simplicity.’
Kristina Stark leather cuff
Lovely leather slippers
And then I bumped into super-talented design consultant, journalist and writer Kate Watson-Smyth whose award-winning Mad About the House website has been named the UK’s number one interiors blog. Whether you’re decorating the hall, fitting a new bathroom or looking for a house, this the place to go for the latest info. London Design Festival gets bigger every year and Kate has opted for a monochrome, run-around outfit teamed with a pair of old, gold toe-cap Marni boots. Very sensible. Follow Kate on Instagram HERE and leaf through the Mad About the House book HERE.
Kate Watson-Smyth is Mad About The House
Good Ordering is a small independent company founded by Jacqui Ma. Living in a flat above a bike shop in Hackney, accessories designer Jacqui saw the boom in cycling literally take off beneath her and with it the opportunity to develop colourful, unisex bags. I’m not going to say anymore at this juncture because I’d like to write a Creative Women at Work post about Jacqui and her brand, soon.
Jaqui Ma in her jumpsuit
There were so many stylish women at London Design Festival, I’ve decided to split this feature into two parts. The first focuses on women who prefer simple outfits in neutral colours, the second will look at those who like to play around with colour. While we were exploring the coffee and a cinnamon bun options at the Truman Brewery, Portia Knight a That’s Not My Age reader introduced herself. Of Course, I’d already clocked her elegant, grey crop, cool tortoiseshell glasses (Cubitts) and navy corduroy shirt (from Toast, available HERE). It goes without saying that she was charming as well as chic.
That’s Not My Age readers are such a chic bunch
Rhonda Drakeford is the founder of interiors brand and online retailer Darkroom. We were introduced by a mutual friend when Darkroom first opened, as a shop on Lamb’s Conduit Street, and I was flabbergasted when Rhonda told me that was 10 years ago. Celebrating a decade in business, Darkroom has just collaborated with the Science Museum on a lovely lifestyle collection. For everyday, Gentlewoman Style Rhonda has chosen a corduroy suit from & Other Stories and Teva-style sandals, perfect for cycling in. We had a good chat about trousers you can ride a bike in and getting around town on two wheels.
Rhonda from the Darkroom
More London Design Festival inspiration:
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Discussion (20 Comments)
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Portia Knight says:
It was lovely to meet you Alyson and very flattering to be included here. Thanks so much!
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Andrea Russell says:
I love, love love your glasses… I struggle to find anything like this. I usually buy ‘men’s frames’ as they are bigger and often more stylish but unfortunately they also fall off my nose.
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Thank you. This style is called Ampton and comes in 3 sizes (mine are small). I bought them online from Cubitts. They have a home try on service, you can choose 4 pairs which they send to you for free and with free returns. Makes the whole process very easy.
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LisaBee says:
Also loved this post – they all look so good! I’d like to see more of these – maybe there are particularly stylish women at an event like this, but seeing how other women even outside a venue like this make it work is great. Just like the approach of this post – lots of different people and lots of links to where-to-buy.
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Shahin says:
Lovely elegant lines but I need colour in my life especially as winter is on its way and it’s currently tipping down with rain outside!
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Anne Murphy says:
Love the style of these ladies, but like Shahin I need colour, would look poorly in most of the above, although a gorgeous scarf, jewellery would help! I’m slowly selling/giving away my current clothes & replacing with similar to above…..made by myself or bought second hand…..great fun!!!
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Jan McGeary says:
Big fan of your posts – always interesting .
Love love love the black leather cuff – do you know if there is a uk stockist for Kristina Stark please?
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Hi Jan, I asked Kristina and she doesn’t have a UK stockist at present but says if you email her she will try to help/ perhaps send one directly from Sweden:
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Krys says:
I love all of these looks! The first thing I see in these photos is the beautiful smiling faces taking centre stage. Sometimes outfits that are overdone (including my own) can distract from the person wearing them. When I look in the mirror now I ask myself if I see me first or the outfit. These posts are really helping me envision how I want to appear to the world.
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Rachael says:
Love this article and a similar one you did previously of arty types and what they were wearing. Lots of inspo!
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Katherine C. James says:
Adore the personal aesthetic of Kristin Stark and Kate Watson-Smyth. Both look at home in their own skin, as well as in their clothes. I love the power of that and, of course, the power and beauty of their work. Very inspiring. Thank you.
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Mrs Tonia says:
I agree. Will follow up on the podcasts and sites and books.
Thanks for the introduction to these interesting women and their projects.
I was sorry not to be free to go to the events this year. Maybe next September.
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Your blogs are really interesting and i find them really informative and helpful. Keep up the great work.
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Carole says:
I was in London, by the Victoria Station, last week, and saw a women with grey hair, dressed in a similar way in a green jumpsuit with a wide brown belt and trainers. Was it you, Alyson? She looked very much like you. Could not catch up with her. Loved the outfit.
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The blog you have produced is no doubt a unique in the idea. Your Post is much impressive and I shall come again to catch up the latest posts.
Joyce Morris 
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Wow, this post has so much to take in at once! What an amazing bunch of stylish and talented women under one roof. So lovely to put a face to a respondent – Ms Knight looks very chic and and stylish. Jacqui Ma looks so at ease in her boiler suit and I cannot help but smile at the ebullience emanating from Kate Watson-Smyth. ps Can’t beat a Clarks desert boot – my son had a part time job at Clarks during uni and we all got staff discounted desert boots. Now that was a happy day!