ELLE.COM/UK April 2020 97Shirt, £595,
MAISIE WILENSkirt, £215,
SIMON MILLERam a magpie. Iwantto be the person who buys lots
of sensible clothes that coordinate, but then I get
distracted. There’s always something shiny or brightly
coloured that I can’t resist.
There was a time in my fashion management degree at
London College of Fashion that I adhered to the all-black
fashion uniform, but as soon as I returned to my grandmother
in Sweden, she scoffed, ‘Are you going to a funeral?’ I was
hugely influenced by my grandmother’s style and as a child
would stomp around in her Chanel and vintage Pucci. Emerald
green and fuschia pink were her signature colours and she
wore bright pink with pearls, diamonds and platinum dyed hair
right up until the day she died. It’s probably why my own
wardrobe is a rainbow explosion.
I’ve always found shoes to be
an essential element of any outfit.
I can still remember the first pair
that I bought, aged 12 – a pair
of bright white stilettoes. I have
more than 3OO pairs of shoes in
my wardrobe and I go to bed or
wake up with a pair in mind. Once
I’ve decided which ones I’ll wear
that day, I can then play around
with the rest of the outfit.
I buy new shoes each season
but I also rewear a lot, especially my Balenciaga Lego shoes
and original Prada flame shoes. I still think about the pair of
Miu Miu knee-high boots I missed out on years ago – the
perfect hybrid between a biker boot and pixie point that only
Miuccia [Prada] could come up with.
As a buyer, it’s thrilling to see the Bottega or Loewe
collections, but young designers have an energy you don’t
get from esteemed showrooms. At the moment, I’m so excited
about Maisie Wilen, who is backed by Kanye West and has
some crazy graphic leggings. Also Lagos-born Kenneth Ize,
who reinterprets traditional West African fabrics
and Nigerian craft techniques. He’s captured
A f rica’s incredible culture of colour so well and was
a well-deserving LVMH Prize finalist.
A large section of my wardrobe is also vintage.
I love the idea of renting designer pieces, but I’m not
an ‘easy’ shape, so it isn’t really an option for me.
I have small legs, but I’m big and chesty on top, which
means I always have to try on items. For a long time, I found it
tough working in fashion without being model-sized, but I have
learned to like clothes that suit my body. Skinny trousers,
leggings, miniskirts and anything that distracts from the waist
area are my friends. I no longer succumb to the sample sale
adrenaline rush, buying items I love that don’t suit me. I’d rather
pay more and invest in a piece that I’ll love forever. To me, not
compromising on items that don’t quite fit or aren’t exactly
what you’re looking for is a kind of sustainable buying.The look
RIGHT: IDA WEARS
SHIRT, ASCENO.
SHORTS, PLAN C.
SHOES, GIANVITO
ROSSI. JEWELLERY,
HER OWN
VVBag, £1,250, LOEWELeggings, £300,
MAISIE WILENI
Th e BUYER...
IDA PETERSSON, 41, IS BUYING DIRECTOR
AT BROWNS FASHION,Sandals,
£420,PRADA