By Lisa JCNE1’s Newcastle Fashion Week was lucky enough to be graced with the presence of, what some might say fashion royalty, Elizabeth Walker.
An intimate crowd gathered in Northumbria University’s Business School building awaiting the evening’s guest speaker. Elizabeth Walker entered wearing a beautiful purple vintage Alberta Ferretti dress.
“This lecture is all about me, and my curious career as Go-Go Dancer, to Graphic Designer, to Fashion Director,” explained Elizabeth.
From start to finish, you could not ignore how inspiring, yet grounded Elizabeth was. This is the doyenne of Marie Claire magazine for more than a decade, worker of Harpers & Queen, The Telegraph, The Times...oh, and The Times on Sunday. And that is just a handful!
Brought up in Malaysia, formerly known as Malaya, Elizabeth was surrounded by iconic shops like Prada and Dior. She told of stories being a young girl falling into a 6ft monsoon ‘puddle’ and relived her traumatic experience when finding a python in a shoe. She said: “To this day I can’t watch nature programmes with snakes on!”
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| A young Elizabeth Walker |
Elizabeth told the audience of her journey in becoming the Executive Fashion and Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, her respect for Anna Wintour, and her love-hate relationship with iconic photographer, David Bailey.There was one quote that really stood out last night. Elizabeth said: “If you present something well, it’s worth its weight in gold.”
Now, Elizabeth works as a Fashion Consultant and writer. Her successful 2010 book, Style Book, is a visual treat of fashionable inspirations and still continues to sell worldwide. A quote from the introduction states: “Style is more than fashion, more than a mere follower of trends. Style is innovation, creation and inspiration - with a personal twist.”
September 2012 welcomes the publication of Elizabeth’s new book, Pattern Book. Only a few more months to wait!
Credits
Photography: Idene Roozbayani
