Tell us about your style?
I always wear jeans. They are an essential item in any wardrobe as they are versatile, cool and hardwearing. I wear skinny jeans most days but I also love a high-waisted flare. I like to wear classic tees or cashmere jumpers with a tailored blazer or long coat. Jeans are the basis of my wardrobe but I never leave home without statement accessories - chunky rings and necklaces are key and I always wear huge heels - the higher the better!
Do you have any style icons?
I'm inspired by lots of women past and present who all dress using the same common denominator - cool classic shapes, statement coats and jackets - killer evening wear. They all know what a waist is too. I look to Marilyn Monroe, Bridget Bardot, Katherine Hepburn, Marianne Faithful, Anita Pallenberg, Kate Moss.
What are your current wardrobe essentials?
At the moment I'm always in black leather J Brand jeans. I wear them during the day with a Minnie Rose Pow Wow knit and a Crumpet polo neck sweater and then in the evening with a Elizabeth and James Kamilla Top. I've also been wearing my IDA Ivy Jeans in Noir Dreamtime with a blouse and jacket constantly. The print is unique and I love a high-waisted skinny - so chic.
What is it about London fashion you are drawn to?
The energy. It is my favourite place in the world, I am at my most comfortable and happy here. In London you can wear anything you want, be whoever you want to be.
What’s your best industry advice?
I like the Churchill quote 'when you're going through hell, keep going' and I often think about a piece I read when I was setting up Donna Ida. It was from a Tim Waterstone interview where he talks about what you have to be made of to run a business. It was a checklist and I often think about the things he said. One was do you have the ability to inspire and lead, another was can you motivate, a third was can you handle constant and relentless financial pressure. It was a good thing for me to read.
Tell us about your new denim collection, IDA?
IDA is a collection of true-waisted jeans with tees and blouses to compliment - I wanted to present the whole denim look. We have a regular customer called Jeanie who has shopped with us since the day we opened and she’d come in asking for high-waisted jeans. She’s clear about what she wants, and if we didn’t have it, she’d say ‘Well, why not?’ I felt I was letting her down when I didn't have a good enough selection, and certainly nothing outside of basic washes, so I thought, ‘all right Jeanie, we’ll create a brand for you.’ I’ve named the cigarette leg after her because that's what she wants to wear. I imagine all the jeans as real characters, cool old fashioned girls sitting around drinking gin from tea cups. It’s a gang I’d like to be in. Jeanie, a high-waisted cigarette leg, joins a collection of six high-waisted styles; Ivy the skinny, Mabel a crop, Frenchie a straight leg, Audrey an ankle zip skinny and Martha a flare. Pre-order IDA now
