Name: Harriet Rosa Harper-Jones
From: North-West London
Studies: International Relations and Anthropology
Hobbies: She directs, she produces, she acts, and is currently producing the headlining play for the On the Rocks festival.
Harriet, could you describe your style?
Harriet: My friends call me ‘homeless chic’, I’m definitely anti-hipster, and very much ‘hatcentric’.
Who’s your favourite designer?
Harriet: Vivienne Westwood, above all. But this season I also love Marc by Marc Jacobs and obviously Alexander McQueen. I also have many friends who are designers, among them Lovetits is a definite favourite.
What is the favourite part of your wardrobe this month?
Harriet: Fur, hats and velvet.
Three things you just can’t live without?
Harriet: Fur, hats and velvet!! Haha. And Rufus Wainwright needs to hide in between there somewhere.
Where do you take inspiration from?
Harriet: Again, that would be Vivienne Westwood, she’s amazing. I also follow one of my friends’ blog http://cool-and-beauty.thepop.com/, which is very up to date on the latest brands, it’s modest and inspiring. I also find men’s wear inspiring, often more inspiring than women’s wear, due to the great cuts and shoes you find in men’s fashion.
Do you have a style icon?
Harriet: My mommy! She’s awesome, the older she gets the more stylish gets. She rocks purple tights, big lavish hats and big print jackets, and let’s me hear it when I don’t look as stylish as I should.
Do you have a favourite brand?
Harriet: I’m actually a market junkie but within high street fashion I’d say Zara, because of the good-quality cotton they use, and Whistles, because they do great cuts and really good fabrics. High fashion-wise, I really like Conran for their cuts, Vivienne Westwood for ‘image’, and I would die for a McQueen dress. Vivienne Westwood is probably the favourite though, she brought back the corset and gets down to the art of fashion, she’s just wonderful and genuinely gets inspired by art and believes that ‘fashion is wearable art’, as it should be.
Online shopper or physical shopper?
Harriet: Physical shopper! For me it is so much more about the cuts and fabrics than it is about the look, and obviously when you shop online you never really know what you are getting in terms of the quality and feel of things. I do however have one embarrassing online shopping habit, I buy loads of pretty school socks online. I just love them, they work with anything and make me feel special.
What was your last purchase?
Harriet: My new bright blue Vivienne Westwood sunglasses.
Your thoughts on vintage? Yay or nay?
Harriet: Yay. However I wouldn’t necessarily call it vintage, brick-a-brack, maybe, I sew up and redo a lot of ‘vintage’ items. Once again I often prefer it to new clothes because of the far better quality of the fabrics. There’s just such a difference between, say, cotton-velvet and silk-velvet. I only wear silk-velvet.
How long does it take you to get ready in the mornings?
Harriet: 10-15 minutes. I roll out of bed, do some sit-ups, brush my teeth and I’m ready to go. I’m quite low maintenance and I have short hair which makes things easier. I’m definitely a fast dresser.
The waistcoat:
Harriet: The waistcoat is from my mothers wardrobe, but derived from my mother’s ex-husband who used to work in India, which is where it was probably bought. I like it because it has a beautiful cut and the silk is lovely, and also the pattern is very original.
The shoes:
Harriet: I bought the shoes at a flea market just outside LA about 1,5 years ago. I love the shape of the heel and they make the best sound when you walk, they also tone you up whilst you use them, because you need to rock back and forth with every step, all in all pretty great!
The hat:
Harriet: The hat is from Lock & Co on St James’s Street, they measured my head and told me I had the same head size as Princess Diana, haha. I like it because it works with anything, and it moulds to your head, so the more I wear it, the more it fits me!
The cape:
Harriet: I bought the cape around a month ago from a vintage shop in Camden passage, Islington. It is a really old piece, probably handmade for someone as it has no tag. It is of such good quality and when I wear it I feel like I’m in Downtown Abbey.
The jewellery:
The pearl collar:
Harriet: The pearl collar is from a New York flea market I went to last January. It was originally used as a part of a film-set costume, so Mary Pickford once wore it! It is different from other collars I’ve seen, versatile but at the same time classic, and you can never go wrong with pearls, which is why I love it so much.
The necklace:
Harriet: I got this piece at my friend’s market in Hackney. I love the shape of it, as it makes me look like I have a cleavage, haha, and it was a coup, only 7 pounds!
NINA HAANES HESSEN