Interview – Celebrity Stylist Sophie Stevens

October 26, 2012

At the beginning of October, Wonderbra launched their Decoder app – the tool to help you select the right bra for your outfit – and everyone’s been talking about. Now Wonderbra’s Haul of Fame campaign has shown you just how versatile Wonderbras are and how there’s more than one type of bra you could benefit from keeping in your lingerie drawer.

A topic I touched on earlier here, the trends you wear and how you dress yourself makes a huge bearing on how polished your finished style will look. We all know that an invisible bra line under a t-shirt is the smoothest look and we can probably agree that white straps glaring out from beneath a little black dress would be the biggest disaster of a date night! Once we’re done stressing over our lingerie we have the body confidence hurdle because we’re not sure what makes our lumps and bumps look good.

I’ve been lucky to snaffle the chance of interviewing stylist to the stars, Sophie Stevens. Sophie’s been in the spotlight working on top photo shoots and with A List celebrities, including the one and only Kylie Minogue, for over 15 years, so she has the credentials to enlighten us with all the answers to our fashion dilemmas.

Sophie Stevens
Image – Wonderbra

This is the exclusive Becky’s Boudoir interview with Sophie Stevens – you won’t find this goss’ anywhere else!

On Sophie Stevens…

BB: Today you’re a successful, influential fashion stylist. What was your ‘big break’?

SS: I was very lucky with getting into the industry. I did a work placement at a magazine as part of my degree and they got me back to cover peoples holiday and fashion trips etc. The fashion Editor there gave me a great reference and recommended me to another Fashion Ed that was looking for a fashion assistant and voilà, I landed my first job!

BB: Fantastic! Sounds like you were in the right place at the right time.

Q: What has been your worst personal fashion disaster you’d rather forget?

SS: Well as a stylist, I shouldn’t really have any! But I did own a pair of navy knee length boots once that first time out got soaked in the rain and turned my legs blue! It wouldn’t have been such a disaster if I hadn’t been going on a date that night and planned to wear a short dress and bare legs! I had to go out in my lunch break and buy a whole new outfit otherwise I would have looked like an actual smurf!

BB: Oh no! Just as well your stylist instinct switched on to save any embarrassment!

Smurfette!

Q: You style all kinds of people in the media. Without name dropping, can you recall your most challenging client?

SS: Its normally the agents that are trickier then the celebs to be honest, giving you false sizes or saying the celeb is happy to wear short dresses only to find out on the shoot that they are in fact two sizes bigger and hate their legs! I was once told that a certain celeb believed she was a size 8 when in fact she was a size 12 and I was to get in size 12 garments and cut out all the labels and replace them with size 8 ones! I thought she was joking, but no, she was being serious!

BB: Woah, when you think you’ve heard it all! I guess that’s the crazy world of celebrity.

Sophie on Fashion…

Q: Dressing to flatter a curvy figure can be tricky. Which fail-safe wardrobe staples would you recommend?

SS: A good selection of key dresses. I think wrap dresses look great on curvy girls especially if you have amazing boobs, as the neckline is really flattering. Block body con also looks great on curvy figures and panel dresses that extenuate the boob and bum area and minimize the waist can look incredible.

BB: Great, I love wrap dresses! I would never have considered a block colour body con dress before. Now’s my time to go for it and show off my curves in a confident new way.

Cross Over Jersey Dress
Image – Pepperberry

Q: Which fashion trend is the best investment this Winter?

SS: Leather is huge this season and is always a great investment. Stick to classic black or directional oxblood, but investing in classic leather pieces now, when there is such an amazing selection out there will mean you can wear them year after year, and although more expensive initially, they can make even the cheapest of other garments look more expensive when you mix them together.

BB: Ah, so time to bring out the trusty leather jacket! I imagine Oxblood would be a fantastic colour for Autumn.

Belvedere Leather Jacket
All Saints

Q: I have big boobs and often struggle with tops and coats fitting well. What do you suggest I do to shop safe?

SS: I would always suggest taking a few different bras out with you when shopping for tops so whatever the style of top you’re buying; you will have the right bra to try on to make sure it fits properly. Often its not the top that is ill fitting, but your bra, so make sure you get measured and fitted regularly as this can make a huge difference to how your clothes will look. Coat wise, wrap styles that tie at the waist are great for curvy girls as they give you the flexibility to skim over your boobs, make your waist look tiny and then flare out over your hips.

BB: I wholeheartedly agree that properly fitted bras are crucial for making any outfit look great. It sounds like I invested in the right coat for my figure, flaring out from the hip really is the most flattering silhouette.

Fit and Flare Belted Coat
Asos

Q: Ugg boots. Yay or nay?

SS: There’s no denying Ugs are super comfy and warm, I do have a pair, as do many stylists I know, but mine are strictly for wearing at home, or when I go home to the country for winter walks. They are a definite no no when on a date though! Men hate them! Lets, face it, sexy, they are not!

BB: Phew! I would hate to put my Bearpaws to the back of the wardrobe any time soon. But yeah… they are far from anything sexy!

Bearpaw Boots

Sophie on the Industry…

Q: I’m a pin-up and lingerie model. What tips would you give an aspiring model for achieving photo shoot success?

SS: Know your body; be aware of how it looks from different angles and practice in the mirror. You need to be able to move and walk in heels that often may not fit, or are really uncomfortable, so practice! Always turn up to shoots on time or early if possible. Ask to see tears for the feel of the shoot and be clear of what the client wants from you. Make sure you arrive on set with clean hair, nails and make sure your body is well prepped. Good models always turn up to my shoots with a selection of underwear with them, so different coloured thongs, different styles of bras, so whatever I put them in, they have something that fits perfectly for them. Really good girls also bring extensions in their exact hair colour too, so, should we need it, we have an exact match and gives the hair stylist a lot more scope and makes our job a lot easier.

BB: Great advice there for anyone looking to get ahead in their modelling career. Where fashion shoots are concerned, taking your own lingerie is worth remembering. I would have to say, heels have always been my downfall.

Q: Thanks to shows such as Mad Men and campaigns for more curvy women in the media, what do you foresee for the future on the catwalk?

SS: I think size will always be an issue on the catwalk. And things often change in waves. From the healthy curvy 90’s Supermodels to the waif trend that thankfully disappeared as quickly as it arrived. I think people know that clothes actually look better when you have curves, and men certainly love girls to have boobs and a bum and the models I prefer to book always have great curves. Designers and catwalk models are a different breed however. These girls are super tall and lean, so not your average girl at all, but I think as long as there is a balance, and magazines, movies and pop stars represent a broader spectrum of sizes, fashion will be represented properly. Girls are very savvy these days and know that catwalk models probably represent 1% of the world in terms of women’s figures, and that a healthy and curvy shape is what actually makes a woman a woman.

BB: Personally, I feel designers should fit for a figure as women by nature have curves. It’s encouraging to see so many brands catching on with the use of curvier women.

On the Catwalk at Mark Fast

And Sophie on Wonderbra…

Q: Which is your favourite go-to Wonderbra?

SS: Tricky as I wear different Wonderbra’s depending on what I’m wearing, so the tee shirt bra is for my everyday tee’s, vests and shirts. It’s seamless and smooth so perfect for everyday sexiness. The Ultimate plunge I keep for my more daring necklines, cut outs and halter neck styles. The full effect bra, gives me up to an extra two cup sizes when I want that extra boost and to show my cleavage off to the max in any low cut va va voom styles, and probably my fave is the ultimate strapless bra for my one shoulder and strapless numbers as well as for wearing under any sheer lace and chiffon pieces as this bra is good enough to show off on its own!

BB: Great choices! I think you can’t beat a good plunge!