Amanda Wakeley: StyleDNA

In this extra episode of Style DNA we celebrate the highlights of Season 8 …reliving some of those moments when my guests shared insights, transparency and at times hilarity …. Style DNA Season 9 will be launching in mid September with a fabulous mix of guests in store…in the meantime I hope you enjoy this episode …ooh , and please do me a favour and hit the subscribe button if you haven’t already...

In this episode of Style DNA I recorded a special bonus episode with Ro Huntriss, Chief Nutrition Officer (I love this title) of this Season's sponsor, The Simple Life App. Health and Wellbeing have always fascinated me and so I was not only curious to interview Ro on the benefits of Intermittent Fasting but I wanted to discuss how the way we live, and eat, can influence the way we dress.   Just t...

In this week episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the British luxury footwear designer, the wonderful Penelope Chilvers. Penelope grew up in Britain but as a child she spent every school holiday in the province of Girona and her love affair with Spain and local craftsmanship began. For a few years, Penelope lived in the city of Barcelona, working as a painter and designer where she co...

In this episode I had the privilege of interviewing the fashion designer and creative director Harris Reed... and I have to say I was blown away by his vision, his confidence, his charm and his down to earth warmth. Fighting for the beauty of fluidity, half-American, half-British Harris Reed designs to create conversation. Growing up with a strong sense of self, Harris was able to quickly understa...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the simply joyous Gaby Roslin....one of the most positive and kind human beings on the planet. Gaby is one of the country's most popular TV and Radio presenters with incredible amounts of energy & enthusiasm for all things moving pictures and spoken words. Alongside hosting BBC1's Morning Live, on Saturdays on Magic Radio and Shop Smart Sav...

In this episode I go on a style journey with one of the UK’s original and leading digital creators, Lydia Millen. I was drawn to interview Lydia as she focuses on the luxury space for her content creation, which, perhaps needless to say, is a space I have always loved. Her 15 year journey has seen her work with brand giants from Jo Malone to Hugo Boss and Tiffany…Lydia’s commercial influence is hu...

In this episode I go on a Style Journey with the English TV personality and Co-Founder of the wellness app Shoorah, the inimitable Ferne McCann. Ferne first became a public figure when she appeared in the hit reality series The Only Way is Essex (TOWIE) for no less than 9 series... She quickly became one of the standout stars on the show and led to her appearing on ITV's I'm a Celebrity... Get Me...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with Hannah Almassi, the Editor-in-Chief of Who What Wear UK. It’s a wonderful digital fashion, beauty and style platform which can take you down rabbit-holes of inspiration …   Hannah joined Who What Wear UK following a seven-year career at Grazia magazine, where she led front-of-book news, fashion features and shopping specials as fashion news...

In this episode I go on a style journey with the inimitable and side-splittingly funny, iconic British Jeweller, Theo Fennell. I have been lucky enough to have known Theo for decades ...our first shops were close on the Fulham Road in Chelsea. Theo has always been the most brilliant raconteur, often making himself the butt of the joke and I must admit as I listened to his two books, narrated by hi...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a stylistic journey with the Author, Broadcaster, Editor and Coach Rosie Nixon. Rosie is the author of three novels, The Stylist, Amber Green Takes Manhattan and Just Between Friends, plus the Be Kind book. Her new novel called Bad Influence is out this August. After a long career in women's magazines, including Grazia, Glamour and Red she became the award-winn...

In this episode I go on a Style DNA journey with the very impressive Jade Holland Cooper Founder and CEO of her eponymous brand, Holland Cooper. Jade had a rural upbringing which was all about her ponies and horses...she didn't really think about clothes other than their functionality. It wasn't until she went to study at the Royal Agricultural College that she realised that everyone was dressed t...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the award winning BBC radio host, TV fashion presenter and Influencer, who goes by the name of MiddleAgedMinx,  the fabulous and joyous Jo Good.   I first met Jo when she interviewed me for her Gold show for SheerLuxe and we clicked immediately…laughing about how age was just a number, that it is wrong to be pigeon-holed, and agreeing that...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with none other than the world-renowned self-development coach, inspirational speaker, manifesting expert, and three-times Sunday Times Bestselling author, the inspirational Roxie Nafousi. I first met Roxie when she came to one of my London Fashion Week parties at my Mayfair Store and the shy woman I met back then was worlds apart from the confi...

In this final episode of Season 7 of Style DNA I go on a Style journey with a true icon of British design, my friend, the  world-renowned Interior Designer, Author of 10 books, affectionately dubbed the 'Queen of Taupe', ...the titian haired, inspirational pocket-rocket power house that is Kelly Hoppen CBE. I first met Kelly when she was looking for a wedding dress...there are some designs that yo...

If you’ve ever wished that beauty treatments could come to you at home instead of the other way around, then you have Venetia Archer to thank. In this episode of Style DNA, I sit down with the brilliant entrepreneur behind Ruuby, the concierge beauty app that has revolutionized the way we book and receive our treatments. A true multi-hyphenate, Venetia started out in the corporate world, where she...

In this episode I go on a style journey with the longest standing former editor of British Vogue …  Alexandra Shulman CBE.    As a young designer at the time I will never forget being invited by Alex to a one on one lunch at San Lorenzo not long after she became Editor in Chief.  I didn’t quite know what to expect, but I came away thinking how kind and approachable she was…in fact the polar opposi...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with one of the original YouTubers Jim Chapman. It’s hard to believe that that was only 15 years ago and yet it feels, to me at least, like half a life time ago. I am showing my age now, but when I was Gen Z age the internet didn’t even exist and we were consuming our news the old fashioned way…via a printed newspaper or on television, now onlin...

This episode's Style DNA guest is the Best-Selling and multi award winning English Singer, Businesswoman, Model and Actress - the truly fabulous Rachel Stevens. Rachel is best known as one seventh of one of the largest pop bands of the noughties,  S Club 7. Rachel tells me about her sliding doors moment when she was in the right place at the right time to audition for the band and the rest, they s...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the Author, Diversity Advocate, Speaker and Influencer, the simply positively infectious and inspirational, Candice Brathwaite.   Candice is a prominent British author. Her latest book, Manifest(o) was released in September 2024, becoming an instant Sunday Times Best-seller…with good reason. Sharing her revolutionary and inclusive approach...

In this episode of Style DNA podcast I go on a style journey with a long time friend and collaborator, the woman who I think is the most passionate fashion editor I have ever met… the inimitable and fabulously energetic Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou. Sophia is the Founder, Global Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of 10 Magazine, 10 Men and 10+.  In 24 years, the 10 Magazine empire has grown to include a...

I kick off Season 7 of Style DNA with a dose of true hilarity from the queen of quick quips and feminist observational wit,  the brilliant and irreverently funny million copy best-selling author Kathy Lette.  Many moons ago we shared a hilarious evening at a bar in Florence… I can remember howling with laughter all night…  Oh my, how I have laughed and laughed re-listening to this recording, tryin...

In the final episode of Season 6 of Style DNA I go on a style journey with none other than the Retired Ballerina, the President of the Royal Academy of Dance, Presenter, Judge and Classical Ballet Coach at the Royal Ballet Company …the dazzling and divine Dame Darcey Bussell DBE.   Full disclosure, I have been a fan of Darcey’s dancing for as long as I can remember …not only was she the most techn...

In this episode of Style DNA I go on a style journey with the British television personality, entrepreneur, and social media influencer, best known for her role on the reality TV show Made in Chelsea, the wonderfully down to earth Mother of 3 Binky Felstead. Binky’s new show, Beyond Chelsea, has just launched on E4 and she assures me that it is a very different kind of show…more a diary of her lif...

In this episode I go on a style journey with former British number one Tennis player, Broadcaster and Commentator the serene and gorgeous Annabel Croft. Annabel is the BBC commentator and pundit for the coverage of Wimbledon and hosts the Wimbledon finals ceremony … of course we chat about planning her on screen looks particularly for the final’s days.    Annabel grew up on the tennis circuit, (th...

In this week’s episode of Style DNA I chat with the original Princess of Punk, the truly extraordinary, iconic and zany, Dame Zandra Rhodes DBE. Known for her fabulously bold prints, she launched her eponymous fashion brand 56 years ago. Rhodes is renowned for perfecting the art-of-print as an intrinsic influence on garment shape. With dramatic designs and her own distinctive look, she paved the w...