Amanda Wakeley: StyleDNA

In this episode I go on a Style Journey with the iconic hairstylist Sam McKnight MBE. Sam’s unparalleled portfolio of work reads like a who’s-who of high-fashion and A-list celebrity: he is credited with the creation of Princess Diana's iconic slicked-back hairstyle for her 1990 Vogue magazine shoot, and was her personal hair stylist for seven years. He has worked extensively with the supermodels...

In this episode I go on a Style journey with Singer, Songwriter and Musician Corinne Bailey Rae… and what a joy it was. Corinne shot to stardom with her self-titled, Corinne Bailey Rae debut album in 2006, featuring the global hits 'Put Your Records On' and 'Like A Star'. Corinne is one of those people who paints beautiful pictures with their words… I felt like every word that she spoke was purpos...

This week’s episode is with the eponymous founder of Karen Millen, Karen herself. Her story is an interesting one…she founded her brand with her husband Kevin Stanford in 1981. Using a £100 loan they purchased 100 metres of white cotton which she whipped up into stylish shirts and they sold party-style to friends. From this they gradually grew a retail empire founded on their commitment to afforda...

In this episode I go on a style journey with Melissa Odabash MBE. After entering the swimwear industry as a model Melissa launched her eponymous label in 1999. She is credited with ‘introducing high fashion into resortwear’ with her swimwear being quickly described by Vogue as ‘The Ferraris of the bikini world.'  Her first collection was curated with chic solid coloured bikinis, however this soon...

This week’s Style DNA style journey is with actor, writer, photographer and artist Lisa Hogan AKA The Tall Irish. Lisa is Co-Founder of the now infamous Diddly Squat Farm Shop on Clarkson’s Farm…she is not only Jeremy Clarkson’s girlfriend, she is his hilarious accomplice and harshest critic with her fast wit and dry sense of humour. Her ability to laugh at herself recounting her sartorial stories...

This week I go on a style journey with TV and Radio Presenter, Model, Author, Menopause campaigner, Podcast host AND Celebrity Master Chef Winner, the gorgeous Lisa Snowdon. Lisa and I worked out that the first time we met was when we were both London Fashion Week virgins…the first show she walked in was the first show I put on…Fashion has reconnected us over the years and it was lovely to sit dow...

Season 3 launches with none other than the supermodel that is David Gandy as my guest… I know, it was a tough job interviewing the most famous male supermodel in the world but someone’s got to do it and fortunately for me, and hopefully you, he chose to chat all things Style with me. David shot to global recognition wearing a pair of tiny white swimming trunks for the iconic Dolce and Gabbana Ligh...

This week I go on a sartorial journey with Canadian film maker David Furnish. David is CEO of Rocket Entertainment Group and Chairman of the Elton John AIDS Foundation which has raised a staggering $600 million to dateto support programs in 55 countries around the globe through prevention and education, elimination of prejudice and discrimination, and providing services to people living with the d...

In this episode I go on a sartorial journey with the Fashion Designer, Business Woman and mother of five the brilliant Anya Hindmarch CBE. Anya founded her eponymous company as a teenager in 1987 and has since grown it into an award-winning global brand known for its craftsmanship, creativity and sense of humour.  She launched the hugely successful 'I'm Not a Plastic Bag' campaign in 2007 which sa...

This week I go on a Style journey with Philanthropist, Designer and mother of 5, the wonderful India Hicks. India is the daughter of the celebrated interior designer David Hicks and Lady Pamela Mountbatten, a lady in waiting to the late Queen.  She is a god daughter of the King, was a bridesmaid to Lady Diana Spencer and resides in Harbour Island, the Bahamas with her husband David Flint Wood and...

This week I go on a style journey with my gorgeous friend Yasmin Le Bon. Yasmin walked in my inaugural London Fashion Week show back in the early 90’s…it was my first exposure to a super model (which I had assumed would be pretty intimidating) but she was kind, encouraging and incredibly down to earth…oh, and totally breathtakingly beautiful. Despite her global fame and the fact she has been marri...

In this episode I go on a style journey with Broadcaster and Amnesty Ambassador … the human ray of sunshine that is Vick Hope. Vick is one of the most joyful and positive women I have met in a long time. Chatting to her I wished that my 21 year old self could have been a fly on the wall for the conversation and taken on board some of her wisdom. Her sense of self and acceptance of who she is is in...

My podcast guest this week is the designer, entrepreneur and podcaster Ollie Proudlock. Ollie grew up surrounded by creativity, his mother was a knitwear designer and he remembers Ralph Lauren’s visits to their family home where Ralph would select designs from his mother’s Fair Isle collection, often modelled by him, his friends and his siblings.  After attending Art College Ollie starred in 10 se...

This week on the podcast I go on a style journey with the funny and self-deprecating former You Magazine Editor and now CEO of Children with Cancer Charity, Jo Elvin. I first met Jo in the late 90’s when she was editor of New Woman (we both admitted to being slightly intimidated by the other)…she went on to become editor in chief of Conde Nast’s Glamour magazine, a position she held for 17 years b...

This week I head on a sartorial journey with Broadcaster Miquita Oliver. Growing up in West London and the niece of Neneh Cherry, Miquita was surrounded by the music world …she was recruited at the tender age of 16 to present Channel 4’s cult Sunday morning pop culture show, Popworld, with Simon Amstell. In 2022 Miquita and her mother, TV chef and presenter Andi Oliver, featured in a BBC televisio...

I am kicking off Series 2 by going on a sartorial journey with Actress, Singer, Producer, Radio Presenter…the star who is known as the First Lady of British Musical Theatre…the wonderful and brilliant Elaine Paige OBE. This petite pocket rocket is a force of nature… she has wowed audiences through the decades starring in everything from Cats to Sunset Boulevard to Evita to Piaff and so much more…...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA.I have kept the hilarious Style DNA conversation I had with Singer Songwriter and Musician James Blunt until last in this first series… After leaving the military, James rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album Back to Bedlam, achieving worldwide fame with the sing...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Paula Sutton – Digital Creator, columnist and author Paula Sutton. After starting off as a press officer for Elite Premier model agency in London, she worked in fashion PR and as a model agent before landing at Elle, where she was the bookings director (plann...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Anita Rani – TV and Radio Presenter, Author. Anita’s career spans over 20 years and she is a true girl’s girl, happy to share her ups and her downs…the hard knocks of being a brown girl (her words) growing up in a very white Britain…Her recently published and...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Lisa Armstrong OBE….Lisa is The Telegraph's Head of Fashion. She began her career in fashion at Vogue. She has written four novels, has an honorary doctorate from the University of Arts in London and was awarded an OBE in 2022 for services to fashion. After a...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Liz Earle MBE …In this episode I go on a sartorial journey with Liz Earle MBE…Liz has been a trusted authority in the world of wellbeing for over 30 years. She has written over 35 books on many aspects of nutritional, hormonal and gut health, as well as being...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Ella Vaday - I always knew that I wanted to include a Drag Artist in this first series. I was fortunate enough to be introduced to the brilliant and very modest Ella Vaday (say Hell Of A Day fast and you will understand the humour behind the name), AKA Nick C...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Michele Clapton, celebrated British costume designer. Michele was the costume designer for Game of Thrones for which she won 3 Emmy Awards. She created the iconic costumes in the first season of The Crown, as well as Kingsman and The Devil’s Whore (for which...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Dylan Jones OBE –the man who edited GQ for no fewer than 22 years, creator of the now iconic GQ Men of the Year awards. During his time as editor of GQ the magazine won an unprecedented number of awards and he garnered an almost unparalleled understanding of...

Join Amanda Wakeley as she is joined by a different celebrity guest each week as she uncovers their very own Style DNA. This week's guest is Tasha Ghouri – Model, Ebay UK Preloved ambassador, Love Island finalist with 1.5m followers on Instagram and advocate for Deaf Kidz, Tasha was born deaf and makes a point of not hiding her cochlear hearing implant referring to it as her Superpower, although s...