50 Shades Of Chic
Photographer: Mark Anthony Fox
Hair and makeup: Ili Mavroidakou
In partnership with UNIQLO
Micaela Sharp
Upholsterer and interior designer Micaela Sharp has built a reputation drenched in lavish colour. Passionate about sustainability and quality, she conjures vibrant bespoke furniture and decorates the sort of dazzling homes that offer up an opulent feast for the eyes.
“Colour is at the heart of everything I design. I use it to create feeling within spaces, whilst exploring different combinations to keep the palette interesting. The colours that resonate with me are those found in nature – shades such as olive green, sky blue and lilac, which I find calming and grounding.”
Annie Morris
While her body of work includes tapestry, painting and drawing, British artist Annie Morris is best known for her Stack sculptures. Made up of irregularly shaped, technicolour orbs, each rainbow pillar is painted in vivid pigments, creating a dramatic counterbalance between “precarious” structure and powerful colour.
“Colour has always been very important to me. I like the idea of separating colour and keeping it in its pure form. There’s something very powerful in these moments of colour, it gives me a feeling of hope.”
Ruthie Rogers
An icon in the restaurant world, Ruthie Rogers is the American-born British chef who owns and runs Michelin-starred Italian eatery, The River Café. Alongside food, Ruthie (aka Baron Rogers of Riverside) has a passion for colour, recognising its uniquely uplifting qualities.
“Colour is crucial to my life – in our home, we have a yellow bed; in The River Cafe, the wood oven is pink. And I never wear black. I love UNIQLO for the incredible colours, and the reason I chose this jumper is because it is as blue as the Italian sky in the summer.”
Simon Lycett
Simon Lycett has been fascinated with flowers since childhood, an obsession he cultivated into a career as a globally renowned florist. Lycett believes surrounding yourself with botanical beauty is the key to a better frame of mind, and places colour front and centre of his creative vision.
“To my eye there isn’t a colour combination that doesn’t work – be it pale pastel tones juxtaposed with a pop of vibrant green, or a wine-gum palette of brights. I love playing with colour combinations and delight in how they make me feel – enjoying the power of the clash; the harmony of disharmony.”
Tobias Vernon
Interior designer, gallerist and the talent behind chic antiques and art emporium 8 Holland Street, Tobias Vernon has an innate understanding of colour and its bold impact. He uses vibrant modernist imagery, ceramics and furnishings to bring personality and edge to coolly pared-back, white interiors.
“A foolproof way to ensure colours sing alongside each other is to collect objects of art and design which you love. If they hold their own individually, you can have the confidence they will fuse together in a display. I think it’s much the same with what I wear: a simple, monochromatic base offset by a few more vibrant items.”
