Edel bursting with ideas as fashion column gets makeover

EDEL Jackson has had a life-long love affair with fashion. Originally from Co Carlow, Edel is unsure about where her deep love for clothes came from.

“Even as a child I was always into fashion and looking at what people were wearing,” Edel said. “In those days when my parents were going out, it was all kind of long dresses, so I would have always enjoyed watching my mother get ready for a night out because it was a lot more glamorous in those days” However, while she was always reading fashion magazines and trying to keep up with the latest trends and movements in the industry, she did not feel confident enough to pursue it as a career when she was younger.

“I studied history and politics in UCD. I worked in Irish local development for a number of years as I did a masters in development studies at UCD,” Edel said.

Eventually, Edel decided to do a diploma in fashion styling and because she enjoyed it so much, she wanted to see what a career in fashion would look like. She also started to do a lot of personal styling for her friends and family. This usually meant going out shopping with them and teaching them how to put an outfit together and what styles suited them. People were pleased with what they got out of these styling sessions and so Edel was approached by friends of friends and others who wanted her advice.

“It just kind of evolved from there into a business idea,” Edel said.

Alongside her work as a personal stylist, Edel noticed a gap in the market for a company that resold designer items at a reduced rate that had not sold in boutiques the first time around.

“I had a company called Fashionista where I did a lot of designer clearance sales. I worked with a lot of boutiques and would take any stock they had left over after a number of seasons to different hotels around the country to sell at a greatly reduced price,” Edel said.

While this venture was commercially successful, it was also incredibly time consuming. In 2005 Edel welcomed her first child and had to wind down her business because she was unable to balance motherhood with the demands of the business. It was around that time that Edel began her working relationship with The Nationalist.

“I began to do makeovers with  The Nationalist, which then evolved into  Style Council,” Edel said.

Her weekly column has seen her answer readers’ fashion questions by suggesting styles and brands to suit that particular reader.

Style Council has worked successfully over the last 20 years, but I wanted to create something where instead of answering someone else’s questions I could choose the topic or trend. I am constantly reading and listening and looking at certain Instagram accounts. I always know what the issue or trend of the time is,” Edel said.

The format of Edel’s column will change, as each week she will deep dive into a topic, trend or designer that is relevant in the fashion world today.

“I might write about a certain designer who has influenced fashion or what is popular this season or a particular boot or viral trainer. It’s picking up on things that I am reading about at the time and transferring them instantly to the column rather than waiting for a chance to introduce it to readers through somebody’s problem,” Edel said.

Edel feels energised by this change in format and is bursting with ideas for the column. As her children have gotten older, she is taking on more personal shopping clients and feels that she has got better at spotting micro trends that are about to become big mainstream trends you will see everywhere.

For Edel, 90% of her clothes are from the high street, with ten per cent coming from designer or slightly more elevated brands. She does not believe that you have to dress head to toe in designer apparel to be fashionable or look good.

“I will buy some designer pieces like handbags or footwear, but I will probably still be wearing all high street clothes,” Edel said.

At present she is very influenced and inspired by Scandinavian influencers and fashion and believes that you can replicate their looks with finds from the high street. In particular, she believes that M&S are having a moment with lots of interesting pieces at an affordable price point.

Edel is a big believer that what you wear can influence your confidence and in turn your performance, whether that is at work or in a social setting. She hopes that her column will continue to help people feel good in what they wear.

See Style Counsel on pages 25 and 26 of The Nationalist each week.