By British influencer Lucy Williams is one of the most stylish women on the fashion circuit. With a 370,000-strong Instagram following, an astute eye and wildly popular collaborations under her belt, she’s at the vanguard of social media. But behind the picture-perfect grid, Lucy battles the comparison trap like the rest of us.
We meet in London’s Soho, the backdrop for ELLE's street style shoot. Lucy's warm and unassuming, chatting about her new love (a rescue puppy called Finn) while combing through pieces from Mango’s autumn/winter 2018 collection.
The brightly coloured knits, '70s inspired animal print and off-beat checks are the perfect accompaniment, especially since the Spanish brand’s new campaign is all about personal ties and togetherness. As we admire the pieces, Lucy discusses her celebrated style and how a close female network has shaped her success.
Your wardrobe is coveted around the world – what inspires your style?
I’m seriously into TV so watching a show can really influence my look. Right now, I love dressing like Carrie Bradshaw in Season 4 of Sex And The City. I recently went to Copenhagen Fashion Week and now want to dress like a Scandinavian. The women there wear big trainers with beautiful dresses in such a unique, cool way. Of course, Instagram is an eternal source of inspiration too — I’m such a fangirl of Nuria Val and Zippy Seven.
Going into autumn, what are you excited to wear?
I’m looking forward to checks and tartans. It’s fun to try more unexpected pieces, like a checked bag or slightly out-there trousers. Mango is great at making the latest trends accessible. On the footwear front, white cowboy boots are my jam. I’m also excited for slip dresses under big chunky jumpers with bare legs and big boots. I love getting dressed at this time of year.
Looking back at your career, is it surreal to inspire so many women's wardrobes?
Totally. I never intended to become ‘an influencer’. It was eight years ago when I first launched Fashion Me Now. I was working in magazines and would put images from my shoots or outfits from fashion week on the blog. But I would be mortified if anyone discovered it. At first, it was my dirty little secret.
When did you consider working on it full-time?
It was about five years after setting it up when a few projects started coming in. It made me realise that this thing has legs. At the time, I had been working for a trends forecasting company for three years so it was the natural time to move on.
I quit my job, although the plan wasn't to work on the blog full-time. The issue was I didn’t like taking pictures of myself. I can be my own worst critic and was worried people would think I’m a narcissist. Then people started commenting that I should post more, so I did. I learnt to be a lot kinder to myself and things evolved from there.
Was the idea of working for yourself also appealing?
Yeah, I’ve been my own boss for four years now and it really suits me. I’m lucky that the nature of my job means I’m always working with people, so I never feel too isolated. There’s always someone to collaborate with, or to have a meeting with, or go on trips with. I’ve made so many real-life friends through connecting over mutual interests.
I love that mix of working on a shoot like this, then retreating home to be back in my bubble. I’ll work at my kitchen table until 11pm three nights a week, then take the Friday afternoon off to do whatever I want. That freedom is amazing. On the downside, you do struggle to switch off. There’s always something more to be done. I don’t think I’ve completed a to-do list since 2007.
You’re now part of the #MangoGirls crew – was that a natural progression?
I make a point of only saying yes to the projects that really speak to me and this is a really nice fit. You can effortlessly pull the pieces into your current wardrobe without trying too hard. I never feel overdone in Mango. I also like the other ‘Mango Girls’, so when we go on trips together, you get that family feeling.
That works nicely with Mango’s campaign – what does togetherness mean to you?
For me, female empowerment is being supportive of everyone’s uniqueness. We should feel confident in making life choices without the fear of judgement, whether that’s staying at home with your kids or being the CEO of a company.
How has that influenced your own career?
In all honesty, I owe my whole job to supportive female communities. Every day, I meet like-minded people who encourage each other to try new things. I started off in fashion, but now work across travel, beauty, interiors. It’s exciting to work in so many fields.
On a personal level, I’m really lucky to have a great group of friends, two sisters and a big family. They encourage everything I do, they give me supportive feedback and leave lovely comments. It’s nice to know I have an audience that is always kind and positive.
And how do you manage the less-than-positive feedback?
It's tricky. Negative comments are an inevitable side-effect of living your life online, so you have to be strict with yourself. If you’re going down an unconstructive slope, remember that you don’t have to be online. Put your phone down. Get outside. Have a drink at the pub with a real-life friend.
It’s easy to get bogged down in the online noise, so I've loved using an old 35mm film camera to shoot lots of my travel content and only posting what I need to from my phone, then taking a step back and enjoying my real life. I never want to get to the point where the sum of my work is how many Likes I get.
It’s often comparison that makes women feel inferior and Instagram can be a haven for that…
Exactly. Competition can be hard, but I do feel there is plenty of room for everyone. I can fall into the well of comparing myself to others with seemingly more perfect lives and feel my house isn’t as nice or I should be at a different life stage.
Social media is a new industry and I haven’t had to get a degree to be on Instagram, so, technically, anyone can do it. Sometimes I catch myself and think, “Who says I’m qualified to be doing this job?” When you have moments of self doubt, it's best to stay focused, use your platform for good and keep doing you.
Get together with Mango - shop the new collection here
