Metier Affiliate Spotlight |Introducing Anita Feron Clark of feron clark style
This week’s ‘Affiliate Spotlight’ is on feron clark style, founded by Anita Feron Clark.
How I met Anita….
I’ve known Anita for over a decade, having met her at a friend’s post-baby-wardrobe-refresher party. My friend looked positively amazing and her confidence was back! I pounced on Anita shortly afterwards and she came round to my home to sort out my wardrobe.
At the time, I was working for a large architectural firm in Covent Garden and everyone used to wear pretty much exactly what they wanted. Most of my female colleagues wore black (which I just can’t do) and the men’s attire ranged from director-type suits to board shorts…. no joke! I was in my twenties and most definitely had NOT found my identity yet and gasp…. can’t believe I’m about to share this…. I used to wear cargo-pants and polar-necks…. oh the shame!
Suffice it to say, Anita was far too professional to comment on my dire wardrobe, however, she gave me plenty of really useful advice about the types of colours that suit my skin tone; the styles that suit my shape, and, I have to say, clothes shopping became soooooo much easier after that.
Fast-forwarding some (ok, many) years, Anita is still my go-to person for advice on the perfect dress for the pitch for that corporate client….and yes, the Metier Christmas party too.
Metier Affiliate : feron clark style
……was founded by Anita Feron Clark who is a personal, corporate and home stylist. With over 20 years experience in the fashion industry, Anita began her own Personal Styling and Image Consultancy business back in 2007, with the aim to help men and women to decipher their own ‘personal brand’. She has worked as a clothing buyer and as an associate lecturer at the London College of Fashion. She was style editor for Essence, Surrey’s premier lifestyle magazine. Following this busy career, Anita set up her own company, www.feronclarkstyle.com, 11 years ago to work with individuals and corporate teams to improve their image and personal presence. She is a multi-award-winning image consultant. Clients describe feron clark style as professional, approachable and energising.
For Anita, getting the elements of personal styling spot on can have a major impact on how you feel and how others perceive you. If you feel great about the way you look, it really increases your confidence – whether it’s work or leisure.
Furthermore, it’s no surprise that those in business want to look their best at all times (although this is perhaps tricky for those in the Design industry, sporting steel-cap boots , high-vis jackets and hard hats on-site!). With client meetings and business events a daily occurrence for most, it’s important that your outward appearance looks great. After all, first impressions do count!
Does Your Brand/Business Reflect Your Style Personality?
How would you or others describe your style personality? Classic, City Chic, Natural, Bohemian, Feminine, Creative, Dramatic, Vintage, etc.? Your style personality and how you choose to wear your clothes are your ‘brand’ – they affect how others perceive you. It’s about what are you communicating, consciously or unconsciously as someone who runs their own business or as an employee.
What Do the Details Show?
A research project conducted by a psychologist states that people form an opinion about you in the first 30 seconds of meeting you. As a result, only 7% of that is to do with words; while a whopping 93%, along with your body language, tone and pitch of your voice, is about the way you look.
Research demonstrates that you can tell a lot about someone’s personality, style, politics, taste just from looking at the way they dress for work, in particular in their choice of accessories, such as shoes. And for example, the perfect smiling headshot on LinkedIn is profoundly important to convey this is what you stand for, especially with the right colours and make-up.
When you’re dressing or grooming, feron clark style might advise you to consider what your choices say about you and whether this is in line with the message you want to communicate about your brand. Most importantly, there’s no right or wrong; it’s all about context.
Did you notice that whenever Barack Obama addressed a crowd of working-class Americans, he would speak without a jacket and with his sleeves rolled up? In this way, he silently and instantly communicated to his audience that he was on their wavelength.
As an Interior Designer, Your Clothing Impacts not only Your Thinking, but Your Brand!
Dressing in a way that reflects your style personality aligns to your brand’s personality. For example, do you want your brand to be perceived as classic, chic, fun, colourful, feminine, masculine, trendy etc.? New research shows that it actually impacts how you think. One study found that dressing appropriately and in line with a company’s values increases positive thinking and gives people a broader perspective.
Anita specialises in ensuring that ‘personal branding’ reflects itself in your business. She does this by ensuring that you are dressed appropriately, paying particular attention to a number of key factors.
Anita believes that it’s important that your personality is reflected through your clothes and accessories. For an Interior Designer, it’s important to have a distinctive style that chimes with your Interior style. If your client thinks your clothes are boring, chances are, they won’t be that keen on you designing their home!
‘Dressing in a current style, rather than dated, is also important’, says Anita. Just as you keep up to date with the latest interior design trends, it is key for your brand that you are aware of the latest trends in the Fashion industry. It is also important to wear clothes that compliment your body shape.
Anita’s 6 Top Tips for Interior Designer’s heading to a client meeting:
- For ladies – no leggings, these are just too casual for a first time meeting.
- No jeans…ever! How will your potential client take you seriously if you look like you are off to the movies?
- Make sure your nails are neat and tidy. No scruffy bitten fingernails.
- The shorter the hem line, the lower the heel; the longer the hem line, the higher the heel.
- No trainers!
- If you might need to head to a working (dirty) site either after / before your client meeting – take a change of clothes & shoes with you and change.
If you are a Metier Member…….
….then you are eligible for exciting Metier Affiliate Discounts of between 25 – 50% on any of Anita’s services such as colour, styling, wardrobe re-vamp etc.
If you are looking for a wardrobe refresher / personal styling or colour advice – then Anita’s expertise will help you put your best foot forward in 2019! + if you are a Metier Member, then just email Anita with proof of your membership and snap up these amazing discounts!
Anita’s contact details are:
T: 0208 408 4445
Connect with her on:
Metier Rendezvous is a peer support network for Interior Designers! We provide day-to-day pro-active and friendly support for all our members.
Collaboratively, we share business ideas, tips and even brainstorm on projects together.
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