After almost 35 years as a model in the fashion industry, Lisa Snowdon’s wardrobe is a treasure trove of goodies – and a very desirable source of outfits for her young nieces.
Now 53, Hertfordshire-born Lisa has graced the catwalks of many a top designer label as well as the front covers of high-end glossy magazines, and has become a fashion icon for a generation of women.
But her style has evolved and changed, she tells us, as has her attitude to shopping and her self-confessed habit of hoarding.
“My style has definitely evolved over the years and I’m all about the fabrics nowadays – and the pockets and shoulder pads,” she says grinning, looking every inch a style guru in black-rimmed glasses.
“I love the little details that can totally change a look and also the attitude of the person wearing it. All of us ladies are always now saying, ‘Oh, it’s got pockets!’ and I think it’s really become a bit more of a thing for us and we carry ourselves differently. That wasn’t the case for me 20 years ago – I’m all about the finishes and fabrics now.”
Lisa, who lives in north London with her fiancé George Smart, has been modelling since she was 19 and was once the face of Gucci and a Vogue cover star.
Over the past few decades, she’s become a source of fashion inspiration for a somewhat more demanding market – women of a certain age who want their clothes to work hard for them, as well as look good – and she regularly shares her advice on shows such as This Morning . But, while her favourite pieces lean towards the comfortable end of the spectrum, she still has a few special items she’s saving for some very special people – her nieces.
Among her most prized possessions (although they are stored in one of the many bags in her loft ready for her nieces, aged 12 and eight, to rummage through) is a rather sexy Dolce & Gabbana corset and skirt she bought at the start of her career.
“When it was my 21st birthday, I was in Milan modelling and went into Dolce & Gabbana for the first time – and probably the last actually because it’s not a place I shop in, even though they have some fabulous clothes – and I bought a crazy corset with a skirt. I wore it to my birthday party and I still have it. I just love it. It’s all black satin with lace.
“It’s very sexy, very Dolce & Gabbana. I’ve also got a couple of Vivienne Westwood pieces that I love and have kept because she’s so iconic. But I did get rid of a couple of pieces because they didn’t fit me and I wish I hadn’t. I think I was in one of my mad, angry perimenopausal moments where I just threw stuff out or gave them away.”
Lisa, who has become a brand ambassador for high street fashion retailer, Bonmarché, says angry perimenopausal moments aside, she tries her best to be mindful about what she buys and wears.
She has a ‘one in/one or two out’ policy when it comes to clothing, but keeps the special items for her young nieces and nephews. And – a heads-up for those who live in north London – she also makes regular trips to her local charity shops to donate items that she doesn’t wear any more.
“I always have lots of different piles going on – things to put in space-saver bags in the loft, things to go to local charity and stuff for friends and family. And like most of us ladies, my weight fluctuates, so there’s also the pile of stuff that doesn’t fit me any more but I might desperately want them to fit! So I just do lots of piles but have to keep on top of them so I can see what I’ve got.”
Lisa’s latest role as an ambassador with Bonmarché signals a new phase in her fashion career and, she says, she wanted her edit to be all about mixing and matching – and taking the headache out of sometimes confusing and overwhelming wardrobes. And, ironically, after years spent working in an industry where sizing is everything – and some would argue it’s a case of the smaller the better – Lisa’s fashion tip is to size up.
“I’m much more conscious of not having too much skin on show at all times nowadays,” she says. “If I’ve got my arms out, my legs are covered and vice versa. I feel more comfortable that way now. One of my top tips is to size up, especially in tops. I think it makes an outfit look a little bit more luxe when something is more relaxed – I don’t like that feeling of things being too snug.”
One of Lisa’s own style icons is entrepreneur George, who she has been engaged to for eight years and who turns 46 this summer. She describes his style as “very cool, almost Scandi/Japanese style” with an especially good taste in footwear.
“I think we’ve all been guilty back in the day of meeting a nice guy and telling our friends, ‘But I didn’t like his shoes,’ which is actually terrible really,” says Lisa. “But luckily George has really great style and if he didn’t, I’d probably just shop for him.”
Following a break in the Caribbean for Lisa’s 53rd birthday in January, the couple are gearing up for a busy summer with lots of travel. While they’ve yet to pin down the destination for George’s birthday in June (Puglia is high on the list), there’s a July trip planned for a special birthday celebration in Los Angeles for Lisa’s friend of more than 20 years, Michele Merkin, who she met when she was in the US. The celebrations mark Michele’s 50th and Lisa is already planning her “series of outfits”.
“She’s like my sister from another mister,” she says, laughing. “She’s the salt and I’m the pepper. She’s tall and blonde, half-Swedish and absolutely stunning with the biggest, kindest heart and is so much fun. She’s having a big, big, big birthday bash, so the preparation for that is quite intense because I need to find a whole series of outfits and George has already got his sorted.”
Lisa’s influence on fashion and beauty trends by no means ended when she stepped away from the catwalk and she’s become a sort of influencer for the middle aged. But that’s not to say she’s immune from the pressure of seeking eternal youth and she has a “never say never” approach to interventional help.
“I just think people are entitled to do what the hell they want in order to make themselves feel good and confident,” she says. “There are some great treatments now that are more subtle and kind of get your body working for itself. I’ve tried various radio frequency treatments and microneedling – I’m into all those things. I’ve always had a really good at-home beauty regime and I am slightly beauty obsessed. It just comes with the territory of what I’ve been doing for a living for the last 35 years and I like to share with my community as well.”
So would she consider going under the knife for something more invasive?
“Well, I’m not very good at even watching things like 24 Hours In A&E because I’m squeamish with blood and things like that, so I haven’t gone under the knife. But, I mean, who knows? Maybe one day I would.”
Lisa Snowdon is Bonmarché’s new brand ambassador. Seebonmarche.co.uk or visit one of its 230+ stores nationwide.
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