Whether you’ve heard of her or not, Yasmin Sewell is a fashion force to be reckoned with. She’s the reason many know the brands Acne, Christopher Kane and Peter Pilotto. She’s a street style star turned fashion buyer and boutique owner turned fashion and retail and creative consultant and now fronts Style.com. The accomplished trend forecaster is certainly a figure to commemorate in the fashion industry. Keeping up with the times, her social media shows no slacking either with her impeccable and often quirky style giving her over 90k followers on Instagram. Most recently, at the Roksanda, Jonathan Saunders and Chloe presentations, but you’ll spot Sewell in numerous front rows of fashion shows around the world – dressed to impress. She shares in an interview on matchesfashion.com, ‘My wardrobe is full of amazing things that I love but never wear, but come fashion week I think, “Right, time to put your heels on and stop being lazy!” Demonstrating her creativity, confidence and knowledge she dresses differently in the different cities; looking feminine with a statement dress in NYC, sporting streetwear in Paris and wearing her chic best in London.

In an interview with Sarah Mower for Vogue, she describes her style as a mixture of ‘mannish blazers, boyfriend jeans, or wide-leg trousers’. Her shoes are usually simple; a pair of pumps ‘with some sort of interesting detail’ as she states. She’s mentioned brands like Acne and Céline as her most worn,whilst she likes Stella McCartney’s tailoring and Proenza Schouler outerwear. She loves Reece Hudson bags and describes sunglasses as her thing; recommending Sheriff & Cherry; a Croatian label. Sewell is known for pushing the boundaries, attempting to creatively collate an outfit to fashion new trends. She truly masters the art of modern, androgynous femininity.

“For me, it’s always really important to create balance in an outfit and to offset elements against each other. I feel that looks can work so much better when you contrast masculine and feminine” – Yasmin Sewell (Wardrobe icons)

Australian-born Sewell fell in love with fashion in her early life, around the age of nine, while watching her mother sew a taffeta ballgown using the iconic Singer sewing machine. She’s stated in a previous interview, ‘It was the 1980s and I had an off-the-shoulder pink taffeta ball gown that blew my mind!’ About a decade later, she realised she wanted to work in the fashion industry and her vision to improve and enhance the fashion industry began. The fashion expert started her fashion career in New York, working as an intern at Harper’s Bazaar. She was soon recommended to Harper’s & Queen in London. At the age of 22 after relocating to London two years before, she decided to start her own business, opening her own boutique; Yasmin Cho. There you could find designers she loved like, Rick Owens, Pierre Hardy and Maison Martin Margiela, many brands then still unknown but for whom she provided a space and awareness.

‘It is my true belief that if you are happy, you have the energy levels and the ability to make things work: to solve problems and make decisions.’ – Yasmin Sewell (Vogue)

What makes Sewell different from other street style icons is her fashion intellect broadens to a vast and solid understanding of business and marketing. Working in real estate and as a buyer in her early life meant those retail skills were fine-tuned and exercised. Consequently, this led to her starting her own namesake agency in 2008, a flourishing retail and fashion consultancy with clients such as, Liberty and Browns; consulting on branding concepts and forecasting trends. She works on a global scale with many brands and designers wanting to break into the tough industry attempting to create a fashion world more accessible and approachable. Sewell knows customers, sales and technology, which means she’s able to help businesses achieve better for instance, she’s responsible for encouraging J.W. Anderson to extend his business into womenswear.  Her conscious and well founded intuition means she’s an extremely trusted and valued authority in the fashion industry. Luxury houses, Chloe, JW Anderson and Acne rely on her for forecasting reports. When asked how she maintains her track record of spotting fashion talent, she emphasised how important it is for designers to be unique and stand out, looking for ‘someone on another level – who is thinking way ahead, on their own path’. Her adoration for originality is prominent, so much so that she cites it as one of the reason she likes living in London, the individuality and eccentricity appealing to her.

‘Creativity doesn’t come from thinking – it comes from feeling.’ – Yasmin Sewell (Vogue)

Sewell’s incredible legacy and portfolio doesn’t end there. She shares her office space with her husband, Kyle Robinson, founder of fashion marketing, wholesale and distribution company, Paper Mache Tiger (of which she’s creative director). Her knowledge and comprehension of all things fashion means she’s also part of the British Fashion Council’s New Gen committee; the association supporting and encouraging young and up and coming designers, where she can help impart her wisdom and advice. Additionally,. she’s the co-founder and creative director of label Etre Cecile; designing and selling casual, contemporary yet luxe french-inspired basics.

Yasmin Sewell is evidence of how confident intuition, diligence, motivation and passion truly works and is an inspiring icon in the huge world of fashion.

Andrea Manouchou