Laois stylist on making the cut in UK fashion search

Laois native, Joolie Collier, is a stylist working in London whose career is on the rise. Having worked with brands like ASOS, Topshop, American Apparel and Urban Outfitters her styling is individual, fresh and ever so slightly urban. A fan of sports lux and minimalism, Collier focuses on strong, simple cuts mixed with sportier pieces. In keeping things simple, Collier lets the clothes speak for themselves. Her instagram page displays her love of clean, white textures and fabrics, as well as her keen eye. Collier names Grace Coddington, Kate Phelan and Angela Scanlon as just some of the women who inspire her.

Collier is currently leading a UK-wide search for the next big fashion stylist. The competition, which is now down to 12 semi-finalists, is being judged by a panel, as well as by the public vote. Collier is currently leading with 6,566 “likes”, nearly 2,000 more than second place, Gabriele Gzimailaite. Collier isn’t complacent though. She describes the competition as fierce. “There are bloggers I’m competing against,” she says “that have gigantic followers on social media and these girls are extremely ambitious, as they have to be.

“With London Fashion Week putting the spotlight on fashion, one big push from one of them and they could overtake me.” Collier jokes that to balance that, she has been “hounding my friends, family, colleagues and every single person I know for votes.” She even has her family rallying votes outside their local Mass.

Collier studied at University College Cork, and then quickly moved to London. On arrival she found the anonymity in the big city comforting, “it was a place to take a risk, and just go for it,” she explains. She initially spent some time running an Irish Food company before deciding to take a risk and pursue a career in styling. “My dad thought I was mad,” she says, “When I told him what I was about to do, he said ‘you are leaving a job, with good money to go and work for free? I don’t get it’”. But Collier explains that fashion was always in her. “I know it’s a cliché but since I was small I loved clothes, and fashion was in my genes. The only thing that got my gran out of bed in the end was shopping, GAA and Mass. And it that order.”

Two days before the shoot which got her into the semi-final, Collier’s grandmother passed away. Her family supported Collier over the phone and ensured that she stayed in London for the competition by delaying the funeral until she got home. “My mum said that it was what gran would have wanted. And she was right. And now I know I have her looking down on me, supporting me and minding me.”

The 27-year-old stylist will find out today whether she has gotten into the finals of the competition (and you can vote for her online here until then). She says “Even if it’s not my time and I don’t win, I have loved every single second of the experience and the doors it has opened have been incredible.”