If someone met you for the first time, what would they notice immediately?
‘’People usually notice the colour first. I’m obsessed with it, clashing it, colour blocking, making it feel alive. Then we have the accessories. I like a focal point or two. A hat, some statement sunglasses or a fabulous piece of jewellery that pulls everything together.’’
Has your style evolved over time, and how?
‘’My style is ever evolving, but I still wear pieces I bought 20 years ago. They feel timeless, like a part of me. Vintage has always been at the core of my world, I’m drawn to pieces with history and energy. Nothing about how I dress is fixed, I love the freedom of that. When I’m done with something, it moves on to its next story. These treasures are immortal.’’
Your journey began in London in the late ’90s. What was it about the city and its nightlife that drew you in?
“I moved to London as a student in the late ’90s, and I couldn’t wait to get there. It felt like the centre of everything. A melting pot of creativity, music, fashion and people. I went straight into nightlife during university, where I started promoting and building something. It was a very special time.”
What were your biggest influences at the time?
“Music was a huge influence from the start. I was deeply into hip-hop and R&B - that was the foundation of our first party in the West End. Visually, I was obsessed with Hype Williams, those glossy, hyper-styled worlds he created. That whole era of Missy Elliott, TLC, Lil’ Kim, Kelis, Eve - I was completely immersed in it.”
You then went on to co-found two defining London club nights, Kubicle and Show Pony. What set them apart?
“Kubicle came from a completely different energy. It was East London, mid-2000s underground, edgy, raw, but full of flavour and fun. It started as an afterparty, but we gave it a feminine edge, made it our own.”
“Show pony was its grown-up, polished sister party. Pure glamour, disco, fantasy, escapism. Very much inspired by Studio 54. If I had to define them, I’d say Show Pony was Studio 54, and Kubicle was Paradise Garage - the naughtier afters.”
What did that era teach you about fashion and style?
“For me, fashion has always been intertwined with music and atmosphere. It’s about creating a world and celebrating it with the people you bring into it.''
What’s a song that instantly brings you back?
‘’India in Me by Cobblestone Jazz.''
Beyoncé wearing Liz' Pucci vintage pants for Dazed
When you style someone, what are you hoping to bring out in the person?
‘’A big part of it is reading the person. Understanding their energy, what they’re comfortable with, what they’re ready for. Their insecurities and favorite parts of their bodies, and then there has to be trust. They have to trust me enough to go there, to try something they might not have chosen themselves.''
‘’I’ve always liked that shift taking someone slightly out of what they know and showing them something new that still feels like them. If there’s no glint in the eye, if they’re not owning it, then it’s not for them. It has to feel natural, even when it’s bold.’’
You moved to Ibiza in 2017. What shifted creatively when you arrived on the island?
‘’Moving to Ibiza shifted everything for me. It softened things but in a very real way. In the summer, I still had that fast-paced London energy, I arrived with but the winters changed me. That’s when I learned to slow down, reconnect with myself, create, reset, and plan for the next season."
‘’Ibiza allows a kind of freedom that’s hard to find elsewhere. There’s less pressure, less expectation. People are more open, more expressive. There’s something about that slightly imperfect, sun-faded glamour that I always come back to. It’s never too polished, and that’s what makes it beautiful. That whole beach-to-dancefloor energy is a vibe."
LMV styled with Liz' vintage headpieces
Your private showroom in Ibiza is filled with carefully collected vintage pieces. What draws you to vintage over new fashion?
‘’Character. There’s a depth to it, a history, an energy that you can feel straight away. It’s not just about how something looks, it’s about what it carries.’’
‘’For me, value has nothing to do with price. I can find a Chanel vintage belt in a boutique in LA for thousands, or a pair of beautiful ’60s resin earrings in San Jordi market for a couple of euros and I’ll love them equally. It’s never about the monetary value, it’s about the feeling.’’
What does “glamour” mean to you today?
‘’I think about the old Ibiza, the Gypset, the creatives, the free spirits falling out of Pacha, dressing instinctively, expressively.''
''It was eclectic, sensual, wild. That was glamour.''
What is your ultimate dancefloor piece?
‘’I have this incredible headpiece laden with pearls that I call the ‘Elizabeth Taylor’, I found it years ago at the Santa Monica vintage fair. It's very dear to me. More often, I’m wearing it at home dancing around my living room in a Halston gown and slippers. That, to me, is just as much the dancefloor these days.’’
Is there one piece in your collection that feels like the heart of your wardrobe?
‘’It’s impossible to have just one piece as the heart of my wardrobe. Have you seen it? It’s overflowing as it is. Though there are treasures I come back to again and again like my 1920’s embroidered jackets, silk kimonos, fabulous headpieces - items that have stayed with me for years, that I’ll still be wearing at 80."
When someone leaves your studio, what do you hope they walk away feeling?
‘’I’ve been told that people leave feeling high after an appointment with me naturally. It becomes quite playful, like we’ve had a moment of dress-up, of exploration. We’ve worked with colour and texture, almost like a kind of colour therapy session. And through that, people leave feeling more like themselves, but elevated. If they walk away with that shift, then I’ve done what I set out to do.''