We launched ELLE COLLECTIVE with the goal of creating a unique community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. Like the ELLE UK Editors who curate the platform, members get to experience exclusive content and benefits as well as unlocking access to our special community events.
At fashion and beauty workshops, members get expert advice from ELLE UK editors and industry insiders at intimate in-store events in collaboration with the likes of Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Balmain Beauty. Plus, the ELLE COLLECTIVE community are some of the first to watch new releases at our special screening series, with post-film Q&As with the likes of Kerry Washington, Phoebe Dynevor, Danielle Deadwyler and more.
Below, catch up on the latest events.
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An Exclusive Karl Lagerfeld Styling Workshop
In May, ELLE COLLECTIVE members made their way to Karl Lagerfeld’s Regent Street store for a night of engaging conversation, set against a backdrop of the brand’s new collections.
ELLE Commissioning Editor Naomi Pike and Shopping Editor Grace Clarke hosted the evening, leading a discussion on how to curate a classic wardrobe. The pair quickly agreed that what works for one person might not work for another, underscoring the importance of making the word ‘classic’ work for you. The one thing that works for any wardrobe? A clean white shirt. Pulling examples from Lagerfeld’s arsenal, the two went back and forth on how the white shirt has evolved in shape, style and fabrication over the years, as an item that can be tailored to personal preferences as opposed to having only one purpose.
After the conversation wrapped up, members headed to the one-night-only embroidery station to add some added Karl Lagerfeld-approved personalisation to their pieces and enjoyed Moet champagne.
Trend Talks: What's In Fashion Now?
Snapchat hosted ELLE COLLECTIVE for an exclusive SS25 trends presentation. During thr talk, commissioning editor Naomi Pike and fashion features writer Augustine Hammond broke down the biggest trends spotted on the SS25 runway and shared their new season fantasy shopping lists.
The talk began with insights into how to actually identify trends, looking at the how and why, what is a trend and what makes a trend stand out. ‘The general rule is that it takes spotting something three times before it can be declared a trend, but as the way we shop, see and consume changes then so does this theory as we move more holistically finding trends that no longer just originate on the catwalk, as we find inspiration everywhere,’ Pike told the audience. ‘That being said, there is nowhere like the catwalk when it comes to finding a trend, which is what we’re going to share with you today.’
Everything We Learnt About Writing From Blue Sisters Author Coco Mellors
New York Times best-selling author Coco Mellors is not only a star of literary fiction right now, but she has one of the most coveted wardrobes in publishing, as well as some of the most eye-catching, and Instagrammable, book covers to her name. During her latest paperback tour for her second book Blue Sisters (her tour outfits were entirely blue, a sartorial homage we’re on board with), we managed to sit down with Coco for the ELLE COLLECTIVE Book Club at Soho Works, courtesy of Soho House. The LA-based, London-born writer shared how she writes relationships between characters (hers are known for being relatable, intriguing and deeply frustrating) and how she feels about writing novels (‘It’s fucking hard’). As part of the ELLE COLLECTIVE Book Club discussion, we asked Mellors for her writing tips, where she finds inspiration and what she does when she can’t find her flow.
On her writing process, Mellors shared her preference for working with others – ‘there are no awards for doing it alone’. When she’s writing, she’ll put her phone away or in her bag, disconnect from WIFI and aim to write for three hours solid. When it comes to finding inspiration, Mellors told the audience about going on solo ‘imagination walks’ around LA, without listening to any music or podcasts, which help her with the flow and cadence of sentences.
And if she ever gets complete writers’ block: ‘there’s always masturbation and online shopping readily available’.
Fashion The Future: ELLE COLLECTIVE Celebrated British Creativity at London Fashion Week
From Richard E. Grant donning the Burberry runway in a tweed coat, to innovative shows from agenda-setting talent like Tolu Coker and Jawara Alleyne, British fashion continued to excite this season. To celebrate the creativity of the capital - as well as discuss what needs to change to insure it's survival in the future, ELLE COLLECTIVE joined forced with the British Fashion Council to host an intimate panel discussion. Chaired by ELLE UK’s Fashion Features Director Tamison O'Connor, stylist Jeanie Annan-Lewin, journalist Susie Lau, and designer Priya Ahluwalia shared ideas about how to foster emerging talent, the often untold power of being business savvy, and how to balance creativity with sustainability. As London Fashion Week drew to a close, the panel looked to the future of the UK fashion industry, and how to collectively build on the city's star power.
Lessons In Styling And Sustainability With By Rotation
We all know that we should be smarter and savvier with the way we dress, shop and buy to lower our environmental impact with each and every wear. Creating a more sustainable practice might bring to mind the idea that it’s just about giving things up. The reality, however, is that the opposite is true as we learnt at our recent panel talk, held at the By Rotation Mayfair pop-up.
As we sipped on Jack Daniel’s Honey cocktails, we explored the conscious choices we can make for a richer style that pushes us in the right direction and challenges us to think smarter and savvier which in turn has a greater payoff. You might find that you’re better dressed for it. With tips from Eshita Kabra-Davies, the CEO and founder of By Rotation, vintage fashion advocate and content creator Parisa, and ELLE UK’s commissioning editor Naomi Pike, we covered everything from renting and repairing to buying better.
ELLE COLLECTIVE And Max Mara Celebrated Remarkable Women And Soft Power
On November 4, ELLE COLLECTIVE members joined friends of ELLE UK and editors from the magazine at the Max Mara store on Bond Street to celebrate the brand’s icon coats.
Guests connected over canapés, champagne and cocktails, posed for pictures at the photo booth and sat for personalised portrait illustrations. They also shopped Max Mara’s offering of tailoring, from the brand’s famous sleek wool coats to its sharp blazers, before joining ELLE UK’s editor-in-chief Kenya Hunt and fashion features director Tamison O’Connor for a conversation about women, fashion and soft power.
It was a resonant time to have the discussion, on the eve of the US elections, the duo observed. ‘We're wrapping up a year in which over half of the world has taken to the polls, and I think it's been quite a pivotal one for women in particular,’ said Hunt. ‘I do believe fashion plays a very pivotal and important role in a year like the one that we are living and witnessing.’
Hunt reflected on how growing up she loved looking back on periods of history and observing how change makers would use their wardrobes to signify their power, from Empress Eugénie, who worked closely with Parisian couturier Charles Frederick Worth, to Suffragettes and the Black Power movement, which became known for the signature uniform of black leather jackets and berets. ‘Those visual signifiers of power really meant something,’ Hunt said.
The idea of using fashion to signify power still translates to today: ‘We're in such a visually led world today, even more so because most of our time is spent on Instagram,’ added O’Connor. ‘But in that sense, actually, what you wear can signify so much without [verbally] saying anything.’
Inside The Balmain Beauty Fragrance Universe With Olivier Rousteing and Kenya Hunt
ELLE UK’s Editor-in-Chief Kenya Hunt joined Balmain's creative director Olivier Rousteing for tete-a-tete celebrating the French fashion house's new Les Éternels fragrance collection, which is now available in Selfridges. ELLE COLLECTIVE members gathered for the intimate event at The Selfridges Cinema screening room for pre-talk cocktails and a chance to explore the world of Balmain Beauty Les Éternels; a collection of eight perfumes which include four re-interpretations of Balmain classics, and four new additions.
Never one to do things by halves, Rousteing did a stint in perfumery school before embarking on this new era of Balmain Beauty to immerse himself in the world of notes and the art of scent composition. ‘I needed to know the ingredients, the words, the language, so I went back to school,’ Rousteing shared with the room. ‘If I have to define Balmain in three words, it would be confident, fearless, and timeless. When you know those three words, you just make sure that the fragrance needs to deliver the same feeling.’
Behind The Scenes At Our Party Season Beauty Workshop with Chanel
ELLE UK’s Contributing Editor Nellie Eden joined renowned makeup artist Anna Payne to host a beauty masterclass with Chanel, exclusively for ELLE COLLECTIVE members. Dedicated to party season makeup, the workshop was a chance for the ELLE COLLECTIVE community to preview Chanel's new season products.
‘I love the palette designed by makeup artist Valentina Li — a member of Chanel's Cometes Collective, a group of emerging talents shaping the future of beauty. Inspired by the northern lights, it has a bold ‘80s feel but when used softly can create the most modern of colour led beauty looks. I loved how the purple looked when tracking the lash line, and how Anna used the orange in the centre of the eyelid for dimension and lift’.
Eden, a creative director who specialises in launching new beauty brands encouraged the audience to experiment with colour this autumn, sharing her personal penchant for blue eye shadow. 'Anna shared such a brilliant hack' said Eden. 'If you know you’re going for an eye look, before doing anything on the face, use the Chanel contour stick and ‘window wipe’ the crayon into the eye sockets — you don’t need to be precise. Then blend. You now have a sculpted base to build colour on.’
Fashion The Future: ELLE COLLECTIVE Celebrates 40 Years Of London Fashion Week
To kick off LFW, we gathered at the Groucho Club to celebrate 40 years of British fashion — and look forward to what’s next.
To kick off London Fashion Week, we hosted an intimate launch event celebrating 40 years of British fashion—a perfect excuse to look back at the capital’s fashion legacy while getting excited about what’s next. Our Fashion Features Director, Tamison O’Connor, led the conversation, joined by designer Torishéju Dumi, model and activist Maxim Magnus, buyer Ida Peterson, and ELLE UK’s Commissioning Editor Naomi Pike. Together, they unpacked the unstoppable creativity of British fashion, spotlighting trailblazing designers and iconic shows that have left a lasting mark on culture. Since its debut in 1984, London Fashion Week has built a reputation for discovering homegrown talent, and the panel shared their thoughts on the designers who are making waves right now—from Priya Ahluwalia to Harris Reed and Bianca Saunders. Held at the legendary Groucho Club in Soho, the event brought together ELLE UK editors, ELLE COLLECTIVE members, and fashion insiders, who sipped margaritas while delving into the conversation.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
