'You can buy fashion; you can't buy style' - an interview with Grace Woodward

Grace Woodward is easily the UK's most diverse stylist, having worked with thread-savvy experimenters like Florence Welch and sartorially wayward X-Factor contestants. When she's not splashing the glossies with her latest creative fancy she is on the judging panel for Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model. Grace talks exclusively to iVillage.co.uk about upcoming trends, why Rihanna is a trailblazer, and what makes British style special...

What makes a good model?

Grace Woodward: It’s uniqueness, they bring something to the table that maybe we haven’t seen before - a sparkle that is something genuinely their own - and it makes them stand out.

Do you think modelling is a dangerous industry?

Grace Woodward: Like many industries, it has its pitfalls but it’s also a really great industry. It promotes talent where maybe if you were in a bit more of a structured industry that talent wouldn’t have grown. I think diamond mining is dangerous but I don’t think modelling is dangerous.

You started your career at UK label Agent Provocateur, how was that as an initiation?

Grace Woodward: Agent Provocateur was an amazing start for me because they were a very maverick company and that’s the sprit that I like to bring to things. I think any experience you can have within an industry builds your career in a much more structured way

What do you love about fashion?

Grace Woodward: Because I’ve got a creative nature and a creative spirit I like to express that, it’s about making the world look like a more interesting, considered place. I think design has a huge place in the world and makes it just that bit more palatable - that goes for cutlery, crockery, buildings and cars. If you make an effort with what you wear it lifts your spirit and also makes you perform better, I think.

Is there a difference between fashion and style?

Grace Woodward: Yeah, I do think there’s a difference. You can buy fashion but you can’t buy style.

Who are your style icons?

Grace Woodward: At the moment I love Rihanna. I think that she dresses from her own inspiration and you can tell she’s creative and has been thinking about it. She doesn’t always get it right but when she does get it right she trail blazes, she sets trends and to do that you have to experiment and I admire that in her.

But she has a stylist...

Grace Woodward: Well, I think, like Madonna, you’ve got to be smart enough to employ the right people in the first place. Cheryl Cole’s got a stylist but she doesn’t necessarily compare with Rihanna. She has personality in her look and that is what makes her successful.