Amanda Wakely - 30% off their Spring/Summer collection

Do join us on the 23rd April for a fabulous few hours at Amanda Wakely's flagship store in London for drinks, canapés and 30% off their current Spring/Summer collection.

RSVP: louise@mowbraybydesign.com

Seven personal branding essentials for 09

Whilst many are focused on a dry January, nil-per-mouth and a gym membership to shift the holiday pounds, I thought I'd add to the mix with seven personal branding essentials for what promises to be an interesting year...

1. Perception is reality - spend some time discovering how you are actually perceived by your audience or markets - what you learn will give you invaluable clues as to anything that might be creating obstacles for you.
2. Really focus on what is distinct, different, memorable, unique, and ultimately compelling about who you are and what you do and find ways to demonstrate this to those who can influence your success.
3. Turn the tables and examine each market or audience that has an influence on your success from their perspective, and ask yourself what they want from someone like you – adapt how you deal with them accordingly.
4. Ensure that all of this is authentic and consistent – anything less will be perceived as untrustworthy and unreliable.
5. Take the lead in a variety of ways appropriate to your role and markets to demonstrate your brand - from initiatives to focus groups to keynote speaking or new endeavours – you will be associated with the topic and perceived as the person to go to in that field.
6. Relationships are key… ultimately we tend to go with those that we feel that we have some sort of emotional connection with – let your personality shine through in order to give others something to buy into.
7. Make sure that your image is not standing in your way… first and foremost it needs to be appropriate, which will communicate how you value yourself, leading others to value you in the same way.

Above all, don’t attempt to be anything other than yourself - just do it better.

Men in Tights

With the recent focus on men's tights (yes, tights, as in pantyhose) on almost every news channel here in the UK, the question of whether men should wear make-up has also raised it's head.

It seems that men's tights and make-up are in demand - thousands of pairs of soft, silky tights are sold in super-large sizes every month, and a major retailer here in the UK is about to launch a new range of make-up for men. Although one wonders how it will differ to women's make-up apart from the branding? Perhaps the heavily macho version won't include a waterproof mascara as men don't cry?

When it comes to tights, we can all see the benefit to the Queen's Guards - standing in the freezing cold for hours on end - guarding the bastions of the English monarchy against anarchists, terrorists and stalkers. Or perhaps men could wear them at home to stave off the recent energy price rises. Afterall, it seems that the average UK household may soon be paying 100 GBP per month for their energy bills.

All well and good, except for the very simple question - do women find men in tights, or those with a dash of eyeliner attractive? From my (un)scientific research conducted on a group of smart savvy women (my friends) the response has been overwhelmingly conclusive. No. Howls of laughter, loads of eeeuuuw's, noses crinkled in distaste. And the "I'd run a mile if he took his trousers off and then started peeling off a pair of 10 deniers." It's always useful to put things into context.

Heather Mills McCartney

Here begins lesson 101 in how to destroy a personal brand. No, I'll start again. Here begins lesson 101 in how to reinforce a negative personal brand. Uh, no, how about: Here begins lesson 101... Oh I give up. It's all just too hideous for words.

Heather Mills McCartney has been lambasted... and it seems that she happily contributed by a thorough self-basting, before offering herself up for a roasting by the press following her High Court, high profile divorce from Sir Paul McCartney. No surprises there. No surprises anywhere in fact. Not at her throwing a glass of water over Sir Paul's lawyer Fiona Shackleton, which Heather apparently referred to as 'baptising', nor the fact that she won less than a fifth of the £125m that she was claiming.

And I don't know why I am surprised that she hasn't learned a single lesson about managing her personal brand, but I am. One would think that all of the pointers are there for her - as clear as day. Would it really take that much to find a touch of elegant neutral ground or a slither of grace? She seems hell-bent on reinforcing all that we have come to perceive as vile, trashy and vengeful. Can this brand ever recover? I think not.

Personal Image Tips

Creating positive first impressions is all about our Personal Image, which is made up of three things; how we look, how we sound and our body language. We form opinions about others in a matter of seconds and then spend the rest of our time justifying our decisions to ourselves.

Our Image communicates so much about us. It has a powerful effect on how other people approach and respond to us, personally and professionally. A positive, appropriate Image instantly puts our audience at ease. Adversely, a negative, inappropriate Image creates hard to shift obstacles and barriers to success.

Top Tips:

1. Ensure that your clothing is appropriate for the occasion
2. What you wear and your grooming communicate how you feel about yourself… ask yourself what it is that you are conveying to others?
3. Keep accessories, jewellery, make-up, perfume and aftershave subtle and appropriate
4. Practice the art of introducing yourself and of making small talk
5. Smile, make eye contact, shake hands, relax, don’t fidget
6. Be conscious of the appropriate etiquette in the circumstances that you find yourself
7. Remember other peoples names and use them
8. Listen, pay attention to what the other person is saying in order to show interest and find common ground… don’t chatter

Bull in a china shop...

I do enjoy working with those who promote and manage people in the public eye. The good ones have an innate sense of the power of personal brands and a determined interest in helping the talent they manage to make the most of theirs.

A case in point a couple of weeks ago with an Agent who wanted what I think of as a little insurance on behalf of a young and inexperienced artist who shall remain nameless. This raw talent has been catapulted into the public eye and is struggling. No, let me re-phrase that. The people who manage him are struggling. He is a happy bull in a china shop and finding trouble in the most unlikely of places.

We spent a couple of hours together as I coached him on his image & personal brand and their impact on his career. Perhaps predictably, the usual motivator of increased financial success held little appeal. He has more money than he ever dreamed of and the numbers don't mean much. They are just numbers... with lots of commas and zeros. And as for reputation... he quite likes his 'wild boy' image. What finally worked was the opportunity to create a legacy for his family. His mum to be precise.

A couple of weeks later, a few more hours of coaching and he seems to have 'got it'. Thank goodness. I like to see Agents smiling.

Cecilia Sarkozy

Cecilia Ciganer-Albeniz, formerly Sarkozy has won provisional damages of €30,000 or £22,321 from French magazine Closer. The magazine was found guilty of violating the former wife of French president Nicholas Sarkozy's right to privacy. Closer had published pictures of Cecilia and Carla Bruni, the presidents' girlfriend, side by side, both in black bikini's, clearly comparing the two.

Ms Ciganer-Albeniz seems to be having a real battle at the moment as she attempts to protect and manage her image and personal brand. Earlier in January, three books about the former First Lady were due to be published, and in a bid to block one of them, 'Cecilia' by Anna Bitton, a French judge ruled against her.

The price to pay for being in the public eye has risen considerably over recent years. The social trend of an insatiable thirst for public humiliation, dirty laundry and general infamy is beyond reason. I can appreciate that we would like to know more about the characters behind the 'brands', however, it should stop long before the intent is purely malicious. I think that we are all fed up with this type of rubbish.

Top down...

Fabulous company that I am working with at the moment. What a great group of people, most of whom I styled over two days this week. The interesting thing about their image culture is that they have chosen very similar types when it comes to those who are dealing with clients, or the 'face' of the company.

Image culture, as a component part of corporate culture, is always top down. Very simply, if the CEO, board, directors have a sloppy image, you can read between the lines and without fail, the rest will follow. We tend to choose people who are just like us in more ways than one.

From my perspective, I only ever work with organisations where the stakeholders are part of the project. There is little point in attempting to implement lasting, positive change if leaders aren't taking the lead.

Agent for change...

I am always rather amused by people's reactions when they find out what I do. It's akin to discovering that someone is a psychotherapist or psychologist or psycho something... usually involves a lengthly explanation of why they are wearing the brown shoes as the others were a) chewed up by the dog this morning, b) their butler forgot to polish the black ones, c) they left them at their villa in the south of France.

And then I get the challenges... "so how would you brand me?" or "what would you do to give me a new image?" And one either laughs with a playful "did you realise that branding involves heat, iron and the painful sizzling of flesh" or is forced into what you would think would be common sense. "No, I can't work miracles, we have to work with what you've got... I am merely an agent for change." To which a fabulous response last week... "what, like a secret agent", which made me laugh, "yes, a secret weapon." And with my only link to a Lara Croft type figure firmly installed, we are both happy.

And the truth of it is that we cannot reincarnate into something entirely different... well not in this lifetime. It is almost impossible to pretend to be something that we are not without perhaps the rather rigorous training afforded by secret services worldwide. We need to work with what we have. It has to be authentic or not only would it not sit well, it would certainly not be believable.

Got my goat...

Ohmygosh... the sun is out. Well, sort of. A darn sight better than yesterday and the promise of vital rays brightening our little island this week.

I feel the need for a soap box. A little one perhaps but can't understand why men in particular don't go through their wardrobes and chuck away anything that makes them look pudgy, fuddy duddy, unappealing. And it all comes out at this time of the year somehow. Nasty old jumpers in dubious colours, fraying collars, pleated baggy cords, scuffed weekend shoes. Its as if Saturday morning becomes the lets hunt the comfy frumpy stuff and put it all on in lots of lovely layers. Not to mention the weekend jacket, you know, the smelly old reliable... lots of practical pockets with remnants of last year's tissues or god help us, crusty handkerchiefs hiding in each compartment. And that's if they don't have children or dogs or go fishing.

The alternative... just wonder around Hyde Park over weekend and one can spot the image conscious Italian gent layered in cashmere a mile away. So effortless, so right.

A note on cashmere:

It is no small wonder that cashmere is one of the most precious and prized commodities in the world. It comes from the downy underfleece of the cashmere goat which makes its home in the highest and most inhospitable plateaux of Mongolia and Xinjiang. Each year one goat produces a meagre 4.5 oz of under fleece, which is painstakingly combed out every spring by nomadic herdsmen. It takes the hair of one goat to make a scarf and two or three for a jumper depending on the weight... 60% of each fleece is discarded.

Thank you cashmere goats, much appreciated.

Kilgour

Gentlemen, Kilgour have recently opened No. 5 Savile Row, their second space. The new store showcases Kilgour Unstructured, seasonal collections focused on a leaner, slimmer silhouette, and luggage and jeans collections - leaving the original flagship store to bespoke.

Designed by Carlo Brandelli, the new store is truly an art gallery aesthetic in a menswear environment with a modern, minimalist interior of pure limestone, against a backdrop of dark oak inlaid with mother of pearl microdots... and stingrays!

Kilgour
No. 5 Savile Row
London W1S 3PE

Size 0 vs love handles...

When I think of models, I don't necessarily think healthy. The two don't seem to go together somehow. Its difficult enough for us ordinary mortals struggling with those last 3-5 kgs strapped to our hips and thighs like unwanted baggage... never mind the extraordinary effort and self control it must take to be a size 0. And then I met Hayley Darby who stepped out of the modeling world four years ago to go back to university and qualify as a Nutritionist.

She, and a collection of ex-model friends are keenly aware of what it takes to be body beautiful, have clear complexions and to get those energy levels up. They are all offering complementary therapies - nutrition, acupuncture, hypnotherapy... I see so many clients who struggle with their weight, with feeling healthy - it's almost always the first thing that comes up in an Image Consultation. So I have booked myself in for a session with Hayley. The proof is in the pudding - or in my case, the love handles - got to give it a go, right?

Men's Style...

I was chatting to a journalist last night who is writing an article about men's style and it got me thinking. The trends at the moment are so very subtle. Large pin-stripes, bright green/red/pink lining, braces, red socks are almost an anathema. Instead, the half lining, the coloured piping, the texture, the cut are just the thing.

Talking of half linings and coloured piping, which Kilgour in Savile Row do so very well, I recently went Personal Shopping with a client and we settled on a Paul Smith blazer. Apart from the very smart lining and piping, the beautiful thing was the quirky flower print on the inside pocket. My client had both of us falling about the place with laughter as he tried to find ways of casually throwing the blazer down to reveal its secrets. Over the shoulder, thrown onto a chair... he finally decided that he should wear it and keep his glasses in the pocket. That way, he could open the blazer with a flourish, revealing all, delve inside and swap glasses every now and again. If it works for him, it works for me...

Does the shoe fit?

Had a great Image Consultation and Personal Shopping session with a client today... she is in the process of losing the 2 dress sizes that have crept up on her so I limited the shopping element... no point in spending vast sums on what will be too big in a few short months. We did hike around the shoe department and eventually settled on a pair of Fendi's. Then promptly left them behind as she informed me that she can get any shoe made for £100 in Portugal. Any shoe... way too good to ignore! Got me going on the design front and if its true, I may have to pop over and get a last made. Then a simple question of sending the design and voila! I really like this idea.

Cross-Culture...

Its been a week of family, lovely family. Getting any work done has been a challenge of note. I should have declared the week a holiday... hard to do when you have no one to declare it to. Not that I miss having someone to declare it to... fill out the leave form, submit it for approval, hold your breath, wait for the questions, watch the signature finally scrawl its way across the page and leave. Free. Now its just the opposite... wrestle with my conscience, do some work, debate the issue with myself, do some more work, steal a few hours, think of the balls I’ve dropped, do some more work. Realise that I’m free. Just a different way of getting there... I much prefer the latter.

Saying that, still managed to squeeze a few consultations in-between Billy Elliot (brilliant) and the London Eye. Working with a client on cross-cultural issues as he is now responsible for Europe and the Middle East - a long way from the cut and thrust of his home town, New York. And he is very NY. First impressions are so powerful and he knows that the little non-verbal things will go a long way in smoothing his path. Fortunately he’s big on EQ... I guess that’s why he’s the CEO.

The psychology of colour

Will the girl go to the ball? Yes... despite my lack of a suitable dress. With a theme of Cleopatra and a dress code of gold, white and turquoise I am wondering if they will refuse me entry in purple? It is the colour of royalty - although it does looks a little more grecian than egyptian...

I predict a last minute panic.

Talking of colours, I was consulting with a chap this week who is about to give the speech of his life... the one that in his words ‘will catapult me into orbit, or into an early grave’. We were discussing the right colours to wear and finally settled on the old power combination, black, white and red. I don’t know whether you have noticed, but anyone needing authority goes for this combination - just watch the politicians. Black suit, white shirt, red tie. The psychology of colour is a topic in itself... on the suit front, the paler the grey, the more approachable, the less authority... so a good colour when rallying the troops in a ‘we’re all in this together’ meeting... but don’t try to have the ‘better get your act together’ discussion in this colour, it just doesn’t hold much weight.

Who loves you?

acoolworld, asmallworld, facebook, professionalblackbook, youtube, myspace, abigworld, qube, decayenne, iqons... by the time you have logged in and fiddlefaddled about its time to go home. Is this the strange personal alter-ego push/pull that is a personal parallel to reality tv? Or perhaps its our 15 minutes of fame reduced to 1.5 seconds. Or worse... competition in its most basic form - who has the most contacts, connections. Who is most loved?

Pretty interesting social phenomenon and at this age I am already considered a comms dinosaur by anyone under 30. Hard to fathom but I guess they are on the money. My saving grace is the blog but hell, that’s probably old hat.

Talking of old hat, I was with a client shopping for the penultimate Ascot wow-factor yesterday... It seems that we all have a fascination with hats - for some, a great way of adding a little mystery, for others, personality. From the wide-brimmed to the bejewelled scull-cap, I found myself asking who is wearing who? Do you wear the hat or does the hat wear you? I have only one comment: make sure that it’s the former!

Blue Velvet and champers on tap...

Mmmm, I have been rather absent, but I’m back. A busy week to say the least. Pleasantly surprised, or should I say relieved, by Mary Poppins in the West End... was prepared to be dulled into a deep sleep but the production was fab. Dinners galore from Mr Chow’s champagne fuelled marathon of a feast to rock star prices at the Abingdon... £22 for a fillet? Surely you need to be more than a gastro-pub to charge over £20 for a steak? Nobu, Carpaccio, Bluebird, Zuma, Nozomi and a black tie at the Savoy. Need a mantra... my body is a temple, my body is a temple... or perhaps nil per mouth might be more effective.

Went to The Hempel last night for what must be one of the most creative jewellery and accessories sales ever, hosted by Blue Velvett the Lounge Boutique. What a great idea... the super cool setting of the Hempel, champers on tap, contemporary jewellery by upcoming designers and loads of people tripping out with their little white bags of treasured purchases. Intriguing to watch people trying on jewellery. I was tempted to advise perfect strangers and just about managed to keep my council. No one values advice they haven’t paid for and there is a very good chance of offending...

Tourists and tribal norms

I have a friend and her teenagers staying and its always rather thought provoking to see London through fresh eyes. The familiar trivial little things we take for granted causing surprise, delight and the occasional look of disgust and eeeuu’s. A sense of calm and order emerges as I see them out of the door to ‘do’ London in the mornings, with chaos returning en-mass early evening...

I would love to know why teenage girls in particular subscribe to having the image of the playboy bunny dangling from their necks, ears, key-rings... on handbags, fluffy slippers... cushions? What is it about this, the ultimate in commercialised symbols that reduces womankind to caricatures of male desire, that is suddenly in the realms of cool? Beats me, although one can only pay homage to rather smart marketeers and brand consultants. Oh, and all the other usual human stuff like a tribal sense of belonging that never really leaves us no matter what the age.

A case in point with a client that I am working with to prepare him for a change in role and industry... new market, new clients, new set of tribal norms. And they really do differ from an external perspective, although the underlying drivers are all the same. He needs to establish his presence... to beat the drum with a rhythm that others will recognise and march to. If not, he says it will be an uphill struggle he can do without.

The Secret

I have two rather delicious books on the go at the moment... The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, which needs concentration, imagination, no interruption, and Piers Morgan’s ‘Don’t you know who I am’... immensely amusing and something one can dip in and out of. Yes, as captivating your life is Piers, you are easy to put down! There is something rather self indulgent about reading books. I feel a little guilty, as if I should be reserving them for true downtime on a beach somewhere, not languishing on my sofa ignoring the call of electronic comms. Wicked, in the old fashioned sense of the word.

I donated an Image Consultation for a charity auction last year. The person who successfully bid for it turned out to be someone I needed most... an accountant. I guess The Secret is all too true. The power of intention, of our thoughts more fundamentally far reaching than we are consciously aware of. There is such a buzz about this book at the moment... I was chatting to the builder who I am working with on my Knightsbridge project and he was telling me that he always imagines his parking place, waiting for him, empty, exactly where he needs it, and how its almost always there.

So as ever I am flirting with how to further employ this in Personal Branding. If the power of how we think creates our reality (and I am sure that we all subscribe to this in one way or another), what price not? It always seems to come down to ‘what price not’.

On a more down to earth note, I was shopping with the accountant yesterday. When I asked him what he wanted out of the session, he said that he wanted to look ‘debonaire’. I like that. I like that a lot... even more so as he was up for it. So if you spot the unusual sight of a debonaire accountant lunching cafe style in Chiswick this long weekend, you will know who I am talking about!