London, known for her infamous “Shut up!” as co-host of The Learning Channel’s What Not to Wear, owns more than 300 pairs of high-heels, constantly desires more closet space, and proudly displays her age with a grey streak in her hair.
A New York native, London attended Vassar College. She double majored in philosophy and Germanic studies and began her career in the fashion industry as a fashion assistant at Vogue magazine. She later became the senior fashion editor at Mademoiselle. According to an article on www.tlc.discovery.com, London “has styled fashion photos for other editorial publications including Italian D, Nylon and Contents [and has]…worked with celebrities such as Kate Winslet, Katie Holmes and Liv Tyler.”
“Over the last three years,” the article continues, “Stacy has worked on numerous advertising campaigns. Her client roster includes Hanes, Wonderbra, Bali, Procter & Gamble, Covergirl, Target, Levi Strauss & Co., Maytag, Swatch USA, Longines and, most recently, Calvin Klein.”
But London not only styles high-end fashionistas; she also dresses the common man, so to speak, on What Not to Wear (WNTW), a show that throws away participants’ entire wardrobes, brings them to New York City, and gives them $5,000 to shop for a brand new look.
Shut up.
Never churlish but always witty, London and WNTW co-host Clinton Kelly inundate unfashionable participants with their style expertise--correct color combinations, appropriate skirt lengths, the excitement of luxurious fabrics. Some scoff, others cry, but in the end, London and Kelly win. The participants walk away stylish, confident, and appreciative of their styling coaches.
“[My favorite part of WNTW is] watching the participants when we take them shopping and when we put them in their first outfit,” says London. “They all look so surprised that they look so good!”
Aside from TV, London has co-written a book with Kelly called Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That’s Right for Your Body, in which the two explain in laymen’s terms how to dress according to body type.
In the words of one reviewer on www.amazon.com: “What I like most about this book is its simplicity! It shows more of what ‘to do’ so that you can easily (and inexpensively) dress for any time of the day or night, and any occasion, so that the clothes are perfect for you, as opposed to trying to twist your body into a look that might not be right for you.”
But take heart--even Stacy London has had her fashion blunders.
“I wore sweater dresses with tube socks in seventh grade, and I had a hair cut that made me look like Robert Smith (the lead singer of The Cure). No, it was not a pretty time in my life.”
Other shows London has appeared on include Oprah, Weekend Today, The Jane Pauley Show, Access Hollywood, and Good Day Live, in addition to TLC’s America’s Ugliest and Faking It.
“Stacy speaks regularly on the subject of style, for corporations such as Starwood Hotels, and has given seminars at the Learning Annex in New York City. She has also been invited to speak at Harvard University on the connection between building self-esteem and personal style,” says the article on TLC’s website.
From styling celebrities to co-hosting What Not to Wear to co-authoring a book, this design star does it all.
