Christen Johnson is the founder of personal style consultancy, SCB Luxury Styling. Christen works with professional, executive and entrepreneurial women to help them make an impact on their audience and a statement with style.

Client involvement

SCB Luxury Styling is entirely virtual and has been since 2020. Because Christen doesn't meet any of her clients in person, it is important that clients understand their role and how much of their attention is needed to make their styling experience run smoothly. "As the expert, I handle all the grunt work that needs to be done when it comes to shopping and determining their personal style, but the growth doesn’t stop after the service is completed.

"I make sure to provide each of my clients with the necessary tools for them to continue making intentional wardrobe decisions and accomplish their style goals."

One way to keep clients engaged is to set them homework! Christen asks clients to show up at closet cleanse sessions with 5 items they love but don’t really know how to style. taking a close look at individual garments helps Christen to really solidify her understanding of a client's personal style and preferences.

Establishing trust

"Most of my time is spent building an authentic relationship with my clients and making them feel comfortable because I know that if they like me, they’ll trust the brand. I aim to retain that personal touch in my digital products—which is a little different but just as simple. I primarily incorporate videos and linkable content to make the experience more personal and welcoming."

"I’m also really big on communicating the steps in my process to my client—what each step consists of and why. When a client understands the steps they need to take in order to get the results they want, they are more inclined to move forward."

Empowering clients

Christen focuses on helping her clients to make a statement with their style. "I do that by showing my clients how to properly take their measurements so they can determine their unique body shape. When you know your size and your body shape, you’ll be able to determine which styles flatter your body best."

Language is also important. Christen has developed a dictionary of body shapes that she uses in all SCB consultations such as 'Heart of Hearts' and 'Perfect Pear'. Christen explains, "Words mean everything. If you’re constantly calling yourself something that makes you negative about yourself then that is how you’ll feel. Changing the names of body shapes to something that represents beauty and sophistication will make someone feel valuable and luxurious—which is exactly how I want my clients to feel when they work with me."

Client deep dive

Dress for the life you want to live, and the boss you already are! We challenged Christen to understand the priorities of a of an impactful woman wanting to refresh her everyday wardrobe and superpower her life and career—if she had just ~5 questions to work with...

What... does your everyday lifestyle look like?

When... do you feel the most confident about yourself?

Why... do you love what you do?

Who... do you want to impact?

Where... do you see yourself at your fullest potential?

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Got a question for Christen? Visit SCB Luxury Styling's website, or find a bank of ideas for refreshing your wardrobe on their Instagram.

Four years ago, Ginny Hudnut opened her House of Colour franchise and has been making her clients decidedly more colourful, stylish, and confident ever since. House of Colour is a London-based organisation that offers incredible colour and style analysis services.

Personal styling encompasses Ginny's love for art, fashion, teaching, and relationships—truly her dream job!

Personal styling services

Ginny offers two distinct services, colour analysis and personal style analysis.

"Colour analysis must be done in-person using natural daylight and with a clean face—no makeup. I need to see how a client's skin reacts to various coloured drapes. The wrong colours can make you look older and tired. The right colours can make you appear younger and more rested—almost as if you are already wearing makeup."

Ginny's style analysis services spans two in-depth sessions—a preliminary zoom call followed by a meeting face-to-face. During these appointments Ginny assesses her clients' body architecture and personality to uncover the clothes that will flatter them the most and work with their lifestyle.

Inside out

Ginny knows that understanding personality is crucial to uncovering style. "Finding clothes that flatter the client’s body is actually the easy part. It’s combining that person’s body architecture (what’s on the outside), with their personality (what’s on the inside) that takes time. Having a signature style is about honouring who you are both inside and out. Trends come and go but knowing which ones work for you helps you to curate a closet where you are the anchor piece. It is a joy to help people unlock this!"

Unravelling individuality

Ginny finds that her clients' tastes can be very eclectic! "A client might want to look sultry and cute, glamorous and understated, edgy and minimalist." Ginny's job is deciphering which of those descriptors is simply something her client appreciates on others, and which will truly honour them.

Ginny explains, "My work is all about identifying clothes and makeup that honour a body just as it is. I never want a client to leave a colour or style analysis feeling like they've lost something. In fact, I want them to feel as though more doors have been opened!"

Client deep dive

Opening the door to a brand new you, starts with answering a few simple questions. We challenged Ginny to get to know a client who wants to shop efficiently and build a minimal, fuss-free wardrobe—if she had just ~5 questions to work with.

What... do you want to look like?

Step 1: clarify how my client wants to be perceived. Thinking about how you’d like to be described by someone else can help you to hone in on your wardrobe.

When... do you get frustrated whilst shopping or getting dressed?

Some clients come to me because they love to shop and want to shop more for the right items, others come to me for opposite reasons—they are hoping that a set of personalised guidelines can help them learn to love shopping! Recognising the most stressful point in the process for them is hugely helpful.

Why... do you feel like a style analysis will be helpful?

I help clients clarify their objectives so that I can make sure I hit each one. Some clients need new clothes for date nights and social events, and some need my help because they feel frumpy in their everyday clothes—you should feel cute even when running errands!

Who... are your style icons?

We’ve all got them! This is a good starting point, but rather than copying someone else’s signature style we'll find cuts, silhouettes and details that work for you.

Where... are your favourite places to shop?

Background information on the stores my client frequents can help me understand what might be missing in their wardrobe. I want clients to shop with intentions and steward their money well. Shopping should not be a limiting process, it should result in loving everything you own instead of leaving things unworn in your closet.

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Got a question for Ginny? Find out more about Ginny's services, or discover a world of colour on her Instagram.

Name: Alicia Stenger

Profession: Designer, artist and educator

Instagram: @a.hl.stenger

Alicia Stenger taught art and design to young people for 7 years before returning to the pursuit of her own art. Her work plays with light, projections, sound, video, and print mediums to connect with her interest in human emotions.‍

Inside the toolkit

Notebook

I like a notebook with blank pages.

Colour

Era of inspiration

Late Modern and Swiss design are two favourites of mine.

Designer on speed dial

While designers are wonderful, I find a lot of inspiration from artists. So I’m going to say, Henri Matisse.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: Futura.
• A distant love: Bodoni.
• Never again: Yikes, I have never used a font I’ve become allergic to!

Organisational method

I use a combination of physical post-it notes and digital tools—Notion for personal use, Asana at my 9-5. But I also often find myself just flowing with what feels natural on the day.

Trusted advisor

My creative friends!

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Name: Tim Preut

Profession: Owner and designer

Location: Martinez, CA, USA

Instagram: @tickyboomdesign

LinkedIn: Tim Preut

Tim Preut is a designer, and co-creator of Tickyboom Design—the home of "hella bomb brand identity and web design."

Tim strives to use his skills to spark growth in purpose-driven businesses.

Notebook

I use square gridline paper. Always.

I love how the squares act as both a constrictions and a guide—encouraging you to follow the rules, and them break them.

Colour

Era of inspiration

The '50s-70s.

Designer on speed dial

Milton Glaser

Fonts

• Firm favourite: Helvetica Now
• A distant love: Whyte by Dinamo
• Never again: Any "dyslexia-specific" fonts. They are worthless. Use a solid typeface that is easy to read, pare down your content, and make things easy to digest.

Organisational method

Digital tools. Trello, Todoist, and Craft.

Trusted advisor

Someone who is open-minded, but also clearly articulates what they want. Also, someone who has a strategy in mind and identifies whether my design is accomplishing those goals or not.

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Name: Shaina Nacion

Profession: founder and designer

Website: shainancion.com

Shaina Nacion is the founder of a creative studio and productivity consultancy for free-spirited creatives. Shaina's studio helps with branding & design, SEO strategy, creative services and productivity support.

Notebook

I typically draw on my iPad but if I had to use a notebook, it would probably be made from dotted paper.

Colour

Source of inspiration

Victorian-type posters and scientific illustrations from the Renaissance.

Designer on speed dial

Chris Do.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: Montserrat—uppercase, with 1px letter spacing
• A distant love: Ogg by Sharp Type
• Never again: Papyrus

Organisational approach

ClickUp is my #bae.

Trusted advisor:

I try to rely on my clients' target audiences for feedback, but my designer friends are great too!

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Name: Jenna Hagan

Profession: Graphic designer

Location: Tāmaki Makaurau, NZ

LinkedIn: Jenna Hagan

Jenna Hagan is an accomplished graphic designer, currently working for Ara Manawa—a creative team responsible for developing future products and experiences at Auckland City Hospital.

Notebook

Definitely blank paper. I like to sketch and illustrate my ideas, or just jot down thoughts.

The page shown illustrates a design sprint conducted with Doctors and Nurses.

Era of inspiration

I’m drawn to simplicity, geometry, and a sense of handicraft. Anything from the 50s/60s, such as Alvin Lustig or Saul Bass. They have a clean and brutalist design sense but with a touch of whimsy.

Colour

I recently used this pairing for a poetry installation at the hospital: a dusty robin’s egg blue, and a soft milk chocolate brown.

Designer on speed dial

My former mentor and colleague Elliott Scott. I worked with him at Applied—a brilliant little design studio in New York.

I do appreciate more famous designers like Paula Scher or Jessica Hische, but Elliott taught me so much! His work for the World Trade Center is beautiful.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: Benton Sans. I love Frere-Jones’ work
• A distant love: Tiempos by Klim—a New Zealand-based Type Foundry
• Never again: Calibri—the default typeface for Microsoft.

Organisational approach

I have to keep track of all tasks meticulously in ClickUp. I schedule blocks of design time, to ensure I get into a deep-thinking space without getting interrupted by a meeting.

The key to keeping a project organised is to communicate clearly with everyone involved.

Trusted advisor

Designers tend to give clients a bad rep in terms of feedback but at the end of the day, you are working with the client to create a visual solution to their problem.

If clients aren’t able to give constructive feedback, it’s on the designer to help give them the language to discuss the work.

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Name: Caleb Jones

Profession: Multidisciplinary designer (web design, graphic design, branding)

Location: Mountain West, USA

Instagram: @calbeajones

Caleb Jones is a multi-disciplinary designer or, in his own words, "a systematic organiser of information, a visual problem solver, and an idealistic perfectionist who seeks to build functional end-products."‍

Notebook

Grid paper ranks top, with dotted paper coming a close second.

I’ve used a lot of grid paper to capture rough mockups for web layouts. It's a nice tool if you are working on technical drawings, font design, architectural layouts, floor plans, and more. It has so many uses and still works just fine for drawing and sketching.

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Designer on speed dial

Purely based on their work, I'd love the opportunity to collaborate with Angel Acevedo. He is behind the brand God is a Designer and Acevedo Aesthetics Corporation. He continues to put out cool streetwear, grow his brand, and do cool stuff in general.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: I recently fell in love with a number of relatively recent Grotesk fonts, specifically Founders Grotesk. It was released in 2010 by Klim Foundry based in New Zealand. I was fortunate enough to receive approval to use this for a website I built recently. I’m stoked to see Founders Grotesk in action. It's simple enough that I think I can use it for years to come without it looking dated or old, but still has more character and liveliness than the bare minimum Helvetica (no hate on the old classic though…)

• A distant love: I have always loved Pistilli, but I’ve never had the right project that I could work it into. Salome is my runner-up in the flamboyant fonts category, alongside Pompadour numbers.
• Never again: Quicksand is pretty terrible in my opinion. Whilst I try to be an optimist and say every font can find a home in the right project, misuse has ruined this one for me.

Colour

For the longest time, I was a fan of—self-named—Charcoal 31 (#313131) and off-white (#f1f1f1). But I have recently refined that to Charcoal 22 (#222222) and off-white (#fafafa)—a similar combination with richer, darker charcoal and much more subtle off-white. I am here for the subtleties!

Beyond just the black and whites, I have also used Charcoal 22 and Lime Green (#9ed600) on a couple of projects recently—it just keeps looking good! It has good contrast and is lots of fun.

Organisational approach

Personally, I am a Trello Evangelist! I keep my whole life organised there. However, I try my best to show up for clients at their pace and in their space—I like to communicate with clients in their preferred channels. Sometimes that's tracking projects through email, other times it's Slack.

The environment I work in necessitates this flexibility; often times we are not given deadlines or timetables to manage a project. Additionally, I work in an environment where priorities are shifting sands—loosely organised chaos!

Trusted advisor

No question, other designers give the best feedback. We speak the same language. Although, I’m lucky—“other designers” and “family & friends” are one and the same for me. I routinely get critiques from my brother, who is a graphic and digital designer.

I do have to give a nod to non-designers who are aesthetic aware, i.e. it's not their day-to-day job, but they are adjacent to design and aware enough to be able to communicate legitimate constructive feedback—that outside perspective is very helpful.

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Name: Jo Skillman

Profession: Creative director

Location: Houston, TX, USA

Website: joskillman.com
Instagram: @jo_jayne_s

A designer and writer at heart, Jo applies her skillset to building large-scale brands and campaigns that engage and excite communities. Previous clients include, The White House/Michelle Obama, The CW Network, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Notebook

Blank paper all day.

They don’t make for pretty sketches, but they do turn into good logos.

Colour

I’m a fiend for warm colours. Especially the burgundy/red-orange with fuchsia/ice pink combos I’ve been seeing a lot lately.

Era of inspiration

I'm into vintage of every era. I have a particular love for the boldness and linear nature of Art Deco, and I once centred an entire campaign on mid-century clip art I found at an estate sale.

I’ve also directed a brand identity centred on vintage political buttons. Any era can be an inspiration depending on the client!

Designer on speed-dial

I have a years-long and very active group text of several senior designers, and I continue to believe that brain trust is far more helpful to me than any one designer’s phone number, no matter how famous.

We’ve found each other jobs, travelled together, designed an entire cookbook, celebrated birthdays, troubleshot print issues, shared business tips and largely been an irreplaceable resource for each other.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: A condensed gothic typeface always lets you say more with less space, and that’s an important quality.‍
• A distant love: Ambiguity by Monotype. I almost got to use it in this really unexpected beauty campaign… so close.
• Never again: Lato. It’s a great workhorse font and a ton of people use it. So many in fact, that I hope to never see it again. I prefer my typefaces to have a bit more personality.

Organisational approach

I am crazy organised. I use project management software, creative briefs, digital moodboards, and white boarding tools, Google Cal invites, and handwritten notes. Whatever it takes to get the team on the same page and the same schedule.

Trusted advisor

Children. Bartenders. Attorneys. Chefs. People you happen to be standing next to at a coffee shop.

I’m a big fan of polling people around me who don’t have any "skin in the game" at all because they have no design ego and no reason to overthink.

I’ll sometimes sketch or brainstorm in public places just for access to guest brains: “What does this look like to you?” “When I say ‘education,’ what do you think of?” “What does this colour remind you of?” After all, I’m almost never designing things for just the client.

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Name: Emunah Winer

Profession: Designer and creative director

Location: Israel

Instagram: @emunahwiner

Emunah Winer is the co-founder of Nihilo, a branding agency helping founder-led companies to reach the top of their fields through an artful blend of visual and verbal design. Industry specialisations include spirits, outdoor, biotechnology, and female innovation.

Notebook

Blank. Lines get in the way. I don’t sketch but I do take lots of notes.

Colours

Era of inspiration

Unknown. The era I research and reference is directly related to whatever specific project I’m working on—I let that lead me.

Designer on speed dial

Brian Collins.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: Inter. Free, clean, uncomplicated. I use it for all agency collateral.
• A distant love: Any reverse italics. GT Planar in particular.
• Never again: Montserrat.

Organisational method

I use a combination of pen-on-paper and digital tools to keep on top of projects. However, sometimes I just let myself go with the flow.

Trusted advisor

I always like to ask my husband because he knows absolutely nothing about design! Sometimes we get stuck in our own design heads and having a “regular” point of view really helps.

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Name: Ben Hartley

Profession: Digital designer

Location: London, England

Instagram: @benhartleydesign

Website: hartley.design

Ben Hartley is a freelance digital designer specialising in type-driven visual design, branding and digital experiences.
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P.S. Ben is currently available for work!

Era of inspiration

For aesthetics alone, I love Art Nouveau for its shameless indulgence and organic textures. Especially when I need a break from the digital, and at times cold, design space we're in.

But Mid-Century Modern design is my go-to for communicating information and ideas clearly and pragmatically—distilling the content into a structured layout, bold typography and vivid colours.

Notebook

Dotted. My thought process is very structured.

For the first step of a project, I like to plan things out on paper in connected notes and sketches. This is fairly obvious when it comes to web design when you have blocks of content to organise. But even with illustration and font design, dotted paper helps me estimate proportion and divide the page up neatly.

Designer on speed-dial

Bethany Heck. I read her article on multi typeface design when I was in a formative stage of my growth as a designer and it completely blew my mind.

I had always been spoon-fed the idea that you should only use a maximum of 2 typefaces in a design but her rebellion against that taught me to question design conventions.

Colour

I’m using this green and yellow combo for a client branding project at the moment and it's giving me such fun, light-hearted energy. I've always loved yellow and how it seems inherently more bright and vivid than other colours—as though it refuses to calm down and step back.

Fonts

• Firm favourite: Inter by Rasmus Andersson.  If I ever need a reliable font that I can set and forget, this is what I fall back on. It’s open source, optimised for readability, and has a nice, neutral tone. It doesn't look half bad at headline sizes either!
• A distant love: Voyage by VJ Type. For me, it’s the peak of type design as art—with the most indulgent curves and details. However, I’ve never had a client project that I could justify using it in—it’s almost too dominant in its personality. I have tried it out on a personal project, where I could let it be the focus of the design. I've even considered getting the ampersand as a tattoo, it's just that stunning.
• Never again: Favorit by Dinamo. It’s not that I think it’s a bad typeface, it's a great design, but I had to use it as the primary font for a company I worked at where it just didn’t suit the information-heavy design I was doing. The quirks were a constant irritation—the 8 is heavier on top and I would constantly be asked if a bug had flipped it upside down!

Organisational method

Digital tools, but as basic as possible.

Simplenote and Clear are my go-to. The minimal functionality keeps me focused on the work itself, not the productivity.

Trusted advisor

This may be an unpopular opinion, but... clients. At the end of the day, they know what the result needs to be.

I had to learn how to navigate client relationships in a way that gets the right kind of feedback from them. Of course, there are difficult clients that make things hard but the good ones have helped me produce some of my best work.

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Elaine Thompson leads Pistachio Designs, an interior decorating firm based in NYC. AT Pistachio, Elaine ensures that each client's lifestyle is carefully considered and translated into a highly personalised home.

Meet at the milestones

When possible, I always prefer a face-to-face meeting to get to know new clients (zoom totally counts)—conversation typically flows best that way and we can really dive into the nitty gritty. As a project evolves, digital communication works well. Especially as we share reference images or floor plans and renderings. Milestone meetings are another great opportunity to chat things out, face-to-face, and make sure everyone is on the same page.

Design for life

Understanding my client's lifestyle is one of the most important factors when working through the design process. Lifestyle gives me a sense of what clients value most in their day-to-day lives and I use that information to inform my design choices.

Decisions aren't final

The most challenging part of the design process is probably all of the decisions that need to be made every step of the way. The smallest details can make a huge impact...it's a lot! I remind both my clients and myself that nothing in interior design needs to be permanent; it's ever-evolving and ok to change your mind down the road.

Client deep dive

We asked Elaine to imagine she was working with a couple who have just bought their first home—they only have a small space to work with but they have big ideas and dreams! How would she get a feel for the life they want to live here if she had just ~5 questions to work with?

Who do you turn to for style inspiration?

Is it a celebrity with a fabulous home? A favourite writer? A friend with great taste?

What is your favourite at-home activity?

The answer here is so telling, it really gives me a sense of this couple's lifestyle. Do they love staying in for a quiet evening catching up on their Netflix queue? Or do they prefer to host friends for dinner parties?

Where was your first trip together?

This is a fantastic icebreaker and usually leads to some fun stories too! The location and type of trip they took can also help provide inspiration for a colour palette or mood.

When did you realise you want to work with a designer?

Do they need help honing in on their design aesthetic? Do they get overwhelmed by the details of making a space feel 'complete' and need someone to narrow down choices to keep things progressing? The more I know about what a client's strengths and weaknesses are, the better we can all work together!

Why do you gravitate toward certain colour palettes?

Do you like muted colours for the calming effect they evoke or are you afraid you'll overdo it if you work with brighter, more saturated hues? Either way, I'm here to help!

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Find out more about Elaine's services on her website. Find interior inspiration on Elaine's Instagram.

Julia Edwards is a London-based makeup artist. Julia has been responsible for the beauty looks of Stormzy, Michaela Coel and Megan Barton-Hanson.

What shaped your appreciation for makeup?

Perhaps it is a cliché, but I grew up with a glamorous mother. I love looking at old photos of her and seeing her unwavering commitment to glamour. She wears a smokey eye every day, even if she’s just going to put the bins out!

I have always been fascinated by watching my mum apply her makeup. Although she’s definitely had some unusual application methods! She used to absolutely cake on her mascara and then meticulously separate her lashes using a safety pin—obviously don’t try this at home!

What is your go-to cure for creative block?

If I’m feeling uninspired, I stay off social media as much as I can. Comparison, when you’re already in a somewhat self-doubting or negative head space, only serves to make you feel worse.

I usually try to just ride out a creative dry spell. I find that if I focus on spending time with family and friends and doing things that make me happy, my creativity returns naturally by itself.

How do you want your work to be remembered?

That’s something I am still figuring out for myself at the moment. I feel like I am in quite a transitional phase of my career. I have a lot of plans and goals that I am keen to realise.

Since the pandemic, I have been more focused on stability and have naturally gravitated towards doing a lot of commercial work rather than overly creative and expressive projects. My work recently has been more commercial/clean or glam rather than experimental and editorial. I enjoy creating the latter and I’m itching to get back to it.

Whilst I love creating natural/no makeup-makeup looks, usually more is more for me. I’m in my element when creating a dramatic look.

Whatever style of makeup I’m doing, whether it’s a classic smudgy and sultry liner, a really juicy glossy lip or a more conceptual artistic look, I want whoever is wearing the makeup to feel powerful and sexy—whatever that means to them.

We asked Julia to share her 'bucket list concept'—the creative vision that she hopes to one day bring to life...

We asked Julia to share the creative vision at the top of her bucket list...

Glamourpuss

Growing up I was obsessed with two things: faces and cats. I’d love to do a beauty shoot that combines the two.

I'd create an ongoing beauty series where models pose next to a cat with visual similarities. For example, a ginger cat with a redhead model, a cat with heterochromia and a model with heterochromia, a sphynx cat and a model with a shaved head and so on.

I want models from all different ethnic backgrounds—the more diverse the range of human and cat faces featured, the more interesting the shoot will be. The odd celebrity featured in the series would also be fun! The model Sydney Harper is absolutely gorgeous and would be a fun way to kick off the series, I could see her posing with a Siamese cat.

I envision really luxe but simple and effective styling. Big chandelier diamond earrings, or a statement jewel necklace against a plain backdrop. I absolutely love Desiree Mattson’s work, the way she captures a mood and the overall feeling of opulence in her photography would be perfect for this concept.

The main technicality to overcome would be getting the cats to sit still and pose without being spooked by the camera!

Find out about Julia's work on her website. Find her on Instagram for never ending makeup inspiration.