Margaret Oliver AKA Gran, always insisted she never smoked cigarettes. She is photographed here with my Mum (I am in Mums tum) in Jamaica. Clearly, Gran is not a non-smoker, and passive smoking around her young daughter was also not really a concern for her. But, by the way, it was 1969, and an era when car seat belts and sunscreen were deemed unnecessary. These kinds of details were of no importance to anyone and easy to deny. 1970's here we come.
There is a funny story about Gran getting sunburned on Treasure beach one day, and when she took off her black lace pattern swimsuit, she was still wearing it, except in pink, she had a perfect lace pattern all over her body. Margaret Oliver, inspired me as I grew up to love fashion, she had all the classics, and I would spend a lot of time in her wardrobe. She had classic Burberry trench coats, cashmere sweaters galore in all shades of camel and pastel and she loved to talk about the history of everything she wore. There was always a story to tell. She had many iconic items passed to her through our family, and she also loved finding recycled fashion as she got a lot older. Charity shops were brimming with all her favourite classics, and it was fun looking at her latest finds.
I am now working as a photographer and stylist and producing social content for Instagram, using my fashion background to influence my portraits, lifestyle images and flat lays. Creating compelling, relatable portrayals of people that look like the best version of themselves is what I love to do. I like the poses to look natural, no cheesy smiles or overdone hairstyles. It is all about feeling and looking natural.
For me, it is refreshing to see the transformation in people when they start to love looking at themselves and seeing what other people see. Letting go of feeling self-conscious and stepping into who we are now is so good for the soul and an incredible way to gain social media connections. Don't be shy, other people want to see your face! We show our faces to everyone every day, so why not on your social?
How can you inspire authentic connections on your Instagram feed? Show your face; this is how we gain genuine relationships with other people. Portraits and videos of you will help build trust and inspire authentic connections with the right people. Create value and tangible influence and engagement by being completely you.
I need to practice what I preach. My new mission is to create some self-portraits for Styling Mrs Oliver Instagram. My theme will be ‘dress-up’ and inspired by Gran, celebrating Styling Mrs Margaret Oliver.
