Interview with Louise Roe

15/09/2015

For stylist, author and TV personality Louise Roe, this is her first time visiting Dublin. Documented extensively on her Instagram, she has already crammed in a visit Trinity College, the Book of Kells and a fancy breakfast at the Dylan Hotel.

“I love Dublin! The people are just hilarious and have been so welcoming. Honestly, I have never met such lovely people,” she gushes in a strong British accent which has developed a slight American twang after years spent  living in LA.

“I call gilets vests now, oh and trousers are now pants. It gets a bit confusing!” she says on living the LA lifestyle. 

“LA is home now, but the UK will always be my real home. I think landing back over here is always comforting. I love my cup of tea and the pubs and walks in the rain. It sounds cliché but it’s those things that you miss. I am very close with my family as well so there is no culture shock when I come home, it’s a nice respite actually.”

You may instantly recognise the willowy Lousie from her stint opposite Whitney Port and Olivia Palermo on MTV reality show The City. Although she has moved on from being a reality show star, she still looks back on the memories fondly.

“I think what I loved about the City specifically was that it was about the fashion industry and our jobs within it so it never focused on my personal life (for me anyway!). It was more about what was going on at fashion week and backstage so I really enjoyed that.”

Five years on, the City now looks like a small feat in comparison to Roe's impressive CV. 

Having launched her blog last year, Roe is no stranger to writing having penned articles for top publications such as Vogue and Elle. She has also managed to host numerous TV shows including BBC's the Clothes Show, MTV's Plain Jane and E!'s Fashion Police. 

One venture that Roe is especially proud of is her book, Front Roe, that was released earlier this year.

“The book was just something I always wanted to do. I started researching it years ago and just kept track of all my insider tips that I picked up along the way. So it was not a new idea for me, it was something I had been working on for a long time.”

For now, Roe is in Ireland previewing the autumn winter collection for Karen Millen before jet setting to New York for fashion week. A long term fan of the brand, Roe cannot get enough.

“I’ve always worn Karen Millen and I just loved that they were doing something different this season. They made an amazing campaign video featuring real women, musicians and actresses and I see a lot of New York in this collection.”

We couldn’t leave without snapping up some expert tips on how to incorporate new season trends into our wardrobes. Who better to have on hand than the effortlessly stylish Roe?

“I think autumn winter is all about very luxurious textures; a shearling gilet or a grey pair of leather trousers. I think there’s a big movement towards minimalism at the moment so I’ve just paired back my looks to include a few staples that I can mix and match. For me, it’s more about getting that perfect trench coat and then maybe a really awesome shoe or a statement piece of jewelry to jazz it up.”

And she is practical too!