STYLE AND CULTURE
FENN O'MEALLY'S STYLE FILE
By Eleanor Dunne, 27 January 2019
Describe your style...
‘Malleable and relaxed. It depends how I feel and what I’m doing. I have a lot of vintage pieces and like to inject sportswear into my look.’
How important is fashion to you?
‘Massively – but not so much fashion, more style. If you work out what makes you feel the best you, that’s key. If I feel good and have good energy, hopefully I pass it on to the person I’m interviewing.’
What’s the item you buy on repeat?
‘Different coloured high-top Converse.’
What‘s your fave piece from this shoot?
‘The faux-shearling jacket. Put anyone in it – a rapper from the Bronx, your grandad – and they’d be able to hold their personality.’
‘Brummies tell it like it is, it’s a grounding place. But my upbringing and support from my family – my dad taking me to gymnastics one night, athletics the next – shaped me more than where I’m from.’
How did you get started in TV?
‘I did my school work experience in the clothing closet on This Morning at ITV, getting on a bus at 5am every morning to London, and went back in my summer holidays. When I was at uni, I worked as a runner at ITV, then did an internship on The One Show.’
You have gigs for BBC Radio 1Xtra and Complex…
‘Girl On The Ground is a weekly feature for 1Xtra giving a shout-out to people behind the scenes in fashion, music and film – like Sherrie Silver, the choreographer behind Childish Gambino’s This Is America video. I do a similar thing for Complex.‘
Pictures: Sam Wilson, Styled by Warren Leech
‘We look at successful people on Instagram, but don’t see the mistakes they made. It was important to show there are f**k-ups along the line, probably more than achievements.’
What have mentors taught you?
‘Davina [McCall], to treat everybody equally. Reg [Yates], to understand what I can do that no one else can. Dermot [O’Leary], to enjoy it.’
Who are your fave people to party with?
‘Poppy Ajudha. Emma Breschi. All my girls! I always leave pretty early, I usually have work the next day.’
You often collaborate with friends, how important is it to support women?
‘Massively. This industry isn’t about individuals, it should be about us. There’s space for us all.’
