CHANEL The INFLUENCER...
MONIKH DALE, 31, IS A STYLE INFLUENCER AND BRAND CONSULTANT
Ilike to look laidback and I always prefer to be underdressed. You have to have a lot of confidence to wear a minimal outfit, so I like that challenge. For me, there’s nothing sexier than a simple T-shirt and jeans with an incredible jacket. It’s something I learned from my parents, who were casually cool ahead of their time. My dad’s smart look was a pair of really expensive jeans with a T-shirt and oversized blazer. People told him he was scruffy but 1O years later, everyone was doing it. My mum would pair her Matrix-style floor-length leather coat with baggy mom jeans and a vest – that effortlessness has definitely rubbed off on me. My parents made me realise that if they don’t mind dressing differently, why should I? I’m not scared to wear something, even if other people don’t like it.
A few years ago, I became obsessed with Chanel’s chunky grandad sandals. At first, my sisters mocked me for wearing them but now they’re both walking around in high-street versions. I spotted the SS18 quilted sandals in an airport and resisted the initial urge to spend hundreds – but I couldn’t stop thinking about them. When I finally went to a store to buy them three months later, they were gone. I pride myself on being able to find any item (from Bottega pouch bags to first release Saks Potts coats), but I spent the next nine months searching online to no avail.
In the end, I resorted to contacting Bettina Looney, who owns a concierge company that finds the unfindable items. Bettina found them in Texas and got them shipped to a friend in LA. That friend sent them to her boyfriend, who brought them to London. I wear them all the time and often get comments from strangers on my Instagram saying, ‘Eugh, I’m so bored of those shoes,’ and it’s actually the best feeling. I worked hard to pay for them, they’ve been on one hell of a journey and I’m going to wear them ‘til they die.
I started out as a personal shopper for Topshop and now create online edits for companies and fashion brands, as well as working as a stylist and running my website. I encourage my 138,OOO followers and blog readers to buy better and, over the past few years, I’ve invested in more timeless items, such as handbags from The Row. I am still partial to a trend piece, but I know what resells (Gucci bags and anything from The Row) so after a few weeks, I’ll put it up on Vestiaire and get some of my money back. I wanted the Gianvito Rossi kitten heels I’m wearing today for a year before I bought them, so I’m rarely impulsive.
Even though I’m only 5ft 1in, I embrace my size. I don’t feel I need heels to have more authority – I feel more confident in flats. Equally, I would never put on a suit to feel powerful. If I need a boost, I’ll wear an ankle-skimming dress from Albus Lumen or Mara Hoffman, with flat sandals and my natural linen By Far Rachel handbag.