HAIR ARTIST AND FOUNDER OF MANKETTI OIL HAIRCARE
‘in a league of its own,’ is how Charlotte Mensah describes Preen by Thornton Bregazzi, the label she’s loved since discovering its boutique in the late ’90s. ‘There’s this amazing arcade on Portobello Road, and they had a tiny little shop. I remember going in and just being in awe, thinking, “Look at these guys, it’s so innovative what they’ve done with prints.” It had a punky feel to it, and a real London vibe.’ She made her first purchase – a leopard-print shirtdress with a white collar – in the early noughties and has since gone ‘crazy’, filling her wardrobe with more than 17 pieces in shades of tangerine, emerald and turquoise. ‘All over my Instagram, every dress is Preen. All my fancy events, it’s Preen. If I see people wearing Preen, I’m like, “You shouldn’t be wearing it. I discovered it first!”’ she laughs. As well as suiting her effortless approach to grooming and getting dressed – ‘Every time I wear my dresses, I just have my watch and wedding band on. They’re saying so much, you don’t want to make it messy’ – Charlotte also likes the universal nature of a Preen dress. ‘Anyone can wear them. My friend could wear the size 6, I could wear the size 14 or 16, and we both look amazing.’