Welcome to BICE Styling!

Hello world,

I am Clara, Italian-born, London-based personal stylist. This is the first blog post, and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to introduce myself, or better, tell you the story of BICE Styling.

I spent the last 10 years in various different jobs, from corporate to start-ups, from food delivery to fashion, and technology.

In September 2023 I signed up to theWomen's Personal Styling course at London College of Style, mostly because I wanted a creative outlet outside my day-to-day tech job. I had no intention or desire to become a stylist: I wanted to do the course for my personal development and for fun.

I got my certificate in December 2023 and started practising on friends and family, realising that the happiness styling brought me was very different from anything I had ever felt in my previous roles.

My heart felt lighter, and it felt like this was my true calling. My friends were telling me "You should do this; this is YOU", while my brain was telling me "Don't be silly: you are very good at your office job, why would you throw it away?".

Fast forward to Spring 2024, after burning out and going through one of the lowest periods of my life, I sat down with pen and paper and grasped at the deepest ends of my brain to find my WHY.

On that notebook, I wrote:

• Empower ME

• Empower women

• Guide, coach, and mentor

• Make the world a better place

I then worked through and refined the vision. I looked through what the last 10 years in business have taught me, and realised that often women in leadership or executive roles struggle to show up into the world as their most authentic selves. And it all starts with their professional and personal image.

...That's how BICE Styling was born!

I know what you are wondering: What does "BICE" MEAN??

That's a story for another time.

(My brain suddenly jumped to the Gossip Girl voiceover "That's a secret I'll never tell... You know you love me, xoxo, Gossip Girl." Any GG fans out there?)

Sometimes, and especially as women, we think that if we dress a certain way, we will not be taken seriously. Sometimes, we simply don't know what suits our body shapes, because society and the media have always taught us that there is only one acceptable body shape we should all strive to achieve (spoiler: there isn't! All body shapes are beautiful). Other times, we simply don't have the time or resources to stop to think what we are communicating through the way we dress, and whether that aligns with who we truly are.

I say "we", because I was also in that stage a few years ago, and only through the help of a fabulous stylist I found my spark again.

When I signed up for my Styling course, I had NO IDEA that my world would turn upside down. I am getting started and finding my feet, navigating all the intricacies of running a small business (while also juggling my day job to pay the bills and keep the lights on!).

But boy, does it make my heart flutter!

I hope you are here to enjoy the journey with me. If you're one of the people who have known me for a while, and who knew this was my path before I did, thank you for standing by me. If you're new to my world, welcome.

Whatever brings you here, I hope you will find what you are looking for.

With so much love,

Clara | BICE Styling