Donna Ida Denim Clinic

Donna Ida Denim Clinic: Style It Your Way

11.22.2011 Posted in denimblog by Lorna, Editor

After trying on lots of different jeans and styles at the Donna Ida Denim Clinic, the next part was the styling. Jo, the stylist, and I both decided to create two looks that are a lot different to what I would usually wear. We picked a silk shirt with a tailored navy coat and even though the colours are quite contrasting, put together it really works. The second outfit was a more simple one of an oversized striped sweater and a printed scarf. You should definitely check out the denim clinic if you get chance to, it’s amazing! You can see some more behind the scenes photos in the gallery below so you can see what happens there and you can check out the Donna Ida post here.

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DenimBlog Exclusive: Interview With Donna Ida

11.21.2011 Posted in Designer Jean Interviews by Lorna, Editor

Photo above: Lorna (left), Donna (middle) and Kim (right).

As you know I met up with Donna Ida from the famous Donna Ida boutiques in London to try out the denim clinic. You can see the previous denim clinic posts here. We thought it would be fun to do an interview with Donna, since she loves premium denim as much as we do, and find out some of her favourite trends, loves and experiences. Carry on reading below to find out more.

DB: What is your favourite cut in a pair of jeans?

Skinny then flare… and anything high waisted!

DB: What’s your most fondest memory since opening your boutiques?

There are so many – usually the funny ones though. I once ended up standing on the shop floor in just jeans and a bra because a customer had asked me to try a top on, then when she liked it on me she came into the fitting room, took it off me and threw me out! I always have a great time with Kim too, she’s our Managing Director and has worked with me for years. We had a lot of fun once driving through In n Out Burger in LA – a lot of my happy times tend to involve food. But the best memory of all has to be when I met my husband. He walked into the first boutique 2 weeks after we opened. A complete chance and very very lucky meeting. I got him at Donna Ida!

DB: You are really nice Donna, so what’s your secret to staying friendly and down to earth even though you are so successful?

Ah that is so nice of you to say! When people are nice to me, even if they just smile it makes me feel great, so if ever someone catches my eye on the street I smile at them and I’m sure it makes their day as much as it does mine. Nasty people don’t get anywhere, I firmly believe that.

DB: What trends are you loving right now and what is your favourite ever trend?

The high waisted flare that 18th Amendment did in 2006 were so me and I just loved them. They were completely new and fresh. One trend that I didn’t think I would love as much as I do is colour. It’s so easy to wear! Coloured jeans are a godsend, I just love them.

DB: Do you have a favourite food?

I have so many. I love Italian – I could eat pizza and pasta all day, but I also love Japanese, Greek, Lebanese…

DB: What sort of music and movies do you like?

I’ve loved the Rolling Stones and The Beatles for as long as I can remember, but my favourite song is Tiny Dancer by Elton John. My favourite movie is Moonstruck. The first birthday I had after I met Bobby Dazzler, he hired a private cinema and had it screened for me after dinner. He hadn’t quite worked out just how little I drink at that point and didn’t want to waste all the wine and champagne he had ordered so proceeded to drink the lot then snore through the entire movie. I still loved it though!

DB: Why did you decide to open Donna Ida?

Because I couldn’t find anywhere to buy jeans that I felt truly comfortable in. Department stores have a great selection but I couldn’t get the service I needed and I was paranoid I wouldn’t be able to get them up over my thighs and would have to get dressed and go out looking for more sizes myself. Which usually did happen.

DB: What shows do you attend?

I go to Coterie in New York and Tranoi in Paris. Sometimes I go to Project in LA and I do all the smaller shows in NY and Paris while I’m there, but really Coterie and Tranoi are the big ones for me. Trade shows are hell, but they have to be done.

DB: How do you decide what to buy?

I usually know what I’m looking for before I go, but mainly it’s just gut instinct and knowing what shapes sell at what time of year. I rarely dither, either I like it or I don’t, so I can make quick decisions.

DB: What new brands are you looking forward to this season?

Rag & Bone have been doing amazing skinnies so I’m looking to our January delivery of their legging which is gathering a huge fan base. Bleulab are a new brand who are doing reversible denim and they’re launching in the UK with Donna this December, and then there’s Rich & Skinny who have relaunched. Their fits have always been spot on – I’m looking forward to having them back.

DB: How many pairs of jeans do you own?

Not as many as you think – maybe 20 or 30? I have tended to turn them over in the past, which I now realise is a mistake. I’m not getting rid of anything from now on!

DB: Which is your favourite pair?

That is such a hard decision – there are so many I rely on but probably the one I wear the MOST is my Paige Verdugo skinnies. They’re fantastic.

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Celebrity: Donna Ida

Behind The Scenes At The Donna Ida Denim Clinic

11.07.2011 Posted in denimblog by Lorna, Editor

Here is my first video debut on DenimBlog and it’s behind the scenes clips and photos from the Donna Ida Denim Clinic visit. I put this video together last week and I think it shows what went on there pretty well, with the choosing the jeans and having my photo taken in them for the website etc. Everyone there was so friendly and I want to say thank you to them for inviting me! Stay tuned for the Donna Ida interview and the How I Style It post coming soon!

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The Denim Clinic At Donna Ida

11.02.2011 Posted in denimblog by Lorna, Editor

Those of you following the DenimBlog Twitter account will know I was invited to try the Denim Clinic at Donna Ida’s Belgravia store in London on the 21st October. It’s like denim heaven walking into a Donna Ida store, there are so many amazing jeans all over the place! I love it!

The Denim Clinic, which you can see here, is an exciting way to find the perfect fitting jeans for you. The stylist Jo will work with you on deciding what sort of cuts you like, what washes you like and what jeans will be the best fit for you. I chose a lot of bright coloured denim as it’s my favourite and obviously skinnies as I love those; they are the jeans that suit my body shape the most. They even have heels there for you to try on your jeans with so you can see how they would fit with different shoes.

On the website, after answering a few questions about your body and jeans, it will give you the body shape that’s closest to you. The choices are Pear, Curvy, Boyish, Apple, Petite and Long Legs. There are videos of Donna explaining more about these shapes to you as well. If you are not completely sure on your shape while answering the questions, you can also upload a picture of yourself to the website!

The Denim Clinic has information on how to measure yourself correctly as well as a style bible for each jean cut! The styles included are the Bootcut, Boyfriend, Straight, Flare, Crop and Skinny! If all of this information is still not enough and you just need some more advice, you can message any of your questions to them on their FaceBook or Twitter pages. The Donna Ida team are definitely there to help you!

While I was there, I was also chatting to one of the staff and they even offer alterations. I know a lot of stores offer this service, but this goes a bit beyond the classic alterations as they do everything from the normal hemming to taking the waist band in and even making the legs more narrow if you need it. The best part though, is if you are pregnant, they can turn your favourite pair of jeans into a pair of maternity jeans during the pregnancy and then once you have had your baby, they can turn them back into normal jeans again! How amazing is that? Donna Ida definitely seems like the place to go for buying premium denim!

The jeans that I wore while I was there were the J Brand 901 coated red and the coated purple, Nobody Cult skinny jeans in Atomic Red, Fidelity Stevie skinny in Tao Blue, J Brand Jodhpur in Vintage Stallion, Paige Verdugo Cords in Royal Turquoise, J Brand 901 coated pink Fashion’s Night Out jeans, J Brand twill skinnies in Blue and a pair of Citizens of Humanity skinnies (not pictured). My favourites out of them all though definitely were the 901 coated red skinnies! They are amazing! I was also really fond of the Jodhpurs, more so than I thought I would be!

You can see all of the images in the gallery below, including me with Jo discussing the styles. I will be posting a few more articles soon, one where we styled some jeans with other clothes, behind the scenes pictures and a video and an exclusive interview with Donna herself! Stay tuned! You can also see the post on Donna Ida’s blog here.