Behind the scene at Gok’s Road-show!

Meant to post this before I went away on holiday but ran out of time...

My friend Naomi and I nervously made our way to Cabot Circus, not really too sure what to expect. Emotions were a mixture of excitement (we were going to witness Gok’s magic firsthand!) and nervousness at the prospect of potentially being on TV.

We were amongst some of Bristol’s fashion students and hair stylists, privileged to be invited by Endemol to take part in an intimate seminar with Gok Wan for his new “fashion fix” road-show on Channel 4.

As soon as we arrived outside the venue, the filming started. We were asked to peer excitedly through the window waiting to be welcomed in by Gok, it was raining and cold (I was hoping I’d put enough hairspray on my fringe to withstand the elements) but it wasn’t long before we were called inside and positioned around the set for more filming. The set was styled beautifully, there was a selection of yummy shoes and bags perfectly positioned, jewellery dripped from the walls and oozed from the dressing table. I’d love to wake up to a dressing room like that every morning!


With his ‘stitch bitch’ Andy on hand to alter anything and everything, Gok worked his magic turning a rather plain dress into something that I wish I’d had for a Christmas party back in December (photo's to follow after the program is aired - wouldn't want to ruin the surprise!). The outfit he created was to compete with Brix Smith-Start at the fashion face off later that week. He showed us that with some imagination and a pair of scissors, it’s quite possible to create an outfit that not only looks expensive but that is completely unique – something that’s getting harder and harder to create thanks to the massive choice of clothing available to us now.

Although the show is very much about fashion, it was great to see how important it was to him to work with the body shape and movement of the model. I think that all too often, women wear the seasons ‘must have” item regardless of whether it actually suits or flatters them. It’s so important to take into account your body shape, personality and lifestyle if you’re going to create a truly perfect outfit that suits you.

A big part of my job is showing women how to wear more of the items they have hanging in their wardrobe, as so many of us only wear a tiny percentage of what we actually have. Sometimes it only takes a little tweak here and there to dramatically change the shape and fit of a garment, altering it from something you were never wearing, into an essential part of your wardrobe. Clothes are designed to be altered; they have to be as we are not all the same shape, but Gok takes it one step further and shows us that not only can we carry out minor alterations for a better fit, but if we stand back and find our creativity side we can completely alter the look of a garment and turn it into something that’s totally unique.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I have to admit I was genuinely impressed by Gok. Not many of us have the imagination and vision that Mr Wan has so I fully recommend tuning in to Gok’s fashion road-show for some inspiration to help you to wear more of those un-worn items taking up space in your wardrobe.