This was published 4 years ago
Not many childhood fashion moments can top being bridesmaid for Princess Di
By Georgie Gordon
Each week, Sunday Life quizzes a prominent Australian about their style and the inspiration behind it. Ahead, contributing editor Georgie Gordon chats to British designer India Hicks.
"With age you tend to look back and say, 'What was I thinking… skirts too short, heels too high.'"Credit: Brittan Goetz
How would you describe your style?
Relaxed and, more recently, rather lazy.
What’s the oldest thing in your wardrobe?
I’ve got quite a few evening dresses inherited from my grandmother. They are more chic and elegant than my own oldest piece of clothing, a North Face sleeveless fleece waistcoat I got when I first moved to America in 1997.
And the most recent addition?
Vans high-top sneakers. One of my children asked if I was taking up skateboarding.
What would you wear…
…on a first date? It depends. My go-to would be jeans and a beautiful silk shirt, with heels pre COVID-19; post-COVID, probably the Vans sneakers.
…on a plane? Jeans and a blazer, but I’ll carry a cashmere sweater with me because I am always freezing on aeroplanes.
…to the Oscars? Something memorable. Emilia Wickstead would be able to create a fantasy that was also very traditional, with a twist.
What’s your favourite fashion era?
Not the 1980s! One that I didn’t live through – the 1940s or ’50s. Although I’m watching Outlander and some of the Scottish corsets and tartan skirts are quite appealing.
Who are your favourite fashion designers?
Ralph Lauren. Rae Feather. Melissa Odabash for bikinis. And I have a huge lust for Hester Bly; it’s a luxury resort-wear label in limited-edition pieces.
Do you have a favourite fragrance?
I wear tea rose – I can pick up any rose scent and be happy – or my other half David’s 4711 aftershave.
What are three things you can’t live without?
A Mason Pearson hairbrush, an oversized handbag that fits my laptop and my Day Birger et Mikkelsen leather jacket.
Can you remember a favourite outfit you wore as a child?
I was a bridesmaid to Princess Diana, so I wore that bridesmaid dress on that rather magical day. It certainly wasn’t a favourite piece of clothing because I had been quite a tomboy and that frilly dress was rather a surprise, but looking back I feel very privileged to have worn something so historical.
And your worst fashion mistake?
With age you tend to look back and say, “What was I thinking… skirts too short, heels too high.”
India Hicks (back row, third from left), one of Princess Diana’s bridesmaids, recalls being surprised at the frilly dress chosen for her to wear, as she was quite a tomboy.Credit: Getty Images
What was your first fashion moment?
On one of my first modelling jobs in Paris, I was given a huge bouffant hairstyle – not something I’d repeat.
What’s at the top of your wish list?
Through the age of COVID, we’re all looking for the ideal way to be dressed for a Zoom call: a good-looking shirt up top and a really comfy pair of leggings down below. But it’s finding that pair of leggings that you can wear all day, from the Zoom meeting to your workout to putting the kids to bed.
Is there something you would never wear?
I’ve been adventurous with fashion, but now I’ve eased into a very traditional look that doesn’t involve a lot of colour.
Is there a current trend you like?
Wide-legged trousers and flared jeans. My 12-year-old daughter persuaded me to buy the same pair of jeans as her – they’ve got heart pockets and a large flare – and I can’t work out whether I look incredibly cool or ridiculous.
What shoes do you wear the most?
I live part of the time in the Bahamas, so I’ll be in Havaianas flip-flops. Otherwise, a leather motorbike boot.
Who’s your favourite fashion icon?
Cate Blanchett has a very unique and dramatic sense of style.
What’s your favourite off-duty, casual Sunday look?
In the Bahamas, a kaftan or wide skirt with a cotton, off-the-shoulder top – something to slip over a swimsuit or go out to dinner in.
This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale December 13. To read more from Sunday Life, visit The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
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