Female Founders Series; Weiz Styles
Photo provided by Weiz Styles
Louise Duncum, Personal Stylist and founder of Weiz Styles
Hello, I’m Louise and this is my story on how I became a Personal Stylist with a mission to make women feel more confident, inside and out, using lots of fun and long-lasting techniques based on my years of experience in the fashion industry.
It was a rollercoaster ride to get here, so grab a glass of your favourite drink and I’ll take you on my journey! First things first, I had to come up with a name - so I chose Weiz Styles based on my childhood nickname, Weiz (pronounced wheeze!).
I was one of the lucky ones who always knew I wanted to work in the fashion industry, so I set my sights on getting into university to study Fashion Design and went off to Nottingham Trent University. As much as it was encouraged to be super creative during this degree (think of the most extravagant catwalk designer you know!), deep down I knew commercial design was where I wanted to end up because I loved creating designs with an element of extravagance but perfectly translatable into everyday wearable trends.
Photo provided by Weiz Styles
I was thrilled to be offered the graduate design job at Next Retail on the childrenswear team, straight after graduating. This was probably my favourite role of my entire design career. Everything was new and exciting and I learnt so much, it really was the perfect place to start in the fashion industry. Not only was I able to assist in the design process whilst learning all the tricks of the trade, but I was also off shopping to find new trends and had the chance to travel around the world. A highlight was my first work trip to Hong Kong (which ended up giving me the travel bug) but I can confirm it is not always glamorous. I often spent hours sifting through garments searching for specific items and debating the lengths of frills until the cows came home.
When my graduate role was over, I moved across to Next Sourcing and learnt all about the supplier side of design. This was a surreal change as I was then competing to have my work chosen over the in-house designers but, from here, my fashion design career was completely set up.
Over the years I designed childrenswear and womenswear for brands such as H&M, C&A, Bestseller and, of course, Next. This included a stint living and working in Belgium before finally settling down in London.
Photo provided by Weiz Styles
In between, the dreaded Covid hit. This period, as it did for many others, gave me an abundance of free time which I didn't want to waste, so I started an Instagram page called @weizwears. For over a year I shared outfit inspirations daily and grew a loyal following. I tried and tested ideas and taught myself everything I could about social media whilst enjoying a taste of the ‘influencer’ world. During this time I was lucky enough to become part of the LTK influencers in order to monetise my passion through commission and also collaborated with a variety of high street brands on their influencing campaigns across clothing, jewellery and beauty. This is where my love for styling really came alive! Everyone was asking me for outfit ideas and I’d grown a community of people who loved what I was doing. There really was no better feeling, and I’d done it all by myself.
When the Covid restrictions were lifted, I went straight to London for a new design role, but leaving behind the styling didn’t feel right. I had zero free time to keep up with my side hustle due to work commitments and long daily commutes, which made me realise that something needed to change. I eventually moved to a new company and into a senior position that I thought would make me really fulfilled, but this ended up being the tip of an unpleasant iceberg and solidified my decision to give personal styling a go full-time, in order to live the life I wanted whilst doing something I loved.
So, I quit my job and I went on to successfully study Personal Styling and Colour Analysis at the London College of Style and launched my business, Weiz Styles, in October 2023!
Photo provided by Weiz Styles
I now offer style discoveries, colour analysis sessions, wardrobe edits, personal shopping and style parties to amazing women in London and online. I also deliver corporate workshops and have lots of exciting collaborations coming up. I have been learning everything about having a business as I go, but I don't regret this decision one bit and am happier than ever. It is so rewarding seeing the positive difference I can make in people's lives and watching them walk away with a newfound confidence and spring in their step - a total contrast to my designer role. I absolutely love using my expertise for a positive impact.
As a Personal Stylist, it is my ultimate mission to make women feel confident, inside and out. I want them to understand that how they dress and express themselves through style is a form of self-care and should not be seen as a selfish indulgence but instead, a key form of wellness that should take higher priority in their everyday lives. I help women save time, embrace all their favourite assets and watch them flourish in an experience that is safe, kind and fun! What is not to love?
If you are feeling stuck in a rut with your style, not sure how to dress for your shape, confused as to which colours suit you or struggling with shopping, then I am here to help and would love to be a part of your style journey! So please do get in touch with me anytime so we can find the route best suited to you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Louise x
You can also follow my LTK shop for instant shoppable outfit ideas to help inspire your purchases!
