The Towie Trend - Lydia Rose Bright

The pop-up Bella Sorella store made its debut at Meadowhall Shopping Centre — where The Only Way Is Essex (TOWIE) star held meet and greets with fans, served in the store and offered style advice to shoppers.

Lydia was joined by mum Debbie Douglas and sister Georgina Bright as they offered up to 50 per cent discounts on selected stock ahead of their UK tour.

22 year old Lydia first found fame on British BAFTA award winning reality show, TOWIE, where she became a favourite with viewers for breaking the trend of wearing fake tan, false lashes and skimpy dresses. Lydia meets Chase to tell us how her love for a more sophisticated look led her to open her own boutique — Bella Sorella.

Q Has fashion always been an interest of yours?

A Yes, fashion has always been a love of mine. My mum was a fashion buyer and my aunt was a designer so I was born into a fashion-mad family. Even my Nan is a follower of fashion — she always keeps up to date with the latest trends. Following on from my TOWIE fame, I felt it was the perfect opportunity to make my dream of owning a boutique a reality.

Q Where did the name Bella Sorella come from?

A I co-own the boutique with my sister so we wanted the name to reflect both of us.

‘Sorella’ means sister in Italian and ‘Bella’ means beautiful.

Q How would you describe your style?

A My style is very girlie. A sophisticated fifties look probably sums it up. I wear a lot of lace and vintage inspired dresses.

Q How often do you shop?

A I shop every week — in fact probably a few times a week. Since I opened my own boutique my shopping habits are worse than ever. I buy a lot of my own stock from the store. At least the money is going back into the business — that’s how I justify it.

Q What’s your guilty pleasure when it comes to shopping?

A Definitely dresses — I have a dress in pretty much every colour you could think of, except black. You’ll rarely ever see me in black. I prefer to wear bright vibrant colours or pastels.

Q How would you describe the Bella Sorella collection?

A It’s very me. Everything you see on the rails is everything I like. I try to cater for everyone — all ages and shapes — we have a variety of cuts, colours and designs.

Q What should we expect from the autumn/winter range?

A The spring/summer collection was mainly vintage inspired designs, and this will continue into autumn/winter with the addition of some retro designs. Each collection is very feminine with a subtle sexy twist. I’ve opted for a darker palette for the new season — purples, reds and greys. I’ve listened to feedback from customers to understand what they want from a collection so I hope my new range meets their needs.

Q Where do you find inspiration for your collections?

A I have taken inspiration from my favourite 1950s Hollywood style icons Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn. Looking sexy doesn’t mean wearing skimpy clothes —it’s about confidence and loving your body and these two fashion icons are a great example of this.  I’ve designed dresses that are sexy but subtle — you don’t have to show off every asset.

Q Who would you like to see wear your collection?

A I’d love to see Blake Lively or Olivia Palermo wearing Bella Sorella.

Q What’s next for Bella Sorella?

A I’d like to move into other areas of designing like footwear and accessories. Watch this space.