JOURNAL

Around Notting Hill with Martha Ward

Martha, photographed by Lottie Hampson, wears the DÔEN Heirloom Etienne Top, Atherton Pant and May Sweater tied at her waist. The Martine Bag sits on the chair.

We photographed Martha Ward on a classically grey English day that mirrored our first meeting with her last summer on our friend Amanda Brooks’s farm in the Cotswolds. Martha, who wears many proverbial hats, is a stylist, brand consultant, and the global fashion director of Condé Nast Traveller in the UK, where she makes her home. She has a knack for playing with color and texture—mixing Fair Isle, dark florals, and woven accessories with complete ease for our shoot. “I don’t follow trends,” she explains, “so everything I buy has longevity.” It follows that she was drawn to some of our most special DÔEN Heirloom pieces, expertly exploring the juxtaposition of the pintucks and intricate floral lace cutwork found across the Etienne Top, pairing it with classic wide-wale Italian corduroy.

We wandered around Martha’s neighborhood, where we talked about where she finds inspiration, why her style hasn’t changed all that much, and why you can never have too many Victorian lawn dresses after all…

Tell us a bit more about your journey to becoming a stylist. What do you enjoy most about your work?

I like the actual outfitting element of styling—building different or unexpected looks. And opening my client’s eyes to things they haven’t historically attempted to wear for whatever reason. That’s always very rewarding. And when it comes to photoshoots I tend to devise the concept, story, and location single-handedly. This takes weeks of brainstorming and prep and it begins to come to life when the team is on board, and we strive to create incredible images, so it’s very satisfying to see the results in print.

How would you describe your personal style? Has it changed over the years?

I like to wear things that I truly love and those things haven’t evolved enormously. I don’t follow trends and never have done so everything I buy has longevity which is handy as it means that I can still wear trousers or dresses bought ten years ago. I’d describe my personal style as quite classic,

but with pops of eccentricity, as I often lean into unusual or vintage-style details like oversized collars, appliqué, lace details, good buttons, and bows. The day’s outfit depends on my mood. I’m partial to a granny-chic dress or the polar opposite school uniform vibe with shirts buttoned right up and tucked into wide-leg trousers with a bow and a good collar.

“Winter florals are excellent with layering with tanks or sweaters and I’ll wear them with boots or flats if it’s a crisp Fall day.” Martha styles the Kenley Vest over the Ginetta Dress and carries the Orla Bag

Martha wears the Odette Ballet Flat with the Rhodia Dress

Are there any special pieces that come to mind from your years of vintage shopping and collecting?

I have a strong affinity for vintage clothes and have always loved a rummage in a vintage shop or street market. It’s my greatest shopping thrill of all. A powder pink dress with eyelet detail, an enormous bow, and lace cuffs was a highlight from a junk shop in Sussex many years ago; a navy boys’ school blazer from a Brick Lane vintage shop 20 years ago remains a wardrobe staple (the cropped sleeves and fitted cut got me!) And, I have forever collected white Victorian lawn dresses which have the most exquisite detailing, which is virtually impossible to mimic. They are very fragile so they need to be worn with care...and a slip because they’re often quite sheer.

Where do you find inspiration?

I watch lots of old films, endlessly sifting through art and photography books and now with Instagram and Pinterest you only need to search a hashtag for an unending archive of references so that’s the other –rather speedier—way to gather inspo. I love doing moodboards so a good scroll through imagery is one of my favorite pastimes.

“I’m always looking for a good cord,” says Martha, who wears the DÔEN Heirloom Etienne Top, Atherton Pant and May Sweater tied at her waist. She carries the Martine Bag

“I teamed a white broderie collared blouse with a cutout white skirt to create an ethereal look that feels very vintage,” she says. Martha wears DÔEN Heirloom Etienne Top with the Georgina Skirt from our Summer collection {similar here}

“Dôen designs feature so many details I’ve always been drawn to—the kind that are often found in vintage treasures.”

– MARTHA WARD

Martha wears the Rhodia Dress; the DÔEN Heirloom Melinda Dress hangs on the door frame