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  • Perfect Wardrobe

Whitney Bromberg Hawkings

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Take a peek inside the wardrobe of the founder of FLOWERBX – the entrepreneur who’ll not only inspire your next party outfit but also the way you dress your entire home.

Just when you thought your online shopping addiction wasn’t big enough already, along comes Whitney Bromberg Hawkings. After a 19-year career at Tom Ford, the charismatic Texan left her job as senior vice president of communications last April to launch FLOWERBX, a gorgeous online store that delivers flowers handpicked from Holland straight to your front door. “I was buying my clothes on Net-a-Porter or Matches.com, my groceries on Ocado and everything else on Amazon, yet I was still schlepping to the Covent Garden flower market to buy flowers for a dinner party in order to avoid paying Chelsea prices,” she says. “Why was there no simple, chic and affordable way to buy flowers online?” She’s now answering this question by building a brand that’s quickly becoming a favourite in the fashion industry and beyond. Hawkings is a force of nature with a wardrobe to match – here she opens the door to her West London home and proves that dressing for success can lead you to fulfil your dreams.

1

Style-wise, owning my own business hasn’t changed the way I dress as much as I would have thought, as I still spend half of my time meeting with luxury brands for events or with very high-end clients at their homes. So, while I might need to be warmer for the early mornings in the warehouse, I am hardly in a tracksuit (as I used to fantasise!).

2

I am in love with these Manolo Blahnik strappy sandals, and I’ve worn them hundreds of times. No one cuts a heel like Manolo, and these simple, chic, feminine sandals are easy to wear and let whatever outfit I am wearing really shine.

3

I love this skirt by Emilia Wickstead. It’s easy to wear, yet makes a statement, like most of my favourite pieces. As I need to be quite versatile these days, with meetings in the morning at a warehouse and in the afternoon at an auction house, this type of outfit can easily take me to both.

4

I love pairing a fashion piece with something simple like a T-shirt to break it down.

5

It is impossible to quantify what I learned from 19 years working for Tom Ford. I learned about the strength of a brand and how important it is to keep a singular vision when building one. I learned about the importance of hard work and striving for perfection in everything that I do, and I am so lucky to have learned these lessons from the master.

6

For hair, I cannot live without Monika Bagnowska at Blo in Chelsea, who does the best beach waves in the business. To get party-ready, Sarah Chapman’s magical facials make me look eight years younger after just an hour. Miraculous.

7

I didn’t work for Tom Ford for 19 years for nothing! I still love a sharply cut blazer, a chic pencil skirt or a buttery soft biker jacket.

8

I am trying to build a wardrobe of classics, and it is important that, bar a few ‘fashion’ pieces, most of my clothes are quality items that I will wear for the next decade.

9

I am so lucky to be a mom to Barron (9), Snowdon (7) and Wallis (1), and it is, by far, the role I take most seriously. I wish there were a solution to simplify the work/life balance, but, alas, the only answer is lots of hard work. We have a cottage in Wiltshire where we spend every weekend, and it is so important to me that this time is exclusively for my husband and kids. This helps compensate for the sometimes relentless schedule during the week.

10

It is so much harder to give away old clothes now that I have a little girl, but I am nevertheless quite ruthless about getting rid of things that aren’t quite right and that I will no longer wear.

11

I have definitely explored a new side of my fashion identity since starting FLOWERBX, and florals play a big part in my current look.

12

Emilia Wickstead’s jumpsuits are the solution to everything! I now own half a dozen, I think, and I never tire of the compliments I get when wearing them. They are such a modern and cool alternative to a cocktail dress, and they never fail to make me feel modern, sexy and powerful!

13

Gucci loafers were my dad’s go-to, my grandmother’s go-to and are definitely my solution for almost any daytime look. Alessandro [Michele] has turned these staples into veritable fashion pieces, which makes it easy to be fashionable and comfortable at the same time – a miracle!

14

These gold link bracelets were a gift from Tom [Ford] to me when I turned 35, and their classic design and sentimental value means I pair them with almost everything I wear. The turquoise ring by LA jewellery designer Lisa Eisner was given to me by my husband, as was my love bracelet, so wearing them makes me feel safe and loved (and chic!).

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