James Yardley is a London based fashion stylist and creative consultant.
After securing an internship at Attitude Magazine aged 21, James took his first tentative steps into the world of styling back in 2010 working under the guidance of the publications then Fashion Director Frank Strachan. Yardley would later go on to become Frank’s assistant, a position that would see him work alongside Kylie Minogue, Nicole Scherzinger, The Saturdays and JLS, as well as serving as one of the stylists on The X Factor.
Having fully utilised all of the experiences and opportunities presented to him, James has since established himself as a professional stylist in his own right, working independently with a host of international and UK based-celebrities, amassing an impressive portfolio of clients including Hannah Waddingham, Tess Daly, Tom Daley, and Dustin Lance, to name but a few.
Away styling James has worked with various commercial brands on campaigns and advertising such as Max Factor, L’Oreal, Nivea, E! and MTV. His editorial work has been noted in publications world wide such as Variety, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, InStyle and Euphoria.
We caught up with James Yardley for the latest edition of our ‘My London’ interview series.
Favourite neighbourhood:
That’s a tricky one, I think I’m going to say Kennington because it’s not far from where I live, and I love the bubble like quality of the park.
Favourite place for brunch:
39 Steps in Soho was my favourite but it was killed off by COVID, and unfortunately I haven’t found a replacement venue yet.
Best coffee in London:
Starbucks… I’m easily pleased!
Favourite gallery or museum:
The Wallace Collection. It was one of the first museums I visited when I moved to London, and remains a strong favourite of mine to this day.
Tell us a secret:
To quote Samantha Jones in Sex And The City: “In our group, we never kiss and tell!”
Favourite place to shop:
I couldn’t really just pick one to be honest with you. There are places I shop specially for clients, and then places I like to visit for myself. For clients, just because of the broad spectrum of designers big and small, new and old, I’d have to say Selfridges.
Favourite place to find inspiration:
When I’m out walking my dog, wherever that might be! As I’ve gotten older I find that I’m no longer inspired by what I see online or even in the magazines, which is strange because when I was a student those two things were my go to when looking for ideas. I especially don’t find inspiration on social media! It’s too loud, there’s too much going on, and so much of what you see isn’t real – sadly, I feel like the world of fashion is full of fakes nowadays. Where I’m at now, I find those light bulb moments when I’m by myself, just thinking and walking.
Best London destination for a date:
Starbucks. I also do all my interviews in Starbucks too, so maybe that says a lot about my dating life (laughs).
Favourite park:
Either Kennington Park or Archbishops Park. I love the isolation of them both, it’s almost like you could be anywhere in the world as neither of them feel like London.
Favourite food market:
Tooting Market. I went on the worst date there once, but stayed a full 2 and a half hours because the sushi was so good.
Your sanctuary in the city:
I’m a sucker for a good park, so I’m going to repeat myself and say Archbishops Park, or Kennington Park again I’m afraid. I walk my dog through them on the way home from work. If I have a free day over a weekend I’ll often go on a long walk across Hampstead Heath with my dog, then stop off at a pub on the way back. For someone who isn’t a North London boy it’s quite a slog for me, but I love it.
What inspires you?
Honestly, I’m really struggling for inspiration at the moment, so I’m not sure…
This season I’m loving…
This feels like a real fashion based question, but because I have a real love/hate relationship with the industry at the moment, I’m going to give a bit of a different answer and say that this season I’m loving… Jennifer Coolidge, Jamie Lee Curtis, Hannah Waddingham, Michelle Yeoh, Ariana DeBose – women who are hitting their strides, and unapologetically taking what they deserve, whilst also praising their counterparts! I’ve always been a big champion of woman in general especially with what I do, but there’s a real ‘thing’ happening at the moment and it’s great to watch.
