The gorgeous Lydia Millen is a very busy lady! Not only is she constantly creating wonderful content online, but she also has major partnerships with worldwide brands and is now a best-selling author. We sat down with the 35-year-old and chatted about her new collection with high street mecca Karen Millen, as well as her favourite, best-dressed royals.
Lydia's new collaboration with Karen Millen, which is dropping soon, is full of florals and is so feminine. It's hard to pick a favourite piece but the YouTuber manages to whittle it down. "I'm drawn to the enlarged floral print collection. We have three pieces, a maxi dress, a shirt dress and a mini dress and the shirt dress is just... I love it! It can be worn so many different ways, even though it's in a statement print. I love the summer iteration of the taffeta shirt dress from the last collection. It's square-necked, low back and sleeveless, which is a really good, classic piece."
The process of putting the collection together changes every time. Lydia explains: "Sometimes it takes longer to find the inspiration behind the collection, but for me it's always producing that classic, wearable look. I want to see people wearing these pieces time and time again. I don't want to overcomplicate the design process. I think sticking with classic silhouettes, especially seasonal prints, is a really well-rounded approach every time we sit down to design. Sometimes it can be a bit hectic - you never know what's going on, but it is always such good fun. We have the best time doing it."
Royal power
Here at HELLO! we are all about the royals and recall the time the Princess of Wales wore a yellow Karen Millen dress back in 2022. Lydia is a big fan of Kate and would love to see Prince William's wife wearing one of her pieces. "I feel like that is the pinnacle! Everything she wears sells out - she is just the original influencer, isn't she? She wears everything so beautifully and definitely that would be a goal and a huge compliment!"
© GettyIt's very hard to pick a best-dressed royal as we know, as they all look so impeccable. Lydia muses: "I wouldn't be able to pick just one, as there are so many different options. Obviously Kate does every style so well - I loved the Ellie Saab gown she wore to Crown Prince Hussein and Princess Rajwa Al Hussein’s marriage ceremony - so ethereal! I also have a huge soft spot for Zara Tindall too; I love so many of the brands that she wears. I love Meghan; she has that real clean-cut, crisp vibe, she always brings a bit of a sense of modernity. She doesn't look like she's trying. How do people do that?!"
Lydia's passions
Inclusivity is really important to the digital creator; her range is from sizes 6-24. "I feel so lucky to work with Karen Millen as they have that real ability to cater for everyone. I'm so passionate about people feeling so amazing at all times, and I want all people to feel that way. I love that we can cater to petite, small, tall, plus size, that's such a unique thing to be able to do. I know HELLO! columnist, Louise Pentland, messaged me and said she loves being able to get my pieces and it makes you realise how important it is."
© GettyRefreshingly, Lydia is passionate about British clothing brands.
© Lydia Millen Instagram"I love Holland Cooper, Fairfax and Favor, I also love occasionwear brands like Sassi Holford, Suzannah London and Laura Green, but then I have just done a massive H&M order. I find it really enjoyable finding things at H&M when they don't look like they are from the high street. And people say, 'Oh my gosh where are your trousers from?' and you're like 'H&M' I love that."
Self-care is important to Lydia. "I'm a big product girly. I love 100 Acres shower gel. I'm not really a bath person, but I want the same indulgence in the shower and this just fills the whole bathroom. I'm really enjoying haircare at the moment - I've been using a few of the products from Philip Kingsley, particularly the 'Rebalancing Shampoo'."
Lydia's amazing book Evergreen is a huge seller and she really enjoyed creating it. Explaining the concept behind it, she reveals: "It is an exploration of the seasons, in nature, but also the seasons of our lives. I'm a very seasonal person and I didn't realise I was living like this, until I started writing it. We all experience seasons - whether it's a dark winter, where we are struggling a little bit, or an amazing summer, so Evergreen explores all the phases that we go through. I share quite a few of my own lessons while navigating through them myself, in the hope it may help people in the long run."
Looking to the future
When it comes to the future, Lydia is very laid back and calm about what life may bring. "I'm really focused on living a peaceful life. We get fed a lot of people saying, you've got to live this big, successful, striving-for-more life, and that's something I definitely felt previously. And I realised that striving for a peaceful life is such a great thing, because anything that happens above that, just blows your mind. I think the same when it comes to my career, because again, I definitely fell into the trap of striving for more, and being more ostentatious, even when with my career goals, but now I'm really enjoying navigating a little bit like a stream, seeing where it takes me."
Whatever it is, the future is bright for Ms Millen.
