What if colour was more than a finishing touch? What if the bag you carry, the clothes you wear and the colours you surround yourself with could influence not just how the world sees you, but how you see yourself?
At LUC8K, we've always believed that colour is deeply personal. It's an expression of identity, confidence and individuality. It's why every one of our handcrafted bags is made to order and personalised to reflect the person who carries it.
It's a philosophy shared by Kerry Wilde, the wonderful and inspiring founder of Soul Wardrobe.
As an incredible UK based personal stylist and an expert creative guide, Kerry has spent more than three decades helping people reconnect with themselves through colour, clothing and conscious self-expression. Her approach challenges the fast-moving, trend-led fashion industry, replacing it with something far more meaningful: intention over impulse, individuality over imitation, and dressing as an act of self-discovery rather than self-consciousness.
LUC8K and Soul Wardrobe speak the same language. We both believe luxury should be personal and that colour has meaning. And we both believe the things we choose to carry and wear should always tell our story - not someone else's.
In our enlightening chat over coffee, Kerry reflects on her remarkable journey, the moment she questioned everything she knew about fashion, and why the future of style isn't about following trends. It's about coming home to yourself.
LUC8K: Kerry, your journey into fashion is inspiring and anything but conventional. Where did it all begin?
Kerry: I grew up in what I'd call a very creative family. My grandfather was a jazz pianist with French, German and Swiss heritage, and generations before him were travelling performers - actors, comedians and dancers.
Music and creativity were everywhere. My extended family even played a role in the ska movement of the 1980s, so as a little girl I found myself backstage at Top of the Pops watching my uncle perform with The Specials. Looking back, I realise creativity was never something I chose - it was simply the environment I grew up in.
I actually studied art and sculpture before fashion, and I think that's why I've always approached clothing differently. I've always been interested in how something feels rather than simply how it looks.
LUC8K: Wow, what an amazing back story! You spent years working inside the fashion industry. Was there a moment for you that changed everything?
Kerry: There really was. I was travelling to factories in Bangladesh, India and China, watching incredibly skilled people create beautiful garments with enormous care and craftsmanship.
Then I'd come home and see people throwing those same clothes into bins after wearing them only a handful of times. That disconnect stayed with me and it was quite profound actually.
This was before the Rana Plaza disaster, but I already found myself waking in the middle of the night asking myself, "What am I contributing to?"
I realised I couldn't continue working in fashion without asking much bigger questions about our relationship with clothing.
LUC8K: Is that what eventually led you to create Soul Wardrobe?
Kerry: Yes, absolutely. I stepped away from fashion and immersed myself in coaching, yoga philosophy, Reiki, meditation and somatic healing. I figured that sometimes, you have to lose yourself before you find yourself.
Over time I realised those worlds weren't separate at all. Most people think styling begins with clothes, but I don’t. For me, styling starts with understanding the person, and Soul Wardrobe is really an inside-out approach. We begin by asking how someone wants to feel, because when you reconnect with who you truly are, your wardrobe becomes a reflection of that rather than a disguise.
LUC8K: You often talk about helping people reconnect with themselves. What does that actually mean?
Kerry: Well, most people don't come to me because they need more clothes. They reach out to Soul Wardrobe because something in their life has shifted. Perhaps they've become a parent, started a business, gone through a messy divorce, a midlife crisis. More often than not, they just realised they've lost sight of themselves.
For me, the wardrobe isn't the starting point. It's the destination, and my role is to help people reconnect with who they are underneath all the expectations, the roles they've been playing and the messages they've absorbed over the years. Only then does style become effortless.
LUC8K: You describe getting dressed as a form of wellness. That's an unusual way of thinking about fashion.
Kerry: For me it's completely natural. Even now, opening my wardrobe feels almost like entering a meditation space. The clothes I choose tell me something about how I'm feeling. Sometimes they help restore balance. Sometimes they amplify confidence. Sometimes they give me permission to become a slightly different version of myself that day, or whatever.
Dressing isn't superficial, it's just one of the ways we care for ourselves.
LUC8K: Colour sits at the heart of everything you do. Can colour genuinely change how we feel?
Kerry: Absolutely. But feeling always comes before appearance.
Traditional colour analysis often put people into neat seasonal categories, but I’ve never believed people fit into boxes that easily.
Two people can look almost identical on paper but need completely different colours because they're completely different human beings.
Colour isn't simply visual. It's emotional and deeply personal. It’s energetic, and it becomes part of how we experience ourselves and live our own lives. Our best lives, so to speak.
LUC8K: We believe colour should be deeply personal too. Is this shared belief what made you interested in a future partnership with LUC8K?
Kerry: Absolutely, yes, because neither of us treats colour as decoration. Colour carries identity. Mood. Confidence. Memory. Frequency. It's something you experience long before anyone else notices it.
That's why a partnership with LUC8K feels so right. We're both interested in helping people express themselves rather than simply helping them match an outfit. That’s why I think we’re such a good fit, and I can’t wait to get started.
LUC8K: If someone is choosing a LUC8K bag, where should they begin?
Kerry: I’d start with one simple question. "How do I want this colour to make me feel?"
People often think about matching a bag to their wardrobe, but I’d rather they thought about matching it to their energy. A handbag is something you carry all day, right? It becomes part of your daily experience and that's incredibly powerful.
The wonderful thing about an accessory is that it's low commitment but high impact. It's often the easiest place to become a little bit braver with colour.
LUC8K: The fashion industry moves faster than ever. Do you think we've lost something?
Kerry: I really do. We've become conditioned to believe we always need something new. We've almost been infantilised by the industry.
We've stopped listening to ourselves because we've become so busy listening to trends. I'd love to see brands spend less time telling people who they should become and more time helping people discover who they already are. For me, that's where the future of fashion lies.
LUC8K: If there's one thing you could change about the fashion industry, what would it be?
Kerry: I guess there are so many things, but the industry in general needs to slow down and listen to the customer more deeply. Stop this obsession with speed and fast fashion. I feel like we actually don't need more clothes in the world, but there's a part of us that wants to adorn ourselves in pieces that hold meaning to us.
So, we do need new clothes and new pieces, but I feel like there needs to be more reciprocity. Brands need to actually get to know their audiences more, so they can help the consumer tap into who they are, their lifestyle, and offer them much more of a bespoke experience.
I do believe that the industry needs to take a step back and actually, a bit like what Soul Wardrobe is aiming to do, teach the audiences to listen to their own needs, and find out how to dress from a place of well-being and wellness - which may mean not buying new continuously, but actually finding out what their style looks like right now, because style evolves.
They may not need the next new pair of jeans, or the next new thing that's on trend. Actually, it's coming back to this sense of, I guess, an ancient way of dressing, which I call the art of adornment.
LUC8K: What gives you the greatest satisfaction in your work at Soul Wardrobe?
Kerry: Watching someone become excited about getting dressed again. Watching them stop criticising themselves and learning to trust their own instincts instead of seeking approval from everyone else.
That's the real transformation. It’s not just changing how someone looks, it’s changing how they see themselves, and its so powerful and profound when this happens. That’s what I love the most.
LUC8K: Finally, if colour disappeared from the world tomorrow, what would humanity lose?
Kerry: Oh gosh, I hope this never happens! Colour has always been my emotional compass. It's kind of how I locate where I am in my life.
I think without colour, we wouldn't simply lose beauty, we’d lose a language. And the language of colour is far more powerful than most people will ever know. Plus, the world would be a pretty dull place without it wouldn’t it? So, long live colour!
LUC8K: It was an absolute honour and a privilege to chat with you Kerry. We’ve got a feeling that Soul Wardrobe and LUC8K are a match made in heaven, and we can’t wait to share more of the things that mean so much to us. Thank you x
Final Thoughts
At LUC8K, every handbag is made to order because we believe luxury should never be rushed. Every colour choice is personal. Every detail tells a story.
Speaking with Kerry Wilde reinforced something we've believed since the beginning: the most meaningful things we own aren't chosen because they're fashionable. They're chosen because they feel like us. They define us and elevate us all as unique individuals.
Perhaps that's the real power of colour.
Not that other people notice it.
But that it helps us recognise ourselves.
And the joy that brings, is beyond words.
Discover more inspiring styling work by visiting Soul Wardrobe