A love letter to visibility, worthiness, and the stories our clothes tell.
I want to share something today that might feel a little uncomfortable at first — but I promise I’m holding your hand while I say it.
For seven years, I banned black from Liberty photoshoots. And people always assumed it was a purely visual choice…but the truth is deeper, emotional, and rooted in how women see themselves.
Let me start here:
Not everyone suits black. I know — most people think they do. But black isn’t the ideal colour on every skin tone, and that’s okay. You can still look great in black…it’s just not always the most supportive colour for you. But surprisingly, that still wasn’t the real reason I banned it.
The real reason? Women were using black to hide. Not to express themselves, not because it empowered them, and not because they loved it. But because somewhere along the way they were told:
“Black is slimming.”
“Black hides everything.”
“Black makes you look smaller.”
When women said black was “flattering,” what they really meant — often unconsciously — was:
“Maybe if I wear this, people won’t see me as much.”
The Science Behind Hiding
Here’s the thing: your eyes are naturally drawn to the lightest thing in the room. So yes, black can make you “invisible,” but not in the empowering Batman way…in the shrinking, soft-fading, hiding-yourself way.
And Liberty is — at its core — about visibility. About helping you feel safe being seen again, and reclaiming space you’ve talked yourself out of.
And I watched, over and over again, as women came to shoots choosing black not from confidence, but from fear. Fear of being visible, fear of being “too much.”, and fear of someone noticing them. That’s when I knew black had to go.
Black, When It’s Worn With Power, Is Gorgeous
Let me be clear: I LOVE black when it’s chosen with intention, with power, with fire. If you tell me:
“Black makes me feel dominant, strong, grounded, powerful” — wear it. Absolutely. I’m cheering for you.
But if you tell me you’re wearing black because you want to look thinner?
No. Not here. Because in photography — especially my photography — it doesn’t work like that.
All it does is draw attention away from you. You deserve to be visible. You deserve to be the lightest thing in the frame — not because of colour, but because of your presence.
There’s a reason brides wear white. It’s not about tradition. It’s science. Your eyes will always go to the brightest element in the space.
So please don’t be afraid of colour. Don’t be afraid of softness, or cream, or brown (which is a FAR kinder colour on most skin tones than harsh black). Don’t be afraid to play again.
London once had a 99% black wardrobe
I lived through the era of “50 shades of black” in London — where everyone wore it because it was cool, simple, easy, safe.
Black has its place. But when it becomes a hiding place? When it becomes armour you didn’t choose? When it becomes the subconscious message: “I’d rather disappear,” that’s when we need to stop and ask ourselves:
Am I wearing this to empower myself? Or am I wearing this to hide? If it’s hide, put it back. If it’s empowerment, pick it up.
No More Hiding
Women are already hidden enough — emotionally, socially, physically. We apologise before we speak. We shrink ourselves in photos. We take up less space than we’re allowed.
I will not let clothing reinforce that. Not in my work. Not in my shoots. Not in this space.
We need to be seen, we need to feel seen, and we need to dress from a place of dopamine, confidence, and joy again.
My Own Style Philosophy
I’ve always had a strong sense of style. I know my era…I know what silhouettes make me feel alive. And I love 70s influences, vintage shapes, and timeless tailoring.
I buy pieces that last — pieces that bring joy. Some of my favourite boots are over a decade old. I love vintage because natural fabrics photograph like a dream: linen, silk, cotton — they let the light through, they tell a story, they breathe. They don’t create that awful moiré effect that synthetics do.
I’m not anti-fashion. I’m anti-self-betrayal. Everything we choose — clothes included — sends our subconscious a message:
“I’m worthy.”
“I’m not worthy.”
“I’m enough.”
“I’m not enough.”
Are you choosing things that make you want to hide? Are you putting on black because you feel unworthy of being seen? Your wardrobe often reveals the beliefs you haven’t said out loud. And if you believe you’re not worthy, not heard, not enough…
you will dress yourself to disappear.
So…when can you wear black?
I’m not banning it from your life forever — just from being used as a hiding place. There ARE moments when black is magic. Black and gold? Stunning. Black at the beach? Amazing. Black at River shoots? Beautiful — the stone backdrop holds it well. Black at Botanical? Gorgeous — the golden walls love contrast.
What I don’t love is black with pastel or bright colours: no black and lavender, no black and pink, no black and blue.
Ask yourself:
Would this colour combination occur in nature?
You’d never find a huge black basalt rock in a lavender field — so why recreate that mismatch? Styling should always support the story you’re trying to tell. Sometimes I go fully whimsical, fully 70s, fully hippie depending on the shoot. Sometimes I go powerful and leather-clad under a stormy sky — yes, even in a wheat field. Because that told the story I needed to tell that day. Your outfit is an extension of you.
The Final Rule
Wear black…but only if it empowers you. Never if it hides you. Never if it diminishes you. Never if it confirms the lie that you are “too much” or “not enough.”
No more hiding, okay? That’s done now. Ask yourself every day: “What story am I telling with the outfit I’m wearing?” And then choose the story that celebrates you — not the one that makes you smaller.
