“Fashion is about expression and I want to be 80 and still wearing head-to-toe leopard print”
Forget Through the Keyhole and MTV’s Cribs, we want to be up close and personal with the sartorial treasures that make the style set tick. Because let’s face it, isn’t there something deliciously intoxicating about perusing a person’s wardrobe?
The visual director and creative knows this more than most. As one of Ireland’s most prolific stylists, the 36-year-old is bringing back a brighter and bolder iteration of Closet Confidential, the much-hyped style series she produced on Instagram during lockdown.
Three years and two babies later, the first series has already seen the adoring mum delving into Millie Mackintosh’s sprawling bohemian-inspired wardrobe, and now the YouTube and podcast production will allow us an all-access pass into some more of the world’s most covetable closets.
Courtney looking stylish at Portmarnock beach in Dublin
“Fashion is about expression and I want to be 80 and still wearing head-to-toe leopard print. My nan always wore bright pink lipstick and eyeliner. She had the longest pink talons and platinum blonde hair.
“She died just as she turned 90. She was my style icon. I remember we once bought her a sequin shower cap and she turned up one day wearing it as a hat,” laughs the designer darling.
“There is just so much joy and individuality to be found in fashion and that’s exactly why I wanted to bring the series back.
“I think everyone wants to sneak a peek into someone’s wardrobe and their home. I was pitching the idea to TV networks and then Covid-19 happened. It’s basically Living with Lucy but (with) a fashion angle, and the best part is, I am not just showing the regular faces that we are used to seeing. I wanted to be the person with their finger on the pulse, championing people you may have never heard of.
“I also didn’t want it to be all accessible style. I wanted to spotlight people with really unique personal style that you might not wear but you can really appreciate it.”
Having styled A-listers including singer Kelly Rowland and the late Amy Winehouse, the social media personality has amassed an envious portfolio.
“In Ireland, it is so different — Irish people never consider themselves celebrities. Even Una Healy and Amy Huberman are so down to earth. It is rare to find an Irish celebrity who is up their own arse.”
Courtney Smith is famed for her stylish look
The birth of the new series comes as the Ireland AM alumna finds herself juggling the demands of a boisterous toddler — two-and-a-half-year-old Zen — and her baby girl, Bodhi, now 13 months old.
“At the moment, getting dressed up is a rare occasion. I am in a Harley T-shirt and a pair of jeans — that’s my everyday uniform, pre and post-mum.
“Some people said, ‘Why don’t you just wait until Bodhi is in creche or the kids are a little older?’ But I didn’t want to wait for somebody else to come along and run with my idea. I wanted to prove it to myself too — that I could and that I can have it all.
“I have this expectation on myself to make it successful. I have been taking time away from my kids to make this happen and I have been pumping money into it, and now I have a massive brand like Zalando sponsoring the show, so there is this massive pressure to get it right. I hope I am making my kids proud. I write letters to them on milestones.
“I wrote Bodhi one on her first birthday and told her what I am doing at the moment and how I am taking a little bit of time away from her to make this happen. I am going to give them to her when she is 18,” Courtney shares.
“My hope is that this series might lead to bigger things, and in 18 years she will have them to look back on and realise this is what I was doing when she was only 12 months old.
Courtney’s dream Closet Confidential guest is Kim Kardashian
“I am 15 years in the industry, which is crazy. When I started, I remember emailing people and not getting anywhere. There were so many knockbacks and tears, I can’t even list them all.
“Ireland AM was my first gig. I emailed them asking if I could style their presenters. The next thing I knew, I was on the show talking about how to get the Chanel look for less.”
Having joined forces with H&M for a once-off collaboration, and having previously created two shoe collections with Buffalo Shoe Lab, not to mention visually directing global fashion campaigns across the world, motherhood has been the latest evolution for the always-on-point stylist.
“You do lose yourself a little after you have kids. I feel like I am just coming out the other side of it now.”
For new mums struggling with their body image and their wardrobe, Courtney has the following advice: “The most honest thing I can say is forget about fashion for a little while — and that might sound funny, especially when I talk about how mood-boosting fashion can be.
“When you have a baby, it is so all-consuming, the last thing you want to do is put pressure on yourself to look good. Have a shower, wash your hair and moisturise your face. Give yourself a few weeks or months to heal and then start phasing into that.
“Just take the pressure off how your body looks. You have just grown a human, your body has done the most amazing thing. It would be very unusual for you to immediately fit back into your clothes. Avoid the jeans, go to the dresses. I lived in Zoe Jordan tracksuits — they were so comfortable but stylish.”
Sustainability is also key to every conversation the trendsetter has had with her guests on the much-anticipated series.
“Knowing your personal style is key. Rather than buying into trends, if you can, take the time to discover your natural fashion vibe.
“Everyone has one, whether you realise it or not. So when you go into a shop, what are you gravitating towards?
“Start looking at that and discover what it is — is it pared-back minimalism, is it more bohemian like Millie’s, is it 1970s?
“The most sustainable thing you can do is to discover your style. Don’t buy things out of your realm that you never wear and never get worn.
“Buy well, buy less. High street or high-end — if you buy loads of sustainable brands, it’s not sustainable.
“When I cull my wardrobe, it’s always the same pieces that remain: the long, cool cardigans, the leather trousers, the rock T-shirts and embellished pieces. That’s obviously my personal style.”
With summer trends beckoning, Courtney says there is a way to navigate high summer whilst still being sustainable.
“This summer, colours are already huge — the bright pink or lime green are two of the biggest colours — so if you have anything of that realm in your wardrobe, dig them out. You can also play that up in accessories. Denim is also key every summer, so whether you just want to wear a classic jean, a boiler suit or double denim, or a cool fringed denim number — à la Daisy Jones & The Six, which is huge at the moment — go for it.
“Funky dresses are also back — it’s nothing that we haven’t seen before, so I am going to bet you have something similar in your wardrobe.
“If you can be confident in what you are wearing, stop caring about what other people think. Wear something because you love it — that’s the most important thing.”
With radio DJ Tara Kumar and TikTok sensation Damien Broderick lining up to star in the series, are there any dream guests Courtney is holding out for?
“Wouldn’t we all want to be in Kim Kardashian’s closet?” she says with a grin.
“I think that’s the beauty of this show: there is so much scope with it, there are so many different places I can take it. From unknown people to incredibly high-end celebrities, the sky is the limit.”
Check out @closetconfidential_official on Instagram or Closet Confidential on Spotify