How stylist Ella Lucia brings her flair for the dramatic to image-making

Welcome to Nike Style By – a new season of a campaign celebrating different styles and trends from creative cities across the world. In honour of the campaign, we have joined forces with Nike to spotlight five different stylists who are leading the way for a new generation of women in creative fields. Stay tuned here to find out more.

Nike has long championed personal style as a form of movement. In its latest edition of Style By, the brand hands the mic to a new generation of stylists, asking them to reinterpret two iconic silhouettes, the LD-1000 and Shox R4, through their own creative lens. The result is a series of portraits and interviews that explore how femininity can look, feel, and move differently for everyone, no matter how they identify.

Among them is Ella Lucia, a stylist and costume designer whose work stretches across fashion editorials, red carpets, casting, and club nights. “Happily, the first thing I’d say about myself is that I'm a Londoner through and through,” she tells us. “Most of my time is spent working as a stylist and costume designer. Alongside that, I co-run the agency Found Casting and also DJ as one half of the duo Nae So Wee Bonnie Lassies. I find having a few different projects on the go keeps the freelance doom at bay.”

Lucia’s approach to styling is instinctive and narrative-driven, shaped by a background in theatre and fine art, and sharpened through a decade of experience pulling looks that reject the expected.

Below, she reflects on what it means to dress with emotion, break the rules (or ignore them altogether), and bring a sense of play back into the everyday.

When did you decide to get into styling?

Ella Lucia: Actually it wasn’t a career I’d set out on; I was studying Theatre at BRIT then Fine Art at CSM. The summer after my foundation year, a photographer friend, Jessica Ross, asked for my help with the clothing for her university shoots as she admired my wardrobe. I realised that what I was doing was in fact styling, and I never went back to finish my degree. That was a decade ago.

What first intrigued you about the profession?

Ella Lucia: I knew I needed to be doing something creative, and styling felt like a more direct route to making a living than my art or theatre practices.

How would you describe your personal style in three words, and how does that translate into your work with clients?

Ella Lucia: Inconsistent, instinctive, amusing. There’s cohesion with each client individually, but I think I can work with such vast variation due to the inconsistency in my own tastes. My best work happens when I trust my instinct above all else. If you’re not having fun with it, what's the point?

What role does storytelling play in how you style someone?

Ella Lucia: Storytelling is at the foundation of my practice. Understanding what someone is trying to express and translating that through clothing is the most gratifying. Making dreams come true, baby!

How do you build a narrative through clothing?

Ella Lucia: Having a good understanding of what you’re referencing, and a broad range of references at that. Research never stops.

How do you interpret and style femininity in a way that feels inclusive and true to your values?

Ella Lucia: However you identify, you can dress with femininity. All my styling has a strong sense of femininity, no matter whom I’m dressing.

What’s a fashion rule you love breaking, and why?

Ella Lucia: You'd have to remind me of the rules!

How do you incorporate accessories or specific products (such as the LD100 & Shox R4) into a signature styling moment?

Ella Lucia: I love dressing up for no good reason and pulling a look, then adding a trainer makes it feel effortless. The Shox are great at this; they have an elegance to their design.

In a fast-paced industry, how do you stay inspired and avoid creative burnout?

Ella Lucia: It’s not always a solution that’s available, but travel really does that for me. Seeing different ways of being and new environments.

Why did working with Nike feel aligned with you?

Ella Lucia: Working with Nike felt like a natural fit because I was free to style the Shox R4 as I truly would. There’s a shared value of self-expression and interpretation.

Storytelling is at the foundation of my practice. Understanding what someone is trying to express and translating that through clothing is the most gratifying

Do you remember your earliest memories of Nike, both in your career and personal life?

Ella Lucia: I remember at about six, owning a silvery-grey pair of Air Max 95s, which I felt really cool in. At that age, I was either wearing t-shirts and trousers from the boys' section, or I’d have cleaned out the dressing-up box and fashioned together a mismatch of all the costumes. My trusty Nike trainers worked with either. 

Who are your style icons, past or present, and how do they influence your creative direction?

Ella Lucia: My style icons are often my friends and characters I encounter around the city. When you become familiar with someone's style, you start to understand their formula and what makes their looks so effective.

If you could style anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be and what would you put them in?

Ella Lucia: I’d love to style Grace Jones and commission London’s talented young designers to collaborate with her on some really witty and sexy custom looks for her.

What advice would you give to emerging stylists who are trying to find their voice in the industry?

Ella Lucia: Get yourself a little camera and diligently document your fittings, style-outs, and BTS moments. The final images aren’t always guaranteed. It’s something I’m still very much learning to be better at myself!