SUNDAY BEST Lily Bertrand-Webb

1. What's your favourite #IFSundayBest look and why?
I love them all but I love, LOVE the white Farrah dress. I couldn't stop dancing around the studio in it! It really is the best dress to feel and look special in. I'm also loving the cowgirl look at the moment, especially as I'm a big fan of Westworld.

2. Whose style, past or present, do you covet the most?
My mum, without question. My sister and I grew up borrowing her clothes. Her wardrobe is our own personal vintage shop - she's a bit of a hoarder, she never throws any of her clothes away - and we love her for it! One of my favourite dresses is a red vintage dress she bought from Portobello Market when she was 19 years old.

I'm also a huge fan of Katherine Hepburn. She was way ahead of her time and wore her clothes with such confidence and class. Isabelle Fox trousers remind me of her style.


3. You work as a photographer, tell us about your career journey so far.
It's been a crazy year so far. The National Portrait Gallery bought one of my portraits earlier this year and I just did a video series with the V&A celebrating female photographers from the 19th century. I've also been working on my first solo exhibition! These are all amazing things that have taken a lot of dedication and didn't come overnight. I graduated from the Arts Institute of Bournemouth in 2011, seven years ago this summer. It's been a slow progression building my photography practice. Determination and passion have got me here, as well as constant support from my family. It's a hard world being a freelance creative in 2018 but it's been a thrilling journey and I wouldn't have it any other way. The support of creative friends and family is a huge bonus, especially starting out. I'm extremely thankful that I'm doing what I love and making it work.

4. What does your typical work day look like and how does this affect your personal style?
I wake up early to walk my dog Dylan in Kensington Gardens and then head to Kindred Studios in Queen's Park. I'm usually in my studio plotting and scheming new projects and shoots, editing photos and archiving my negatives. I join fellow artists for a yummy lunch at Kindred, delicious food cooked by Honor from Burnt Toast. Afternoons are usually spent emailing and more editing. Dylan eventually saves me by nudging me for another doggie walk. By then I'm normally so sleepy I hit my local gym, W10, to wake up and feel more energised. I end up going to one or two private gallery views a night, otherwise I'm usually found at Golbourne Road with friends and a few G&Ts.


5. Where do you look when you're looking for inspiration?
Everywhere and everyone. The old man on the bus, the youths in the park - never close your eyes, capture everything and make it your own. I'm always looking and daydreaming.

6. Tell us three Instagram accounts we should be following.
@aliceaedy - She's my latest favourite photographer to follow. She's an amazing documentary photographer. She is so beautiful inside and out and is becoming my muse!

@galdemzine - A very inspiring online magazine written by women of colour for women of colour.

@shona_vertue - I'm obsessed with this fitness guru. She makes exercising and eating healthy look fun and easy. She also posts really cute videos of her mum!

7. The last book you read and loved?
The Lonely Londoners by Sam Selvon. It's an amazing book about the Windrush years in the 1950s. My grandfather immigrated from Dominica in the 50s and was one of the Windrushers who moved to Notting Hill Gate. The book vividly retells one man's similar journey and experience. Beautifully told and a real eye opener, it is also really comforting to read how some things in West London haven't changed.

8. Your top three London hotspots - cafés, restaurants, museums - anywhere you love to visit.
Porto cafe on the Golbourne Road for coffee and treats in the sunshine.

The V&A for inspiration and culture.

Bar Termini in Soho for cocktails and nibbles with your loved ones.


9. What's your favourite country to visit?
Ireland. A beautiful island filled with a glorious green landscape. And the people! The warm Irish accent melts me every time. My boyfriend is half Irish and we go to Ireland a lot. Last summer we travelled around Ireland on a boat for a month. It was spectacular to see the beautiful Ireland from the perspective of the sea. It also turns out I have ancestors from the 1800s who came from Cork, Ireland!

10. What's your Sunday ritual?
Wake up late. Make brunch for my other half. Read papers. Take Dylan for a long walk followed by a lovely long late Sunday lunch at my mum's!