‘We’re the nice Trinny and Susannah’

They were successful lawyers on fantastic salaries, so why did Clare Rous and Kara Iland give it all up to become fashionistas? Here they tell eve about swapping work suits for killer heels

If the idea of style advice makes you think of Trinny grabbing your breasts or Susannah forcing you to stand in front of a 360-degree mirror in your underwear, let us introduce Clare Rous, 29, and Kara Iland, 30.

The friends met as conflict resolution lawyers at a top city law firm in London, and soon confessed to a shared love of fashion. ‘We loved the intellectual cut and thrust of our jobs,’ explains Clare. ‘But the punishing hours and constant flights abroad meant we had no life – zilch. And even though we both loved shopping for clothes, we never had the time or the energy.’ Eventually, they had enough of being wage slaves and handed in their notices to set up Rous Iland – a boutique that offers its members chic clothes and bespoke fashion advice.

Their take on fashion is intelligent and non-pushy. They pride themselves on advising women on what makes them look great, not criticising their looks. ‘It’s about making women feel radiant, not ashamed,’ says Kara. ‘Last week we had a customer who had lost all belief in her looks. Watching her confidence come flooding back made our day. It makes everything worthwhile.’

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