The Bouguessa Voice: Farrah Storr

We speak to Farrah Storr, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK and author of the Discomfort Zone, about positivity during a pandemic and getting out of our comfort zone.

How have you kept ELLE positive and uplifting during the last year?

ELLE's job has always been to reflect what is going on in both society and culture whilst also inspiring and entertaining readers. So that's not been easy this year, as a product that is wholely positive would not seem reflective of the public mood. We have therefore become more socially engaged this year, setting up mentorship programs with young women from those areas most severely affected by Covid. We were the first publication to put front line workers on our covers and we have learnt into the mood of comfort and vintage in our fashion pages. 

What do you hope for fashion going forward?

I hope we will move away from the fast fashion mentality, support smaller designers who are just starting out and who so desperately need our support in the wake of Covid and generally question more what we are buying and why. 

Describe your personal style

My style is simple, understated, rarely outside the 'classic' spectrum of colours. I buy the best quality I can afford in everything, in the hope it will outline me! 

What inspired your book The Discomfort Zone?

I’ve always believed life is ultimately fun but hard. And if you can make the hard fun then that's got to be worth something. I see so many people who believe the best course of action, when confronted with difficult situations, is to try and avoid them. But the truth is human beings cope incredibly well under certain amounts of stress. That we don't is just the narrative we tell ourselves in order to stop us from doing this things we fear the most. My book therefore was a way to explain this to people. 

Advice to women who are going through their own discomforts?

Remember that obstacles are a gift. Working through them will teach you as much about your strengths as it will your weaknesses. Knowing both of these things is vital to living life to its fullest