House of Colour North Sheffield franchisee Karina Leacock

Karina Leacock from North-Sheffield has always had a love for fashion and has always dared to be different including wearing a red leather pencil skirt at her confirmation! She is now celebrating being one of the leading personal stylists in the UK, with a thriving business built around the needs of her family.

'As a little girl, I loved the thrill of going shopping and eagerly observing people’s reactions when trying on clothes they liked and didn’t. When I was old enough to make my own fashion choices, I felt most confident in bold prints and colour.’

‘My husband and I took a gamble and moved to Yorkshire. I continued to work in the IT industry, which I had fallen into in my thirties but the corporate industry just didn’t seem ‘me’ anymore. As life got more serious in my IT career, I could feel that being emulated in my outfits. Everything was a little more bland, a little more dull. This was the first time in my life where I felt a bit lost. I knew I wanted to get out of it, I just wasn’t sure when or how.'

Karina’s husband bought her a voucher to get her colours analysed by her local colour consultant. 'I remember that ‘wow’ moment and the instant confidence I felt. I hadn’t seen that girl in the mirror for so long. It was like magic!

A seed was planted. I realised I could fuse my love of fashion with my skills as a trainer and become a personal stylist. I just needed to wait for the right time.'

The right time came when Karina’s son Hugo was born in 2007. Karina’s business grew with her family and now 11 years on she is one of the leading House of Colour consultants in the UK, with a thriving business built around the needs of her family.