Louise Roe is at the start of a whirlwind press tour to launch her debut book, Front Roe: How to be the Leading Lady in Your Own Life, when we meet. She’s just touched down in London from Los Angeles for a few days to kick-start the promotion before embarking on a three-week tour of the States. ‘It’s been a really exciting week. I love any excuse to come back to London,’ she tells me. ‘I come back every two or three months so it’s not too bad. It’s just great to see family.’
Roe has become one of a burgeoning group of British expats making a home for themselves in Los Angeles so don’t be fooled by the golden glow; she was actually born in Surrey and cut her teeth working at the likes of Elle, In Style and Vogue on this side of the pond after graduating from Durham University with a degree in English literature. It was during her time at Vogue that she gradually made the transition from print journalism into presenting, becoming the face of the magazine’s videos online. Guest roles on E!’s Fashion Police, Project Catwalk and The City followed, as did a hosting gig on Fashion Star and also makeover show Pain Jane, which recently celebrated its fifth season.
Her book, then, is a culmination of all the tips, tricks and nuggets of information she’s leaned along the way and is something she’s always had in her plan. ‘Honestly, I’ve always wanted to do a book. For the last five or six years I’ve had this file full of ideas,’ she tells me. ‘I felt like I was being asked similar questions from people, whether it was through the makeover shows I was working on or via social media so I wanted there to be one cohesive place where I could answer everything but also talk about my career a bit.’
Talking to Roe feels strangely familiar, which in reality is hardly surprising because, along with a generation of women, I feel like I have almost grown up with her, watching her career go from strength to strength from the sidelines. ‘I think there definitely are women who’ve been with me from the beginning,’ she agrees, and even more so since she started her blog a few years ago. ‘With things like Instagram and the blog, I can have quite a direct chitchat with my followers and I love it. I take their advice as much as they take mine so I just really wanted to create something solid that they can turn to about everything from fashion and beauty to interior design and careers advice too.’
It’s her blog, Front Roe, that inspired the name of her book but the latter part is something she spent a long time working on. ‘I decided to call it How to be the Leading Lady in Your Own Life because throughout my time writing it, I just felt like women don’t celebrate themselves – and often each other – as much as they should. We’re quite hard on ourselves, whether it’s because we don’t feel thin enough, fashionable enough or because we haven’t had that promotion we’ve been after or that we’re questioning whether we’re a good enough mum or wife,’ she explains. ‘The title really resonated with the women I know because we all put ourselves at the bottom of a long list of priorities and so I wanted the book to touch on that and give practical advice and not just airy fair mantras on how to change that.’
In a crowded market full of style books, it’s hard to stand out but Roe is quick to argue that hers isn’t just another superfluous tome to add to the pile. ‘I had to really think about that. There’s a million style guides out there so what makes my different?’ The main difference is the mix of content. If you’re after a book that deals purely with fashion, this isn’t one for you. Just like her blog, the book is all about celebrating everything that goes into being successful and having a stylish lifestyle. It’s takes a full 360 approach covering everything from how to make your home a haven to featuring some of Louise’s favourite recipes and more niche topics like how to clean without using harsh chemicals.
‘Writing the home and interior design side of the book was pure heaven. I actually just love that stuff even more than fashion. I stopped shopping online for shoes when I moved into my house,’ she laughs. ‘I was all about cushions and vases and books so I really wanted to bring that into the book. I didn’t want it to be a cookbook but I also include some of my favourite recipes too,’ she continues. ‘It really is a home for all of things I’m in to and besides, I’m the world’s worst cook and can’t cook for shit so I wanted to show that anyone could be better than me!’
In the fashion section, Roe deals with all of the style-related questions you would expect, from getting dressed for a first date to what to wear on an interview. ‘I think that even if you’re in a corporate environment, what you wear expresses so much about who you are – the power of first impression is so important. Whether you’re in fashion or not, people judge and make assumptions about you within eight seconds of meeting you,’ she says, ‘so I think that talking about how to make that count without even opening your mouth is important.’
There’s also a whole section dedicated to how to find your own style too. ‘It’s a really interesting one because I do think it can take you a while to get into your stride. I think people feel like they must do this new trend even if it doesn’t suit them; or they go the other way and say ‘it’s not for me, I’m going to stick with my tried and tested jeans and a top,’’ she says. ‘I think there’s a middle ground and that’s why in the book, I really encourage people to sit and take the time to figure out things they love. I’m really big on having scrapbooks and images on your phone that inspire you. I have so many screen grabs on one folder on my phone – it just helps visually to focus.’
As far as her own style is concerned, she’s the first to admit that it’s changed considerably since moving to L.A but puts that down to the climate – ‘I think we would dress the same if the weather here was like that,’ she laughs. ‘I think now I just really love a well-cut piece I know will last. I got a trench yesterday from Reiss yesterday and it’s beautiful. I just love those pieces you can wear in twenty different ways.’
So with a prolific TV career behind her, a successful blog and now a book, what does the future hold for Roe? ‘My ambitions are really open. I would never say never to doing collaborations with brands,’ she says, when I ask if design is in her future. ‘A personal ambition of mine is to write a novel. I love books and I love reading. I did English Literature at uni and I’m a real nerd about it so I’d love to write a novel,’ she adds. ‘In terms of Front Roe stuff, I’d love to do another book and hopefully a collection of clothes and accessories in the not to distant future. I’m starting to get that in the works.’
Front Roe: How To Be The Leading Lady In Your Own Life by Louise Roe. Published by Running Press, April 2015 – £16.99