This is what a day in the life of the #mangogirls looks like
Let's be honest, everyone wants to be part of the #mangogirls crew. They're cool, carefree and impossibly stylish, and include influencers from around the world, including Leandre Medene, Lucy Williams and Marta Cygan to name but a few.
So what does it take to be one? I travelled to Madrid to discover MANGO's new SS19 collection, and caught up with Veronika Heilbrunner, Marta Cygan and Candela Pelizza while I was there.
So, who is the #mangogirl?
Veronika Heilbrunner: 'In my eyes the #Mangogirl is up for anything and always 200%. She's a bit wild and very decisive. She doesn't spend hours in her closet, she knows want what she wants and where to get it. She doesn't try to be trendy, she is naturally cool and chooses clothes that compliment her.'
Marta Cygan: 'She is cool, modern, independent, carefree. She travels, she's strong.'
Candela Pelizza: 'The message is positive, it's empowering. Girls together, no competition, although they like to challenge themselves.'
What's a day in the life of a #mangogirl like?
Marta: 'So this morning, we previewed the new collection, which made me want to travel - there was lots of beautiful mint pastel colours. Then we had interviews, a bit of free time and dinner with the other #mangogirls and international press tonight. I also went into the store today to pick an outfit. It's a very organic way of working.'
Candela: 'My life is very hectic, it's like playing a new role every day. A few of us #mangogirls arrived yesterday, so we decided to all have dinner together.I chose a couple of outfits to try too, one which was me and one which was less out of my comfort zone as I like to push the boundaries. We did interviews, saw the collection, and of course we took lots of great pictures.'
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Veronika: 'My everyday routine is having no routine. One day I might be waking up at home in London, going for a long walk with baby Walter in Hyde Park and then spend the day answering emails, having meetings and doing my Pilates work out. The next day I might be in Paris for an event or the shows and then go to Berlin to see my friends, visit galleries and have a shoot. Everyday is an adventure.'
Which SS19 pieces is the #mangogirl backing for the new season?
Candela: 'The Committed collection is my favourite, there is a lot of colour blocking which I love. The accessories were what I liked the most though, especially the minimalist sandals and the statement earrings.'
Veronika: 'I love the committed pieces a lot. They are sleek and minimal. They are easy to combine and work for all sorts of occasions. I'm really into the luxury of simplicity. And they are the perfect canvas for cool accessories like the pig basket or the shell pieces.'
Marta: 'A tailored piece for sure. I'm also into a pop of colour, but you basics have to be black and white, it's always so chic, even in summer.'
The MANGO SS19 collection
As well as interviewing the MANGO girls, I also got to check out the collection, which was held at the Elba Benítez and Heinrich Ehrhardt modern art galleries to showcase the link between the new creations and art. There was a mix of timeless classics such as masculine tailoring and checked dresses, as well as wanderlust-inducing pieces such as tie die sating skirts and pastel separates.
But the real strength lay in the accessories, with plenty of shell pieces (a conch shell woven bag is top of my wish list) still in vogue for high summer, as well as some amazing barely-there sandals which will give you plenty of sartorial points for your buck (look out for the white kitten heels and brown leather mules, they will sell out fast, mark my words).
Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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