Back in 2020, Abigale Masters didn’t know she’d one day be influencing her tens-of-thousands of followers to take their styling to the max. Studying Fashion Business at university, her attention was on entering the fashion industry from a different angle, but fate (or her innate sense of style, honed since she was six-years-old) had other plans.
Since she decided to take sharing her styling on social media seriously in 2024, Abigale Masters has seen her personal style inspire others to inject more fun, life, and colour into their wardrobes. As a stylist, she has a penchant for bold prints, contrasting textures, and bright hues, with a sense of personal style that can only be described as unapologetic.
We sat down with Abigale to find out when she discovered she had a talent for styling, how she got started as a social media influencer, and where she finds her inspiration. Keep reading to find out.
XO: When and how did you first realise you had a talent for styling iconic, maximalist fits?
A: “When I came out the womb, she was born with it, diva! JK, I first started experimenting with my personal style at around six years old. That was when I truly discovered my love for bright, bold and oversized outfits. However, it wasn’t until I became an adult and had my own money, that I could really explore what personal style meant to me and begin defining what my own would look like. I spent my entire childhood shopping at car boot sales and charity shops, gaining the title “charity shop queen” by my family and friends. Shopping second hand definitely opened up a wider universe of opportunities for me. The girls in school would go to Topshop to get their Joni jeans whereas I would go to Swanley carboot to get my tutus and pearls!”
“I also have to give credit to my incredible mother, who is an absolute style icon. From a young age, she always encouraged me to dress for myself, embrace being different, take risks and never be afraid to stand out from the crowd. And that’s exactly what I did! Looking back, that was the beginning of it all. The start of my fashion journey, my origin story!”
XO: What made you want to start taking posting on your personal social media seriously, and go down the path of being a fashion influencer?
A: “Honestly, it all happened by accident! I was studying Fashion Business at university when Covid hit, I was bored and needed something creative to fill my time, so my boyfriend bought me a tripod to help me create content around my styling career, which I was building alongside my degree. I quickly realised people were more interested in seeing how I dressed myself than how I styled others, so I reigned in on that and started posting daily outfit videos and styling tips. From 2021 to 2023, it was simply a hobby.”
“I never imagined myself becoming an influencer. Having always been self-employed, I launched my own social media agency just three months after graduating with a first-class degree. After running it for 10 months, I realised that my real passion was creating content for myself. So, in summer 2024, I took the leap and became a full-time fashion and lifestyle content creator. Looking back, it was the best decision I’ve ever made, and I’m so glad I believed in myself enough to go for it!”
XO: What’s your favourite piece in your wardrobe right now?
A: “Autumn/Winter is my favourite season to dress for, so I’m having the best time experimenting with new outfits! I’m currently loving pairing oversized tutus with statement jackets, and this runway MSGM piece is a firm favourite. I’ve also been reaching for my never ending 25-piece tutu collection, especially this baby pink number, which I picked up on Vinted for just £10! A fun jacket, a giant tutu, colourful socks, a massive hat and a textured shoe; is my go to autumn look!”
XO: What have you found the most challenging about posting on socials?
A: “Personally, I think the biggest challenge is remembering that it’s your social media and not allowing yourself to be influenced by how others are showing up or what the platforms are telling you to post. With new trends popping up multiple times a day, it can be difficult to distinguish between what you genuinely love and what feels aligned with you, versus what you’ve been subconsciously influenced to create through everything you consume when scrolling. Ultimately, it’s about staying true to yourself and remembering why you started creating in the first place. (Mic drop).”
XO: What have you found the most rewarding about it?
A: “As a creative person, having my own little corner of the internet where I can be 100% authentically myself, express who I am and feel completely safe doing so, is one of the most rewarding feelings. Being able to build a community of incredible people who genuinely care about what I have to say, what I create and even what I’m wearing is so special. And then, to have the opportunity to meet those people in real life makes it all the more meaningful. It’s such a lovely reminder of just how special the community you can build online really is.”
XO: Who inspires you the most in your work?
A: “I wouldn’t say there’s one particular person or thing that inspires me most. For me, it’s simply the privilege of being alive, healthy and having the world at my fingertips. I feel incredibly lucky to have a career that allows me to travel, experience new places and meet people from all walks of life. Every morning I wake up, I am inspired by something different, from the colour of the leaves falling from the tree, to an outfit I saw walking around Mayfair the day before. I think there’s so much beauty in being able to experience life, and I never want to take that for granted, and that’s all the inspiration I need really. If you’re ever feeling uninspired or stuck in a rut, my tip for you is just to get out of bed and explore, anywhere, there is literally inspiration everywhere in the world!”
XO: What’s your favourite fashion moment in pop culture (film, TV, music, etc.)?
A: “Omg, this is HARDDDD. I’m just going to go with the first things that come to mind..."
"For music: Honestly, Addison Rae’s rebrand is incredible and needs to be studied as the blueprint for all future rebrands. The pink hair, the high fashion, the LOOKS. It was a cultural moment for us all.”
“For film: I don’t care how basic or predictable this is, but Anne Hathaway’s outfit montage in the first The Devil Wears Prada absolutely played a part in making me the diva I am today.”
“On the runway: Naomi Campbell falling in Vivienne Westwood at the 1993 show, only for the audience to applaud her. It was quite literally like watching a scene from a movie.
"And one more for good luck: Rihanna in Guo Pei at the 2015 Met Gala. Quite possibly one of the greatest looks to have ever graced a red carpet. A moment that will live forever.”
XO: As a rep of maximalist fashion, what piece of advice would you give to people wanting to dress more in this style but unsure where to start?
A: “My biggest piece of advice I can give is always to start small and gradually build from there. Maximalist fashion can be one of the most intense and overstimulating areas of the industry, so I always encourage people to start with just one thing they love, whether that’s a particular colour, texture or clothing item. Experiment with that piece, get comfortable styling it and stick with it for a while before introducing anything else. It’s so easy to become overwhelmed by all the colours, prints and silhouettes and, in the process, lose sight of your own personal style. The key is to build your maximalist wardrobe in a way that still feels authentic to you and don’t be too influenced by other maximalists, the beauty of maximalism is that it is personable and adaptable to anyone and anything.”
XO: If you could give yourself when you first started posting your own socials one piece of advice, what would it be?
A: “You’re that b*tch and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You are in your own lane and being different is your greatest strength. It’s easy to feel like you need to change yourself and your style to “fit in” but there is nothing to fit into, being outside of the box is always the strongest advantage point. And remember to take up as much room as you want, give them something to look at!”
XO: Lastly, what is a fashion essential you couldn’t do without?
A: “My pearls, I’ve realised they’ve become a real signature of mine and I absolutely love hearing from people who have been inspired to start wearing pearls because of my stacks. Pearl bracelets, pearl earrings, pearl rings and giant pearl necklaces, every single day with every single fit no matter what, they are part of my identity now!”
