Robyn Cooke Style Guide

Robyn Cooke returned to South Africa in 2007 after many years spent working abroad in the corporate world across Europe, Africa and the USA – and as a personal stylist to a host of ordinary people living and working in London.

Robyn graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BA in psychology and followed this with a multi-disciplinary honours degree, focused on how women are presented in the media. Robyn went on to qualify and teach MBA marketing theory, with specific reference to technology and international brand identity.
During a sabbatical in 2003, Robyn completed a further course at the London College of Fashion in styling, and went on to do a couple of years of unpaid work experience in London before setting up a successful personal styling business, first in London and then back in Cape Town. After training several people to manage her personal styling clients, Robyn turned her attention to fashion commentary and journalism. Combining her interests, experience and education, Robyn now writes, speaks and consults extensively on issues as diverse as fashion in parliament and the latest bathing suit styles.

Robyn’s current position is that of fashion editor for O, The Oprah Magazine, which sells around 50,000 copies a month, as well as fashion editor of the Woolworths card-holder magazine, World, which is distributed to 750,000 readers an issue.

Prior to joining O, The Oprah Magazine, Robyn wrote the fashion pages for South Africa’s premier news portal, iafrica.com for a year, generating over 60,000 viewers a month. She also contributed the Style Counsel pages for Cosmopolitan magazine and online site, the daily reviews at the fashion weeks in South Africa for AFI, as well as other freelance fashion writing for Chew, the Mail & Guardian and the in-house publication for Miglio Jewellery. Robyn is regarded as one of South Africa’s most knowledgeable fashion commentators.

Robyn began her corporate career at Dimension Data in Cape Town 18 years ago as the marketing manager. In 1999 she was lured over to London to work at a similar company, Computacentre, in their emerging technologies and software division. With a brief sojourn at BSkyB in their connectivity business, Robyn was headhunted over to outsourcing giant, EDS, to take up a role as Director of marketing and communications, based in London and responsible across EMEA, before leaving the industry for fashion.

With exceptional skills in providing a cohesive voice and vision for fashion brands, Robyn continues to develop her own skills as well as those of several young people who she mentors in the industry. By marrying brand and fashion, her two areas of expertise, Robyn provides the local industry with unprecedented, international-standard insights and positioning, backed with an academic knowledge of fashion and a talent for styling.

When not trying to align her split personality, Robyn enjoys reading, reality TV and relaxing. Oh, and hobnobbing with the stylish for her popular fashion blog: http://styleguidecapetown.blogspot.com