Susannah Constantine
British fashion designer and journalist
Susannah Constantine (born 3 June 1962) is a fashion guru and television presenter, who became famous as the co-host of What Not to Wear in 2001, with Trinny Woodall.
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edit- What it is, is that you're (Trinny) the accelerator and I'm (Susannah) the break. And that's why it works.
- Regarding Trinny and Susannah's relationship in the online-exclusive mockumentary Trinny and Susannah What They Did Next; as quoted in "The Short Goodbye" produced by t5m (June 2010)
- Posh does not equal style. Really, God, that's just ridiculous. Posh equals tradition. Anyone can achieve style. It doesn't matter who you are or where you're from.
- As quoted in "Mammary mia!" by Vicky Allan in The Sunday Herald (8 September 2002)
- I'm much more self-conscious clothed than unclothed. I'm a frustrated Page Three girl. I have no shame about my body.
- My boobs are the bane of my life, they're a real burden. Every time I have a baby, I go up two sizes. I'll probably be an E cup after this. I can't bear it.
- As quoted in "Acne, alcohol … and non-stop sex" by Lynda Lee-Potter in Daily Mail (6 September 2003)
- The show is much more emotional now. It's a journey, but it is still about clothes, too. It's been fascinating to see how looking good and having faith in your appearance makes you into a sexier person, which makes you attractive to your partner again. We come in as complete strangers and get to know them all extremely well. It was a privilege for Trinny and I to have these people feel they could open up to us. It was very humbling, too.
- Regarding Trinny & Susannah Undress..., as quoted in Laid Bare The Daily Mirror (30 September 2006)
- For us, it’s all about shape, and how that is going to cure a bodily defect.
- Views on clothing, as quoted in "Retail therapists" by Fiona Neill in The Times (14 July 2007)
- In social situations I still feel scared. My best friend and husband give me the freedom to be myself.
- I worked in Harrods as a sales girl and I was so lazy, I just sat on my arse all day. Now I have huge respect for shop girls. It was boring, so I tried to shoplift things, but we’d always get our bags checked.
- It’s been very satisfying to design a range which is all about shape. It’s not about what size you are, it’s about how you can minimise or accentuate parts of your body with clothing. That’s what we’ve created.
- This series is more campaigning. It is more journalistic, but still hugely entertaining. It's a show we feel more proud of than anything we've done to date.
- It is a myth that style can't be learnt. It's all about dressing for your body shape, following the rules and wearing colours that suit your skin tone.
God's gift to women (2007)
edit- Ultimately, what we're doing is giving people confidence. We're probably the only people who have an opinion, who care how ordinary people dress. No one at Vogue magazine gives a shit. They work with the designers, it's more creative and artistic — they are creating something beautiful. But they don't care about how their readers end up looking — whereas we do!
- I had one little glimpse in the mirror and it was like an electric shock. Horrifying. It took me three or four days to get over it. On air, the plastic surgeon said: "Would you have anything done?" Oh no, I said. "Do you smoke?" No, never. Soon as the camera was off I took his card and had a cigarette.
- Reaction to being aged to a 70-year-old by prosthetics.
- I did have Botox once and I felt like I'd had a stroke. It was so claustrophobic.
- Too fat, too thin, what the fuck are you supposed to be? God bless the media!
Scots Are So Stylish... (2007)
edit- Quotes from "Scots Are So Stylish... And Ewan Mcgregor Looks Fab In A Kilt" by Maria Croce in The Daily Record (19 September 2007)
- Our primary concern is not to be style icons ourselves.
- We've created a range of clothing which is almost like a prescription from the doctor. Our clothes do the same thing. If you're not happy with your bum, then there's a coat that's going to hide it. If you want to create a waist, there's a dress that's going to do that for you too. We've designed it very much around the female body."
- Generally speaking Scottish women are pretty good. Look at Sharleen Spiteri and Lulu — you've got two fabulously well-dressed women in different ways.
- In my case I slob around in old clothes in the country. But I have the luxury of knowing I can pull myself out of that. So I don't feel bad about looking like shit.
Quotes about Constantine
edit- “…reminds us why these two well-dressed, slightly chaotic, posh ladies are so entertaining”
- Matilda Battersby in "Trinny and Susannah: What They Did Next" in The Independent (([23 June]] 2010)
- Susannah at home is quite the opposite to Trinny... Susannah has a big rambling house and there's dogs and there's kids and there's nannies, and you can come over anytime you like, and if you can have supper she'll throw it together in a minute. It's easy, it's fabulous to be around her.
- Lulu in Trinny and Susannah What They Did Next; as quoted in "Accidentally on Purpose" produced by t5m (July 2010)
- You just don't expect posh girls to grab your tits, call your trousers "too clitty" and use words like "pussy pelmet" but they do. You are so shocked by what they are saying that by the time you have recovered and thought of something to say they have whipped you out of your jeans and eased you into a Lycra cat suit.
- Sarah Bailey, editor at ELLE, talking about Trinny Woodall and Susannah, as quoted in "Just a couple of swells" by John Arlidge in The Guardian (22 December 2002)
- Susannah ... is on the right side of voluptuous and more laid-back. She loses things likes credit cards and keys.
- Fiona Neill, comparing Constantine with Trinny Woodall in "Retail therapists" in The Times (July 14 2007)
- By the end of the interview, I pluck up the courage to ask Susannah whether she thinks my bra fits. She stares at my chest: "You’re wearing a 34C and you should be in a 32DD." I get home and check. She’s right.
- Susannah has become less of a Sloane Ranger and more into real life. She’s also more career-minded.
- Trinny Woodall on how Constantine has changed in ten years, as quoted in "Interrogation: Trinny & Susannah" in The Daily Mirror (16 September 2007)
- Trinny and Susannah are what they are — there's no fakery.
- Barbara Ellen in "God's gift to women" in The Guardian (16 September 2007)
