Thank you to Kari Molvar and the inimitable Forbes.com for a great piece highlighting Vyrao's founder Yasmin Sewell, which reveals the building blocks of her influential sense of style. Read on to discover Yasmin's go-to Vyrao fragrance for work, favourite sneakers, and the accessories she never takes off.

Photograph of Yasmin Sewell by Benjamin Tietge

Yasmin Sewell grew up in Australia but made a name for herself on the London fashion scene. In the late ‘90s, Sewell opened the highly influential shop Yasmin Cho in SoHo, which carried emerging fashion labels such as Rick Owens, and where Courtney Love was a regular client. Sewell eventually parlayed her keen fashion instincts into leading the buying teams at the British department stores Browns and Liberty in the early 2000s, helping to launch avant-garde brands like Christopher Kane and introducing minimalist-cool labels Acne and The Row to the U.K. In 2017, Sewell became vice president of the luxury retail platform Farfetch, where she stayed for a year before yearning for a change—a rather radical one.

In 2021, the high-profile tastemaker—and street-style fixture—put fashion to the side, professional-speaking, and launched Vyrao, a line of wellbeing-focused fragrances to elicit emotions and positive energy, formulated by master perfumer Lyn Harris. The feel-good fragrances launched at Selfridges and Saks Fifth Avenue, in addition to recently landing at Violet Grey. “Everything we do at Vyrao is about raising our sense of positivity, joy and vibration,” says Sewell of her intention for the brand.

Here, the London-based Sewell shares how this creativity and sense of adventure shape her everyday life and work wardrobe. For starters, “I’m not a grey-basics girl and I don’t do classic,” she says. “I invest in items that are colourful, comfortable, easy to wear and stand the test of time.” Read on for a glimpse into Sewell’s closet and psyche.

Yasmin Sewell’s Work Wardrobe

Polos That Pop:
“I like to layer different pieces to create a textured look that’s comfortable. I live in a wonderful vintage remade Wrangler shirt and I have this great Wales Bonner polo shirt with multicolour stripes,” says Sewell, who doesn’t have much time to get ready in the morning. “My day usually starts at 6:30 a.m., with three boys—two of them are human, the other is my dog Pizza. I’ve got to get them up, fed and ready for school.”

Sweaters In Unexpected Shades:
“I wear a lot of Acne knitwear and I even have Celine sweaters from 12 years ago that I still wear now,” says Sewell. Comfort is key, especially on long days. “I work with countries all around the world, so time zones can also be quite thrown off,” she says. “Occasionally, there’s a 7 a.m. call to Australia and a 10 p.m. call with L.A. Generally, I like to keep my work hours fixed, though, and find balance day to day.” 

Tomboyish T-Shirts:
“I love men’s streetwear and I wear a lot of Billionaire Boys Club —their t-shirts, track pants and hoodies are staples for me. I love to mix those up with fashion pieces from my past and pieces with a lot of color,” says Sewell.

Blazers And Pants To Live In

Oversized And Slouchy Styles:
“My fashion uniform is always a great men’s style suit, chunky boots and a radical t-shirt,” says Sewell, who likes to blend masculine and feminine details in her outfits—and her life. “I spend all day in the office surrounded by women and at night I’m surrounded by all boys,” she says. “So in a way there is a real balance.”

Work-Ready Track Pants:
Sewell wears track pants from Être Cécile (a brand she co-founded) that are stylish for both weekends and work days on the go. “Every day at Vyrao is completely different, but my team and I always try to get out for a walk in the park—there are usually at least two dogs in the office—or to Broadway Market for a falafel,” she says.

Feminine Dresses With A Twist

Wear-Anytime Florals:
To contrast with the more menswear-focused aspects of her wardrobe, Sewell mixes in romantic pieces, especially in the warmer months. “When summertime comes, I wear a lot of long, quite feminine dresses, paired with quite masculine boots,” says Sewell.

Day To Night Wonders:
“I’m not scared to wear what might be an evening gown in the day, but I’ll dress it down with a sweatshirt or a blazer, which I then take off when I go out at night,” says Sewell, who is fond of Reformation’s versatile dresses.

Chunky Shoes And Functional Bags

Sleek Chelsea Boots:
Sewell likes rugged Chelsea boots that can handle city streets and look better broken-in, which happens easily with kids: “I’m happy to get my shoes covered in mud,” she says of her boots from R.M.Williams, which are handmade in Australia and designed to stay strong even in the most extreme conditions in the Outback.

Perfect Work-To-Weekend Sneakers:
“Since I created Vyrao and moved away from my fashion career, my day-to-day life is much more casual,” says Sewell. “I can count on my left hand how many times I’ve worn a heel to the office in the last year and a half.” Instead, she relies on Nike’s streetwear sneakers, which look great with dresses or jeans for work or weekends.

Hardworking Backpack:
“I always carry a backpack,” says Sewell. “I don’t do girly bags anymore.” Her other go-to accessory: “I have one of my most special vintage Bulgari watches that wraps around my arm from the ‘70s,” says Sewell. “It’s all I need.”

Chic Phone Holder:
“Sometimes I carry my Paco Rabanne chainmail mobile phone holder to mix it up from my backpack,” says Sewell. The other bit of glitz she keeps on: “I wear Dominic Jones gold hoops,” she says. “I sleep in them and I never take off.”

Finishing Touches

Vibrant Red Lipstick:
To switch up her look from day to night, Sewell says, “I might throw on a Byredo lipstick—my new favorite shade is called Divorce.” To help her skin stay “fresh and alive, which is always important for feeling pulled together,” Sewell goes for a dewy look. “I’ll use Vintner’s Daughter’s Active Treatment Essence and Active Botanical Serum. They always leave me feeling amazing and ready to take on anything.”

Go-To Perfume:
“I pick my fragrance from Vyrao depending on my mood. Witchy Woo is usually my go-to for work,” she says. “It’s formulated to evoke courage and creativity, which is never bad to have an extra dose of before going into a meeting.”

Eye-Catching Liner:
To brighten up her skin from winter, Sewell relies on a dab of bronzer and her favorite concealer from Laura Mercier. The final touch: “I use electric blue eyeliner from MAC,” she says. “Bright colours make me happy.”