Meet Frankie Graddon, Head of Fashion and Beauty at The Pool, a digital platform for busy, modern women, covering everything from fashion to film, people to politics. Ambitious, stylish and an incredibly talented writer, Frankie started her career at 10 Magazine and the Telegraph, before joining The Pool three and a half years ago to head up their fashion and beauty content. An original #KITRIgirl, Frankie has supported us since our launch, so we were delighted to be able to sit down in her beautiful home to talk about her amazing career so far.

We’d love to know more about your career path so far!
From about 16 I was determined to go to Central Saint Martins – I’d heard it was one of the best art schools in the world and where many fashion greats studied. Plus, I was desperate to move to London. I spent a year doing the art foundation course there and then got on to the degree course to do Fashion Communication and Promotion. During my degree I did various jobs including show production, casting and model booking but my first magazine job was at 10 Magazine. From there I went on to The Telegraph and had the best four years travelling the world on fashion shoots. One day I got a message out of the blue telling me about an exciting new digital platform called The Pool. They were looking for someone to head up fashion and beauty and so I joined. That was nearly three and a half years ago.

Did you always want to be a journalist?
I’ve pretty much always known I wanted to do something in fashion – be that styling it, writing about it or photographing it. I was fortunate enough to work for some amazing women during my early career who spotted that I could put a few sentences together and who gave me the opportunity to write in a professional capacity. I still remember when I was commissioned to write my first interview for a national newspaper – it was so exciting. I can’t imagine not writing now. I stand in the shower in the morning and construct paragraphs (that and Instagram captions!). I am very lucky to be able to do it as a job.

You’ve had an impressive career so far. What are your top tips for women looking to progress in their careers in the creative industries?
Get as much experience as you can! There’s only so much you can be taught about a creative job in a classroom – ultimately it’s about getting out there and finding it all out for yourself. I did a lot of internships whilst I was studying which proved to be the foundations of my career. Also, meet people. There’s a famous saying, it’s not what you know but who you know and to an extent, the creative industries can be like that. Go to things, introduce yourself, shake hands, smile and ask questions. Leave a good impression and you never know where that might lead.

What does your typical day look like?
Most days I’m in the office. I get in at 9am and have a scan of the news sites, Twitter and Instagram for any stories we’ll cover on the site. Then I’ll sift through emails and get down to writing. An important part of my job is being on top of new brands and products so I’ll nip out to a launch or catch-up with a PR in the afternoon.

Who inspires you?
My friends inspire me. I am really lucky to have two incredibly close girlfriends who I’ve known since university and together we’ve been through just about everything. I am constantly inspired by their bravery, kindness, resilience, determination, ambition and ability to laugh at a bad situation. They are endlessly supportive and both prove that you can be a kind, considerate person and still get ahead in life. I’d be lost without them.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
My mum once told me this thing about balls - don’t laugh! We all have glass balls and rubber balls and we’re constantly juggling them. The glass balls are your health, happiness and loved ones. The rubber balls are things like work and money. You can drop a rubber ball and it will bounce back, but you can’t drop a glass ball because it will break. So you have to make sure you look after your glass balls!

 
How would you describe your style and what do you typically wear to work?I’ve certainly got dressier as I’ve got older. I used to very much be a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl but increasingly my job means I need to look smarter. I love dresses and jumpsuits because that are an outfit in a one-er – throw it over your head and you’re done. Easy. Feeling good in what I wear is really important to me but I don't like spending a lot of time figuring out outfits so dresses and jumpsuits are a real go to. I’m also enjoying wearing more colour – red, blue (and I don’t mean navy), yellow and even green.

We love to see you wear KITRI! Why did you choose these pieces?
I’ve been a fan of KITRI ever since it launched and could honestly wear anything from the collection! I love the sass of the Cora dress, the low-key sexiness of the Janelle jumpsuit and the summer holiday-vibes of the Isla midi skirt. Obviously my favourite is the Francesca dress because it’s named after me!

1. Cora Red Bardot Dress, 2. Isla Striped Midi Skirt, 3.  Janelle Belted Jumpsuit, 4. Francesca Frill Wrap Dress

What’s one thing that people don’t know about you?
My nickname when I was little was Gorgonzola feet because they smelled like cheese!

Finally, what’s next?!
More dispatches from the world of fashion and beauty for The Pool - check it out (the-pool.com). A new, exciting project that I’m working on with a friend – watch this space. And a holiday to Marbs with the girls. Olé