Wardrobe Mistress

“Clothes are like food: If you make them look appealing, you’re more inclined to reach for them,” says Elika Gibbs, the founder of London organizing service Practical Princess. Gibbs, known for her ability to turn a disaster-zone closet into an oasis of calm, has worked her magic on the wardrobes of posh Londoners such as Camilla Al Fayed, Melissa Odabash, Tara Palmer-Tomkinson and Tamara Mellon. Her secret weapons? Folding templates for sweaters (which she also color coordinates); thin, rubberized hangers that save space and prevent slippage; plastic boxes for off-season storage; clear cases for stowing costume baubles; and suede drawer liners for protecting fine jewelry. “I could not live the life I do without her organizational skills,” says Mellon, who has Gibbs pack her luggage before big trips and has even started referring to the closet queen as her “housewife.” It isn’t love at first sight for everyone, however. Gibbs admits that some clients initially loathe her for making them toss space wasters like old T-shirts and Virgin Atlantic Airways Upper Class pajamas. “These are wealthy women we’re talking about,” she says with a laugh. “But for some reason, they’re attached to those free pajamas.”

photo: Tim Jenkins