After conquering New York Fashion Week in the spring of 2017, breakout fashion designer
Matt Sarafa has his sights set on the capital of the fashion world, Paris. Debuting his new line “ROLEPLAY” on Saturday, September 30TH during Paris Fashion Week, at the Hotel d’Evreux, Matt is ready to reignite the industry with his new high-end line. At 19-years-old, Matt is one of the youngest designers to ever show at the illustrious Paris Fashion Week. Never one to be limit himself, Matt is already known as an accomplished young designer, and entrepreneur for creating his clothing line “Hot Me$$,” as well as his jewelry and clothing line “FAKE.”
Matt’s newest designs for “ROLEPLAY” will blur the lines between ready-to-wear pieces, mixed with different textures, and high-end couture. The remarkably talented young designer has drawn inspiration from every aspect of his life. Holding true to his belief that fashion is for everyone and knows no gender, “ROLEPLAY” will continue to show Matt’s talent for creating beautiful pieces of clothing that will give his wearers confidence to be who they are. The fun spring collection features many bright and fun pastel colors including baby blue, millennial baby pink and more. Created for both women and men, “ROLEPLAY” features pieces that are unlike anything his has shown before, that will once again show how gifted Matt is when it comes to creating for the world of fashion.
Not only debuting a new line at Paris Fashion Week this year, Matt continues to grow his online store with the world-wide release of his “FAKE” collection that will be made available on MattSarafa.com later this fall. Debuting in the spring of 2017 at New York Fashion Week, “FAKE” is Matt’s take on high-end, ready-to-wear street fashion. Along with the clothes for the line, Matt released an exclusive jewelry line that has continued to flourish, and sell out on his website. The line includes rings, knuckle rings, necklaces, chokers, hand chains, and more.
Growing up in Manhattan Beach, California, Matt always had an artistic side and was passionate about drawing and painting since he was a child. After binge watching an entire season of “Project Runway” with his mother at the age of 7, he knew fashion was his true calling. He then learned how to hand sew from his grandmother and eventually began taking classes to perfect his technique. Growing up in the age of YouTube, Matt started his own channel which features makeup tutorials and fashion tips and advice, which is watched by thousands of budding fashionistas looking for a little help and inspiration. This caught the attention of producers for “Project Runway: Threads,” which aired in 2014. A fan favorite on that show, Sarafa was a no-brainer choice for producers when the networks newest show “Project Runway Juniors” aired in October of 2015.
When Matt isn’t busy launching his new clothing line, building his fashion empire, or spending time studying as a sophomore at UCLA, Matt loves giving back working with charities such as Life World, Children’s Hospital LA and the Pink Lotus Foundation.
What made you decide to create your own brand? It all started with your iconic collection of slogan t-shirts…
I was working in magazines and I absolutely loved it. I actually had no intention of creating anything that would change my career path. I just started making t-shirts for my friends and I to wear as a personal project. I think the authenticity and grassroots nature of the work really resonated with people and the industry – it took off quite quickly! It was very much an idea I had for my friends and I which worked on a wider scale, but that was never my intention and I think that’s why it worked. I think if I had a preconceived marketing strategy to launch the shirts in the way that I launched them, it would have been interpreted as unauthentic and wouldn’t have resonated in the same way. It all happened for a reason.
Do you want to create a lifestyle brand? Is this in the pipeline?
Yes, for sure. That’s definitely one of the things that I still have to do. Since day one, I’ve always approached House of Holland as a brand and I’ve never considered myself a young designer. I didn’t use my name for House of Holland because I’ve always seen what I’m doing as being about a brand, rather than it being about me. My outlook is that its very much team effort and there’s still so many different product categories and so many areas I want to work in. Watch this space!
Where do you obtain your inspiration from?
That’s a very difficult question to answer. I think as a creative person you’re sort of like a sponge. You’re constantly absorbing different ideas and concepts and trying to reconfigure them in your head to a way you can translate them through your work – that comes from all different places. I really like to reference films and fictional characters because I love the characterization of fashion. I love the way that you can use clothes to really tell the story of a character almost as much as dialogue.
When you look back on your career, what do you feel was your big break?
My big break was a happy accident like my entrance into the fashion industry. I made t-shirts with the names of fashion designers on them and I gifted them to my friends, some of those friends were the designers who were the names on the t-shirts. People first saw my t-shirts because Gareth Pugh was wearing it for work and he was so busy he didn’t have time to get changed after his fashion show. Gareth was wearing my t-shirt the night before his fashion show and he worked through the night so he was still wearing it when he came out for his bow at the end of fashion week! I think it was fate and very much meant to be. I believe in that type of thing.
What was the best piece of advice you were given when you started out in your career?
I think the best advice I had was to remain very authentic and true to who I am. I’m staying really strong on that with what I want to do and say with my work. I think people really forgot the fashion industry is an objective industry. One person’s favorite dress can be another person’s most hideous piece of clothing that’s ever been put out there. You have to remember that not everyone’s going to like everything that you do. So if you build your brand, build your company on a very strong set of rules and a strong DNA, then however much people like or dislike what you do then you can always remain true and authentic to what it is you set out to say in the first place.
Do you manage to keep a good work/life balance?
I keep an exceptional work/life balance and that’s partly because I love what I do so much. I’m very happy when I’m at work so I very rarely feel the differentiation between work and life. I also get to choose the people who I work with and I choose those people very carefully. I have one of the best jobs in the world and I think that helps you remain positive and happy in what you do.
What do you do to relax/switch off?
To relax or switch off I exercise because its probably one of the only times my brain thinks about something over than my work. I think when you run your own company, it’s very hard to switch on and off. People ask what hours do you work and the answer to that is the moment my eyes are awake to the time my eyes are closed. Exercise is kind of my chance to switch off. I run a lot and it’s good. Except when I ran two marathons, that wasn’t so good. That was too far. There’s running and then there’s running. That was running.
Who have been the mentors/people you have worked with who have been the biggest influence on your career?
My parents have been a massive influence on my career. My parents work in very different industries – my Dad is very traditional and runs his own law firm while my Mum runs a château and a training company in positive thought. My Mum runs training courses on meditation and relaxation, she’s very spiritual like that. My parents are at two completely opposite ends of the spectrum, but they both have the exact same approach in that whatever it is I told them I wanted to be, you couldn’t ask anyone to be more supportive as long as I had the conviction and the drive to do it. They would have been happy if I’d have been a bin man as long as I’d worked my way up to driving the truck. That was their approach. It was like just be you and be good at it.
When did you first realise you wanted to be Henry Holland, the fashion designer?
Still waiting! I don’t really see myself as Henry Holland the fashion designer. I think you just get on with your day-to-day work and your role. I think if you were to pause the TV and ask ‘can we have a chat about Henry Holland?’ you’d be a bit of a d**k. So I try to not focus on any of that. I try to get on with what I’m doing and work hard. I don’t pay attention to anything like that whatsoever. It puts me on any pedestal to says things like Henry Holland ‘the fashion designer’.
What would be your advice to anyone starting out wanting to make a career in fashion?
It would be to find that authenticity and what it is you want to say with your work. There’s so many brands out there and there’s so many different things going on in the fashion industry, it’s hard to cut through the noise. It was much easier for me ten years ago. I think its really about ensuring you’ve got something to say that is unique and different. The way you communicate that is so important. Just stay very true and authentic to yourself because its so much extra work if you’re having to be something you’re not. That’s a job in itself.
What skills do you think are most important to be a success in fashion?
You need to be tenacious; have drive to succeed; passion in your work; commit to what you want; a fearlessness to stick with it; and creativity to deliver.
What career advice would today’s 34 y/old Henry Holland give to the 18 y/old Henry Holland?
I would definitely say don’t threat too much about your first few jobs. My Mum always taught me that you’ll have seven different careers in your life. I don’t think you should put so much pressure on your first job or two because I think that some people need longer to find out who they are and what they want to do. It doesn’t always happen for everybody during university or during college. It’s important to go out there and experience the world and formulate your life plan from that. There’s no rush.
“Henry Holland was speaking on behalf of online job boards totaljobs and Milkround in their latest campaign around achieving a healthier work-life balance”
Rebeca Riofrio had an exclusive interview with Gal Gadot’s personal make-up artist.
Let’s find more about the talented Sarah Brock.
Please, could you tell us about your background and how it leads to the work you do today?
I’ve been in the industry for 18 years. I started as a bridal makeup artist (working at over 1,000 weddings) & that work lead to me working with every major bridal designer in the UK & to creating the makeup looks for 24 covers of Conde Nast BRIDES Magazine. I have won awards for my work and have also worked for makeup brands helping with product development. I now regularly work with celebrities, have had work published for several covers of OK! Magazine and am a published makeup & beauty writer. I’ve presented on TV as a makeup expert and worked with amazing brands such as CHANEL. My work was spotted by Hollywood Director Patty Jenkins, who loved what I do and asked me to work as the personal makeup artist to Gal Gadot on the new Wonder Woman movie. Since then, i’ve worked alongside Gal creating the makeup looks for her for red carpet and commercials.
Where are you based?
I am based in Wiltshire in the UK but am regularly working in London and travel around the world.
How would you describe your work to someone who hasn’t seen it before?
I am known for the work I do with skin – I love to create the most natural looking, healthy, glowing skin. I love to make women look naturally stunning.
Who else it’s behind your brand?
It’s just me! I’ve always done all of my press/ PR/ website & marketing.
What or who has been the biggest singular influence on your work?
That’s a difficult question, as I am inspired by so many makeup artists – but if I had to name a few, it would be Mary Greenwell, Lisa Eldridge & Daniel Sandler – I worked with Daniel as the Artistic Director of Makeup for his brand and I learnt a lot from Daniel, plus he’s always been such a support to me and my work.
Which project have you enjoyed working on the most so far?
To work for the ‘Wonder Woman ‘ project It’s hard to choose as I’ve always loved what I do – I’ve been so blessed to work in so many different areas of the makeup industry and I love them all – however, working on the Wonder Woman movie truly changed my life – not only because of the amazing people I was blessed to work with, but I learnt SO much. It was the hardest job I have ever done, but I loved every second of my time there and then to see it come to life and see so many people love the movie is amazing.
Where people can find more about you and your future projects (website instagram twitter or FB etc)
Website: www.sarahbmakeup.co.uk
Instagram: sarahbrockmua
Twitter: SARAHBMUA
Facebook: Sarah Brock Makeup Artist
Georgia Mos is a young Italian DJ-Producer. She performed in some of the most important venues in the world as ” Nikki Beach” in Miami, the “1 OAK” in New York, Vip Room Cannes and the “Privilege” of Ibiza. In London and New York she has improved the abilities of a producer working in different studios. On May 2016, in Italy, she took part in the tv show “Top Dj” as the only woman-DJ. Her musical style? “A commercial House Music influenced by the most actual and innovative electro.”
-Hi, Georgia! When did you develop your passion for electronic music?
Music has always been part of my life, I started when I was 7 years old studying assiduously singing and solfeggio, it was just something I could not live without. Three years ago I then moved to London and there that the love for electronic music and djing started from, is London that made it happen.
-What festivals would you most like to play at?
Surely one of my goals would be to play at Tomorrowland and the Ultras Music Festival.
-What is your biggest inspiration?
I live for the emotions! So I get inspired by exciting people and pass on emotions with my music and my dj sets.
-Are there any exciting tour dates on the horizon for you?
In the immediate future, I will be a lot around Italy and Europe for my Summer Tour.
-Any release coming in the near future?
There will be surprises from September. I’m working hard on my studio productions and various collaborations. I can’t wait to share them with all of you.
-Do you have any advice to other girls that want to start your career?
The advice is to be being motivated and humble, to always work with passion, constancy and perseverance, you will be rewarded in the long run. I suggest not to think that being a DJ woman facilitates a career more than a man, surely the women now are more appealing but on the other hand is still surrounded by more prejudices.
-Is there any female Dj you admire and want to play with?
I really love Nervo and I would sooner or later collaborate with them. I met them personally because they were the judges during an episode of the TV program in which I participated in Italy “Top DJ”. They have been adorable and supportive to me, admire them both as people and as artists.
STS Group is an innovative development company that specializes in luxury living and originality, providing clients with the finest fabrics, bespoke furnishings and impeccable standards throughout. STS pride themselves on their ability to deliver unique designs, ensuring that they will never replicate the same design twice.
Founded by 3 partners, these artistic masterminds want to make you feel as if you are in a luxury hotel suite whenever you step foot into one of their creations. With immense detailing, from the platinum leather headboards to the Swarovski light pendants and glistening door knobs, these interior guru’s guarantee the STS signature touch with each distinctive design.
Clive Court
Demonstrating a wealth of property expertise, these profound developers convey proficiency and professionalism as they guarantee you an effortless, enjoyable journey throughout your entire property process. STS group offer you a ‘Knightsbridge lifestyle’ in a more affordable area whilst taking care of all property aspects, ensuring you a smooth transition.
With an in-house STS management company and an STS construction company, STS Group can do everything for
you from applying for your planning permission to arranging your finances, to renovating your home down to the
very last detail.
Why use multiple companies when STS Group can do it all… Predominantly developers, STS also renovate other people’s properties as they are frequently approached by people who admire their innovative designs and impressive finishing’s, wanting them to re create a similar standard in their own home.
How was STS GROUP formed?
Our property enthusiasm began with a flat in Enfield. It was very basic, but we modernised the apartment; We added a wallpaper feature, a few funky lights, hung a T.V on the wall and added a splash of nice paint. By chance, somebody saw this and made us a silly offer for it that we couldn’t refuse! I guess that’s what fuelled our imagination and really got the ball rolling. We set the ceiling price for the most expensive 1 bedroom apartment sold in that area. It was amazing to see that a few little touches completely transformed the flat. We then moved on to more intricate, more expensive, quality and bespoke designs.
It is coming up to 3 years now since we founded STS as a brand. There are 3 partners, myself- Thomas Souglis, Stephen Demetriou and Stelios Ioannou. We all worked together as friends in our respective property fields with me and Stel sourcing the properties and Steve is in charge of the construction. In the space of just under 3 years we have built up an STS family from us and 5 boys to know us and 33 boys and growing.
How do you select your product?
We pick the style we want and then we choose suppliers that best match what we’ve envisioned. We get a lot of our fabrics and furniture from Spain and Italy. Most of what we focus on is our finishing’s, it has to be an absolutely perfect finish because that’s what our brand represents, ‘perfection’. Of course, it does take us a very long time to choose our fabrics… If we feel our clients won’t be happy with certain materials, we will disregard them.
Warrington Gardens
What areas have you renovated so far?
We started off in North London. We have since moved to Central London including such areas as; Saint John’s Wood, Maida Vale, Little Venice, Marylebone and Chelsea.
Would you refer to yourselves as perfectionists?
Most definitely. Everything has to be absolutely perfect. If we feel that even one thing is mismatched or out of place or not up to the standard we require, we will bin the whole thing and start from scratch. There have been a few occasions where our construction team have wanted to kill us because we have made them do something over and over until we feel it is perfect.
How do you ensure that you can cater to your clients’ style preferences whilst making sure every design is bespoke?
The similarity is the quality and extraordinary standards; we will always guarantee the STS signature touch. However, we will never replicate the same design. Each design is unique. We don’t just do generic things. We spend hours in every room visualising the layout, colours and materials we want to use. Additionally, we take our time to think about the people moving in. We think of the practical elements, for example, if it’s a likelihood that a single person or young couple are buying our project we will ensure they have luxuries like customised walk in wardrobes and lovely entertainment spaces; whereas if we feel our development will be more family orientated we will accommodate for what a family might need i.e more storage space and more practicality.
Regardless of the development, from the design concept through to the artwork, lighting and decor used, we will always reflect individuality and quality
Do the rooms in each property have the same design?
Each room has its own individual style however the colours and materials fuse in with the general theme of the property. We ensure that every room has its own ‘wow factor’ and unique features, whilst still matching the overall flow of the property. We will give you a beautifully coordinated home that is practical and bespoke.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Anything and anywhere. We are constantly wondering around looking at things and taking in ideas. Whilst people walk around stores looking at clothes, we walk around stroking the walls, touching the doors and feeling the decor to grasp a sense of the materials which have been used. We read a lot of architecture and design books. We take inspiration from all our surroundings and manipulate things into something we can envision. We are inspired by art, culture, fabrics, architecture, old buildings, modern designs, photography, creative layouts and pretty much anything that catches our eye.
You are predominantly developers, so how did you begin renovating other people’s homes?
The long and short of it is we found that clients who have brought our developments tend to recommend us to their friends and it just kind of exploded by word of mouth from there. Their friends come to visit them in their new home, they are impressed with what we have done and next thing we know we are being asked if we can replicate that in their home. Although we are predominantly developers, we believe that transforming people’s property is a great platform in which we can showcase our work in a lot more places.
What can STS GROUP do?
We are capable of doing anything and everything property related. We can finalise your applications for permission, design your property, arrange your finances and build your dream home. We are a development company with an in-house construction team as well as a consulting company. We do everything from the messy building stuff right down the last cushion on your sofa.
The Manor Court
Tell me about the STS signature touch and detail…
We are very clean cut, everything has to be immaculate. Whilst we make sure each design is custom-made, we keep the property in line with the character of the building. We pay excessive attention to the detail and aim to make people feel as though they are in a boutique hotel suite. We will always provide an astonishing finish, showcasing the signature STS touch. People have given us their hard earned money, and we aspire to give them something rather special in return. I can confidently say with the quality of our materials and finishing’s, not many can touch us… Each piece of furnishing is unique, however, everything is uninformed, as we want to keep an artistic flow throughout each property. STS will personalise your property, whilst maximize your space and be catering to your practical needs.
What’s to come for STS GROUP?
We aim to make each project better than the last. We set our own standards along the way, and we are constantly learning and growing! We won’t feel satisfied unless we feel that each project we do has out done the last! We are currently working on 2 very big projects and a potential third; 17 luxury apartments called Dudley House on The Grove TW7 and 6 luxury apartments in the heart of Muswell Hill N10. www.stsgroupinvestmets.com Follow us @ sts_group
Can you give a back-story about Almasanta – how did it begin and why?
Fashion has always been our passion it’s in our DNA and is a way of expressing yourself and communicating who you are to the rest of the world. Working for 7 years in Corporate Social Responsibility we saw the amount of big retailers that lacked transparency in their production, especially in the fashion industry. We use fashion to communicate ourselves but we cannot be transparent if we don’t know where the product comes from. Through this experience we decided to use the growing ecommerce industry to merge both our passion for fashion and sustainability.
What values do you look for when choosing which brands to work with?
At Almasanta, we support the brands that have sustainability in their DNA, which comply with at least 1 of our 8 pillars: handmade, organic, fair-trade, recycled, certified, ecological, local production and social integration. These brands are positioned at the opposite end of the large multinationals, which have a business model based on the constant rotation of merchandise and consequently, the permanent motivation to consume and discard.
Do you think we could all live 100% sustainably?
100% in future years. With regards to fashion, large luxury brands are already trying to incorporate more ethical and sustainable processes. The fashion industry is leaning towards this trend.
We cannot compare sustainable fashion brands from 5 years ago to today. The fashion industry is recognizing sustainability as its guide for growth and new brands are approaching their business based on ethical values without forgetting the style and trends.
If we could all change one thing about how we live daily that would make a huge positive impact to future generations, what would it be?
Every day we make choices in our lives that affect the environment, the climate or the society. From what we eat, the lifestyle that we want to follow or what you are going to wear each day. These decisions could make a change in our future generation. Both of us try to be very conscious in what we do, what we eat and how we get dressed.
From your experience, are there brands out there that truly believe in being sustainable or is it a way to ‘look good’ for the benefit of sales?
In the end there is no rule that defines what is sustainable, yet. The term is very broad. A brand that meets all sustainable requirements is very difficult and especially for small brands due to the extra cost involved. It is important to be transparent with the consumer and explain why they are considered sustainable. The more brands that are sustainable the better it is for society and the environment.
However, if we refer to the fast fashion brands that are doing a sustainable line, then YES, it is a way to look good.
What/How do you want to expand in the future to impact the sustainable fashion world?
We want to be the principal ecommerce site to find sustainable and fashionable products. We are going to expand to other markets in the world thus other categories. We want to cover all the necessities of the consumer as a differentiated product; we think that we should provide this product to all the society.
Modeling is considered as one of those fields, which seems glamorous, attractive and tempting. But the struggle to get into this field is experienced only by models. The hard work, the pressure and the ability to work for long lasting hours are qualities of a true model. Today we are having a model with class and elegance Gabriella Leonardi Welcome 🙂
Nelly: How exactly did you come to model, that particular thought which popped up your mind telling you yes modeling it is?
Gabriella Leonardi: I was in Hastings, the town where my family lives and I was with my mum watching the famous pram race when a man came up to me with a card and said he’d love me to model for him. We looked up his work and it was great so I decided to do the shoot. My mum had told me that when I was 7 scallywags spotted me but she didn’t let me do modeling when I was younger. Anyway, I did that shoot loved it, then went off to drama school and then in the summer holidays, a year after the shoot I just mentioned, in July 2016 I did a shoot for local photographer Conrad Lee and it’s been a year now since then and things just developed and it’s been a year now.
Nelly: Have you always dreamed of becoming a model?
Gabriella Leonardi: I haven’t actually no. I always looked at magazines when I was younger and clothes adverts and online clothes stores and loved it as I always loved fashion and was always a little embarrassing poser but I never thought I’d be good enough to ever model mainly due to my crooked teeth, which the dentist won’t fix for free. My passion always lied with acting. Ever since I was 3 I was putting on performances for my family and I now attend East 15 Acting School in Southend where I study BA HONS In Acting and Community Theatre. I always wanted to be an Actress for Film and TV or a TV or Radio presenter.
Nelly: up till now for how many brands have you already worked?
Gabriella Leonardi : I’ve worked with quite a few, some I can’t mention as of yet until it’s released. Unfortunately, I haven’t worked with the top well-known ones such as Chanel, Versace or Topshop etc, however, this is one of my goals and aims, especially Topshop. However, there is one independent designer I work with quite regularly, Lacry Couture. Lacry’s designs are just so elegant and beautiful and you can see some of her clothes in a lot of my images. She’s a great contact to have and took me to the royal Ascot this year where I wore her designs. It was an amazing experience which I’m so grateful for.
Nelly: What kind of profession did you learn?
Gabriella Leonardi: I have learned to stay humble. I have learnt to grow thick skin and remind myself that you’re not going to be right for everything you go for and not everyone will like your work. I have learned how to maintain diet and skin and drink water – I don’t eat extremely healthy and I am not on a strict diet but I must eat the right foods to supply energy and keep up good health. I have also learned to not beat yourself up about rumors, comments or hate. A lot of things can get mixed up in this industry and a lot of people talk and gossip and not everything is true. Stick to your gut, stay humble, remember there’s always going to be people better than you, be kind, be friendly, be tough, do what you want to do and don’t worry about losing friends, as I find you do in this industry but you lose some and you gain some. Also, only measure your journey and success with your ruler, no one else’s – you don’t know when or how others started and there is no use comparing yourself to others. If you’re fun to work with and have a personality hopefully you’ll do well.
Nelly: How can a man inspire you? So you want to get to know him?
Gabriella Leonardi : This question made me giggle. Erm, I guess they have to have a sense of humor and can have some banter. They should be ambitious and hardworking but also love adventures. I love adventures, I really want to travel but haven’t yet. Hopefully, I can within modeling and acting. They also have to love food, as I am always hungry.
I guess the main thing for me is someone who is ambitious, wants to do well, supportive with the career I have as boyfriends in the past haven’t understood why I want to enter this industry and obviously the given thing is they have to be loyal.
Gabriella Leonardi: Asides from drama school, modeling and searching the internet and social media for jobs I tend to; Read, visit friends and family, work in a bar to earn some money to help fund everything. I go on mini adventures, whether that be to the beach, or find a new quirky place to sit. I often go out at night as I love looking at the stars. When I can afford it, I go on meals out as this is one of my favorite things to do. Especially breakfast, I love going out for breakfast – fruit on pancakes or Nutella croissants!! I love looking around quirky shops as I collect snow globes and postcards.
Nelly: where do you see yourself in this profession in future? Please comment on this
Gabriella Leonardi: I have no idea, this is a question that lingers in my brain every day. I have a lot of goals I want to achieve and keep a journal with a list of these in. I’d love to shoot for some big designers, eTopShop and I’d love to get into Vogue UK or Elle Magazine. I’ve had a publication in Vogue Italia which is hopefully a good start. I’d also love to be an Actress for TV and Film and star in the type of films that inspire people. Some examples of films that inspire me are; Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, The Theory of Everything and there’s loads more but I’ll be here forever. I also would like to think in the future I’d have travelled abroad to help and inspire kids that don’t get the chance people here have. I do stilt walking and aim to link this in with this so I can entertain the children in a weird, wacky way.
Regarding your question, I have no idea where I see myself or what will happen but I just know I’ll keep trying to achieve what I’d like to achieve. It’s mad what can happen in just one year so who knows. Keep applying and searching for jobs and meet new creatives.
Nelly Ajvasi : What makes your wedding dresses so special?
Elif Köse : It’s handmade, touched by glamor and inspired by our brides! So they are all very
special.
Model Name : Talia Oatway , J&I Photography
Nelly Ajvasi : Do you have dresses for any wedding style?
Elif Köse : We have few samples in our boutique to show to potential brides to be. We make each and every gown individually to suit the client’s specification. Each bride is special and has to have a unique personal touch.
Nelly Ajvasi : Is there a trend colour now except white?
Elif Köse : Ivory, powder or vintage cream seem to be quite popular colours.
Nelly Ajvasi : How do you know the perfect dress for the bride has been found?
Elif Köse : Ohh you just do when you see them in it! That you can’t describe with words. I am sure every bride will agree with me 🙂
Model Name Katie McClane J&I Photography
Nelly Ajvasi : What accessories do you offer?
Elif Köse : We offer head pieces, veils, and belts that will complete a gown.
Nelly Ajvasi I have heard that you want to sew Pippa Middleton’s wedding dress, will the end
result look the same or is it different?
Elif Köse : I was inspired by her dress to make a similar looking one which is in my window now. It is made with different techniques but it looks very similar. I like to show my potential clients that we can deliver any kind of dresses but also with our own unique style.
Nelly Ajvasi : How much do your wedding dresses cost?
Elif Köse : Cost of a wedding dress starts from £1200 and can go up to £8000 depending on the materials and the workmanship.
Nelly Ajvasi : Where do you get your inspiration to design a new wedding dress?
Elif Köse : Since I am a designer and could be working on up to 7 projects every week, my source of inspiration is constantly changing and evolving. For each project, the client and I create an inspiration board, and it helps if I wait around 1 week to even start sketching to allow the inspiration to sort of sink in. Sometimes I’ll infuse a source of inspiration from one project into the next and the outcome is so much more developed.
Nelly Ajvasi : What was the reason you decided to work together?
J&I Photography : Joanna and I met when our daughters were 2 years old in a playgroup and got chatting. it soon became clear that we both had a passion for photography. There was never any time to really develop this interest until our children got older. We were invited to take photos at a wedding for a friend and after that we felt that this is what we would love to do more of! We found that we both have different styles and approaches to photography, Joanna has an amazing eye for capturing details and composition, I am the bossy one, good to get people together and pose in a way that we want to get the best shots. We are really good friends, respect each other and work well together. We have complete trust in each other and really enjoy what we are doing.
Nelly Ajvasi : Which projects have you already made together?
J&I Photography : We have done a few weddings both of couple known to us and strangers. We have done portrait sessions, commercial photos for products and clothes. We are about to photograph a newborn baby for the first time this weekend, which we like to add to our repetoar, and we are really looking forward to it. We also collaborate with other photographers, models and MUA’s and set up photos session which we us to learn about lights, different settings, different ideas various technics we can’t try out on paid jobs. It’s a great way to get to know models and to find a bunch of people you like to work with We all share our ideas and teach each other. These projects are really fun and rewarding.
Nelly Ajvasi : What would you see as an advantage from the other?
Bridal Dress by Elif Köse, Model Talia Oatway
J&I Photography: For me Joanna is my rock. I know her photos are brilliant and she moves around seeing details I might miss. She is always calm, patient, smiling and just looking at her calms me down if I am felling rushed. We are very different and for that reason I feel we complement each other so well. She loves full figure shots with lush background and I am more of a portrait photographer – between us, we tend to produce a vast variety of photos for our customers.
Nelly Ajvasi : How do you create a relaxed atmosphere while photographing?
J&I Photography : My best way is to start taking lots of pics saying that I am just checking the light so no need to pose or do anything, this get the subjects used to the clicking noise of the camera. Then general chatting, directing and lots of praise and smiles puts everyone at ease. To keep on talking to the models/couples is a great way to make everyone relax, I can’t resist to crack a few jokes….but I always do that anyway, so it’s not something I put on. Joanna is quieter but has a calm face on an angel and people feel relaxed just seeing her!
Nelly Ajvasi : What are your plans as a team for the future?
J&I Photography: Our plans is to expand our wedding photography. This is our first love. We would also like to get into commercial photography more, working with models and designers. You can find J&I Photography here : http://www.jiphotographyforalluk.com
Please, could you tell us about your background and how it leads to the music industry today?
Hi, FabUK Magazine! I’ve been involved in music for years now, I’ve had top 10 hits, remixed some of the world’s biggest artists and then started my own label Kidology London. We’ve been running digital only for the last 7 years and have released some top artists, search out Kidology London on Beatport and Traxsource to hear our entire catalogue.
Where are you based?
The greatest city in the world, London of course 🙂
How would you describe your work to someone who hasn’t heard it before?
Happy, fun and feel-good dance music, we hope you hear something memorable and that it makes you smile. Personally I like bringing joy to people, share some knowledge and create positive things.
Who else is behind your brand?
As well as myself, Mark Wilkinson, we also have my fellow Director Paul Bryenton, my DJ / Production partner Mikalis, and a huge amount of talented artists including DJ Paul Morrell who has been smashing it out of the park with his productions recently, we’re also loving working with Sonique on this new project, we’ve been fans of her work for years so working together now is a top!
What or who has been the biggest singular influence on your work?
I’ve always been inspired by fellow DJs / Producers, the biggest one throughout my career was the founder of House Music Frankie Knuckles, the last time I heard him play we were dancing on the sand in 30 degree heat in Phuket, the sound was huge, fireworks, dancers and hundreds of people partying to the early hours, it was a special memorable night and I continue to miss Frankie all the time, FK always x
What project are you working on at the minute?
The mighty Sonique’s new single – Don’t put me down is next up on Kidology London, we’re really happy to be working with such a legend in the business, Sonique’s vocal and writing talents are second to none and as well as the original mix we have a slammin’ version from Paul Morrell and a four to the floor house mix from myself, Mark Wilkinson, have a listen and let us know what you think.
Where people can find more about you and your future projects
Search out Kidology London on all social media platforms, Facebook, instagram, Twitter @djmarkwilkinson @kidologylondon, also our website www.kidologylondon.com, you can contact us for a chat or to give us some feedback, we’d love to hear from you.
When you look back on your career, what do you feel was your big break?
When did you first realise you wanted to be Henry Holland, the fashion designer? 
-Hi, Georgia! When did you develop your passion for electronic music?
