Issue 9 of Mess Magazine by Dominika Perek

MAGAZINE

MOSCOW LONDON

THE ULTIMATE

GUIDE TO WOMENÂ´S

PARIS

TRENDS

FASHION WEEK

DOUBLE COVER ISSUE

$9.99

Mess it girl

AUDREY KITCHING

November 2016

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BE MESSY. BE CREATIVE

Editors letter.

his inspiring motto has stuck to Mess Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team from the first edition of our print version. Creativity triggers forms of artistic expression which we, at MESS, want to show off to all people in all possible forms and categories, from lifestyle and fashion, to travel, health or even luxury. Mess has become the ultimate online&offline platform that all of the creatives, including photographers, artists, influencers are being published in, contributing and creating MESS-y a community. In this issue the MESS team gives you an opportunity to flip through the pages of double cover editorials; one shot by Viktor Danilov in Dubai in collaboration with Dior and other high end designers; and one with Audrey Kitching our IT girl, who is posing in Adelina Rusu clothing. We love all forms of creativity, from any place in the world, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why decided to publish shows and streetstyle from international fashionweeks, such as London, Paris, LA, Sao Paolo and Moscow. Dig into the creative world of travels, lifestyle, art and luxury in this issue of MESS! If you want to create MESS-y, send me an email to:

domi@messmag.com

For general questions or inquiries: Info@messmag.com Media@messmag.com MESS must go on!

Dress Michalsky Atelier

MAGAZINE. ISSUE 9

CONTENTS

4 EditorÂ´S Letter 6 Dubai Drift Editorial 16 Audrey Kitching 24 Voguediary 30 How To Be Cool On Social Media 34 The Social Media Influencer 38 London Fashion Week 44 Moscow Fashion Week 48 Paris Fashion Week 52 Dubai Fashion Week 58 Irishlatina 62 Ivan Gunawan 66 Aliona Kuznetsova 72 Yvette Jones 74 Caribbean Summer 80 The Fashnerd 86 The Electric Runway 90 Fash Tech Future 92 Jet Set Lifestyle 96 The Art Of Making Money 98 Escape Reality In Iceland 106 The Music Unicorn 108 Healthy Lifestyle 110 How To Find Fashion Jobs 114 Girl Boss 5

Editorial

Dress M Missoni Boots Stuart Weitzman Bracelet Dior Jewelry

DUBAI DRIFT

he Internet has no doubt transformed our day to day. TVs are decidedly old fashion, and if you are writing on paper you are truly prehistoric. Power is now in the hands of the people. The fashion industry is in the hands of a select group of young women who are changing the game through their hashtags and savy captions. These Internet beauties are calling the shots in fashion. The non-conforming Internet cool girl takes many faces. She is unapologetic and completely unique. Top with train Araida Trousers Emilio Pucci Shoes Christian Dior Belt Gucci

Coat and Jack Boots Christian Dior Swimsuit Natayakim Rings KOJewelry

Dress Ulyana Sergeenko Couture Bag Christian Dior Rings Wanna?Be!

Swimsuit Natayakim Jacket Svetlana Kushnerova Jack Boots Christian Dior Rings Wanna?BE!

Top M Missoni Sunglasses Dior Rihanna

Top and Trousers M Missoni Sunglasses Dior

Suit (skirt and top) The Rebel

Interview

AUDREY KITCHING MESS IT GIRL The truth about her social media journey

Photography Bruno Roids Production Domi Perek Clothing Accessories Skinny Bags

Adelina Rusu

Audrey, many people know you from the very beginnings of your social media journey. How did you start and what inspired you to put yourself out there? It is very strange to think so many of my followers have grown up with me from middle school to adulthood. In all honesty, it has been just a creative outlet for me. I felt so trapped in adolescence and when the internet came about, it was like a blank diary or canvas for me, so to speak. I never put anything online because I was attempting to capitalize off it. It was my own form of therapy. I still believe it is today as well. Who was Audrey back when you started and who’s Audrey Kitching now? She is the same person, just more refined. More grown up. I never followed the rules or the crowds and I always did whatever I felt I needed to do. I made a lot of enemies back in those days - but always through strong virtue. I remember when companies first started flying me to LA and paying me for work. I had basically been homeless and living in motels, skateparks and vans prior. I was very out of my element. I had no idea about trends, pop culture or that money lifestyle. I didn’t even really know it existed. I had never experienced people that would simply just use you as a stepping stone and feed you self-serving propaganda to gain something in return. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, a city where that lifestyle couldn’t survive a day. I went through this really explosive period for a few years where I would completely lose it on companies and industry executives when they would treat me as a tool or an object to gain money. To put it simply I burned a lot of bridges by standing up for myself in those days. I’m still exactly that same person, but these days I no longer find myself surrounded by these type of people or situations. I have left that lifestyle and those people far behind. I focus much more on creating what makes me feel better rather than what will make me money. I needed to experience both sides of the coin to really see the truth.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I focus much more on creating what makes me feel better rather than what will make me money.â&#x20AC;? 19

How do you think social media is changing our lives, in terms of communication, business and lifestyle? I think social media is a double ended sword. I find that can be such a powerful tool for spreading creativity, knowledge and inspiration- but at the same time it can also be a drug for the ego by spreading hatred and self serving lifestyles. I was trained in branding and media for a long time when I worked with Spin Media. I was getting over 3 million views a month on my blog because I understood how to tap into what people wanted. To go from posting only for views to posting only what I feel needs to be seen says it all. 3 million views a month to under 1000 likes on an image on instagram. It’s such an interesting experiment really when you think about it. I know what people want, but I’m only going to give them what I feel they need. With that being said- I do love that I can google any word throughout the day and learn its context, find a recipe while I’m at the grocery store, in minutes and connect with like minded individuals while in the bathtub who live a world away. Social media is a

double ended sword indeed, but each of us has the power to choose which end we prefer to use. Who is your icon? I really embody and love the archetypical female badass throughout history. Joan OF Arc, Lilith and Persephone just to name a few. Women who were warriors, who stood alone without fear. I think those are the women that girls should look up to - in exchange to a Pop-Star on stage with 400 people behind their carefully curated image. We need more powerful women who are honest, raw and real. What are the things that you’re trying to communicate? Any message that you’d like to spread? I just want people to understand how much power they have in simply just being who they are. Every time you pretend to be something you are not you become weaker by the minute. Embrace your differences. Be who you were meant to be. There is only one YOU in the entire universe. That is powerful.

“Life has such a destined path for us carved out already and all we can do is walk it. ”

Tell us a bit more about your company, Crystal Cactus and vision behind it. Crystal Cactus is so special to me. I really wanted to create a lifestyle shop where people could buy spiritual items that promoted knowledge, personal power and healing without feeling tacky. I wanted to present these items in the way I feel that they should be represented, with beauty and power. I’m really focusing on empowering the divine feminine with bringing in very specifically guided products that work with the sacral chakra through healing. Female sexuality has been so repressed and exploited throughout history and it’s time women learn the truth and take back their power through selflove and respect. How do you see yourself within few years? I have an idea, but it’s hard to say. Life has such a destined path for us carved out already and all we can do is walk it. The biggest inspiration and biggest flop in your life? My biggest inspiration has just been my own personal experiences. My knowledge and pain and wisdom learned. I look back at my life and every single thing I have lived through was so important to me becoming who I am today. I don’t believe in failures. I see them as lessons to point you in a better direction. Those failures, we experience- they are more important than the triumphs. How does spirituality translate into the style in your case? Self expression. My style has always just been about creating what I feel. I think the human body is so beautiful.

It’s a big canvas to create what you want to say with. What are the things you’d never show on social media, assuming that nudity is not controversial to you. Where is the limit that Audrey Kitching has? I have a Scorpio Moon with a Leo Sun in astrology. Those are two of the most opposing sun / moon signs. I am such an open book who says everything and puts it all on the table- but at the same time I am the most secretive person alive and no one will ever really know who I am. I feel my limit is when I can no longer express what I feel in words or images. I will express everything I can in human form, but some things can only ever be felt. That is my limit. Feeling. What do you think of collaboration with Mess Magazine? These days I only work with people who let me be myself. Mess allowed me to be who I am, style myself and invoke the mood with my creative partner Brian Bruno. To me there is nothing else I would ever want from a feature. It was enjoyable in every sense of the word.

Voguediary. What made you choose @ voguediary as your Instagram username?

I chose VOGUEDIARY because of a few reasons. Since I was a child, I was reading Vogue magazine a lot. I knew everything about Vogue and I collected all issues! I was a true fan. Later I realized that my love for fashion was real, so when I created my IG, I thought of VOGUEDIARY—as a diary of fashion. Also, because Vogue means fashion in French. Now my heart is a part of this huge and bright fashion world and my nickname is me.

What’s your worst or weirdest habit?

I think that I OVERTHINK a lot. I manage to get a lot, however, I tend to over think the things I desire most. Over thinking my goals makes them harder to achieve and more unattainable. I have to find the way of getting over this bad habit, and believe me–I am trying really hard! My weirdest habit is...walking alone and going to places alone. I am not sure if it is weird, but most other people think it is. But the thing is, I just love to be alone and enjoy my surroundings. I manage to never feel lonely.

What do you want to be remembered for in regards to your (model) career?

My modeling career is just starting. I have no idea!

You get to spend 24 hours with anyone–dead or alive. Who do you choose and

why?

There are a lot of people I really want to meet. But I guess in this case I have to choose someone who I am never going to meet–Marie Antoinette. To be honest, I am in love with her crazy character and fashion sense. She’s a true inspiration for me because she went through so many things. She was really powerful and yes, she’s still a true fashion icon. I wish we could take a walk around Versailles and talk about XVIII century and fashion of 1860’s. Also, I would love to meet Johnny Cash, all of his songs touches my heart and motivates me. His love story with June is perfect and i wish he could tell me more about them. I wish I could look into his eyes and ask him about love, I am sure he would share his emotions with me.

What are your five top tips for embracing your individual style?

My sunglasses—I have a huge (and pretty weird) collection of them. Wigs—I am weak for beautiful hair (don’t forget that I have a really short haircut, so sometimes I want my hair to be longer for a night). My clothes— it’s all so different—if you see my closet, you will think that’s a closet of 3 different people. My lipsticks—I have a variety of colors, from yellow to black, but I never use them. My collection of glitter, I have so much glitter in all shades, forms and colors, yeah, that’s the way my style can be described in material way!

Photography Andrew Reys Production Alisa Bald Muah Model Kristen @ voguediary

What’s your favourite t-shirt that you own? I have few! But I think my favorite 2 (I cannot choose) are MOSCHINO FRESH from SS16 collection and Nasir Mazhar black with glowing stripes.

What’s your idea of utopia?

XVIII century Life with XXIII century technologies.

Most memorable interaction you’ve ever had with a stranger?

I had so many interesting, and unexpected meetings with strangers and it was always fun. Someday I was in a Moscow subway running really fast to one fashion event. Suddenly, a man almost walked into me and told me I was looking really beautiful and in one second he disappeared. I was shocked because he told me a compliment in the most charming way–he didn’t ask for my phone number or email. He just said one sentence and disappeared. The other story is even funnier. One day I was at LEFORM STORE, one of the most unique and greatest Moscow concept stores. I attended a party there, so I wanted to take a photo of myself, but I was alone. So I asked a stranger to take a picture of me. I saw a man standing in front of me and started talking to him. After he took a picture, I wanted to be polite and I started a conversation. “Do you come here often” “Sometimes..I own this place!” We laughed. That’s how random it was!

friends. But mostly I feel free when I am not in Moscow. Freedom exists when you feel it inside. When I am in my city, I never feel true freedom—I am always busy with little things, work, projects, university and it is killing me. I want to travel a lot to feel free. It is going to be my goal in the future.

What do you want to do in the long-term?

I want to study a lot. My dream is to study the whole history of the Costume—since the beginning. Also, I wish I could write my own book, collaborate with a fashion brand, be in a movie and many other things! I am going to make it!

How did you get started in modelling?

I was working for a photo/video production. My boss was a really strict woman. She knew everything about photo, makeup, modeling. So she taught me everything. In 2013 I had no idea how to pose, act and do things, but one year later I seemed like a professional!

Who are five women you look up to?

I don’t think there are like exactly five women I idealize, but I am in love with Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Kristen Stewart, Beyonce and Lana Del Rey. Their style is perfect and unique. I love when people look different and they are not afraid of being themselves.

When do you feel the freest?

I feel free when I spend time with my closest

“I feel free when I’m not in Moscow ”

Social media

How to be Cool on Social Media By Ruth Efua

Photo taken from killerandasweetthang.com

ashion is taking direction from an entirely new source; Instagram. Renowned makeup artist Pat McGrath has used some of the Internetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coolest girls to be representatives of her makeup collection. Instagrammers Paloma Elsesser, and Eileen Kelly, who together amasses an impressive 400 thousand followers, can be considered the epitome of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;internet cool girlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Eileen Kelly in particular has been the embodiment of the internet cool girl,

using her platform and controversy to create a unique line of shirts and a website dedicated to discussing sexual health. he Internet cool girl is starting a fashion revolution through her posts. Her sheer defiance to be different has encouraged the fashion industry to become more inclusive to women of different ethnicities and sizes. Allowing people to start their own zines, companies and careers, based off of their Internet prevalence.

he modeling industry has been left severely impacted by the rising role of social media. With the two biggest names in fashion right now; Gigi Hadid, and Kendal Jenner, each with an unparalleled presence on social media. Models are finding it tough to compete. According to the daily mail online, the demand for insta-famous models has risen increasingly. Pushing out those without a following.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA

INFLUENCER by Simone Leimgruber

eet the man behind the campaigns of LVMH, Ferrero, UBER, Calzedonia, Marriott Hotels, and many others. MESS Magazine introduces Christoph Kastenholz the Co-Founder and CEO of Pulse Advertising, the globally leading Influencer Marketing agency. The concept for PULSE ADVERTISING emerged from shortcomings in the traditional advertising methods. Based on the idea of working with social media channels such as Youtube, Instagram, and Snapchat, Christopher and his partner Lara turned a market gap into a successful business. What started out as a dinner conversation developed into

Christoph, you literally mean business! You experienced a marketing problem and your solution was founding a company. Congratulations on so much initiative! Can you tell us more about your idea and following first steps? C: Our initial idea was to create a comprehensive service portfolio around the subject of influencer marketing, so that brands would have a reliable service partner to leverage the power of social media talents efficiently for their products. This concept was sparked during a strategy discussion on a Sunday evening, as we

a company the same night! Two years later Pulse Advertising has offices in the trend metropolis New York and Hamburg and thousands of influencers and clients! Let’s start at the beginning. Christoph studied at top universities in Germany, France and Spain and first worked in M&A Investment Banking in London. He then moved to Germany, implementing his sense for business by starting a fashion label. This background was certainly reflected in Christophs driving force, seeking a holistic marketing strategy for the brand. We suggest this unique combination of strategy, technology and creativity is the recipe of Pulse Advertising – but let’s ask him and find out.

had to go through a long extensive process to achieve a successful influencer marketing strategy ourselves collecting many learnings, and we felt that other brands should have easier and more reliable access to the subject at once. Since we believed in the purpose, we went and registered the business as well as purchased our domain just an hour later that same night. I firmly believe that the decision to take action right away was one of the most crucial points in the history of our company. We set out with full drive and completed our first deal within two weeks.

Your work starts with a ‘social strategy’, can you explain this? C: Social Strategy is our consulting base, and means a comprehensive in-depth analysis of where a brand stands, how its competitors are positioned, as well as a detailed roadmap of the opportunities for the client. This is thus the most fundamental tool set of a successful setup for any of our clients. It must have been a challenge introducing the idea of communicating and controlling a brand image on social media!

Social media

C: We introduced the idea that companies can achieve a much larger reach with their products & services using social media influencers, and that at a much more competitive cost than that of traditional methods. Since this is a much more authentic communication than a planned billboard or tv ad, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks, especially when a strategy is efficiently managed. Our selling point is the positive leverage of social media influencers and the success in avoiding any negative backlash. The business concept is convincing but how did you get your initial clients? C: We did not wait at the phone for the first client to call us. Instead, we went out with full force to introduce our services and expertise about the subject to as many people as we could, day and night across all time zones. It is about complete commitment for your purpose, which will ignite the interest in other people for what you have to offer. Today you are working with the biggest brands! How did you gained their recognition? C: We are grateful to have helped so many young brands achieve success, and some of these cases came to the attention of their corporate competitors, who in turn took an interest in us and our services. It was critical that we had so successfully boosted their competitors to larger market share and revenues. Your offices are based in Hamburg and New York, are these locations relevant in the time of Skype and Hangout? C: We believe that locations are still important to a certain point, since our business relationships are with people behind each company and brand. Our locations are chosen by their proximity to important cities within the respective macro regions, while we benefit from an international office structure internally. Our offices thus include several country teams each, so that we have British, French, Spanish, Italians and Germans in one office building in Hamburg for example, who all travel to meet clients in their respective countries when it is necessary. Digital communication and real life interaction, can one exist without the other? C: Digital and real life communication should not exist without the other, for all the benefits they bear combined. Does this count for your personal life too or do you leave the digital world at work? C: I believe relationships count and I naturally have a genuine interest in other people and their projects. Thus, I value the relationships I have with people and try to be in touch with them regularly.

Do you experience any limits or negative aspects in the rapid development of the digitalisation? C. It is difficult to say that there is a limit to digitalisation, for the continued advances have made our lives so much easier in many ways. Of course, this imposes challenges for the more traditional companies and people, such as older advertising networks, who now have to change and adapt to the new horizon. This bears risks for them, but offers opportunity for others and most importantly: improvements for the people in their everyday lives. What has mainly changed in the way of communication? C: In my opinion, most forms of traditional advertising such as TV ads or radio ads have always been a compromise in themselves. Consumers watch a tv show, visit a website or listen to a song for the enjoyment of content, not for being interrupted from doing so by an ad that forces them to stop that. You need to engage people in a way, so that they actively want to listen to what you have to say. Social media have addressed the overall need for more on-demand solutions, and influencers are sources for inspiration and purchasing decision in individual interest areas,

so the most authentic communication point for any brand. People trust influencers and actively choose to follow and consume the content that they share. Does this means you can target emotions and senses via digital marketing more efficient? C: Digital marketing and influencer marketing specifically is a way to promote brands and products in a way that is much more personalised, emotional and thus impactful than traditional advertising. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s make the test. Which 5 Words that come to your mind when thinking about MESS Magazine? C: Creative, Insightful, Trendy, Informative, Ambitious Keeping these in mind, MESS Magazine is starring social media star Audrey Kitching on the next cover. Looks like a good match then!? What are your thoughts about celebrity endorsement? C: Celebrity endorsements are a great way of reaching a target audience, which has a strong attachment to that person and thus a solid trust. However, so-

cial media celebrities today bring two additional benefits: for one, they have their own additional reach that they can activate for the brand, rather than having to be placed on bought additional media; and second, they are usually much more emotionally connected to their followers, since they share their everyday life with them 24/7. We thus believe social media celebrities are the cornerstone of any successful advertising campaign Such advertising campaigns require constant communication but when does your job end? C: Our goal is to have a cooperation that allows for seamless integration of

continuing campaigns. We begin talking with the company about a new campaign once we are approaching the conclusion of a current campaign. In any case, we continuously follow the development of all of our clients closely. What has been your personal biggest success to date? C. The most rewarding work has been working with many young entrepreneurs who have a vision for their businesses to grow to an international client base, and achieving this in a joint effort. Also, it is great to help traditional conglomerates to adapt to the latest advertising trends, when this often poses a challenge of justification internally. The

biggest success has been selling out a complete product category from the leading lingerie & swimwear brand worldwide within 48 hours. This had a tremendous impact on that company. Respect! You really know your business. What is the most important advice you can give a start up company? C: Focus on your customers first. You must always strive to not only meet expectations, but exceed them. This can be done by properly listening to the customers wishes, their expectations, why they are advertising, and how you can make the process easier for them. As as startup, you must always focus on growing your company. When you are not expanding you are contracting, so you must always be searching for new clients, repeat customers, and new features to complement your offering. Is it possible to make any product relevant? Do you have certain criteria to take on a job? C: We only work with brands that we believe in. Since our network encompasses over 5,000 social media influencers worldwide, we are able to tailor our solutions for virtually any product and service category. What is the future of advertising? C: Influencer marketing is the future of advertising. It is absolutely crucial that advertising evolves over time, adapting to the ever-changing needs of consumer. Influencer marketing is the combination of all the aspects of advertising that people enjoy, combined into a method of marketing that is continually growing and expanding. Due to preferences and continued technological innovation, this relatively new field may be the only form of digital marketing that people are exposed to in the future.

Trends

LONDON FASHION WEEK

Quick fire

Round up

ome of the most anticipated shows of the season have come and gone in London. London is a multicultural hub of fashion and style. The Spring/Summer17 shows perfectly reflected the diversity present in the city, from Ashishâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Indian inspired collection to Topshop Uniqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s English 80s retro inspired collection, every base was covered. Mess Magazine is covering some of our favorite shows from London fashion week. Ruth Efua

MARQUES ALMEIDA

was filled with deconstructed, and on trend pieces. Their most exciting looks were the oversized stripped shirt dresses and the off the shoulder billowy shirts that screamed fall.

TOPSHOP UNIQUE

went back to 80s. Their checkered prints and tailored cuts were both somehow traditional and edgy. Eye catching looks like silk dresses and animal print. Not to be overshadowed were the high waist cigarette trousers and prints that were fun and sophisticated. For the first time, all the runway looks are available for purchase online.

FYODOR

GOLAN

gave us a glimpse into the future. Their latest collection showcased a variety of intergalactic babes in deconstructed denim pieces, luminescent two pieces and neon dresses. The collection was varied, and cohesive with a recurring abstract design on a variety of pieces.

ASHISH

was an experience. The heavily Indian influenced show was eccentric in set design and every look down the runway caught your eye. From intricate jewelry piece to full bodied embellished skirts, this show was packed full of detail.

OSMAN

was an edgy fairytale. Feminine silhouettes were paired with strong and even futuristic accessories. Tulle fabrics dominated the runway and showcased the romantic trend that is hitting the mainstream.

VERSUS VERSACE

can be considered Versaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s punky little sister. The clothes in this collection were directed to a younger crowd, drawing influences from punk rock grunge and the military. Army greens and blacks littered the runway and the looks were strong and commanded attention.

Trends

MOSCOW. FASHION WEEK

n October 22, 2016, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Day Saint Petersburg took place, which has become a regular follow-up event for the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Russia. Such well-known brands of St. Petersburg like IANIS CHAMALIDY, VIKKI (Victoria Afanaseva) and IGOR GULYAEV presented their collections in the Manege of the Cadet Corps. LetÂ´s take a look into the new talents who are stepping on really high.

SORRY IÂ´M NOT ALENA AKHMADULLINA

VIVA VOX

Trends

Chanel

Paris

Fashion Week is the uncontested high-

light in the so called ‘fashion month’ – and for a good reason. The biggest Maisons of the international fashion industry present their collections here, always to the excitement of fashion editors, bloggers and experts from all over the world. Paris still reclaims the fashion capital of the world with a sense of magic with wonderful runway shows second to none. “Data Center Chanel” – invitations for the presentation of Chanel S/S 17 collection in the Grand Palais of Paris perfectly encapsulated the exclusive and important event. The setting for the show surprised with an almost subdued note. After going for a supermarket setting and a stage inspired by an art gallery in the previous seasons, Lagerfeld focussed on the basics this season. Classic combined with a sportswear

FASHION WEEK

ROBOTS ON THE RUNWAY youthful styling and color – hoodies beneath tweed jackets, caps worn on the side and cuffs adorning the neck or wrists. The opening look was a insight of Chanel of the future – the signature tweeds but accompanied by a Daft Punk meets a Stormtrooper helmet. We ‘re plugged in, log in, switched on and everything that George Orwell (Big brother is watching you) predicted has in a way come true. The media revolution, the sharing, the linking it’s a theme that designers can’t escape.Monsieur Karl focussed on the link between Fashion and technology. The clever thing about Chanel is the fusion between a wardrobe that attracts constant clients and yet so dabble with the current zeitgeist and make something for the millennials as for the old school clientele. We saw a re-interpretation of Coco Chanel’s signature tweed-ensemble look on blush, certainly the color of the season.

Regina Esquivel

Karl focused on

the link between fashion and technology 49

FFWD Dubai Alizey Mirza

t’s the time of the year when Dubai’s fashion pack is out in full force. The city’s most glamorous socialites sit front row, not a hair out of place or a single chipped nail in sight, clad in pieces straight off the runway of the regions’ leading designers. Held bi-annually at Dubai Design District, Fashion Forward Dubai presents the most extravagant of runway shows and presentations, proudly supporting the Middle East’s leading talent. FFWD returned last month for its 8th season, showcasing the best of couture and ready-to-wear. October’s shows welcomed a variety of trends, with Dima Ayad’s collection embodying romance through delicate shades of dusty pink juxtaposed against midnight blue tones and Orkalia playing with flirty florals and army prints. House of Hashe, another favorite among Dubai’s fashion circle, showcased crisp whites in the form of structured dresses and tailored trousers. The brand played upon the city’s

class and glamour, encorporating a mix of pastel colors as well as navy. With ready-to-wear aside, no season of FFWD is complete without runway shows by world-renowned couture designers Ezra Santos and Furne Amato. As always, Ezra couture surpassed expectations with stunning gowns, each embroidered and embellished with delicate French beads, transparent Swarovski crystals and pearls. Similarly, Amato Couture stunned with a palette of beige and khaki tones, using the desert as inspiration. Each gown painted a picture of desolate landscapes, embracing the natural beauty of sand dunes and cacti. House of Nomad, co-founded by Ahmed El-Sayed and Saleh Al-Banna, showcased a glamorous mix between sports-lux and daytime elegance. With powder blue tones juxtaposed with canary yellow and navy, the Spring/Summer 17 collection was undoubtedly a favorite of the season. FFWD will be back again for its 9th season in April 2017.

Trends

SPRING SUMMER 17 House of Nomad

Lamya Abedin Orkalia Bedouin

KAGE

Ezra Couture

MESS Magazine X

IRISHLATINA by Rebecca Rivera

What gave you the inspiration for the name of your brand?

My brand name is inspired by my ethnic heritage. I am half Irish, half Mexican, and if you saw my parents, it would all make sense. But you don’t need to be Irish OR Latina to be an IRISHLATINA customer. The brand is both a literal and figurative representation of mixing cultures: skate culture, hip hop culture and youth culture all play a part in the IRISHLATINA aesthetic.

What influences from your past have you incorporated into your brand?

I grew up singing, dancing and acting, and graduated with a degree in Costume Design for the Theatre before attending fashion school. From how I stage my fashion shows and photo shoots, to the flamboyancy of some of my designs, my theatre and dance background definitely influence my brand. As William Shakespeare wrote, “All the world’s a stage”, so let’s dress up!

Do you have a favorite item to create?

I love making jackets. I think jackets are the coolest item of clothing there is. They have the ability to make you feel instantly

bad-ass.

If you had to wear just one piece from your latest collection, which piece would it be?

I would wear the black patchwork bomber jacket from look 5 of my “WASTE NOT” collection. This jacket is made from 12 different secondhand t-shirts. I used a t-shirt from Wo Hop which is a famous restaurant in New York’s Chinatown. I used a t-shirt from In-N-Out which is a famous burger restaurant in California. I used a t-shirt from GI-Joe, The Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and Hamilton the musical which is currently on Broadway. I have an attachment to this particular jacket for many reasons. Not only do I love screen printed t-shirts, but these specific ones speak to me, and the fact that they are upcycled material is the icing on the cake!

What sets your brand apart from others?

I think what sets my brand apart from other brands is that I am willing to work within limitations. Most designers don’t want to have to think about anything other than their vision. Compromise is not necessarily in their vocabulary. Attempting to do things ethically means you have less resources at your fin-

gertips. You have to do your research. You have to make moral decisions and not just aesthetic ones, or financial ones. Trying to be a socially responsibly clothing brand while still making clothing that is unique and desireable is no easy task. The easiest way is also the most harmful and wasteful way, and I’m not down with that. Also, at IRISHLATINA, we don’t conform to the industries standards of beauty. As a designer, uniqueness and attitude in an individual are far more interesting to me than height or weight requirements.

What are some of the challenges you faced prior to starting your brand?

Having a space to work (The kitchen floor of my basement apartment). Obtaining money for supplies (Working nights so that I could sew during the day). Motivation (Because no one was making me do this crazy thing called fashion design). The challenges never stop, they just change over the years. But I welcome the challenges. They help me to improve my brand and myself.

What advice would you have for future designers? Find your voice and know your

Interview

customer. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Develop a strong brand identity and things will come much more easily. Everything is easier when you know who you are.

What designer inspires you?

I really admire Becca McCharen-Tran, the owner of womenswear brand Chromat. Becca uses her brand to empower women, and not just by making “sexy” clothes. She designs with all body sizes in mind, which is incredibly challenging. I think a lot of designers, especially male ones, say they want to make clothing that empowers women, and it typically translates into overly sexed-up clothing. That really makes my eyes roll! I have been following Chromat for years and I really respect Becca’s drive and desire to do things differently than the industry expects. I want IRISHLATINA to be included in that list of designers who are shaking things up!

How would you describe the IRISHLATINA woman?

The IRISHLATINA woman is consciousness. She wants to look stylish, but not at the expense of others. She reads labels. She invests in pieces. She has fun with fashion. She smiles.

What can we expect next from IRISHLATINA?

The IRISHLATINA online shop is launching this fall. We’ve already begun expanding into the european market, and have our eyes set on Asia. But you can expect us to remain American made. As we learn to be more ethically aware, we hope our customer will become informed with us.

Ivan Gunawan

Interview

by Regina Esquivel

What is the best style advice you have ever been given? I can’t really remember because I myself give style advice on daily basis. I work as a style commentator in one of the longest TV reality show in the world, 7 hours long, every night for 7 days a week. So you can imagine the amount of advices I have given throughout the years, so many that I can’t remember the last time I myself received an advice.

After releasing a book (“Berkarya Dengan Cinta”) celebrating your 10 year anniversary on fashion, are you planning on releasing a sequel? Yes I am planning on releasing a sequel next year, the first book was a commemoration of the first 10 years of me doing fashion, I will release a second book because there are still plenty of stories and experiences to share to my fans and admirers.

or reading materials on board.

You live in Indonesia. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living there, in terms of keeping up with world fashion? I never feel disadvantaged living in Indonesia under any terms. Living in the current digital era help me to keep up with the fashion world much easier now than ever, also with the fact that Asia, Europe and America inspire one another I believe that the current world of fashion is boundless. The best thing about Indonesia is that we have traditional fabrics that we can always use, develop, manipulate and modernize to suit the international markets including European and American fashion industry.

You seem to jet-set around the world a lot – any favourite countries/cities? Bangkok, Paris, and Amsterdam

What keeps you inspired? As a self-taught designer I get inspirations from a lot of things and it comes from many different unexpected sources, but often it comes while I’m travelling especially in flight. Truthfully I’m quite scared of flying, so I would distract myself by sketching and going through any latest magazines

What’s the key to looking good while you travel? The key is to bring lots of money and unlimited credit cards

What’s your fashion philosophy? I’ve always liked the phrase “Go big or go home”, I’d like my design to always be a ‘traffic stopper’, I hardly apply the “less is more” rule because I like to make sure that people who wear my designs will turn heads and make it worth their time.

What do you want to be remembered for in regards to your designs? Timeless with an edge, beautiful but bold, my love with intricate handmade details including beadings, embroideries, and lavish embellishments

What’s your favorite season to design? (s/s f/w) I love fall/winter, there is a lot more dimension in it for me to play with considering the various occasions that happen during the season.

Who is your ideal muse? Kate Middleton, Carla Bruni, Olivia Palermo

ALIONA KUZNETSOVA photographer REALITY

64 66

Photography

Artistic Approach People say there is no right and wrong in art and imperfection is what makes it beautiful. I never quite grasped this vision, mainly because when looking at my pictures I always know which one is the right one. I can even introduce a “mistake” in the right place, but it would be a calculated mistake. So I would say, my art is about us, imperfect people, working at imperfect location with imperfect tools striving to create the perfect result.

About the series Dreams are the most primitive form of creativity. One doesn’t have to put much effort into dreaming, but at the same time dreams combine most mystical things: a mash up of subconscious thoughts, loose connections between random events of the day and old memories, the version of reality that does not obey the rules of reason. A lot has been said about dreams in art and science and, in the 3 months I spent on the topic, one couldn’t possibly cover everything. So I focused on one aspect of dreaming - the feeling that you have immediately after waking up and often carry through the whole day. This is how the photographs were created: “a sad dream about waiting”, “a dream of a burning kiss”, “a little dream about yellow umbrella” and others. by Ruth Efua

“Imperfection is what makes it beautiful ”

Interview

yvette jones

riginality and heartfelt creations are coming back and in full force. Chic Designs a jewellery line by none other than Yvette Jones has reset the standards by creating accessorize that are catering to the modern woman with long lasting style. With designs inspired by her surroundings, the originality of Yvette’s work is more than worthy of appreciation. We were lucky enough to have a chat with the head of the American based line.

Have you always wanted to be a jewellery designer–what lead you down this path? No, it fell into my lap. My niece used to work for a supplier of Swarovski crystals, rhinestones, Czech glass beads and more in Long Island, NY. She dropped in my lap one day a bag ofstones, crystals etc…and I asked her what am I going to do with this and she responded you’re crafty, I know you will think of something. So one day, I began working on a piece and have been hooked ever since. How would you describe your jewellery to somebody who is new to your designs? I would say it’s work that is inspired by notions of beauty, spirituality and my environment. I approach my design aesthetic as an artist who explores her art-making process. My designs are a reflection of my background in the fine arts realm. Uniting my vibrant stones with the infinite potential of line, colour, form, and patterncreating versatile and dynamic jewellery that remains relevant beyond contemporary trends. What’s a typical day for a jewellery designer? There is no typical day for a jewellery designer. Every day is different because of the type of work involved, you never know what will happen or what to expect so you keep an open mind and enjoy the work. Where do you see your jewellery line in a few years’ time? Boutiques, fashion magazines and runway shows.

I want it to become a jewellery line that is memorable for the contemporary woman. You work with quite a variety of materials, which materials do enjoy working with and what is the usual process? First we sketch the designs then layout a range of materials. We then begin by designing a collection with trends, colour, texture and the season in mind. I then select the stones that would represent that drawing tying it all together. What are you currently working on now? At the present time I am working on metals mixed with precious and semi-precious stonesand layering necklaces. Which designers have you looked to for inspiration during your studies and your career? Chan Luu and Vanessa Mooney. In a rapidly growing industry what would you say are the biggest ups and downs of working in the industry? Having sponsorship and having my piece’s out there. It’s a competitive market and getting my Jewellery out there is important to the brands growth. The more people know about it the better. Of your designs which has been your favourite or holds the most sentimental value? The Rose Quartz jewellery collection. It was inspired by my candlelight wedding.

What was the first piece you designed? The first piece I designed was from the Rose Quartz jewellery collection. What made you decide to launch your own independent line? Chic Designs by Yvette was launched after receiving great encouragement from numerous people who had fallen in love with my jewellery and had become my patrons.

What advise do you have for a designer looking to launch their own line? In an industry as difficult as ours itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key to work hard and keep pushing. What can we expect from your Pop with Colour Block collection? We will have more pieces in the collection with very vibrant colours and versatility. Something bold that will cater for everyone.

CARIBBEAN summer

Claudia Carpentier heats up the Caribbean summer for Mess Magazine. by Ruth Efua

rench Model Claudia Carpentier heads to St Barth for a fashion editorial featured in Mess Magazine’s latest issue. Photographer Laura Payet captures the model alongside a handsome Creole in casual looks with a retro twist. Hair stylist Jenna Questel creates the model’s enviable curls with Make Up For Ever on make up. Stylist Chris Wong selects the designs of Loulou’s Marine, Panama, Mango and more for Claudia to wear under a blazing sun.

Model CLAUDIA CARPENTIER Agency NAMED MODELS Hairstylist JENNA QUESTEL Photography LAURA PAYET Clothing MANGO Accessories LOULOU’S MARINE

Fash tech

THE FASHNERD MESS meets

Muchaneta Kapfunde founding editor & WearableTechStylist of

ashNerd is the go-to destination for audiences thirsty for fashion and lifestyle technology! We learn from the business women how she merged her skills with her interests and turned into a successful entrepreneur! Hello Muchaneta! Can you tell us some more about the person behind the busi-

FashNerd.com

ness woman? M.K: I would describe myself as someone with the kind of drive that is fuelled by my insatiable appetite for technology and my passion for fashion trends. Naturally I have a go getting attitude, that exists in both my private and public persona!

You had a substantial ca-

reer as freelance writer and PR consultant before founding FashNerd.com. Have you had a career plan or was it a sequence of opportunities taken and many interests that led you to where you are today? M.K: Believe it or not I was headed towards gaining a law degree, but at university I found myself drawn to media instead. After graduation I made sure that I took advantage of opportunities available to me and that if none were available I created them. I knew what I wanted and I made sure that I went after it with success in mind.

Your go getting attitude brings you along way! Where does your drive comes from? M.K: My parents raised me believing that nothing is impossible as long as you are willing to put in the work. Their words have stayed with me throughout my career and positively influenced how I have tackled challenges and also how I was able to hit the ground running when it came to making the best of You worked in fashion opportunities on offer. throughout your career

but when and why did technology became a part? M.K: Fashion Technology was the obvious next step for me in my fashion career. I have always had a natural curiosity of the role that technology could play in the fashion industry. Unfortunately what I found was that there was nothing out there that communicated technology in a fashion voice, and that is why FashNerd.com was born. When it comes to what excites me most about technology, it has to be the role that it currently plays in fashionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. The industry is finally realising that they can use it as a tool to make clothes that will be able to improve the quality of life for consumers in a way that we never thought possible. How did your business idea of intersecting fash-

ion and technology come together? M.K: The business idea of intersecting fashion and technology came together in a way that was unexpected. Created by myself and co-founder Mano ten Napel, FashNerd.com objective was to unite pioneering minds from fashion, lifestyle & tech space. With both Mano ten Napel and myself at the helm, FashNerd quickly developed into one of the fastest growing digital magazines within the Fashion Technology space. When you founded the platform FashNerd what gave you the courage to start up your own business? M.K: Knowing that there was a need for such a platform was what drove us to start FashNerd. com. Naturally we are both big on

thinking outside the box and we believe it is because of this that within 12 months our community grew from zero to over 40K. What was the most unexpected hurdle you had to tackle with FashNerd? Can you ever be prepared for such a challenge? What is your advice to young start ups? M.K: The most unexpected hurdle that we have had to tackle so far was finding fashion tech writers who are passionate enough about the merge to want to write about it. With fashion technology still in its infancy, we learnt that fashion tech writers are at the moment a rare breed. We now look forward to the pool of talent maturing. When it comes to advice for young startups, I would tell them to be

prepared to be a Jack or Jill of all trades. As a start up it is inevitable that you will have a lot of balls in the air all at the same time, so you should be prepared for a few of those balls to fall. Also you must be willing to step out of comfort zone and do tasks that you might not be used to doing. You are recognised as the leading influencer writing about Fashion & Lifestyle Technology. How would you define your job? M.K: I would define my job as challenging yet rewarding, demanding but necessary. Can you give us an insight in a typical work day and activities? M.K: When it comes to a typical work day at FashNerd HQ, I must admit that not one day is the same, which I love. That being said on an average day it can be all about emails, building relationships, connecting with our community on the social media, content management and sifting through press releases. We also have daily brainstorming sessions on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in the industry, what new talent/ startups we should be approaching and coming up with ideas of how we can become a better platform for the artistry. FashNerd brings the world of technology to the mainstream consumer. Do you observe a change/development in the integration of fash tech? M.K: Yes we definitely observe change/development in the integration of fashion tech. We want the mainstream consumer to be familiar with technology and how it brings added value to their life. Nobody is more impatient than us to see technology explode in a way that will unleash consumer friendly fashion and lifestyle tech products that will eventually become the norm. Do you feel that the world of technology is a male dominated business? M.K: Yes the world of technology can still be described as a male dominated business, but change is taking place everyday. There are more positive initiates being set up on a regular basis that ensure that females entering the world of technology can do so with confidence that they are being given the tools they need to succeed. So are there many female entrepreneurs and if so is there a sense of en-

couragement or competition? M.K: I have met a lot of female entrepreneurs and so far I feel that although there is a sisterhood forming, there is also an underlying competition between women that is both healthy and and encouraging. When it comes to female entrepreneurs in the fashion tech industry we must always keep in mind that #WomenInTech is more than just a trending hashtag, it represents the encouragement that exists in celebrating women making their mark in an industry that is notorious for being all about the boys. You are the perfect example for a female entrepreneur. What has made you personally the proudest to date? M.K: Definitely the launch of FashNerd.com Looking into the future of FashNerd what do you hope to achieve in the next years? M.K: We hope that FashNerd continues to be a platform that thrives on inspiring and stimulating the early adopters, the curious, the enthusiasts and the insiders. We want to evolve into being more than a digital magazine by continuing to challenge the perception that Wearable Technology is not fashionable. Besides our continued support of the merge we also look forward to continuing to be the voice of lifestyle technology and championing the advances in IoT and the smart home. In this fast changing industry we try and stay relevant and ahead of the competition by remaining innovative in our way of thinking. Interview by Simone Leimgruber

Fash tech

THE ELECTRIC RUNWAY. by Simone Leimgruber

M B

odern times need a modern vision and Amanda Cosco has one! She founded Electric Runway a global platform covering the latest trends and inventions based on the intersection of fashion and technology. Mess introduces you the #FashTech Pioneer and gives you the know how for your own start up! In an Interview we learn from Amanda Cosco how the Girl About Toronto ’ turned her multimedia passion into a successful career. orn into a family of successful tailors she could have followed in their footsteps but Amanda is a free spirit. She describes herself as a storyteller and explored her creativity in a career path suitable to her. Amanda holds a Master’s of Arts from Ryerson University, a certificate of digital media skills from the Ontario College of Art and Design and received the highest honours in her Bachelor of Arts with a double major in English and professional writing. These distinctive talents paired with her interest in culture and society led her to journalism. Working freelance as a copywriter she finally could explore the world as part of her job. While she found her way of personal expression, a long term nine to five job didn’t stretch her creative muscle enough. Fascinated by the raising power of digital media Amanda started a personal project. In her spare time the lifestyle blog Girl About Toronto became her own voice channel. Quickly Amanda’s zest for life and creative interpretation gained her a huge followership. Blogging about the beautiful things in life opened up new doors into a

high society, product promotion and marketing. Thanks to the wide reach of her site, the Girl About Toronto turned into a promising business. Amanda’s first media publication was full of potential but for her it was also a trap. At the crossroad of turning Girl About Town into a business she took a step back. Her project was a matter of heart and in a professional way this kind of superficial exchange would not fulfill her.

Knowing what you want from life and striving for what you believe in is the first step to success! Maybe it’s not the first door that opens up but for sure it’s leading to the right one! While Amanda revalued what she wanted from her work to enrich her life, a matching opportunity came across. For her job she happened to report about technology and consequently she was asked to curate a wearable tech runway show. For this project Amanda joined forces with fashion designers and technologists. She always loved the idea of wearable tech but observed how gadgets failed to be integrated in a meaningful way. Her thinking outside the box and integrating technology into wearable textiles hit the nerve of the time! The curated show called Electric Runway developed from an original 5 minute schedule into a professional catwalk presentation of 20 looks! The event was a huge success and and Amanda discovered an appetite for #FashTech! She saw the potential and founded Electric Runway, a platform created for an audience curious about the intersection of technology in the modern world.

Be open for new opportunities, dare to experiment and explore different fields of your interests. Interlink business and personal interests. When work turns into a project of passion it will be easier to go beyond what is expected and we achieve more! This certainly applied to Amanda. She found her niché and was ambitious to create a business. But how did she turned her vision into a resourceful product? Fashion and technology have been around for quite some time. She has not invented #FashTech but she discovered a holistic intersection.

Wearable technology is widely used in the form of gadgets but Amanda observed how they fail to integrate in a meaningful way. While they function as gadgets they are lacking any emotional attachment. She realised that fashion and technology have been stuck in their own development for a while and inspired by the maker movement she wanted to disrupt them in order to innovate. While Amanda aimed to integrate them in a more relevant way she also acknowledged she isn’t a physical creator. This is where she stands out from the many entrepreneurs, knowing not just skills but her deficits. Her career taught her that while you can be interested in many things you can’t be an expert in all of them. Electric Runway became her ambition and creating a platform merged her skills, experiences and personal

interests.

You found your niché too? Feel the pulse of the society! A successful business has to go beyond personal interest! So question whether something is global and long term relevant. Her extensive contribution in #FashTech proves her right! Amanda shifted her focus from the vast cultural journalism to pioneer one. Electric Runway is not just a blog, it is a physical and digital business, a source of inspiration, an accessible community and knowledgeable conversation partner.

Know your unique selling point and become an expert in the field. Create a business concept that is as

The future is yours.

There is no limit to imagination.

relevant to you as it is to your market. Continue to explore your interests and find new ways to express them. Today Amanda Cosco is an expert in the field of #FashTech. She still works for various publications and reported on every topic from wearable tech, smart fabrics, cyborgs, hacking hardware, wearables for women and nextgen retail. Beyond this she is a critically acclaimed consultant and regular speaker and moderator on #FashTech events. She also served as a foreign correspondent covering Silicon Valley’s first-ever fashion week in 2015. There is much more to come, endless possibilities, constant inventions and we know for sure Amanda is not the person to stand still either.

Fash tech

F t F ash ech

Mona Azam

The Met Ball is the most highly anticipat-

ed event of the year in the fashion industry calendar, where fashion is the focus and celebrities are the players of an entire evening dedicated to the glamour and elite. When It comes to envisioning the future of fashion with technology, my mind always jumps back to the scene in ‘Hunger Games’ where Katniss shows up on her TV show appearance and excites the audience with her flaring (literally on fire) dress. Manus x Machina was one of main attractions this year, Manus meaning man made and machina representing the machines. The concept of the exhibition is to showcase and de-construct the DNA of haute couture and ready-to-wear couture pieces and to showcase “Fashion in the age of Technology.” Fashion and technology are merging and is the biggest most exclusive marriage of two billion dollar industries. 3D printing (which is undoubtedly the future of design) gave us ‘mushtari’ the wearable technology and we also had the front row of digital textiles creation and digital printing.

uture

Fashion has always been at the forefront of innovation, and so has tech. To be alive in the most exciting times of technologic revolution; fashion and tech is the power couple of the century. I recently joined ‘Camden Collective’ a hub for start up businesses and creative individuals. A friend I met took me to a talk held at LSE. We stiffly sat ourselves down in a talk that involved technology by Ajaz Ahmed from AKQA, a creative technology solutions company. A quote I will never forget ‘we live in an amazing world that is not so amazing’ – Ajaz Ahmed went on to say that it is worth noting how advance we have become as a human race, the technological age is actually amazing but not so amazing because to the younger generation it is so normal that the exciting innovative technologies are seen as ‘ok’ rather than as growth to the human race. Being a child of the 90’s myself, I feel it is one of the most exciting times to be alive – yet it is a curse and gift at the same time. While technology is changing the face of our living standards, creativity, ideologies and future somehow we are in some small way dependant on it.

However, to add fashion and creativity with technology (which stems from creativity itself) is the measure of how important creativity and fashion are to the innovation and advancement of the world and humans as a race. This year I attended the LCF MA Womenswear Fashion and Technology show at the Royal College of Surgeons. There were eight designers showcasing their collections on the day, each designer used technology to create their collections. Happy to be on the second row of what I thought was one of the best shows I have ever attended (including London Fashion Week) While I was in love with all the collections, one stood out the most, Yawen Qian. Born to both parents who are doctors, Yawen showcased the most unique and intriguing representation of fashion and tech using medical influences and creating plastic handbags and dental dentures.

Each collection was the perfect marriage of fashion, tech and ideas. It is not secret that fashion designers are taking fashion to the next level, using more than just a theme or concept to create their visuals. Couture fashion has always incorporated this since the dawn of fashion â&#x20AC;&#x201C; yet we no we see this trickling down from the couture runways to your casual Fashion Weeks around the globe Fashion and technology is an inventive, ground-breaking and exciting venture that is constantly developing, growing and creating opportunities for new and upcoming concepts in fashion. To be part of such a fresh environment is a privilege and challenging as fashion designers and couturiers take FashTech to the next level.

JET SET Lifestyle

eâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all looked on in envy at Jay Alvarezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s selection of perfectly curated Instagram snaps on the beach surrounded by fruit and sun. Now that summer has finally shown its face, and now a plethora of luxury hotels and location lie at your fingertips. If you are looking for white sand beaches, luxury spa, overwater villas? The Maldives is where you want to be. The Six Senses property in the Maldives transcends you to your happy place.

ocated 45 minutes from Mali, this destination has you feeling first class from your first step into their resort. These overwater villas will up your Instagram game times one hundred. Each villa comes fully equipped with large decks incorporating sunken dining areas, daybeds, and hammocks all perfectly placed above water. Every aspect of these villas takes you to another place, including their glass-bottomed bathtubs in the outdoor bathrooms. If you are stressed from work, you have to visit their spa; one of the most integral features to these villas is their focus on wellbeing and health. You will leave with a new lease on life. It seems that everyone and their mother are in Mykonos right now, and they have the right idea. The holiday destination has seen increases in traffic with a large amount of celebrities, and bloggers alike flocking to their shores. A place that is a must see, is Cavo Tagoo located 4 km from the Mykonos airport surrounds you in opulence.

Travelling

With an outside infinity pool and round the clock service, this hotel is sure to not disappoint. The Spa, and restaurants including an Aquarium bar will have you not wanting to leave the hotel, but if you fancy tearing yourself from utter bliss and relaxation, the concierge can organize a whole host of excursions for you, and with a hotel boutique shopping is right at your fingertips.

f you are looking for something beyond the typical take a trip back in time and visit Havana Cuba. A budding new hotspot for fashionistas and history buffs alike. Chanel debuted their 2017 resort collection there and a bevy of celebrities and style icons flocked. Though the limited Wi-Fi, will have your Instagram posts delayed the sheer beauty of Havana will have you thinking itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth it.

ow that we have discussed the ever-important hotel hotspots, we move on to the second most important aspect of your travel, the clothes. On a summery vacation you will need flowing dresses and lots of sandals. Love Shack Fancy has the perfect flowy and girly dresses essential in a summer wardrobe. The pieces at Love Shack fancy are playful and suitable for those treks around the city or for lounging by the pool. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to cover your head with a hat by Yosuzi, a fun

yet timeless collection of straw hats befitting any holiday. For those special occasion dinners, or when you simply want to be looking your best. For love and lemons has the perfect selection of lightweight sheer pieces (sheer being a very fashionable summer staple), which scream summer. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget the sunnies; stay on trend with some Celine tortoise shell sunglasses or a pair of the Chanel Aviators in a pale pink or purple.

esides your travel attire essentials, make the best out of your holidays with reward cards like the Starwood hotel reward card or sign up for the Founders card to make the most out of those long hours you put in at work. The Founders card allows access for entrepreneurs and innovators, who receive networking opportunities and a whole host of benefits. Do not forget to travel in style with Uberchopper, and keep up with the ever-changing summer trends with the iPhone app, the Hunt. To exchange ideas and shop the trendiest must haves of the season.

Now if you arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t able to go on that dream vacation just yet. Stalk the Internet most luxurious travel bloggers for some ideas when stuck in the office. The Blonde salad creator Chiara Fergani is currently documenting her fashionable travels in the every beautiful Cuba, so if you are thinking of taking the plunge follow her around to find the best hotels and undoubtedly the best shopping. Sincerely Jules is another blogger to feed your travel desires, often occupying quaint towns, this blog will give you the inside scoop on the best low-key spots to check out whilst on vacation. Ruth Efua

The Art of Making Money Whilst Travel Blogging MESSFashion Want to be a travel blogger?

Tune in as we give you a step by step guide in to the mind blowing world of adventure without going completely broke. Travel blogging is easy. Just get on a plane and take a few pictures right? Well, not quite! To be successful as a travel blogger it takes time, skill and preparation. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never as simple as jumping on a plane, you need to know how to get the best travel deals, who your audience is and most importantly how

you will fund your global adventures, and those are just the minor details. Before you even start a blog, ask yourself-are you ready to sell everything and constantly be on the road? If yes, then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the right path for you. But bare in mind, travelling is not the only part of it whilst on the road you need to maintain your blog not only by taking pictures but monitoring your progress. Before we get to the details of setting up the blog, the burning question on every bloggers mind is how to make money from the blog or how to fund the trips. Well itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quite simple but a lot of work goes into it.

Create and sell your own goods

Travelling

Creativity costs you nothing but is the most rewarding when used right. Use your knowledge and skills to market yourself. Sit down take the time to write an ebook about your experiences the only thing it will cost you is time. Brian Clark of Copyblogger says, build an audience, ask them what they’re willing to pay and give it to them. Book a speaking event engage with people create a communication platform that will allow you to create and provide what they want with your name on it. Give advice, teach a seminar, share your knowledge.

Advertising

Advertising is a great source of income especially if your blog gets a lot of traffic. Dealing directly with advertises will result in a higher income and better working relationships. If you’re willing to have a few adverts, then it’s an easy way to make some extra cash without adding to your work load. Affiliate marketing and text links are also an option. With affiliate marketing links, you make money when the reader clicks the link and buys a product from that website. Amazon is a good example of this. With text links, you are charging someone money in exchange for a link to their site. Unlike affiliate marketing, you do not make any money beyond that (usually). We would advise you to avoid text links they can be harmful and when using text links to make sure it stays on your sight. You don’t want to lose your readers.

Consulting and freelance gigs

Your blog will soon be the go to for any potential clients. It’s where you will get to show off your work so take full advantage of it. Advertise your services. Offer to take photos or even edit them and throw in some text offers as well. The more you offer the more people you reach. Offer face-to-face consultations to help others get started or even offer to take clients abroad with you. Offer services that are worthwhile and something you can deliver in an exciting way.

Pull together a collection of your best work as done

by travel bloggers Matt Kepnes, Tim Leffel and Adam Costa. It’s a fun way to get your work out there and cater for an audience that may not be solely focused on the digital aspect of blogging.

Saving money on travel costs

The thought of paying for all the flying you plan on doing can be daunting. So why not use customer loyalty programs. Credit cards and certain airlines do offer miles and points that can help cut your travel costs. You will have to spend some money at some point but knowing where you can save is a must. Keep an eye out for promotions and agencies generally have good deals. For those who would like to work as you travel why not teach languages or volunteer broad. There are a number of different ways to travel for free or without breaking the bank and if you can incorporate your blogging than go for it.

Is a 6 figure salary a possibility?

Absolutely! Caz and Craig Makepeace created their successful travel blog yTravel in 2010 and it now has an income well over six figures. yTravel gets more than 310,000 visitors monthly. Caz and Craig also engage with more than 100,000 followers on social media. They have partnerships with companies like National Geographic, Lonely Planet, Canon and Ford-just to name a few. The point is it’s a marathon not a sprint and when done properly it pays well. Christy Woodrow the owner of Ordinary Travel-

ler has also managed to find her niche earning herself well over six figures through her travel blog she launched back in 2011. Christy made her income from photo sales, freelance work, sponsored posts and paid projects with tourism boards. Her income came from different sources and not all at once with certain months generating more than others. The point to take away here is that it is possible but it does require a lot of focus and passion for what you’re doing Now that that’s out the way here are a few basic tips to get you started.

Start a blog

Well this one goes without saying. Set yourself up before you even think of anything else. The web is littered with a number of sights ready and waiting for you to set up your blog. Pick what suits you and is photo friendly. The majority of your work will be video and images so choosing something that will love your work as much as you do is key to showing it off.

Know your niche It’s no secret that the travel blog market is extremely over saturated- so it’s good to know that you’re in for some serious competition. The best way to get around this is making your content so niche that you’re the only one doing it. It’s obviously not as easy as it sounds and most importantly it will take a lot of time. Travelling and documenting your travels is very time consuming so patience is a must. From editing images, uploading them and building a good following, high expectations at the beginning of your blogging journey may disappoint you. Keep at it. All good things come to those who wait.

Use your tools

Are you an amazing writer? Well good for you, that’s one less thing to worry about. For those who are average writers, that’s not a problem but just be aware that producing good quality wok will take you

slightly longer. More important than your writing skills is how you get your content to your desired audience-use your tools. Social media is the best way to get to people no matter the medium you use. If you’re not a great writer use images or videos they work well with travel content. Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Youtube are a great platform to show off your talent and skills. Beware it doesn’t become to commercialised stick to your niche and don’t sacrifice your originality to fit in with the latest fad. Remember you don’t need to use every single one of the listed and other platforms use what you’re good at and what fits your work. A lot of time will go into it so make things slightly easier by mastering a few at a time. The web has a high number of free basic editing tools have a play around and see what works before committing to one. Sign up for a trial period and see how it goes. The point is to set everything up so you know what you’re doing before jet setting to the nearest island. Make things simpler for yourself.

You need to know what you’re doing There are a lot of online courses covering ways to make it as a blogger. Sign up for a photography class, do a short analytics course. Although time consuming and costly these qualifications help you build a solid foundation for what is soon to be a business and not just a blog. You need to be digitally savvy to make things easier for yourself and to give your work an advantage. Are your articles SEO prepped? You don’t know? Well find out by learning about SEO and how to make it work for you. Do some research-figure out how to get a domain name and where to get good deals. As wonderful as it sounds travel blogging is very costly so bagging a bargain anywhere you can is always a good idea. Branding is a very important part of creating your image. Who do you want to be known as? Have you got a good name that won’t need to be adjusted in future? Think long term. Will the name and image you chose still be catchy? The best way to decided is too do a little digging. Look at a few blogs that are doing well and see how their branding links up with their content and see how that could work for you. Build an email list, share other blog posts – always interact with people in the same field it helps you get to know how they work and builds a good working relationship. It helps you network outside of set events and keeps you up to speed with what’s happening in the travel blogging world. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to be friendly – go on make some friends. Finally, always write useful content. If it’s not informative it’s irrelevant. People want something new, so, give it to them. The best way to find out what the public want to read is by looking up the questions being asked on online forums like Reddit. If you can answer those for them or conduct your own research. Try having a few guest contributors from time to time. It will help you tap into their audience giving your blog some attention too, use your contacts to help establish yourself.

Is it worth it? If you want it, it’s always worth it. remember good things take time. Terrible writers get better over time; athletes get stronger as they train. So remember the more you do it the better you become at it. blogging is time consuming-travel blogging even more so. You need to set a reasonable timeline for your expectations based on your current skills and how well your travel blog develops. Think of the areas you are going to visit and why other people would like to hear your opinion about the place or look at your images. It’s all about how you gift wrap. So, do you really want to share your travels and adventures with the world? Than it is definitely worth the time, money and stress to get it going.

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What are you waiting for? Get started.

We did, just tell you itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a very time consuming business.

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ESCAPE REALITY IN ICELAND

THE WEEKENDER.

ummer is slowly coming to an end, but, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a sunny destination to get that holiday feeling! How do you spend your weekends to restore your energy levels? If you have been watching the Bachelor and fantasised about their exclusive date destinations - this might be just your kind of getaway! Take the opportunity to break free and indulge in travel dreams! Scroll down, stimulate your senses and plan your next escape! Whether you desire a pampering spa day, a rural hike in the countryside or need a few nights in a vibrant metropole to make your heartbeat faster, this weekender has it all! All you need is 36 hours and the confidence that a little time can change a lot! Skeptical that the hussle of a travel is not worth changing your routine? Let me take you on a tour and show you what is possible and worth your time! Welcome to Reykjavik a city that gives exclusivity a new meaning. If like myself you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t choose between culture and nature, adventure and relaxation, here is a little bit of it all! From spikes of energy that make you feel alive, new sightings to unique treatments this city has it all !

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Travelling

CITY AND CULTURE

Try an evening visit, and as the clear blue sky is shining perhaps you will see the northern Most flights land in Reykjavik in the morn- lights swimming in the geothermal water! ing, coinciding with Icelandic breakfast time. Located in the city center Sandholt, in one of If you fancy an Icelandic dinner the Old Icethe oldest and most traditional bakery built landic Restaurant is your go to place! Thanks on generations of experience. Master baker to a no reservation policy after 6pm you might Ásgeir Sandholt merges craftsmanship with be lucky. Serving traditional and fresh food modern food trends making his breads and this is a favourite of locals too so better be cakes among my all time favourite treats. early! Also consider that most Icelandic restaurant close by 10pm. Maybe to be in bed in After refuelling there is nothing better than a time for the northern lights? Bus tours know stroll in the city. Everything is in easy walk- all the hot spots, where the sky is bluer and ing distance and near the pedestrian street. clearer than ever. For the tired ones, hotels ofDominating the view is Hallgrímskirkja the fer wake up calls for those who do not want to biggest and probably most unique church in miss out on a thing. If the northern lights are Iceland referencing Iceland’s landscapes from not non negotiable for you just leave the curits basaltic columns to the glaciers. tains open. Personally I loved the imagination and excitement of waking up naturally and Continue the journey to the concert and music surprisingly it worked! It’s magic anyway! hall Harpa. Whether admiring the architecture or at an event, don’t miss the 360° cinematic NATURE IN ACTION! experience in the lower ground! The Iceland THE GOLDEN CIRCL Expo Pavilion from 2010 impressively pre- As much as I love discovering a place by mysents the stunning nature of the country in a self and the liberty of spontaneous decisions, short movie. for locations like the golden circle I prefered a Visiting the Saga Museum at the harbour plan. If you have one day to see Iceland’s nattransfers its visitors into another time! Audio ural wonders you better take advantage of reguides lead you through dark and mysterious sources to maximise the experience. Don’t be rooms. If you are a fan of dressing up this at- fooled by the small population - we remember traction is just the spot for you ! After you the statistic from the EM 2016 that every 1000 have finished the tour, rails of viking dresses citizen could have been in the national team! and a breath taking scenery is waiting for you While not much of the surface is inhabited the to release your inner child! Island is double the size of Switzerland.

SPA AND NORTHERN LIGHTS Unwind from the day in the Blue Lagoon! This is the only attraction that requires some planning, it’s best to make a reservation a few days in advance. There are a variety of entering time slots, from early morning until midnight!

I researched different providers and tours with offers to find the one that suited me. Most tours take around 10 hours with a series of various combinations possible. From climbing into a volcano, hiking in a manmade Ice Cave to the standard tours the choice is yours. Decide the

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kind of adventure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re after, browse by your points of interest or like myself search the offer that combines it all. As a result I decided to go with a signature tour from the Mountaineers of Iceland. I wanted to see the natural phenomenas wrapped in a thrilling experience and this was just what the The Pearl Tour promised.

pass another contemporary witness. Located on a geothermal lake a grand white residence with signature steep roofs. The mansion used to be a renowned school where families sent their daughters to learn any trade from cooking to sewing. The same destination is still visited by many women today. Though, not for a domestic education. Laugarvatn Fontana a luxurious Spa next door takes advantage of The tour takes place in a super truck and im- the naturals resources mediately gives you the feeling of adventure. Driving through the Pingvellir National Park Next destination is the famous Geysir and this gives space a new meaning. Rocky surfaces natural phenomena holds its promises. Highand endless views takes away the last memo- ly active you have to wait roughly 15 minute ries of home. As scenes pass by I listen to the until the water seems to explode out of the witty guide introducing his country. soil! The sounds of the impressive waterfall Gullfoss breaks my state of meditation. I have seen The last spectacle will be another explosion - a waterfalls before but this one could be from pure adrenaline rush through your body when a disney movie. The sun is shining and while you drive on the snowmobiles over the Langwalking towards the cliff water drips on me jĂśkull glacier! Controlling the snowmobile and I glance up at a rainbow. with your bodyweight, you effortlessly slide We walk along drifting tectonic plates to the over the endless white surface. I feel like the oldest parliamentary institution in the world first man on the moon and never want to leave in the middle of nowhere. Further inland we again.

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Is this mystical journey tempting you? All it takes is two days and some inspiration. Last I hope I provided you with. Tailor this weekender to your desires.

Escape your routine. Make dreams your reality! by Simone Leimgruber

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Music

the music UNICORN why

Coldplay is a distinctive species! by Simone Leimgruber

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ave you ever heard of Pectoralz or Starfish? In 1996 college friends Chris Martin, lead singer and pianist and Jonny Buckland, guitarist started this band called Pectoralz. But what is a band without a bassist? When Guy Berryman joined the duo the band rebranded as Starfish. It was not just a time with space to grow together but when band members had an impact on the musical identity. After two years Will Champion, drummer and backing vocalist finalised the band. In the 20th century the passionate musicians formed Coldplay - in another sphere when the making of a band was not a TV show but a work in progress. Coldplay existed before social media and against the instant effects today, raised to fame in a steady development. Is this a characteristic that distincts Coldplay from the rest? But if so how comes that they did not extinct in a culture that progressed into the age of technology? Is music enough in a world of digital effects, social media, youtube, streaming and downloads? In an instant society where the presence means past and the future became presence what draws thousands into Wembley and makes them listen for hours? Coldplay exists over two decades; they grew by selling CD’s and

without digital platforms. Steady they transformed into this internationally acclaimed British mega rock band and somehow they managed the impossible and stayed relevant. The sensitive rock music touches tastes universal but how does a world tour sells out within seconds? If you have ever been to a concert you will know about the Coldplay effect; old and young, modern and traditional, poor and rich, introvert and extrovert, football fan and sewing bee, this is the place where the human characteristic is the only connection that unifies them all. The moment the concert start it’s a holistic experience; human talent harmonised with technology.Like a kaleidoscope, a simple connection of human creation with the senses. Lighting, digital effects and set design support every song and astonish the masses. People reach out their arms and the digital wristbands handed at the entrance are changing colours to the music. A singing crowd is in touch with senses. It’s a live interaction in a digital world. A real instantness and an exclusive moment not possible to capture on a camera. The uniqueness of a live life effect. Emotions against a computer numbness. In an universe of digital magic – back to human.

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Healthy lifestyle

healthy lifestyle rolling

Lets get that

by Mona Azam

ow Im not a qualified nutritionist nor can I relish in the idea that Im super healthy, in fact, if you ask my friends they would probably laugh at the idea of me giving some advice on healthy recipes and a healthy lifestyle. A couple of years ago, I didn’t even know what breakfast was, well I wasn’t that bad, the truth in the matter is that I was the sort of teenager that loved to pig out on chocolate and eat without a single care in the world. FACT: on the outside I’m skinny but truly there is a

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fat girl inside me dying to come out and scream BURGERS!! Three years ago, I turned it all around and moved to the good side. The truth is I have always been craving for a healthier lifestyle. I love life. Therefore, I have always been drawn to eating healthier and coming from an Asian background we are pretty much fed till death and fed with oily and greasy foods that contain fatty acids. I wanted to move away from that and give myself a healthier lifestyle choice, and when I moved to Leeuwarden located just north of Netherlands, I realised how unhealthy London can be!

Netherlands is a while different ball game, where I lived was a small town dedicated to sustainability and healthy living. The tagline was “Norms and Values” that included taking care of your body, life and the people around you (if only we could integrate this in all societies!). Anyway coming back to the topic of health and healthy choices. Now number one issue in starting a healthy lifestyle is “where do I start??” and to be honest this is probably the most difficult step to take. Here’s how I started…

MAKE CONSCIOUS CHOICES

Often the hardest part is choosing between the cheesy chips and vegetables. The most important thing to consider here is whether you feel guilty choosing chips over the vegetables, if you do, wrong choice!! Try and consciously choose what you eat and replace aubergine chips for potato chips and try small changes that will help to make the transition a little easier.

EXCERCISE

I noticed how much more energy I had and started to think much more clearer when I started working out everyday. However don’t just sign up to the gym and aimlessly wander in and out when you feel like it. Create yourself a schedule and have goals and aims. Ask yourself what you want to work on, and work on that and watch yourself achieve your goals and see the change. Totally satisfying!

INVEST

When I lived in Netherlands, I felt I was investing in things I actually cared about and took time to do those things. For example, I would make myself fresh juice every morning with a big breakfast and start the day with a morning

run. No matter what time I’d wake up, I would always do this and it made my day better and I felt more awake and alert the entire day. So do what makes you happy and what makes you feel good.

COOK

I find it very satisfying to cook myself a massive meal once in a while (always a healthy one). I like that I am able to create whatever I feel like eating and this way I usually make healthier choices and actually spend less money. Cooking something really quickly and something that takes less time in the kitchen is also rewarding, something as quick as cucumber and hummus or whipping up a quick omelette is the perfect chance to add all veg and all things healthy.

QUICK SOLUTIONS

Try quick and convenient ideas, for example infused detox ice cubes and infused detox water or infused herbs in ices cubes..TRY IT! It’s such an easy way to add healthier choices and it literally takes 2 seconds of your life. Recently I have been picking up Raw Food Smoothies and have a glass either when I wake up or before sleeping, simple and easy. I also indulge in detox teas such as Green tea, Jasmine and Camomile.

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Creative mind

how to FIND

FASHION JOBS. Mona Azam

YOUR PERFECT JOB ROLE

“It’s been a year since I graduated and I am still looking for my dream job.” – Sound familiar? Fashion faux pas no.1 – to try and get your ‘dream job’ in fashion is almost impossible you are looking for something that may not even exists – except in the vicinity of your imagination. I am a fashion journalist, working as an editor for my own magazine that came about when I realised the difficulty in finding jobs. Hours, weeks and months of applying through the basic list of fashion websites that offer jobs to creative individuals I figured out that you need to be committed and know what sort of company you want to work for before you even scroll through a list of jobs on websites and apply to roles for which you may or may not get a reply for. So, a couple of hundred e-mails of ‘unfortunately on this occasion your application has not been successful’ after I figured I need more than just a general fashion job site to get what I want. Here is the ultimate guide of job sites you want to have an online presence with.

YOUR DIGITAL TRUTH

Fashionworkie.com is a fantastic website that offers all creative jobs which range from internships, freelance and permanent roles. I have to admit Fashionworkie is the godfather of fashion jobs when you are looking to gain experience, learn and develop yourself as an artist. Most of my jobs have been from the website and I networked my way to the top which lead on to other jobs that helped me further my career.

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Fashionworkie is the best website out there for creative individuals wanting to set a mark in the fashion world. Almost every intern I have hired and spoken to have used Fashionworkie. It offers quality individuals topped with quality job offers. One of the best assets of the website is that there is a whole paid section of freelance work offered and you have top notch companies such as Vogue, Elle, Hearst, Grazia, Karen Millen, Zara and do many other established and emerging creative companies that are willing to pay for hard work.

THE INTERN LIFE

It’s easy to get carried away with various job titles and roles that offer you a new experience and yes it is fun to try out new opportunities as a student and intern but make sure you don’t get side tracked to another field and stay true to your work and aesthetics. Job sites like Fashionjobs, Intern wardrobe, totaljobs and internwise offer creative jobs for the individual wanting to try and experiment with their career. There are all sorts of various and often random jobs that I must admit are interesting at times can really help you figure out what sort of creative job you want. It can get daunting at times and it is hard as a student and intern to figure out what it is you want and sometimes you feel the pressure all too much.

I KNOW WHAT I WANT

If you know you want to work with a fashion magazine then Hearst Careers, Conde Nast UK, Bauer Media Carers are just a few of the career websites you should be looking at. As a fashion

journalist myself I have online profiles that I regularly update as soon as I get a new project or freelance job. Perks of joining these is that you are the first to know about career events, new jobs and you are being viewed by industry professionals who can see your growth and development online and possible offer you a role. Conde Nast Talent pool offers unpaid work for students and interns wishing to gain industry experience

#SOCIALMEDIA

I can’t stress how important this is for creative fields – especially when you are based in London. I recently read an article on ‘how important social media is for recruiters’ and one recruiter mentioned that if interviewee’s did not have an online presence they would be weary and would probably not consider them for the role. Point noted. Get your social media going ladies and gents. This can also lead you to get jobs and as recruiters and companies are always browsing online and specially Instagram to look at how many followers you have. Your online digital presence says a lot about your lifestyle and who you are and what sort of jobs you may want. Most creative companies post jobs on the social media – again focusing on instagram and targeting creative individuals, companies prefer a more personal approach and you can contact them directly which a much quicker way to secure the role as opposed to applying via email or job sites where you are competing with more than 1000 applicants. So take time to follow social media accounts of companies you wish to work for! H&M now recruit models for their campaigns through social media – fashion and creative jobs rely on exposure and this is what social media gives you a solid base of followers who are interested in your life and the people you work with. Social media can be the beginning of many wonderful opportunities in creative fields.

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Creative mind

Girl Boss Women of Power

The Soul of Creative Businesses and Start-ups

ow many times have you sat at your office desk and wondered if the energy and effort you have put into the day would be more useful at starting your own business? Make this your new years resolution because –

your worth it. WHY WOMEN ARE BETTER AT START-UPS Why are women better at startups you ask? Firstly women are born with the creative DNA and we can pretty much create something great from scratch – FACT. When it comes to fashion – yes – women have it on lockdown, that’s our territory and creativity is in our DNA. Women are good at starting businesses because lets face it, most of us want to be our own boss and not have to deal with someone breathing down your neck 24/7. The #Girlboss attitude is spread-

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ing over the start-up industry and Sophia Amoruso is the leader. The New York Times bestseller author launched her foundation in 2014, which helps women in fashion, art, music and design to become their own bosses. #Girlboss foundation has awarded over £75,000 in financial grants to women wanting to start their own start-ups and support themselves within the creative fields. To understand the weight of what creative industries are doing for the UK lets really look at how it has been helping the British fashion industry. Market research firm Mintel confirms that 67 per cent of

women aged 16-24 have purchased online in 2015 (Source | London Fashion Week). Fashion is the largest female orientated creative field, most women work in fashion one way or the other. There are more than 1000 online stores and boutiques that are the product of a woman willing to initiate her own businesses and wanting to work for herself. From tech to fashion, women entrepreneurs are ruling by pushing the boundaries and creating a start-up culture in the capital city and cultural melting pot we call London. In Ghana this year we saw the Bamboo Bike Project by Bernice Dapaah, a female entrepreneur who followed her dream while helping the community and women in Ghana to have the confidence to start their own businesses. So if Ghana can, why not you? Women run many of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful fashion business and are doing really a fantastic job at it. In 2016 women took women empowerment to a whole new level, creating an infrastructure in the creative industries which inevitably will build the foundations for the new generation to pave way for a technical and innovative savvy fashion world of the future. As we plunge in to the new wave of empowerment, lets take a look at the female leaders in the business of fashion.

BANDA BAGS Brianna Jane is the brains and heart behind Banda Bags. Responsibly hand-made in Indonesia by artisans who incorporate traditional art in the designs of each piece created. Banda bags is not only a start-up fashion brand that has erupted this year, they are more than just fashionable accessories for your closet. Brianna is a total #Girlboss , not only has she managed to create a brand that has values (not to mention the material is 100% vegan and cruelty-free) but also empowers female artisans in Indonesia and inspires women around the world to consciously shop offering a fashionable and meaningful purchase.

THE BAMBOO BIKE PROJECT Bernice Dapaah is the CEO and Founder of

Bernice Dapaah

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Bamboo Bikes based in Ghana. Bringing light to social and environmental issues, Bernice works for her own company that manufactures bikes from bamboo. What is so special about this you ask? Well firstly she trains her employees (that mainly consists of women) on the techniques and skills, empowering women in Ghana with a unique set of skills that are specific to the Bamboo bike production. Empowering women in a country such as Ghana is more than just a job, it is a social change and is alleviating poverty in small villages where the bikes are used, sold and made.

TRACKING YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN Jessie Baker is one of the most intelligent and I believe, iconic women of our times. A graduate of PhD in coding and a tech girl boss â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jessieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own start-up (NGO) is called Provenance that is changing the face of global economy. Offering tech-

nological solutions which helps to track where your clothes, products and even food is coming from, creating a trustworthy and meaningful relationship between the consumer and supplier. Provenance is an NGO and has recently received 1Million worth of funding for their latest project which involves tracking supply chains for fish in South East Asia. Girl bosses are at the forefront of innovation and changing the way we live, work and think in the present world. Inspiring and creating unique start-ups that are creative and empower other women as well as communities to start their own work whether it be a small contribution or a big one in your life. Doing something you love will always satisfy your soul. Whether it be a small business or an idea that you girl bosses want to explore and turn in to a business model, it is worth trying.

Visit the website for more information on | GirlBoss Connect with | GirlBoss Visit the website for more information on | Banda Bags Visit the website for more information on | Bamboo Bikes Project

Brianna Jane

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messmag.com Audrey Kitching

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