ESTILA Edit December 2016

ESTILA edit

DECEMBER 2016

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Welcome

to the December issue of ESTILA EDIT

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT This time last year I was very Christmas-resistant. No matter how hard I try, I find Christmas too stressful. Hence, if I can push it as far as I can, the better. I was determined to create an issue that had only little bit of reference to the upcoming festive season.

This year, however, I tried, really tried to put myself out of my comfort zone and create an issue reflecting this festive time of the year with more Christmas spirit. Hopefully, browsing through the following pages of Estila Edit (the new name for our monthly digital issues), you will feel inspired as much as we all felt while creating it.

As this is the last issue of the year, I would like to thank you, the reader, for your support and positive encouragement I get through emails. Without you, we wouldn't be here. Also, thank you to all editors and contributors who support me on this journey. You are my inspiration every day!

Merry Christmas and happy reading!!

Karolina xx Karolina Barnes editor in chief

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editor's recommended reads interiors Christmas decor: colour me happy Our interiors editor, Anouska, is sharing her ultimate guide to Christmas decor.

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style fashion status quo Flavia, our fashion editor, picks the best pieces from the busiest season of the year.

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open up & inspire georgia vaux An inspirational interview with Georgia Vaux, the founder of Play Purse, a brand which brings back the 1970's beaded toy purses in style.

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cover SWOONWORTHY by Kimberly Duran

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OUR MAGAZINE ON APPSTORE

coming soon GET NOTIFIED HERE.

Photo credit: Matthew Williamson - read the exclusive interview HERE 5

HAVE YOU GOT A STORY TO TELL? We are looking for inspirational life stories, products and emerging brands in interiors, fashion and lifestyle.

If you have a story to share, please get in touch at editor@estila.co

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HOMES

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MILLA DECOR 8

Colour me happy this Christmas words by Anouska Lancaster

Colour is well known to affect us in many ways. I cannot stress enough to my clients that choosing colours to decorate their homes for Christmas should be a natural and easy decision process.

It’s no different from choosing which colours to adorn your home with all year round. It’s about thinking less with our minds and feeling more with our souls.

Ask yourself – ‘What colours make me happy?’ Most importantly for me, it’s about following your own natural style and your gut instinct. This is the best way of bringing joy and contentment to your surroundings, as well as giving yourself an insight into what you are lacking or needing emotionally from a colour perspective.

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In contrast to the above, there are certain rules and colour codes that arrive with the festive season – it’s built into our culture and is engrained in our Christmas traditions to accept and embrace these seasonal colours.

Often against our natural instincts, these bold and often overbearing colours are pushed onto us and we accept them as it feels necessary to follow the Christmas protocol.

I would never cover my house with red and green; as these are not colours that I am naturally drawn to. Therefore, why would I cover my home with these colours at the most important time of the year?

A time when I want to feel happy and relaxed in my surroundings?

“Certain rules and colour codes that arrive with the festive season are pushed on to us and we accept them as it feels necessary to follow the Christmas protocol.”

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MILLA DECOR 11

MILLA DECOR 12

Follow my top tips on how to create the perfect Christmas environment for your personal style, and how to create the ultimate in ‘Wow Factor’ this Christmas……

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MORE IS MORE Christmas is the one time of year when you can go to town with your décor and create the ultimate ‘Wow Factor.’ When it comes to Christmas décor – more is most definitely more!

First impressions really do count so when people arrive at your Christmas soiree, they need to be instantly impressed.

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TWINKLING LIGHTS The first thing your guests will notice about your house is the outside décor. Provide outside decorations that will entice your guests on arrival. Big impacts can be created through twinkling lights wrapped around trees and plants.

This can work particularly well if you can create a runway up to your house by lighting up the driveway or the pathway leading to the front door. If you’re having a Christmas party; then why not create a Hollywood feel by adding a red carpet?

Alternatively, add an ivory carpet runner to create a Winter Wonderland scene.

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PERSONAL COLOUR SCHEME Choose your Christmas colour scheme wisely so that it suits your personal style and compliments the interior of your home.

Otherwise, it doesn’t matter how much expense or effort you put into the decorations, if the colours don’t resonate your personal style or compliment your interior, they will look cheap and unattractive.

Your decorations should be a fabulous, high-level extension of your current interior and an expression of your individual personality.

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DON'T FOLLOW THE RULES Your Christmas decorations should reflect your unique style and taste. Don’t follow the latest trends, choose timeless pieces that you are instantly drawn to and that can be used again year after year. It’s the same with colour; choose colours that bring you joy and that you love. Don’t follow the rules!

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SEASONS IN COLOUR 15

SEASONS IN COLOUR 16

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METALLIC AND GOLD Don’t feel obliged to choose traditional Christmas colours for your decorations. I don’t like reds and greens so my decorations are vibrant pinks and blues!

If, like me, you want glitz and glamour, choose metallic or crystal encrusted decorations for extra sparkle.

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UNUSUAL DECORATIONS Quirky and unusual decorations are always a good topic of conversation. These make your décor unique and memorable.

I have Christmas trees full of pink flamingos and glittering feathered birds pinned around various pieces of furniture as these reflect my personal style.

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MAKE IT FLOW

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WRAP IT UP

The front door is the first giveaway to what awaits your guests inside your home. Try to use similar decorations externally to what you have internally to act as a sneaky peek and have your guests wanting more.

If you’ve got a big hallway then go ‘all out’ by putting a Christmas tree up to create a huge impact as your guests enter.

Stash beautifully wrapped Christmas presents in the same colour scheme, underneath the tree to create a scene out of a Christmas storybook. To add an even bigger impact, wrap fairy lights, holly or tinsel round your staircase to recreate a luxury boutique hotel feel.

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SEASONS IN COLOUR

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SWOONWORTHY 20

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THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX If you have free wall space; then you could hang antlers and drape them in fairy lights to create an alpine lodge scene. Or perhaps simply decorate a mantelpiece and the window ledges with stockings, or a favourite Christmas quote made up of vintage lettering.

Do whatever makes you smile and highlights your sense of humour. Thinking outside the box is always the winning formula for making a great impact.

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THE POWER OF THE SCENT Festive cushions can replace your everyday cushions for the festive season. This will instantly change the look and feel of your regular interior.

Similarly, Christmas scented candles can replace regular candles for the ultimate whimsical Christmas atmosphere.

Nothing shouts Christmas more than Christmas scents and candlelight.

Credits: A special thank you goes to Ruth Daniels from Milla Decor, Jenny Kakoudakis from Seasons in Colour and Kimberly Duran from Swoonworthy for providing the images of their beautiful Christmas decor to accompany this article.

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SWOONWORTHY

FOLLOW ANOUSKA @NOUSKA_DESIGN | NOUSHKADESIGN.COM

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styling

Christmas table words by Karolina Barnes, photography and styling by Athina Bluff

We selected our favourite Christmas decorations, festive dinnerware and table dressing items to inspire your seasonal dining room styling.

Elegant Black & Gold, Nordic Pastels or Colour Explosion.

Which one is your favourite?

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black & gold 26

get the look

TABLECLOTH AVAILABLE AT HAMMAMHAVLU, GOLD CUTLERY AT ZARA HOME, PLATE AT HABITAT, GLASS AT HABITAT, CRACKERS AT M&S, CANDLE HOLDER AT RIGBY & MAC

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Nordic pastels 28

get the look

GLASS AVAILABLE AT SIA-DECO, GOLD CUTLERY AT ZARA HOME, DECORATION AT MAX & MELIA, NAPKINS AT OKA DIRECT, CRACKERS AT M&S, PLATE AT HABITAT

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colour explosion 30

get the look

TABLECLOTH AVAILABLE AT HAMMAMHAVLU, GOLD CUTLERY AT ZARA HOME, CRACKERS AT NANCY&BETTY, BAUBLE AT RIGBY&MAC, NAPKINS AT OKA DIRECT, PLATE AT OHWHATSTHIS 31

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SHOPPING

LIKE THEM, GET THEM research and graphics by Emilia Vespoli

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MY THERESA Tom Ford Metallic Snake Clutch AMARA Kartell Tic & Tac Wall Clock Gold HOUSEOLOGY Tom Dixon Form Bowl Set

MY THERESA Michael Kors Metallic Wool Blend Jacquard Coat HOUSEOLOGY Eichholtz Martinez Gold Chandelier LIBERTY LONDON Monica Vinader Small Gold Plated Petra Pendant Necklace AMARA LSA Oro White Wine Glass - Set of 2 JAYSON HOME Drake Sofa

FOLLOW EMILIA AT VIA SAN VITO FOR MORE INSPIRATION

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FASHION

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P laying along WITH FASHION'S STATUS QUO words and images by Flavia Young

Holiday, cruise, pre-spring, call it what you may, is, if we are to believe fashion retailers, the best selling season on the fashion calendar.

To be honest, it is beyond my shopping savviness to understand how a mere few months after gorging on all the summer sales, I should become interested in shopping for summer clothes again in December, when the thermometers have plummeted and it is freezing outside...

But in the interest of playing along with the fashion status quo, I am successfully convincing myself that despite not having any interest in spending the festive month anywhere hot (perhaps trauma from my childhood in Rio, where December can reach temperatures in the mid 40's, which frankly is oppressive and malaise inducing), I admit that a new summery item purchased in December can bring a bit of joy to an otherwise dark month. And what the hell, it is the month of senseless spending after all...

So here is a list of little pretty things that have caught my eye lately which I may or may not have purchased...

Enjoy the festive season, we only live once.

Flavia xx 35

net-a-porter.com

FENDI, £1970

THREE GRACES LONDON, £300

JACQUEMUS, £370

ROLAND MOURET, £495

CHINTI AND PARKER, £195

VICTORIA BECKHAM, £195

ETRO, £685

PROENZA SCHOULER, £445

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mytheresa.com

EMILIO PUCCI, £595

VERONICA BEARD, £275

PHILOSOPHY DI LORENZO SERAFINI, £240

ALTUZARRA, £797

PRADA, £1535

ALTUZARRA, £505

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matchesfashion.com

OSMAN, £475

LOUP CHARMANT, £240

LOUP CHARMANT, £138

SELF-PORTRAIT, £338

ERDEM, £1995

DOLCE & GABBANA £995

FOLLOW LUXE-LAYERS FOR VIEWS FROM THE INSIDE OF THE FASHION WORLD38

Sneak preview: ESTILA VOLUME 2 in shops end of January 2017

art by Andrew J Miller 39

the time of giving THE MINI GUIDE words and photography by Karolina Barnes

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SCARF: Celia Gould, SHOES: Lucy Choi London, BAG & CARD HOLDER Pamela_P BRACELET & NECKLACE: Benedicte Lassartesse-Jones, CANDLE & BATH OIL: 58 Lifestyle 41

PERFUME: Paul SCHUTZE LONDON, TIE: Tyler & TYLER, WATCH: The Collective Boutique, GOLD FLASK: An Artful Life, SHOES: Duke & Dexter

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MOON T-SHIRT: Girlstalktoboys, SOCKS: Jollie Socks, BANGLE: Aurora London NOTEPAD: An Artful Life, PURSE: Play Purse

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little treasures uncovered

Pyjama Party words and graphics by Karolina Barnes

One of the best things I love about the festive season is that we can stay in pyjamas all day. My favourite part? Cosying up on a sofa with my family and just "be".

I came across three loungewear independent brands who will definitely help you to do just that. Whether it's in comfortable cotton or luxurious silk, these three guarantee that you will look stylish and sophisticated even without make-up.

So make yourself a hot chocolate and let the pyjama party begin!

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Eight Hour Studio A go-to brand for luxury chill wear made with luxe organic cotton and hand block printing.

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE. 45

Mish London A go-to brand for luxurious 100% cotton mix and match nighwear.

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.

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Longstaff Longstaff A go-to brand for luxurious 100% printed silk loungewear and nightwear.

SHOP THE COLLECTION HERE.

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JO LOVES special offer to our readers: Enjoy FREE FRAGRANCE TAPAS at Elizabeth Street, London store.

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BEAUTY

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Scents for the senses words and photography by Nicola McCullough

Crisp mornings and chilly nights offer the perfect excuse to set aside a few extra moments of pampering me time. I've lined up some gorgeous lingering aromas to treat you or a loved one this month.

I like to start by setting the scene with a scented candle and the Handmade Soap Company's Grapefruit & May Chang, with 100% natural soy wax is a current favourite - fresh, pretty and not too overpowering, this is a slow burner of the best kind.

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While exfoliating may not be the most fun beauty ritual, a luxurious body scrub such as Neom Great Day Wild Mint & Mandarin enables make believe spa moments at home. Made with a blend of 8 pure essential oils with safflower and jojoba oils in a sugar base, this is both incredibly uplifting and smoothing.

Jo Malone London recently extended its Cologne Intense collection to include rich body creams and Velvet Rose & Oud is a beautifully indulgent winter pick. Deeply nourishing, this leaves a waft of scent on my skin for hours after application.

L'Occitane's new Arlesienne collection with rose from Grasse and sweet violet & saffron from Provence is a soft, feminine scent that's especially good when layered over the body products for extra oh la la!

Best known for its facial skincare, Oskia Renaissance hand cream literally smells like a bouquet of freshly cut roses. Super softening, I keep this pretty little tube next to my bed and have come to associate the clean, gentle smell with a good night's sleep.

FIND MORE TIPS ON STRAWBERRYBLONDEBEAUTY.COM

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OUR MAGAZINE

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the gift of beauty 56

tried & tested

HELENA RUBINSTEIN words and photography by Karla Cihak

In the last issue I wrote about Helena Rubinstein's Re-PLASTY age recovery day and night creams. This particular range was created to renew, nourish and revive aging skin. From my personal experience, using this range, I have noticed that my skin feels smoother and fine lines and wrinkles seem to be reduced.

I was so impressed with the range that this month I added the Re-PLASTY Prescription: made-to-measure perfect beautiful skin serum.

This is a bespoke service which offers a clinical-like diagnosis. A personalised prescription is produced based on the analysis of your skin, just like you would get at the LaClinic-Montreux clinic.

Each profile allows women to create their own skincare products by mixing a specified dose of concentrate with a universal serum. These formulae combine the most innovative and powerful ingredients from the fields of aesthetic medicine, dermatology and the research of Helena Rubinstein.

I have been using it in addition to the other two products I have and have noticed that my skin feels silky smooth and is much more radiant and uniformed.

As the festive season is upon us, which can be very stressful and hectic, remember to take some time out and dedicate it to yourself. Do something for yourself so you can feel great in your own skin again!

Merry Christmas and until next time...

Karla xx LEARN MORE ABOUT IT HERE 57

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London words by Karolina Barnes, photography credit The Arch London

Each year during the festive season, we have a tradition of staying overnight in London. We walk around and absorb the amazing festive atmosphere which is so inspiring. This year you can to the same and celebrate Christmas in style at The Arch London.

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The Arch London is a luxurious small boutique hotel in a Georgian townhouse located in the heart of Central London, making it perfect for festive celebrations.

The hotel is tucked away on a residential street, which is a stone’s throw from the city bustle of Bond Street and Hyde Park.

Its interior is modern, clean yet colourful and interesting.

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FAMILY PACKAGE They are currently offering a special family package, which includes an overnight stay for two guests in a double or twin room with a complimentary welcome drink or cocktail on arrival, an extra bed or cot and a Archie bear toy for children.

Hunter 486, the restaurant located within the hotel, is offering a luxurious three-course Festive menu for £35 per person from 1 December 2016 until 30 December 2016 (excluding Christmas Day).

The three-course menu includes dishes such as smoked salmon, quail eggs, lemon and caper dressing; roast Norfolk turkey with traditional accompaniments; stone oven roasted cod with white beans, mussels and clams; mulled wine pear, sugared almonds, vanilla mascarpone; and chocolate fondant, burnt orange ice cream.

CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON TEA Christmas Afternoon Tea is also available from 1 December 2016 until 8 January 2017. The afternoon tea includes savories such as roast turkey & cranberry, and ham & piccalilli sandwiches, as well as the traditional scones. Sweet treats include cinnamon spiced cupcakes, chocolate Yule log and mulled wine pear tart.

Christmas Afternoon Tea is priced at £25 or £39 with a glass of Tattinger Nocturne sec, the perfect tipple to accompany the Afternoon Tea menu.

TO MAKE A BOOKING, TAP HERE. 63

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READY IN 90 MIN

gingerbread cheesecake words and photography by Ellen Stanton

Ever since I was little, baking and decorating gingerbread has always been a tradition. Using this memory as inspiration and stripping back the colourful sweet sticky icing, I have created this indulgent creamy dessert full of festive flavours! The nostalgic taste of gingerbread will always be a winner for me and my family and I’m sure I’m not alone on that one.

ingredients 375g cream cheese (full fat) 200ml double cream ½ tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg 100g icing sugar

1tsp vanilla extract 1 clementine 95g butter 300g gingerbread biscuits (plus extra for decoration)

method Melt the butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Crush your biscuits in a sealed bag with a rolling pin to form a crumb texture and add this to your melted butter.

Combine the biscuits and butter, then flatten this into your cheesecake dish to form a solid even base layer. Place the dish in the fridge for it to harden. Whip the double cream so it is slightly stiff. Then add the cream cheese and whisk a little more so you have a thick consistency.

Sift in the icing sugar along with the cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract. Grate the skin of the clementine and add this rind to the mixture. Fold the cheesecake mixture to ensure all the ingredients are combined.

Remove the dish from the fridge and layer the cheesecake mixture over of the base to form a nice even layer. Crush some more gingerbread biscuits and sprinkle this around the edge of the cheesecake (optional). Place the cheesecake back in the fridge for serving later. It will keep for to 2-3 days in the fridge…if you can wait that long!

FIND MORE RECIPES HERE 65

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“open up & inspire�

Georgia Vaux words by Karolina Barnes, photography and images provided by Play Purse

I talked to Georgia Vaux, the founder and creative director of Play Purse, who is on a mission to bring back the beaded toy purse from the 1970's.

We discussed her journey so far and her fear of failure, challenges and mistakes she learnt from.

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1. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR JOURNEY SO FAR? As a child I would spend hours in the museum gift shop eyeing up all the novelties and souvenirs, and spending my pocket money on vending machine toys. That aesthetic has stayed with me and has very much been the inspiration behind Play Purse. As well as working as a graphic designer I have also been involved with fashion and accessories design. In the early 2000’s, together with my friend, Louise Scott-Smith, I founded a fashion-led homeware company called Lovelylovely (stocked in Liberty of London and Selfridges). I gained a lot of production and sourcing experience that proved very useful when it came to researching the manufacturing of Play Purse.

In my collection of novelties, I’d kept since childhood, were two in particular that intrigued me: a toy silver watch and a toy beaded coin purse. I was working on a collection of clothing and accessories that had a playful twist and wanted to do something with these. By chance I met someone who specialised in leather printing and had the idea of creating a grownup version of the plastic toy watch. Next was the toy purse. I thought it would be cool to have a grown up version - just the same, but bigger.

I started to do some research and found that you couldn’t even buy the purses new anymore, just vintage ones on eBay and Etsy. I wanted to find new purses so that I could find the details of where they were manufactured but couldn’t find them anywhere. I think they stopped manufacturing them about 20 years ago. I had to start from scratch sourcing the fabrics and getting moulds made for the beads. It took 2 years of development until they looked like the originals.

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2. WHAT IS THE CONCEPT AND MISSION WITH PLAYPURSE? The lengthy process of developing the purses took over from the rest of the collection I had been working on and soon it was all about Play Purse. These little toy purses seemed to really hit a nerve with women and I wanted to bring them back and make them for grown ups.

3. HOW DID YOU OVERCOME THE FEAR OF FAILURE? There are constant challenges, and of course plenty of mistakes to make along the way. I had a real battle with the manufacturing as the first few batches were not right, but I persevered and we worked through the various issues until all the details were right. Once I was happy with the sampling I knew I had to be brave and start the manufacturing process. At some point you have to take a leap of faith.

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4. WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING YOU HAD TO LEARN WHEN SETTING UP YOUR OWN BRAND? I think the biggest challenge for me is accepting that growing a brand takes time, and I am very impatient. Doing it on my own is also a daily challenge, there are so many elements to this and I am only just beginning to develop some business sense.

“It's important to know your costs from the start.”

5. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST BUSINESS LESSON SO FAR? I think designers are driven by seeing their designs come to life - there’s not too much thought about the business side of things at the beginning. The biggest lesson has to be getting my costs right! This needs to be done at the start, not retrospectively. It’s so tempting to metaphorically stick your fingers in your ears and charge on with the designs and manufacturing without a thought as to how everything adds up.

6. WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE TO ANYONE WHO WANTS TO CHANGE CAREER OR FOLLOW A PASSION FOR FASHION? Play Purse is sort of outside fashion; you don’t have to be fashionable or a follower of fashion to enjoy a Play Purse. I’m very much in favour of ‘Slow Fashion’. It is pretty much impossible as an independent designer to keep up with the ongoing seasonal demands of the fashion industry without huge amounts of funding.

I like the idea of a more purposeful and eclectic fashion movement and think it is a far more manageable business model for independent designers. I think my advice would be to be mindful of the pace of fast fashion (there are even micro-seasons now!) and work with the new Slow Fashion movement. I mean, my toy purse from when I was a girl is still in fashion!

LEARN MORE ABOUT PLAY PURSE HERE 71

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ESTILA MAGAZINE editor in chief

Karolina Barnes fashion editor

Flavia Young @ Luxe Layers beauty editors

Nicola McCullough @ StrawberryBlonde Beauty Karla Cihak food editor

Jemma Andrew-Adiamah @ Celery & Cupcakes Ellen Stanton @ Pale Blue Plate design editor

Emilia Vespoli @ ViaSanVito interiors editor

Anouska Lancaster@ Noushka Design online editor & stylist

Athina Bluff researcher & proof reader

Claire Smith CONTRIBUTE Have you got something interesting to say? New product launch or inspirational story to share? We want to hear from you.

Submit your story to editor@estila.co

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