This exclusive interview brings together two visionary editors in the fashion industry — Tanja Beljanski (L’Officiela Arabai ) and Jyoti Matoo (Voir Fashion Magazine) — as they discuss the evolution of digital fashion, representation, and the future of the industry.

In a world where fashion media often follows a narrow standard of beauty, Jyoti Matoo is changing the narrative. As the founder of Voir Fashion Magazine, she has created a digital-first platform that celebrates diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment.

In this exclusive interview, Matoo opens up about her journey, the challenges of being a woman entrepreneur, and her vision for the future of fashion.

You can view the Full Interview on the Lofficiela website https://lofficielarabia.com/format/women.php

Check out the incredible Photo Shoot Captured by LoLo Creativ

MUA; Kareem Jacrche MakeUp

Hair ; Danilo Giangreco Hair

Styling Assistant; Camila Morgante

Editorial Assistant; Mia Washbrook

Look 1 Jyoti Wears

Victoria Beckham Double Breasted Tuxedo Jacket In Ivory with matching 

Cropped Tuxedo Trouser In Ivory

Necklace and Bracelet Shirin Uma London Fine Jewellery

Shoes Amina Muaddi Anok MuleBag Jimmy Choo SS25 Bon Bon

Look 2 Jyoti Wears

Nadine Merabi Monica Black Blazer

Nadine Merabi Charlotte Black Trousers

Nadine Merabi Leni Black Waist Coat 

Max Mara Sunglasses Available at Marcolin Eyewear

Black Faux Fur Coat Marciano by Guess 

Leni White Waist Coat Nadine Merabi

Good Skate Wide Leg Jeans Good American

Shoes Jimmy Choo Scarlett Shoe

Picture 2 

Coat Balenciaga Faux fur Coat

Bag Jimmy Choo Leopard-print leather-trimmed pony hair shoulder bag

The post A Conversation Between Two Fashion Magazine Editors appeared first on Voir Fashion.

A crazy strong brand with an even stronger founder and entrepreneur – we interviewed Loretta, the brains behind the brand.

I was really excited to hear your story as it’s very much what Voir fashion is about; bold females that shake up industries.

Just to kick off, you come from a musical background, don’t you?

I spent around 16 years working in live music. That’s what I always used to want to do, so, I started when I was about 16 and just worked my way up from intern to music agent. I always knew I’d work in live music so that was a big passion at the time.

That’s really cool. So, when you were working in live music were you personally performing?

I wasn’t performing. What we did with the music agent is looked after the live careers of artists and bands. So, anything to do with live shows such as booking festivals, gigs and seeing where they would play and building their live career was managed through us.

I know with most entrepreneurial stories, it is about seeing a gap or feeling some sort of frustration. How did you transition into beauty?

I had a friend who was the beauty director at Stylist magazine and we used to go on nights out and I would complain about the hair products available to me, where I had to go and buy them, and just my experiences in general. Then she asked me to write about it and put it into an article for her so I did. It was one of their most read articles so they asked me to contribute as a beauty writer on a freelance basis which I did for two years and that’s how I got into it. I’ve always been passionate about beauty but I just didn’t feel like it was for me and part of my role was to recommend beauty products for the magazine and I struggled. I was putting in products that were just ‘ok’ because I didn’t have anything else to recommend.

At the time, which was about 5 to 7 years ago, a lot of the products I was importing were from the US and back then it used to take around 3 to 4 weeks to arrive. So I really struggled to find products that I thought were great and that’s where the seed was really planted. I remember waiting for a brand like this to come along and I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t anything that was effective for my hair, smelt great, looked great and was cool. It didn’t exist and I couldn’t see it anywhere so that’s when I decided to do it.

That’s funny because when I was researching, I saw one of your comments when you said that you were sick of seeing the same bog-standard pictures on black hair products and you know… it’s all like the same sort of graphics and visuals that you see in all the stores. I thought that was quite an interesting point as well and because the brand is so cool, it’s got a real 90’s flair to it.

So, in terms of taking the shift to do that, that’s quite a jump and quite bold you know because launching a product brand is very expensive… How did you find that process?

Well, I left my big music job and went to another job but then got made redundant almost immediately. I had nothing to do there anyway *laughs* so it was no surprise. I then spent about 6 months looking for another job in music and there were a few things that I could have taken but I realised my heart wasn’t in it and after about 6 months I was like you know what “this is the time to give this a shot!” So, I used some redundancy money, maxed my credit cards, I was unemployed at the time and just went for it. I got it to sample level and then tested it on about 40 to 50 people. This was for the conditioner, as I had just launched it and they all came back saying it was the best conditioner they’d ever tried so that’s when I knew it was time to just go for it.

£ 22

Dizziak Deep Conditioner

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£ 20

Dizziak Hydration Wash

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One thing I definitely did was created the brand before it even existed, I wrote a press release, had the design which I worked on with an artist called ‘Ted’s Draws’ and if someone would ask me “What do you do for a living?”, I would say “Oh I’m just about to launch a beauty brand”. I just spoke it into existence I think *laughs*.  It was so different that when I took it to a PR, they wanted it immediately and then helped me get contacts for Liberty and Cult beauty. For the Liberty meeting, I prepared a week, got a taxi in because I didn’t want to look like I’d been on the tube *Jyoti laughs* and walked into this meeting ready to pitch the hell out of it. They were like “we’re definitely having this product” and I was like Oh! And then I gone within 10 minutes. I didn’t know what to do with myself.

They said they tried it, absolutely loved; the branding, everything. So, they launched it in the front window of the store. I got nothing but yes’ so it just felt like a no brainer, I can’t really describe it any other way. The product was there, everything was there, the branding was there and that had been because of years and years of my life experiences which I feel went into that bottle… tube! Not bottle *laughs*

That’s crazy. It sounds like there’s been some triumph there. But I have to be completely honest when I say I’ve spoken to so many entrepreneurs and I’ve rarely had anyone say to me that they got so many yes’. Did you feel like it happened quite soon, that it went like that for you or was it quite a tough one?

 I don’t feel like it was soon because this was years of writing and experience, and I spent a year working on it before it launched. So, it wasn’t immediate but I didn’t put it out there until I knew it was 100% ready. It was so different that it couldn’t be ignored and ultimately the results spoke for themselves so when people tried it, they were like “Wow! Look at my hair!”

That is so cool. You also had a big year last year. Are you going into Skincare now as well?

Yeah, there were 2 body products that I always wanted. The body conditioner came about because people kept telling me that they were putting the deep conditioner on their skin *laughs* and I was like “don’t do that!” *laughs* and I just kept getting loads of comments like “I wish this was a body butter” or “I wish this was a body cream”. Body lotions traditionally have no fun in them; They take ages to sink in when your cold out of the shower. And there’s either the really expensive ones that you’re rationing so that it can last a long time, or there’s the drug store ones that you put on but it doesn’t really do anything. So, I knew that there was a massive space to upgrade the body lotion experience where it smelt great, hydrated your skin, lasted a long time and sunk in fast.

Same with the body scrub, it would either be the expensive ones or too thick and too coarse, so you’re in there scrubbing for hours. There’s just no joy from that experience and I’ve always loved to scrub. I love it! Like it’s my treatment of choice. I used to go to a spa and love a body scrub so it’s something I wanted to bring to Dizziak formulas.

£ 20

Dizziak Body Conditioner

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£ 24

Dizziak Body Scrub

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That’s really cool. Where do you operate from now? Do you have your own office space or do you still work from home?

I work from different spaces, I’ve got some spots *laughs* around London but I just need my laptop so I can move around.

Another highlight you had last year was Dua Lipa becoming one of your investors. How did that come about?

Well, I knew her management at the time a few years back and I passed some Dizziak over to her and she loved it. That’s when the conversation started a few years back and I guess I just presented it and said “do you want to come in?”. I’d always had her in mind; I thought she was really cool and I loved her strong opinions. She’s London centric but has global appeal. I just thought it would be a really good match, and it has been.

You also won some awards last year! It’s been a big year in which you’ve had quite a lot happen. Would you say that’s been the biggest year so far?

Erm, I don’t know *laughs* I just keep going *laughs* I don’t really stop. When everyone stops at the end of the year and goes through everything, I don’t. *laugh* I never stop so I don’t really see it, I see it as one. Just keep going, keep the energy up and keep moving is one of my moto’s that I kind of live by anyways!

Is there anything that you’ve got coming up in 2023 that you’re allowed to tell us about?

There’s some hair products that will be coming out. The range for Dizziak will always be kept relatively small. I don’t want to be one of these brands that have 30 different products that all do the same sort of thing. I work hard on each formula so they come out when they’re ready and when they’re done. But, there’s definitely a couple that you will see quite soon.

It’s so exciting because there’s so many positive reviews and it seems like as soon as people they get their hands on it, they can’t really live without it. What’s your secret sauce… what sets you apart from your competitors?

I don’t care about profit margin enough, so that’s probably what it is. I spend the money on the ingredients to get the product where it needs to be. I think, if you’re a massive multi-national brand, you’re not going to spend that money. You’re just going to focus on marketing and branding of something that’s kind of average and that will get you sales. I take the hit basically on the cost of it because why else would I do it? I didn’t dream of being a businesswoman, ever! I just wanted to like, I mean I’d do nothing if I.. *laughs* No I’m joking *laughs*. If I know the market is so competitive, then why would I go out there with something average? That wasn’t going to be me.

So branding is the key part, most importantly it’s your formulas and you’re prepared to take whatever it takes?

Yeah, number one, it’s got to be effective and there’s no reason why it can’t also look great! The scent was so important to me as well. I’d grown up having to use products that always had this sort of artificial sickly fruit smell that I cannot bear. So I really wanted something that was fresh, genderless, and that you would never get sick of. It’s been a long, long time for me! *laughs*

Also the branding is just timeless!

That’s what I wanted. I wanted a staple brand that wasn’t going to be the ‘hypiest’ brand out there because I wanted it to be a “you can trust this brand” and you can always come back to it. It will always be there, be the best it can be and not just hype for a couple of years and then go away.

So I know you said you never really set out to be a businesswoman and never had a big entrepreneurial journey in mind but what advice would you give to someone who wants to launch a beauty brand or would want to come into this?

I feel like people need to listen to themselves more and I mean that quite broadly in the sense that you should listen to advice but you really need to have some sort of gut instinct about things, and you need to be able to trust that.

Also, if you’re looking to launch a brand, stop looking at what everyone else is doing because we’re just getting millions and millions of these copycat brands. Find something that actually matters, that’s different, that’s unique. Otherwise, unless you have millions and millions of pounds, you’re just going to be struggling next to other brands for the rest of time. And it is hard work, so essentially listen to yourself, set yourself apart.

It’s been so amazing speaking to you and listening! Thank you so much. To say you never set out this journey, you were clearly naturally always an entrepreneur and destined to be one!

_{Interview By Jyoti Matoo}

The post Interviewing Loretta De Feo: Filling Market Gaps and Breaking Mainstream Conventions with Dizziak appeared first on Voir Fashion.

How did your journey begin with Khanum’s?

Khanum’s started as a side hustle. I had lost my job through redundancy and was left unemployed for 18 months. After interviewing for jobs non stop everyday and being rejected everyday,  I finally found a full-time role. When I eventually landed this role, I told myself that I needed an additional stream of income with hopes of additional financial security. The only option for me was to start a ‘side hustle’. 

The idea to start a niche evening wear, particularly jackets, stemmed from seeing a gap in the market for affordable, luxury statement pieces. There were several established high end designer brands offering what I wanted to create but the price points were never attainable for women like myself. My personal preference and ‘financial lane’ at the time admired luxury fashion with some high street styling. I loved the luxury customer experience from the quality of clothing to the sophisticated packaging detail and wanted to create a brand which offered this. I thought, what can I do to cater to an aspirational customer like myself, and create something quite luxurious yet affordable at the same time? That’s how Khanum’s started.

£ 460

Khanum’s Kamia Black Blazer

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£ 630

Khanum’s Kamila Black Blazer

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£ 440

Khanum’s Kys Crop Blazer

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You’re an entrepreneur and saw a gap in the market! So, you didn’t have a design background at all?

No, I didn’t. I studied Law at University. It’s quite a broad subject and I feel like it’s equipped me with a lot of analytical and research skills. I specialised in Intellectual Property Law which has proven extremely beneficial to Khanum’s with the design law aspect, protecting my designs etc, so I don’t regret it at all.

With you not having a design background, which is not unheard of, how did you actually get into fashion design? What does that process look like?

Well, I feel like I’ve always been a natural creative.  My parents are Bangladeshi immigrants who came to London in the late 70s and worked in the garment-making industry. They would produce bulk orders at home for a London-based manufacturer which was just round the corner from where we lived in Brick Lane. So, I was fully exposed to garment production at home. I witnessed my mum cutting patterns and fabric on our kitchen dinner table, then stitch all those fabrics into clothing in our machine room. My dad would do the same after he’d come back from working in restaurants. My older sister was artistic too, she’d always be sketching designs. Just from observation I’d see what they’d be doing and I’d sneak off to do it myself. Creativity and design has always been with me. It’s just not something that I chose to pursue because of certain circumstantial challenges.

Wow! When did you feel like it went from a side hustle to the full-time business that it is now? 

I never saw Khanum’s as a business that would become something as amazing as it is now.  I never envisioned that at all. I thought, it’s just a side hustle, a bit of money coming in, and I’ll put it towards savings. I’ll continue my 9-5 job, because that’s the main security. However, within the first few months there was an incredible surge of brand credibility and validation through revenue and brand awareness from social media and influencers that wanted to collaborate with us. 

The first collaboration that we did was with an influencer named Charlotte Emily Sanders, who was incredibly nice. She was happy to borrow a jacket, take a mirror selfie, and from that we had so many influencers requesting to collaborate with us. It was like a domino effect. It was so natural and organic and that’s what really helped increase revenue and generate sales beyond expectation. 

In the first seven months of running the business, as a side hustle from my bedroom, I managed to solely generate six figures. I then thought, maybe I should quit my job? I had a lot of customers, and I couldn’t continue my job as well as running my business outside of that. I was picking and packing orders, responding to customer service emails and DMs, marketing and putting Instagram/email posts together before work, during lunch breaks and after work. It just got to a point where it was a lot to keep up with the demand. I sat on the idea of quitting the day job, because I was scared. The fear of losing financial security lingered from my past experience of being unemployed for 18 months. 

In my mind, I was scarred by the fact that it was hard to finally get a job and here I am now thinking about quitting? What if my business fails? What if I quit my job and I don’t get as many sales as I do right now? It was a really difficult decision. It was only 18 months after I started Khanum’s where I semi took the leap of faith. I had a conversation with my manager and I asked her if I could work part time, and that my business wouldn’t conflict with that job.  She asked if she could have a look at my business, so she looked at my website and social media. Plot twist! She knew my brand, but didn’t know it was mine. It was quite crazy. She was the one to tell me to quit my job and focus on the business. It was the push I needed.

It sounds like it was scary for you, but it’s really paid off, hasn’t it? Were there any other creative influences that you had when you were growing up?

In terms of role models in business and entrepreneurship, when I was unemployed, I read the book ‘Girl Boss’ by Sophia Amoruso. Then, the Netflix adaptation came out, and I watched that five times. If you’ve watched that, or if you’ve read the book, you can see her journey when she’s struggling with her day job, wanting to make a quick buck which then unintentionally exploded. That planted a seed in my mind and thought maybe that’s what I could do as well? 

I also read ‘How to Become an Overnight Success’ by Maria Hatzistefanis, the founder of Rodial Beauty. She detailed her entrepreneurship journey over 10 years which finally led to success. Those two were key inspirations for me in terms of starting up a business. 

In terms of key role models, without sounding cliché, I saw my mum as a great role model. I saw her raising seven kids at home, an amazing full-time mum, she was a housewife, but was also working to make ends meet. She was making clothes for all of these brands and was doing so whilst raising all of us. I just thought; she’s a woman that’s so efficient, so militant, and gets everything done. I admired that, and recognised her determination with zero excuses at all. If this woman can do all that? Why can’t I, as a woman working 9-5, with a side hustle, and also being a mother to only one child? So, in terms of resilience, efficiency and dedication, my key role model has always been my mum.

£ 1640

Khanum’s Khatt Kimono

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£ 216

Khanum’s Khefali Top

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£ 260

Khanum’s Kira Maxi Dress

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What advice would you give to aspiring creatives or people that want to go into the fashion business? 

Many say that the fashion industry is extremely saturated, but I feel like there’s a space for everyone. I think the key is to really research the market that you want to go into and find a niche. You have to stand out from the crowd and you need to have a unique selling point. Master your niche/USP, then the next key is finding methods of communicating why your brand is IT. You also need to consider your niche as finding a solution to a lot of people’s problems. For me, I thought, I’m young and I want to buy statement pieces. I love jackets, but the only other brands I saw that did those kinds of jackets are very high fashion, established brands, selling them for thousands of pounds which wasnt attainable for me. I wanted to create an affordable, luxury brand and provide the customer service and experience of a luxury brand. That way it’s honed in on both experiences, but you’re not paying the price. My advice would be to find a unique selling point and figure out the experience that you’re going to be providing for that customer.

You’ve had some exciting influencers and cool people wear your clothes. Who would you say has been your favourite person to work with so far?

Seeing Nicole Scherzinger wear a Khanum’s blazer. She was always a woman crush for me. So that was amazing.  

Is there anything exciting that you’re allowed to share with us that you’ve got coming up? 

We are launching our bridal collection next March, which is going to be incredible.. We’ve been working through the embellishment swatches and designs, we’re getting there! Khanum’s Bridal is not your traditional bridal gowns, it’s not going to be anything like that. It bridges the gap for the non-conventional bride and provides a 360 wardrobe for the brides entire wedding journey abnd experience and journey from engagement party to honeymoon fits.  That’s the niche I’ve discovered for bridal, and that’s what I want to push into. 

£ 220

Khanum’s Kiyah Maxi Dress Ivory

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£ 268

Khanum’s Kerl Mini Dress Ivory

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£ 630

Khanum’s Kamila Blazer Ivory

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Interview by Jyoti Matoo

^{Graphics Header Image By Mia Washbrook}

The post An Interview with Khanum’s Founder: Rokeya Khanum Chats Past, Future and Brand Success with Us appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Trailblazer Noelly Michoux shares her mission to redefine an industry with her newly-founded customised skincare brand 4.5.6 Skin, that looks to address the global beauty market gap for non-caucasian skin. Through a clever blend of science and education, 4.5.6 focuses on providing for those with melanin-rich skin on an empowering level as well as a topical one—ensuring a bespoke customer experience with every product. But aside from the innovative business model, recyclable packaging, and clinically advanced formulations, we’re even more excited to learn about the inspiring woman with a trailblazing attitude and bubbly personality to match, who made it all happen. 

We caught up with Noelly to learn more about her incredible journey towards entrepreneurship, and all of the trials and tribulations that went along with it—but additionally, how she unwinds from her hectic schedule through podcasts and Cameroonian music. And whilst there are still challenges when juggling between motherhood, wifehood, and a brand-new business, Noelly’s proving that it’s not only possible to become a successful entrepreneur—even in the midst of a global pandemic—but she’s also motivating us to do the same and encouraging those too afraid to take that first leap, to just do it. 

And as a strong pioneer for women everywhere, we can’t help but feel in awe of her resilience and determination throughout the entire process. But with such a passionate and driven CEO at the helm, we have no doubt that 4.5.6 Skin will succeed in their goal to close the knowledge gap—and the skincare race gap—once and for all. 

Hi Noelly, it’s so lovely to meet you! Would you like to tell us about yourself and your skincare journey?

Hello Voir! Well, it wasn’t my plan to become an entrepreneur at all. I’d just been frustrated with beauty products in general as a dark-skinned girl growing up in Normandy, where trying to find anything was a real struggle. My mum would bring butters and oils from Cameroon, but obviously as a young person you were drawn to the beautiful things that your friends were using instead. And at first, I attributed the lack of products to me living in a small village, but when I moved to Paris with hopes for more options, I was left so disappointed! Then I moved to London with high expectations thinking it would be different, but I was still faced with the same problem, and then again when I went to the US. I became obsessed, and by that time I’d become quite the skincare addict to the point where I learned how to look at a formula and then be like, ‘yeah, this isn’t going to work for me.’ So that’s when I identified through my own struggle, the link between people who have melanin in their skin, and those not being satisfied with what the beauty industry had to offer. But it wasn’t until I started working for this ecommerce agency that specialised in French luxury beauty products, that I realised there was a much larger issue and I wanted to do something about it. 

Talk us through the journey of creating 4.5.6 Skin, where did it all start?

When I had my first child in 2013, I got the pregnancy mask, and the hyperpigmentation was so bad I was thinking, ‘seriously? Here we go again with the trouble. You really need to do something,’ but I didn’t. I wasn’t ready. But when I had my son in August 2017, I thought there’s just no way I can go back to working for anyone, and that’s when the truest part of myself was telling me, ‘this is what you need to be doing, this is your calling.’ So I decided to ignore the voice in my head that said I would fail, and in early 2018, I just wrote a concept for this melanin driven skincare brand that would offer topical solutions fitting the melanin skin principles (instilled with nutraceuticals), then just topped it off with a mission to close the education gap. Because even just finding out about how melanin skin works healed me because I knew then that my skin wasn’t the problem. It was empowering. But it wasn’t until I joined the French Cosmetic Valley network after my first formulator bailed mid-production, that I was put in touch with my now co-founder Iman, a Tunisian woman who’s a doctor and pharmaceutical skin expert with a history in nutraceuticals and prescriptive skincare for melanin-rich skin. I mean, god sent her, obviously. Then we teamed up with New York City based dermatologist and melanin skin specialist, Dr. Charles, and began setting up production from the LVMH Research Centre labs. Although, it wasn’t long before we realised, we had to create our own lab because we were operating in an industry that’s really only set up for white skin. And when you want to challenge the status quo, you can’t do that in someone else’s lab with someone else’s process that isn’t set up for the audience you’re trying to serve. So we turned around and said, ‘we need to start our own lab.’ And then we created these amazing products that actually understood how melanin-rich skin works, manufactured and customised them for our clients, and sold them through our own website. I think for a brand like ours with huge ambitions, who want to do it the right way, you have to do that with freedom and independence. 

And tell us about the name 4.5.6 Skin, how did you come up with it?

Oh yeah, that wasn’t the initial name actually [laughs]. It was RYS, which stands for ‘reclaim your skin.’ So that was when I first created the company, but if you get an invoice from me, it won’t be 4.5.6 Skin, it’ll be RYS Cosmetiques because I thought, ‘I’m going to have many more brands, and this is the mother company, so why not. Let’s do it.’ But as we were specifying the branding for our target market, we just knew that the name wasn’t going to work out. I asked myself how can I find a name that would make the Latina girl, the Middle-Eastern girl, the mixed race girl, and the black girl all understand that this is about you, without getting into the social cultural past of society. And when we were looking for a different name—I was working with this guy Patrick Fizz and he’s coming up with things, I was like, ‘that sounds too French, that’s too generic, that’s too urban. I don’t want anything urban.’ [Laughs]. Then I thought, ‘why are we even going this far? We’re making skincare for the skin phototypes four, five, and six, let’s just call the brand 4.5.6.’ Everyone laughed but then we were like, ‘yeah, since we’re trying to be different anyway, why not be different with naming the company too?’ And that’s how 4.5.6 stayed. 

How was it to actually press the launch button during a pandemic, what were some of the challenges you found?

It was a weird time; the first thing that happened with Covid was the closure of our packaging manufacturer in Italy. We had this whole process going on for months where we were going to do this glass packaging with colour blocks. It was beautiful. But from there we thought that maybe we’re investing too much in the packaging, and that’s not what we should be doing. Plus, it’s just not in our DNA; we’re trying to be that brand that’s all about what’s inside the bottle. The second thing was that we’d just started working on our lab, but then the whole construction area was shut down due to Covid… We were supposed to launch in June 2020, and that didn’t happen. But the minute the French government gave the green light to go back to work, we were lucky enough to have our team continue construction. So we ended up solving our issues with Covid; we found a small packaging manufacturer, got smaller quantities of frosted glass, and we bought a machine to actually personalise our packaging at the lab. At the end we thought, ‘if this ever happens again, we’re not going to get caught up in the middle this time.’

So, you’re all prepared now?

Absolutely. We can buy unmarked glass packaging so we can do the whole customisation in the lab, and that’s it. So that was sorted, and the lab was sorted. Then we just spent our days on the phone chasing people, asking where the orders are to get the ingredients; because that was another thing, sourcing the ingredients. It was so hard for us to select those that really fit our formulation principles. I remember in the middle of formulation, we had to stop working with this supplier with whom we had 80% of our ingredients because we could no longer get the small quantities that we’d been previously promised. And we just thought, ‘okay child, bye bye. Now let’s find a new supplier.’ [Laughs]. Iman and I, we’re hustlers; we’re not going to compromise. And although it was so hard to get the actual product, it happened because we were so relentless. So I’d say that Covid really strengthened our position as a fully integrated brand, and we knew it was really the right decision. We overcame the trials to best serve our customers’ needs, and altogether I think it was an exercise for resilience that only made us stronger. 

Noelly, we think you’re so inspiring! What a story so far. You mentioned that this idea had been in the works since 2013 but with so many barriers along the way, how did you manage to stay motivated?

Yeah, a lot of the time I felt like crap. Just looking at my background, I wasn’t born in the West, I was born in Cameroon and I come from very challenging circumstances, but I think my whole life built me to be the most resilient person [laughs]. Even though I have highs and lows, the vision stays, and I will always find my way back to it by continuing to believe in myself. And remembering that the worst thing that can happen is that I’ll be rejected, but so what? I think that’s what really keeps me pushing; the idea that even if it doesn’t work out then at least I would know that I’d given it my absolute all. 

What’s been your most rewarding moment since launching 4.5.6 Skin?

I think the most rewarding moments are when I get those customers who send messages saying, ‘thank you so much for existing, you guys are doing such amazing work,’ or even when they come back and say, ‘this isn’t working for me.’ So, we’re like, ‘okay, fine, tell us what’s not working because we do have this lab where we can change things up for you.’ And for those who we’ve done that for come back like, ‘I’ve never seen this before, the fact that you guys can actually reformulate and switch up my formula, and now this is working so much better for me… I don’t know what to say to you guys but thank you.’ For me, that’s one of the best things. So, when I see a customer sending us a letter saying how much they have trouble with their skin, how they’ve given up and they’re just patching it up with makeup, that really resonates with me because I’ve been there. 

Earlier you talked about staying motivated, what other advice would you give aspiring beauty entrepreneurs who are inspired by your story?

I’m personally still figuring things out so I don’t feel like I have a lot of advice to give anyone, but the advice I would give is that even though you might not come from a successful background, that doesn’t mean you should stop showing up to the world the way that you want to. Really get close to your own power, your emotions, and your aspirations. Listen to yourself and know that sometimes not knowing can be a blessing in disguise, because when you know everything then you realise how hard it’s going to be and you can just get discouraged. What I’ve found during this whole process is that I never knew how to do anything (really), but just having that attitude and putting that energy out there, I was always able to figure it out. 

If you could go back to 2013, would you do anything differently? 

If I had the courage, then I would’ve done this a lot sooner, but that’s not a regret. I’d just tell myself to get out there and stop being afraid. 

What’s your favourite product from the 4.5.6 Skin range?

You know, that’s the most difficult question that people ask me because I’m like, ‘what? You want me to choose? I can’t!’ I love all of my products of course, but there’s one product in particular that gets me and it’s our cleansing oil. Because my skin is so dry and it gets dehydrated (it’s also super sensitive), when I use this product it’s like putting a balm of goodness, self-care, and love on my face, and then it feels like the whole burden of the day is melting away along with the dirt and pollution. Then when I rinse it off, I’m left with nothing but comfortable and clean skin, and it really feels like a full reset for me. So, yeah… If you were to ask me which product I’d take to a deserted island, that would be the one. And if you ask me to go without it, then that’s going to be a problem because I’m addicted to it. 

How do you wind down and take a step back from everything?

Oh, I’m bad at it. I mean, really really bad at it. I’m a new entrepreneur, so this lifestyle isn’t normal for me and there’s still so much fear surrounding it that I’m lacking the ability to disconnect. But when we went through the first lockdown last year, I had both my kids at home due to the schools being closed, and just being able to look at them, that really allowed me to be like, ‘okay, something needs to change here.’ In the mornings I have a yoga class, and I see this amazing mental coach who gives me tools on how to calm myself down and how to compartmentalise my life. Although just listening to Cameroonian music and dancing like I’m back in my village is super healing for my soul too. Something that I love as well are podcasts; they’re my go-to source for information. 

Do you have a favourite quote or saying?

‘Beauty starts with knowledge.’ And right now, that’s my favourite quote because it pertains to my business the most. 

And you mentioned that you love listening to podcasts, do you have any favourites?

Oh, yes! I’ve been listening to The Life Coach School Podcast for years now where this woman called Brooke Castillo explains the five elements of how life works; your circumstances and how they impact your thoughts, how your thoughts affect your feelings, then how your feelings inform your actions, and finally how your actions create your results. I love, love, love her podcast [laughs]. I listen to it almost every day. There’s also The Daily, The Glossy Podcast, and Generosity With Yourself because I love listening to these stories of entrepreneurs on how they started and about their journey; they give me hope. Recently I’ve also been listening to Techish by this British girl called Abdesi; she’s amazing, and I’m sticking with her next week too. I’m such a huge fan! Rhys from NPR News Now has such an incredible interview style too if you want to listen to the most heart-breaking family stories. So yeah, there’s a bunch of them that I listen to. I just love podcasts!

£ 28

COME CLEAN – Cleansing Oil

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£ 99

The 3-Step Pigmentation Set

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£ 55

DAY HACK – Matte Moisturiser

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Interview By Jyoti Matoo, Words By Vinona Baines

The post Meet Noelly Michoux, The Trailblazer Redefining Melanin Skin Care appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Just a glance at Mocaro’s website and it’s clear that British-Caribbean designer, Monisha Robinson, is onto something. Her bespoke menswear brand epitomises uniqueness in how it manages to pair precious metals with silk to create one-off accessories for suave and modern men.

Whilst many male designers have had womenswear as their focus, think Karl Lagerfield, Christian Dior and Alexander Wang, you may be scratching your head to think of women designers who have dedicated their brands to menswear. Well, now you can add Monisha to that list. Her ‘For Him. By Her’ ethos makes Mocaro truly stand out from the crowd and demonstrates an evolution in the industry with Monisha being a female designer working under the umbrella of menswear much like Bianca Saunders, Pariah Farzaneh and Roni Ilan.

Monisha Robinson in her studio space

In speaking to Monisha, it is clear that she was determined to be unconventional with her brand. She saw a “gap in the market” when observing the outfits worn by men at award shows. “Every bowtie appeared the same” – there was no variation in colour or texture. Men ties were standard, predictable and unadventurous so Monisha set out to create something more exciting – interweaving her expertise in jewellery design with her love for quality fabric to create one-of-a-kind pieces which now forms the baseline of Mocaro../

Monisha’s journey in the world of fashion begins as a secondary school student on the set of an Edward Scissorhands production. Gaining work-experience with a theatrical costumier introduced her into the processes behind design including “patternmaking, sewing, heat-pressing” and provided rich inspiration. Fast-forward a few years and Monisha found herself at London College of Fashion studying womenswear and business and secured an internship at Hatton Garden jewellers. The world-famous jewellery district in fact still plays a large role in Monisha’s brand with every signature piece being “individually hand stamped with the Mocaro hallmark”, made at Hatton Garden.

When asking Monisha on when she felt like Mocaro truly began blossoming, it was made clear that it was when she discovered the right manufacturers to uphold her high standards of quality: “once I found great manufactures – which was hard in terms of getting them to produce to a great standard – I saw Mocaro growing”. Good quality materials such as silk, metals and craftmanship is undoubtedly key to the brand, with the 100% silk fabrics being sourced from Macclesfield mill (est. 1755), the 925-sterling silver detailing stamped with the British Hallmark and a future possibility of incorporating “diamonds” into the next collection.

Undoubtedly, eminence is at the centre of Mocaro, as is authenticity. Robinson’s Caribbean heritage really shines through in the bespoke bowties featuring African fabric. The ties were made to be “bright, vibrant and luxurious” to add both tradition and culture to any outfit. The gold texture of the fabric along with the 18K gold neckband adds another layer of lavishness to the ties which interweave Monisha’s Caribbean and British heritage.

Bespoke Bowties from Mocaro

Being a female entrepreneur and a woman of Caribbean in heritage means Monisha has a unique place perspective on the industry. When asking Monisha on any advice she has for other women and PoC trying to start their own fashion businesses, she states: “Find your niche. Try to be different from the rest. I would also recommend finding a mentor because it is great to have a guide when you’re starting out so they can direct you beforehand and you can get a bit of experience”. Ultimately, Monisha adds, “follow your dreams. Don’t let anything hold you back. Once you have a great product/talent, don’t think or let anything get in your way with perseverance. You just need to keep on going and never give up!”.

With Monisha’s commendable worth ethic and advice, it is unquestionable that Mocaro has a bright future ahead of it. In 5 years Monisha hopes to extend Mocaro’s product range into menswear clothing, cologne after-shave and even skincare. Only time can tell what the future of the brand will be – possibly one with diamonds, perhaps one with Idris Elba (the Mocaro client of Monisha’s dreams) but definitely one that will continue growing and impressing.

Video of the design process on Mocaro’s website

Take a look for yourself here: https://www.mocaro.co.uk/

Words by Hena Sharma

Graphics by Katie Janes

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The post Meet The Female Entrepreneur Reshaping Men’s Accessories appeared first on Voir Fashion.

She pursued a career in writing, much like myself, as a result of one Carrie Bradshaw, who she admits “sold me a pipe dream and led me to believe that you could survive – nay, thrive!!! – on a single column a week.”

What do you get when you mix an Essex blogger with a flurry of feathers and a large portion of pie and mash? The answer: Daisy Keens, aka @pieandfash. She’s wonderfully eccentric, bright, talented, friendly and funny in equal measure whose leitmotif would most likely be an amorphous ball of feathers. She used to be part of a hammer throwing team, once conducted an ‘incredibly awkward’ interview with Jared Leto and admits to eating mozzarella balls in the same manner as she’d eat an apple. She kindly took the time out of her incredibly busy schedule (and devouring mozzarella balls I assume) to talk to Voir about fashion, glitter-tits and starting her own label, Ploom.

Daisy started a blog at university as a means of ‘flexing her literary muscles’, titled ‘The Girl Who Doesn’t Blog’s Blog’ which she confesses was both conceptually and grammatically confusing, “I’m still not sure where that apostrophe belongs!” Don’t worry, I can confirm, apostrophe’s all in order. She pursued a career in writing, much like myself, as a result of one Carrie Bradshaw, who she admits “sold me a pipe dream and led me to believe that you could survive – nay, thrive!!! – on a single column a week. Once that illusion was shattered, I reassessed and realised that blogging could be a thing that I do but probably not the ooonly thing that I do. Design, on the other hand, wasn’t in the equation whatsoever. It’s a pleasant surprise; equivalent to rooting around in your handbag and finding a long-forgotten bar of Galaxy.” What a poignant picture she paints. In a parallel universe, her alternate career would be a forensic pathologist. Now you know.

After curating a successful fashion and lifestyle blog, she recently turned into head honcho of her own label Ploom, a purveyor of plumage, and one half of a mother-daughter production line,

After curating a successful fashion and lifestyle blog, she recently turned into head honcho of her own label Ploom, a purveyor of plumage, and one half of a mother-daughter production line, hand crafting each garment from her home in Margate. “I’ve got a real affinity for feathers – or anything that brings my silhouette closer to Big Bird, really – and I was forever bugging my poor mum with requests to fashion me some fabulous top or another. After wearing the aforementioned tops on the ‘gram, I’d find myself inundated with questions about where I’d bought it or how someone could replicate it. So I decided to give the people what they wanted and set up shop! Everything is made-to-measure, so it’s a small operation and every piece we produce is different.”

“I’ve got a real affinity for feathers – or anything that brings my silhouette closer to Big Bird”

If you’re wondering where you might have seen her lovely face before, I will elucidate. She was once atop the finest news outlets in the land (for example, LADbible) made famous for trailblazing the now ubiquitous glitter tit. I asked her how she felt about her time in the limelight: “Positively gleeful. I was howling. My favourite headline came courtesy of Crave Online: The Newest Craze ‘Glitter Nipples’ Is The Hottest Waste Of Time Yet.” (Honestly, iconic.) “If that’s the legacy I leave, I’m thrilled. A pioneer in the disco tit department. What more could you want?’ She then went on to collaborate with Ruth Melbourne (long-time disco-tit advocate/enthusiast – full title) to produce Swarovski-encrusted nipple pasties at £165 a pop. Who’s laughing now, lads?

A lot of her fashion choices are (what some may consider) risqué, so I wondered if this was a deliberate or loaded choice. “I don’t dress with the intention of being provocative, but sometimes that just happens to be a bi-product of the clothes that hang in my wardrobe and the way society digests those clothes. My sartorial choices are deliberate insomuch as whatever I choose to wear has to make me feel good. My world could be falling apart – every element thrown into chaos and disarray – but one thing is steadfast and immovable: I like my outfit.” I think those are words to live by, no?

“My world could be falling apart – every element thrown into chaos and disarray – but one thing is steadfast and immovable: I like my outfit.”

In this way, her choices are empowering and therefore, feminist: “Fashion empowers me every single day. Clothes can be as meaningful or meaningless to you as you fancy, but for me getting dressed is a way of communicating who I am to the world. Sometimes words fail me or anxiety gets the better of me, but the clothes I’m wearing are putting in the legwork even when I can’t.” Her fierce feminism is apparent throughout her many blog posts surrounding the issue, whether that is the importance of the female orgasm, tampon tax or overcoming period taboo. She believes that fashion and feminism are “inextricably linked” and that they always have been. “Fashion is a means of communication; it can both signify and elicit change.” Fashion is proactive, rather than reactive. Women have always pushed boundaries in an attempt to redefine and elasticise feminine conditions: the mini skirt didn’t come as a result of sexual liberation, rather it was the catalytic precursor to the movement. Daisy points me in the direction of the Bustle article that says it best.

If you pop over to her Instagram page or blog, you will find her very candid and courageous posts about her own abortion, her (usually humorously unsuccessful) sexcapades, including attempting to make her own home sex tape, and her mental health struggles. “Being an open book comes naturally to me but I’ve realised that that level of transparency doesn’t come so naturally to others. I hope that me being frank and honest about these things either emboldens others to do the same, ensures that they don’t feel alone or educates those who can’t relate.” Her relatable narratives wonderfully weave serious subjects with a healthy injection of humour and a sense of, “hey, it’s okay if your IBS made you shit in the street…I’ve done that too”.

“I don’t have a huge platform by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be remiss of me not to shout about my passions – politics being one of them – and spread the word.”

You might also notice how lively she is on Instagram, sharing stories about serious political and social injustices. She impresses, “politics is everything! EVERYTHING! I know so many people who aren’t interested or feel as though politics doesn’t impact their lives, but I also think it’s quite often a privilege to be able to disengage with it. And those of us privileged enough to disengage are really the ones who need to be the most engaged. I don’t have a huge platform by any stretch of the imagination, but it would be remiss of me not to shout about my passions – politics being one of them – and spread the word.” She comments that she often receives messages from her followers thanking her for bringing the information to their attention, that they were unaware of the injustices, because they are so ubiquitous and overwhelming that she and her followers are grateful for the opportunity to be able to share and highlight these important issues. Then the next image she shares might be her in a rhinestone thong or wearing diamanté belts as a top à la Jodie Marsh circa 2004 – get a girl that can do both.

She is no stranger to eBay and Depop (she used to work for Depop, in fact) and those who are newer to the vortex that is online bargain hunting, she has some insider tips and tricks for dividing and conquering these sites. “My mind overspilleth with eBay tips and tricks! For example: you’d be surprised at how many people don’t proofread their eBay titles and send their precious listings live with some fatal spelling mistakes. With that in mind, make sure you have a little hunt for ‘Louis Vuiton’ bags, ‘Guci’ belts and ‘Manolo Blanik’ heels. You might just stumble upon some unearthed treasure. And then we’ll end up in a bidding war.”

I left the most important question last – where her favourite pie shop was. “Proper pie and mash with liquor is an East End and Essex staple and my favourite eatery is Danny’s Pie & Mash in Barkingside, although I’m also partial to Robins Pie & Mash in Romford. I’m salivating just thinking about it.”

“You only live once, so why not wear the bedazzled thong? And now you can shop that bedazzled thong directly via my link in bio! Ta-daaaa!!”

Daisy is wonderfully refreshing to interview, and I’ve loved talking to her. Check out her blog and Instagram to keep up to date with her feathery endeavours, and perhaps indulge yourself with one (or indeed, several) of her colourful creations for the upcoming festive parties – I heard feathers are here in a BIG way this AW19. I know I will. She even recently enabled a tool in her blog that helps you shop her looks, “You only live once, so why not wear the bedazzled thong? And now you can shop that bedazzled thong directly via my link in bio! Ta-daaaa!!” Her favourite Instagram follows include @ocasio2018, @aclu_nationwide, @iamcardib, @commentsbycelebs, @thisishowilook, @gabriel_held_vintage and @celestebarber, in case you want to get inside her world a little deeper. And if those aren’t enough outlets to satiate yourself with Daisy-wise, perhaps pop to one of her local pie shops to buy her one, so you can natter over feathers, politics and her notorious glittery titteries.

Words by Lizzy Greenwood

Graphics by Katie Janes

The post In Full Ploom: Daisy Keens – Purveyor Of Plumage appeared first on Voir Fashion.