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.

We had a virtual catch up with Siying Qu, ½ of the duo behind Private Policy, to talk about everything from genderless fashion, childhood influences, and what the future holds…

So, how did it all start?

It truly started in this little workroom at Parsons, where me and my business partner, Matt, worked side by side through our senior thesis, truly the most stressful time in our college years. And then he goes, oh, do you want to start a brand? I was like yeah, that’s why we go to fashion school, right? Like these four years, finally, are we going to do this? Very quickly, we realized that in school and the internships we did, we had been doing different work in industry already. So we kind of know how it goes. We thought, wait, what can we bring to the table that’s new and fresh for fashion, but also for the world, you know? That’s the time a lot of sustainability discussions started happening more intensely in fashion. We knew that the world didn’t need another clothing brand, because it’s an issue already with overproduction. So we’re like, okay, what can we do, you know?

Eventually, we landed on this idea because of our mutual passion every time we talked about social topics. We would read something in the newspaper, and go, oh my gosh, do you know what’s happening across the world? And it affected us. We were influenced by somewhere else within our globalized system of a world. Our eyes lit up. So we go, okay, why not use our inspiration from these kinds of topics, and then translate it into a fashion collection and use our platform – the power of fashion, right? To raise awareness and truly do something we care about. You know, on the market especially, there’s not really a fashion brand focused on anything like that. We saw that the customers in stores or people we talked to, young people who love fashion, sometimes they feel like they don’t have a clothing brand that truly aligns with what they stand for socially. So then we’re like, okay, let’s do this!

“Maybe it’s okay if you’re doing something that the industry doesn’t understand a hundred percent yet. If it makes sense to us, if we come from a positive angle, why not do it?”

Siying Qu – Private Policy

I really love what you guys stand for. Could you tell us a bit more about what you stand for and how you bring that into fashion? How does the creative process work?

We always say our brands creative process is similar to a newspaper, or like a press outlet. In the beginning, we see our team members, we tell them to go out and research – like reporters – go out and talk with people, go online, read and see what the topics out there are. The job is to find a topic that at that moment, that season, we find the most relatable and intriguing to us. Then from there, just like a reporter, you then research even deeper. We always say, when we do the show and do a collection, that’s when we ‘publish’ the newspaper. This is very important to our creative process because instead of giving an answer or result or saying this is right or wrong, like a reporter, your job is to truly present what’s going on, but through a specific and interesting perspective. So, for example, in the past, we have talked about things like, you know, peace. What does peace stand for? We used the angle of Noah’s Ark, because that’s where that dove symbol came from, right? With that, it was a fresh new perspective. The story of Noah’s Ark is about saving all the animals, today, we don’t think about peace that way, we just think about peace for humans. So, in the midst of sustainability discourse, I think that’s why that topic – that angle – became relatable and very intriguing to us.

When it comes to the fashion design part of it, we really think about it just like any fashion collection. There is a concept, and we get inspired by it. In a way, we conceptualize an abstract theme or idea, into visual things like fabric, colours, texture, and then think about prints, think about the cultural references of symbols, like the dove. Also, colours bring out mood, for that collection, we started with a gray, black and white feeling – this pressure of, you know, the world going a little crazy, we feel a little dark. Then we end the collection with colors like pink and orange, very energetic, hopeful colours. A lot of these fashion elements already speak to a lot of these feelings and then this immediate, almost visual power that the social topics make us feel, we want to use to inspire people to be interested. The goal is that then they will be like, oh, I never thought about peace in that way. For another collection, we talk about the world of fungi and mushroom mycelium, and they go start to research about it. So, it becomes this nice community, like full circle, it’s really great.

What you guys stand for and the creative process behind it is just so clever. Private Policy is doing really well – it’s an exciting time. You’ve got Hailey Bieber and all these really cool artists, but also just exceptional designs and really cool runway shows. When do you feel was the moment that it really started to take off for you?

I think it’s really every little step at a time. I will say for us, as creators, as a brand, we felt the moment really clicked when we realized, there are a lot of rules in the fashion industry and in this world in general and, maybe, we don’t have to follow everything that’s already been done. Maybe it’s okay if you’re doing something that the industry doesn’t understand a hundred percent yet. If it makes sense to us, if we come from a positive angle, why not do it? 

That’s where the click happened and we went, okay, let’s create things. Not only on the design side, but also in business and marketing, how we look at it, maybe more in a human way instead of like, oh my gosh, what are the numbers? How much are we making this quarter?  Now we’re just like, let’s do something fun! If people enjoy it, they’re going to buy it. They’re going to want to support it. So that mentality, that switch, made us go okay, let’s do something we truly believe in. I think that’s the moment the brand started to make a lot more sense to a lot of people because now they’re enjoying it first and they go, okay, I like this – they become more accepting of the other ideas we are bringing.

It can be really hard, especially for creatives that have to switch between the business mindset and the creative mindset, people don’t actually realize it takes up so much of your time building the business side of it. How have you found that process? 

There are moments we go, is it going to work? Oh no, this is something we’ve never done. My business partner and I, we both are Fashion Design Majors so we don’t have a business degree. We grew up in families that were entrepreneurs, but at the same time, sometimes we just feel so insecure. We’re like, Oh my gosh, are we making a good business decision. There definitely have been times we’ve paid for mistakes or things just didn’t happen. It’s so challenging. It’s because fashion is such a detailed business for a brand. Every little thing counts. 

We handle the full circle, from designing to then making it and then presenting it. And then going to the business end of selling it and marketing it. In that process too, we can bring that creative mindset. We can bring it to the business world and do the business side in a creative way. For example, the biggest thing for a lot of entrepreneurs who are starting a fashion brand is budget, right? How do you deal with that? We started to think about it creatively, how to save money while still creating something that’s interesting and new and fresh for people to see and still get our end goal. We also think about how things have been done in the industry before and find that it doesn’t quite work out for us. So, how do we creatively change that by knowing our audience, knowing who would wear our designs. All of that started to made us understand it’s not as scary as it first seemed. Very importantly, we’ve learnt to ask for help, to not do everything. Now we go, okay, let’s go to the experts who have done this before and ask for their advice and then we see how it fits in with our brand development.

You collaborated with Coca-Cola too – how did that come about?

Yes, that’s what I mean by going to ask for support. Getting to collab with huge brands like Coca-Cola, who I truly grew up knowing as one of the biggest brands I used to really love.  A lot of these things are icons of the modern times, right? I think, because we stay so genuine to our brand mission and our communities, Coca-Cola must’ve seen us somewhere and they reached out to us and said, do you want to collaborate? And then we’re like, sure, let’s do something. That’s also the moment we realized our power to bring a legacy brand like Coca-Cola to the millennial and Gen Z audience. That’s something we’ve realized we’re really good at. Also, we love doing collaborations with companies from another industry, like Coca-Cola that specialize in soft drinks, or how we just did a collab with this winery doing a label design. In return, we get a much bigger platform to discuss the things that matter to us. 

£ 216.28

Private Policy COCA-COLA Harness Vest

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£ 70.70

Private Policy COCA-COLA Iconic Red T-Shirt

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Who were your creative influences growing up? Who were your role models?

Wow. I would say for me personally, I actually grew up not knowing a lot about fashion. The very start of me understanding fashion is through these two designers, which when I think back, I realize shaped how I think about fashion. One is Vivienne Westwood. My mom got me this coffee table book about her when I was 12. So, it’s very interesting to see this very provocative, very strong, loud design. I was like, wow, this is so cool. Fashion is so awesome. The other designer is another brand, Versace. It’s also very interesting to see how he brought life between you know, celebrity culture with fashion and with his cultural background, and then his usage of actually really smart branding and logos. I think those two designers secretly shaped how I see fashion, why I see the possibility of mixing the artsy world with the business world and culture and social topics.

You guys are very ahead of the curve. How does gender influence your work? And why is genderless fashion so important to you?

It started when we realized our friends are shopping like, ‘cross gender’ in department stores, right? I would love to go to the men’s section just out of interest of the pockets they get. My business partner, who identifies as a guy, would want to go to the women’s section for the colors, for the cool textures. That’s the moment we came together and thought why do we have to label clothes one gender or the other when our whole idea for fashion is about giving people freedom, right? It’s about empowering people, not about putting people in boxes. We started the business in this way and we realized the whole industry is built in such a rigid men’s or women’s way. We think it’s very important to say it’s genderless because sometimes people go oh, then why don’t you just have guys wearing womenswear or girls wearing menswear, but we think it makes a difference to call it genderless because we want our audience to know that it’s for everyone, you’re not wearing somebody else’s clothes. You’re wearing something that’s meant for you.

Who’s been the coolest person you’ve worked with so far? 

Oh my gosh, so many… I think always just in our studio we’ll hear screams about someone wearing the clothes that we really love. Like when Dua Lipa wore a bag. I love when other creative minds understand and even fall in love with our design. Then, also with the collaborations, it’s great to see other successful mega companies recognize us and support us. 

What is it about New York that makes it a great base for your brand?  

I think New York is one of my favorite cities around the world for sure. It has this energy, I always say it’s a hustler energy, everything’s possible. You hear all these stories about people getting a crazy dream job just at a coffee shop meeting someone, just pitching right there. We love it. Another important thing was New York also influenced our brand with the social topics because of the many protests, social movements, civil rights movements, equality movements, even recently with the whole Occupy Wall Street movement. All of these things we see happening in different parts of the city and the history of the people, you know, being brave and standing up for what they believe. At the same time, we really want to bring this energy around the world. Wherever we go to cities like London, Paris and Shanghai, we always see that energy, in a lot of different ways. We want to do more collaborations with local artists in these cities. 

£ 279.79

Private Policy Shearling Harness Top

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£ 296.49

Private Policy Harness Sweatskirt

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£ 350.78

Private Policy Harness Knit Cutout Dress

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£ 409.24

Private Policy Diamond Bag

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What does the future hold for Private Policy? Have you got any exciting things coming up that you can tell us about?

Yes, actually going off what I said about these different cities, my dream for next year is to do a European tour of Private Policy. The idea is to go to these cities and then do pop ups in stores who may like our design and then collaborate with local musicians, DJs, painters, and really show the power of a community. Private Policy events and parties bringing the fun, and then the social discussions behind the brand to other cities around Europe and around the US. Also, we really value these in-person experiences now after COVID, which you know, we really took for granted. We really want to build more personal connections with our collaborators, fans, and audiences all around the world.

Words By Giuliana Zamudio

_{^{Header Image: Arundhati Das}}

The post An Interview With Private Policy: The New York Clothing Brand Breaking All The Rules appeared first on Voir Fashion.

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We caught up with Sophia whilst she was mile high to hear all about beauty, how she got her start and what the future holds…

Hey, where in the world are you talking to us from today?

Hey! I’m currently on a flight to Los Angeles, going on a much-needed holiday.

How did you get your start in the industry?

When I had my exams in high school, my parents asked me what I wanted to do. they both knew I didn’t want to go to school anymore but since they both always pushed me to create, draw, paint and build things it only made sense for me to do something creative. For some reason, I knew nothing about the fashion/music/beauty/film industry until I was 18 years old and I discovered you could make a living out of being a make-up artist. Since I made that decision my parents have always pushed me to become the best and work hard.

I moved to Amsterdam when I passed my exams and started my 16 lesson make-up course. I started working behind the bar, as a cleaner and I sold contracts for charity while I was contacting everyone I knew that did either styling, photography or modelling and that’s how I built my portfolio and network. In 2018, I officially registered myself as a company and even though I did everything for free in the beginning I slowly started to build a name and I could eventually live off my make-up jobs.

What’s a beauty trend you wish would die already?

I’ve never thought that about any trend! Not everything has to be beautiful to be inspiring.

Who were your main beauty influences when you were growing up?

The first moment I was completely mesmerized by make-up, was when I started watching Michelle Phan’s videos in 2007. I was about 9 years old. I still remember all her tutorials ’cause she was the only YouTuber I’ve ever watched and believe me, I watched her videos over and over and over again.

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What’s a beauty trend you think is going to be massive in 2023?

Fake piercings, thin or bleached brows and imperfect make-up.

You’ve worked with massive artists in the industry, who has been your favourite to work with and why?

That’s too hard to choose! I definitely want to name Zara Larsson, because she was the first ‘biggest’ artist that believed in me and gave me the chance to work with her. I think that opened a lot of doors for me, and besides that, she is just a beautiful, kind and very funny human being. Secondly Doja Cat, we’ve only done 3 looks so far but she’s such an amazing person and I think her style really fits me. I also want to mention Liza Koshy, she’s a big name in the industry but the most humble and sweetest person I’ve ever worked with. And last but not least, Rimon, we met each other on her first music video years ago when she asked me to do her make-up. We became sisters and even started living together in Amsterdam and continued our journey in London. We’ve always supported each other and seen each other grow throughout the years so ofc she’s on top of my list!

Thin brows or thick brows?

All brows! I’ve grown out my unibrow, shaved them off, bleached them and dyed them in different colours! I’m currently in my ‘growing out my unibrow’ era but who knows… I also thought about shaving them off again next week.

What does the future of beauty look like?

I have a very clear vision of ‘my’ future of beauty, I’ve actually been working on a project that will all make sense in due time but I can’t say too much about it yet.

We noticed you like AI, how does it influence your work?

I’ve always been inspired by the human mind and technology. I recently made a discord that people can join through the link in my bio on Instagram where they can make artwork made by artificial intelligence. My goal with this discord is to make a futuristic Pinterest for make-up artists, hairstylists and other creatives. I use the midjourney bot in my discord server which is a programme that I used before to make my own artwork!

Do you have any advice for aspiring makeup artists?

Don’t get too competitive! It’s a harsh industry and I really believe you have to fight your way up to the top but never lose your kindness.

What does the future hold for you? Any exciting projects in the works that you can share with us?

YES, I’ve been working on an NFT project since Sept/Oct 2021 that will (hopefully) come out in 2023 + I’ve been working on a book focused on beauty for the past couple of months together with an amazing photographer: Svenja Ava.

We know you’ll love Sophia’s looks as much as we do, so we had a rummage through her IG feed for some products she uses just for you…

£ 32

HUDA BEAUTY FauxFilter Skin Finish Foundation Stick

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£ 20

Too Faced Fierce Vibes Only Lip Liner

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£ 49

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow Contour Palette

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£ 42.00

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer

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£ 20

Anastasia Beverly Hills Vintage Liquid Lipstick

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£ 37

Byredo Makeup Astronomical Mascara

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£ 24

Morphe 35S Sweet Oasis Artistry Palette

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£ 19

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade

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Words by Giuliana Zamudio-Lopez

_{Header image: Courtesy of Sophia Sinot}

_{Image 1: MUA:@sophiasinot Model:@lizakoshy  Photography:@svenja.ava Image 2: MUA: @sophiasinot @Model:@uglyworldwide Photography:@mescondi Image 3: MUA: @sophiasinot Model: @dojacat Retouch: @svenja.ava @ava___studios image 4: MUA: @sophiasinot Model: @iblamejordan Photographer: @jack_bridgland_studio Image 5: MUA @sophiasinot Model: @1xblue Image 6: MUA @sophiasinot Model: @uglyworldwide Photographer:@jack_bridgland_studio}

The post Sophia Sinot: An Interview With The MUA Responsible For Fashion Week’s Obsession With Doja appeared first on Voir Fashion.

We had a digital sit down with Sorana ahead of her newest release, ‘Happy Birthday Sadness’ (out now) to discuss everything from cowboys to birthday blues, to what really inspires her…

Hi Sorana, where in the world are you today? 

Today I’m in London, tomorrow I’m in Portugal and in a few days, I’m going to be in Miami and then back to LA, where I live!

So, you’re from Romania originally, do you feel like that influences your work a lot? 

I’m not sure, honestly. I feel like I’ve always loved American pop music and songs in English in general and British bands and all that stuff. I’ve never really related to Romanian music, but I do love Romanian folklore, the actual genuine old Romanian music. I think it’s very beautiful and I feel like some of my melodies might be influenced by that. We have a lot of sad songs, it’s just like really nice and really beautiful melodies, so I feel like from that perspective, yes.  

I read you were in a Romanian soap opera (A new life) and part of a band called Lala band, how does being a solo artist compare? 

So basically, I was on the last season of this huge soap opera, called A New Life. I wasn’t actually in the band, I was one of the villains. I was a new character in the last season of the show, they actually made a character for me, named Sorana, because they liked my look and the way I’m different. Filming that Soap Opera was one of the best things, it was so nice to act. It was like playing me, but it was like a villain version of me, so it was really fun to do that. People started recognising me on the street, they would like pin me to walls, like all the kids loved me because it was kind of a High School Musical Romanian version. It was really nice. It was completely different to my Solo career, because I actually wasn’t in the band in the show.

You’ve worked in many different roles in the industry: singer, actor, songwriter… is there anything else you want to try out? 

I feel like I’m a really good vocal producer and I would love to try production. Basically, that’s how I started doing music. When I started doing music in Romania, I thought production was the easiest thing to start with, something that I could understand more because I came from a visual background. I thought working in a program would be visual and then kind of introduce me to music, so I started doing that, but I wasn’t very supported, so I ended up not doing that. I would say here also, when a girl is trying to be a producer, I feel like guys in the industry should support that. I wasn’t supported and I have a lot of production ideas, in all my productions I sing themes that producers put in. If I was to add another layer to my music, it would be doing more production.

After leaving Romania, you’re mostly based in LA but travel a lot, where has been your favourite place to visit? 

I love to go to Lisbon, in Portugal. It’s so nice. My boyfriend lives there, so I go to see him. It’s a bit like LA, but not. It’s more chill and the buildings are beautiful and it’s very relaxing to go there. And I love going to London, which is my second home!

What do you prefer, LA Fashion or London Fashion?

That’s a tough one, it’s so different! I definitely love London fashion. I feel like London has always been a super fashionable city. If we’re talking about actual fashion, if we’re talking about people and how people dress, I would also pick London. But, I love how when you go out in LA, no matter how you are dressed, because I love to dress weird and do crazy makeup, nobody looks at you weird, everyone is very welcoming to anyone’s way of fashion expression. People always tell me ‘Oh My God, I love your hair, I love your makeup, I love your shoes’ and then in different parts of Europe, for example Romania, where I come from, it’s different. I used to be very judged about how I look, because people are not used to people looking different.

We love your style and particularly your cyberpunk hair, what are your fashion influences? 

Sailor Moon. For my hair, I swear that watching Sailor Moon as a child really took my breath away. I love her long pigtails and the whole concept of a gang of girls with superpowers, I feel like I modelled all my life after Sailor Moon. Like even my group of friends, we were seven girls, always together, basically like in the cartoon. I feel like that was my first fashion inspiration, perhaps not necessary fashion, but persona inspiration.

You’ve worked with massive artists such as David Guetta, Charlie XCX and Bebe Rexha, who’s been your favourite artist to work with?  

David Guetta is my favourite artist that I’ve worked with so far. We’ve been in the studio together a few times and I love the way he gets excited, we both get excited, about good songs. He plays me beats and then I sing something and then he gets excited and then we go to the piano and we sing something. I love that such a big artist as him, who puts out so many great songs still gets so excited about the music making process. He’s actually like a kid in the studio, we kind of vibe in that place. He comes into the booth and we’re like ‘what about this? what about that?’  It’s very inspiring to work with him.

Which artist has influenced your work the most?  

I would say Lana Del Rey because I always wanted to be a singer but I never wanted to be a songwriter and when I heard her songs I thought wow, this music sounds like poetry. It has meaning, it has a deeper meaning. So, I was like, okay, if songs can be like that, I want to write some too. So that inspired me a lot.

Wild Girls is such a hit, are you a big fan of Clint Eastwood or cowboy movies?  

I mean yes, I love The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, which is where I sampled the theme from. It’s so mysterious and cool. I wrote a song called Wild Girls, so I wanted to make it authentic, so I integrated THE western theme in my song and I used it as the first melody, which I’m really happy about cause it just brought the song together.

It’s currently your season libra! How are you enjoying it? 

Well, I’m loving it because it was just my birthday, on the 27^th September and I just released my song Happy Birthday Sadness. I love that I could match them together because my song is about being sad on my birthday. I wrote it in 2020 during quarantine, I was stuck in LA and I couldn’t see my hometown friends, my boyfriend and my family and I was quite alone in LA and I wrote this song about missing people on your birthday. I had friends in LA already and they threw me a party and I love them and it was really nice to have that as new person in LA. I felt very loved by that party but also felt quite sad inside, the more we laughed the more I felt sad that my core people were missing so I wrote this song, Happy Birthday Sadness, about that.

You talk about how you’re always sad on your birthday, with so much going on, was this still a sad birthday?  

This was a really happy birthday actually! I’ve been living in LA for two and a half years now and I had this party on this rooftop with all my friends. The theme was like funeral birthday party, all black, with mascara running down your cheeks, it was kind of like a more punk kind of birthday party, I really love that. So, this was a great birthday. But honestly, I love being a bit sad on your birthday, who doesn’t? It just feels like your birthday is a day where you go over whatever you’ve been through during the whole year and sometimes you cry at midnight just because you want to let out everything you’ve been though, all the drama and then you can hit restart for like a new year, new drama. It’s a great sentiment, birthday melancholy is a thing, I feel like a lot of people go through that.

Your music video for ‘Happy Birthday Sadness’ is sick, what was the coolest part about getting to create visuals for your music?  

I love making videos because it’s just such a different thing to creating music. I love visuals, I love everything that you can see. Music is such a different art because you can’t see it, you just hear it and it just feels different but when you do visual stuff it just adds a layer to the story. Then you can choose outfits and a theme and make a story in the story of the song. I love to be the main character. I love to be involved in the process, coming up with the idea. For Happy Birthday Sadness I actually wanted to do a punk, dark, leathery birthday party with neon lights, like you never have a birthday party like that, but I just wanted to suggest a darker vibe, like the sadness around birthdays.

Words by Giuliana Zamudio-Lopez

_{Header image: @Sorana}

The post Birthday Blues & Beauty Inspo: An Interview with Romanian Artist Sorana appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The designs of De Carvalho emerged from his exploration of museums, fine art, and his own self-discovery. 

The collection by Brian De Carvalho was heavily influenced by his fascination with 18th-century fashion. Carvalho’s interest in macabre influences and styles aids in a collection that explores the various torture methods used in this eclectic period. A classic 18th-century silhouette is always what Carvalho uses, but always with a darker twist- using moments from history such as the Ripper Murders but also drawing inspiration from his own personal life. His designs are walking artworks that play with elements of darkness and despair. 

Struggles for emancipation are a theme prevalent within Carvalho’s collection. In each silhouette, the juxtaposition of freedom and being trapped is omnipresent. Starting with his desired silhouettes, the designer looked into corsets and how restrictive they can be, as well as the lengths women went to look beautiful. Carvalho saw the resemblance between the oppression of women in the 1800s and what queer people go through nowadays. Each garment is carefully made to appear delicate yet imposing, with each piece having to overcome some form of restriction: of course with that in mind, the collection is based entirely on a “false sense of freedom”. 

From an instrument of constriction for the body and representation of minority status for the female gender; to a celebration of the wearer’s figure: In what ways does your new collection reinterpret traditional corsetry?

My pieces have always been about extremes, whether it be extreme silhouette to extreme discomfort. The corset/stay was meant to be a shaping product/piece—an item of clothing to give off the desired silhouette for women back in the 1800s onwards.

Obviously, as society evolves past these beauty ideals and necessities, my pieces serve to create wearable dramatic art! Having elongated horns sticking out the front/top to frame the face or being made from materials that we wouldn’t dare hide or cover up. It’s about being strong, visible, and proud.

The 18th century birthed the neo-classicism movement. Do any of your pieces draw inspiration from this movement? 

I think all of my pieces, in general, have very classical inspiration behind them; I tend to mostly pull either from the 1800s or the 1950’s tiny, cinched waists as opposed to massive, large skirts. I find myself toying with the gentleness of “femininity” and the brutalism of “masculinity”.

I love that your collection relates historical themes to modern-day queer issues, can you elaborate on this

The entire collection is based on a false sense of freedom which I believe, we all in one way or another can relate to, you can obviously see that I took one of my favourite childhood movies (The Matrix Series) as a way to display that, this idea that we are able to be who we are and that we are free to make our own choices, but actually, we have many constraints working against us, whether it be a large draping skirt that allows you to run freely or a cinched corset that restricts your breathing let alone allow any movement to be made.

Of course, Here in London we may not notice it as much, or see it as much but there are thousands of people who aren’t permitted to live their true authentic selves, whether it be our Trans brothers and sisters or anyone else who falls within the spectrum.

We have all heard about the challenges women have faced over the decades but only now are we starting to hear the faint cry of the struggles the queer community face and have faced show up in mainstream media.

What is your brand philosophy?

Our Brand Philosophy is “By Any Means Necessary” and what that means is that we will make a mark no matter what and we will push this message as much as we can, we don’t create these elaborate excessive garments simply because we want to (even though it is very fun) but we do it because attention needs to be brought to these people and their messages. We want to be seen; we want to be heard … like everyone does.

Your garments honour both female and male silhouettes. How would you describe the relationship between the body and your designs? 

I find my pieces are either in constant battle with the human form or beautifully synchronised with it, my garments either repel the human form almost to shape the body into becoming otherworldly, or it caresses the human form to display it, it its most organic form. And I believe we need both. To accept what we are but also explore what we could become.

Can you explain how your reflective hi-vis corset works? Or what materials are involved in making this piece? 

Hhahah the Reflective Serena Corset was a fun idea I randomly had! I was trying to piece together this random string of ideas I had one night, and I was extremely focused on “being seen/visible” but I didn’t want to work on massive silhouettes that would take up the whole room.

Instead, I thought, if I was in a dark room full of people how would I Shine my light elegantly, discreetly calling the attention of everyone around.

Immediately I thought of the nightlife where queer bodies and the outcast are left to roam and shine-free, Then the Reflective Hi-Vis Serena Corset was born. 

However, I guess it’s quite comical that I used a fabric that most fascist/homophobic men (construction workers usually) wear to adorn queer bodies.

I always somehow end up highlighting the opposing forces.

There’s often a sculpture-like approach to your garments; what’s your creative process like?

Ohhh yes! 100%, I have a fine art background- so I wasn’t really taught how to think like a fashion designer, I spent 3 years in university trying to justify that what I was doing was a form of art, and I found myself referencing sculpture a lot.

A lot of the time I think about the shape of the piece before I truly make any further decisions on it. I think about how I want it to sit on the body, how much space I’m wanting to take up, and how it’ll make the person feel, power is always at the heart of what we do.

You mentioned that the juxtaposition between freedom and being trapped is a theme within your new collection, is there a piece that best displays this contrast? 

I think the pieces that easily display this is the Trinity Dress and the Esmeralda Dress, both have my signature corseted bodices (with a new little twist) but then have these exuberant skirts that allow complete freedom of movement, The Trinity however is still extremely heavy so, in theory, you have the space to be free, but you need to find the strength to truly move and become free.

The Esmeralda is completely lightweight and airy, the true emotion of what it means to own who you are and move freely within the space you’ve created for yourself.

Last question, what’s next for Brian De Carvalho?

Well, it’s hard to say, this is the very first time we have ever been able to release or even make a collection, we have always been a one-off/ custom business so it’s very exciting that we are able to grow in this way. I hope this collection allows people to see that we are trying to elevate what we do and truly become the brand we want to be.

Words by Chanelle Jassim

^{Header image courtesy of Brian De Carvalho}

The post Interview with Brian De Carvalho: Capturing the Movement Within the Constrained appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Adelina has been creating music for many years, but caught global attention when featuring on the 2018 FIFA world cup official anthem ‘One World’. Since then, Adelina has released a string of singles exploring different cultures and influences she has picked up on throughout her time living in various parts of the world. It is impossible to limit Adelina’s style to one genre, with elements of Jazz, Blues, Soul, Latin and Afropop all being incorporated into her unique and inviting sound. 

Her first single of 2022, ‘Butter’, delivers an infectious sound that is innovative and unique whilst encapsulating the joyous sub-genre of Afropop. This sound is accompanied by Adelina’s deep soulful vocals, creating a multi-dimensional soundscape that hits all the right spots. The self-directed music video, shot in Latvia, is classically Adelina, yet includes futuristic and digital elements, adding another string to Adelina’s diverse bow. 

Voir spoke to Adelina about her latest single, her love for mermaids and how being a citizen of the world enhances her music.   

We’ve been loving your new track ‘Butter’, it’s got such an infectious beat! How did you find the creative process when making the track?

The creative process started when I experimented with the beat two years ago, maybe even longer! I’ve had the beat for a long time, and I always knew that I wanted to do something with it. It now sounds slightly different than it did, to begin with, but the afrobeat groove is still there, and that was the basis for moving this song forward. 

I sent the beat over to another producer, and he put his magic on it! I didn’t see this coming, but we ended up going in a very unique angle which resulted in a futuristic sound that is slightly different to the usual Afropop you may hear.

It really felt like we created something I’ve never personally had before – in terms of fusing Afropop with a futuristic sound. It was a beautiful process. 

That’s great, you can definitely tell that it is slightly different to the usual dancehall/afrobeat style we usually hear, it’s cool that you put your own spin on that. Would you say the inspiration behind ‘Butter’ is the fact you had the beat for over two years?

I actually think I just really wanted to utilise one of the beats that I’ve had on my laptop for way too long! The main drum loop that you hear is what has stayed for two years, but what actually started driving the process is when we started writing it. 

When I got the modified beat sent back to me, I remember thinking it sounded so cool! Especially through headphones or speakers, it just takes you places. In particular the guitar, in the beginning, I felt like it was so interstellar! This made me really want to write something magical and romantic, something beautiful that would give good vibes to whoever listens to it. 

I’ve been creating all kinds of music – including sad and depressing. But, at this point I just really wanted to bring good vibes to the world, I want people to feel good. And that really was the inspiration behind it, as well as bringing a romantic moment.

The song itself is made up of so many interesting things – for example, the second verse has a reggae flow along with shamanic elements in my breath, which at the time I did randomly but it felt like my calling!

The track and the lyrics really do go hand in hand, it has those good vibes that everyone is looking for at the moment – we can already imagine this song in summer! As you had full creative control, how was creating the song independently? 

I think the beauty of being independent is that you have full control of the sound that you are trying to achieve. Honestly, it’s not easy! Working independently is hard, but it’s so rewarding because you did it yourself, and you create something you’re proud of.

It does take a lot of time- for this song I started it back in October. The process included things like songwriting, recording, producing, mixing, mastering, styling, creating mood boards and directing. Being independent takes time, but at the end of the day I’m really proud of it because everything you see is all of my creative brain and input, from the visuals to the song itself, it’s all me!

It’s really cool when you see the whole thought process come to fruition! Do you have any icons or any big musical influences? 

I’m a really old school girl, although I’m not an R&B or soul artist I’m really inspired by that sound. I think you can hear that soulful tone in my voice. I’m really influenced by 80s and 90s Soul music – people like Chaka Khan, Erykah Badu, Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson. 

But if you’re talking about modern-day icons. That person for me would be Beyoncé. For me, she is perfect at everything she does. She is a perfectionist when it comes to art, and I can really relate to that because that’s how I am. I feel like she is my main inspiration.

As you worked so independently on this track, how did this compare to collaborative work you’ve done, such as ‘Chicken Suya’?

You know, I really do love collaborating when it comes to having other artists on a song. But, I also love having the whole creative space to myself! Having the whole song to express myself is a really beautiful thing. For a while, I thought this song was going to be a feature but it ended up being a single and I’m really happy that it is.

It sounds unique, this is my little baby I worked so hard on and let out into the world, I’m proud of it!

It’s clear you have a diverse background, do you feel being a part of various cultures enhances your music?

Absolutely! I lived in three different continents, so I really don’t like labelling myself as something, that just isn’t who I am. I am a citizen of the world, I belong to every single part of the world, I can blend in everywhere and I feel like this is who I am. I don’t like saying “i am this” or “i am that” – I am everything! 

Having a diverse background and living in various places has given me such an open mind, and opened my eyes to so many beautiful things surrounding us. The cultures, the different sounds and the colours, really do influence me and every aspect of my artistry. 

As you’ve travelled a lot, do you have a favourite country or place that you’ve visited?

That’s a good question… you know what, I’ve been to at least 40 countries! Every country has its own unique thing, but I’d say one of my brightest memories was in Thailand. I’ll never forget this experience. I was swimming at night in Maya Bay and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was surrounded by millions of glowing stars underneath me, which were fluorescent plankton. 

Imagine you’re swimming in dark water and everything is glowing around you – it’s like avatar water! I feel like it has such a stamp in my memory, I really love Asia.

I am also really connected to Morocco, I am here a lot of the time. I feel like I lived in Morocco in a past life, sometimes I act way too Moroccan not to be!

What amazing memories! And, you’re now based here in London, how are you finding it?

London is a really beautiful city and it provides you with so many awesome sources of inspiration, creativity and artistry. It also teaches you a lot, it’s not an easy place to live if you come here without a family or a stable background. I’ve been through ups and downs and everything, but overall it’s been a beautiful experience and it’s taught me so much. It teaches you a lot of acceptance – of other people and their preferences – no matter if that’s sexuality, religion, culture or anything. There’s a feeling of unity, as a citizen of the world, London is a place where I have felt so free in that way, and I could connect with everyone.

Do you have a tip for anyone who is thinking of moving to a country or going to a place they’ve never been without any friends or family there? 

I think you’ve just got to follow your heart, whatever it is telling you, you have to do it! 

I remember I went to a party, I woke up feeling hungover the next morning and my friend asked me to move to London with her, and I literally just thought “Why not? Let’s go.”. It was so spontaneous, and a week later we moved to London! It was a really amazing decision because I just followed my heart. 

In the ‘Butter’ music video there was a hologram of me selecting a program of ‘following your heart’. This is really what I stand for! If you want to move countries, even if you’re not 100% sure or don’t have all the funds, just do it. Everything will work out and the universe has got your back.

You’ve achieved some incredible things, such as having the official anthem of the 2018 world cup! Is there an achievement you are most proud of?

One of the things I am really proud of is that I literally do everything, I sometimes call myself a ‘mini record label’! All the songs I have released are recorded and engineered by me. Or, for example, I could hire a graphic designer, but I prefer not to because they might not see or understand my vision. I like to take it into my own hands and create things myself. There’s so much self-sufficiency to me, from styling, producing a whole song, doing hair and makeup, I’m really proud of it because that is all me!

And having full creative control of ‘Butter’ must have felt great too?

Definitely! Like I say, it’s not easy and it can be exhausting doing everything yourself. But I’m such a perfectionist. I hate mediocre stuff – I cannot stand it! Even as an up and coming artist, I want to do everything to the best that I possibly can within my capabilities. I want to deliver content as good as those who are already out there doing amazing things.

We noticed that the ‘Butter’ music video was also really futuristic and digital, is this something you’re interested in going into?

I have really diverse visions, I don’t like sticking to something once. Lately, I know I have done a lot of Afro/Latin sounds, and I want to explore it further. But, I also know I can blend myself in everywhere and do other things too! I like the futuristic vibe, it’s very 2022 aesthetic wise with the whole matrix thing, it’s very different and I’m glad I got to execute this idea!

It’s definitely very on-trend at the moment, from lockdown we have seen things shift into a more digital world, so it’s amazing that you were able to incorporate this into your music!

We do live in a digital world – whether we like it or not, it is what it is!

We noticed a particularly cute video on your youtube channel of you singing ‘Born This Way’ to Lady Gaga, we’re guessing you’re a big fan?

I’m really a big fan of her personality and artistry. I feel like she is such a down to earth and humble person, especially in the way she treats her fans and the people around her. For example, when I asked to sing for her she got everyone backstage to turn the music off so she could hear me properly. It was such a small but amazing gesture, and I was really surprised. And, the thing is for me, I don’t get surprised anymore – luxury, flash cars and celebrities, I really don’t care about that. What really surprises me is an amazing character that you don’t often come across these days, and that is what I really felt from her. 

Who is your dream collaboration?

I would probably say Beyoncé! If Michael Jackson was still alive it would also be him, he is the king! 

We love how vibrant your Instagram feed is! It’s apparent that you are influenced by mythical creatures, specifically mermaids. Could you tell us about this?

I think I am a real-life mermaid, to be honest, I have all the characteristics! Weird fact, but my hands are always cold, and when you think of sea life you imagine them as cold creatures. Secondly, I have long mermaid-like hair. Lastly, I am a singer, and what do sirens do? They sing! 

I think if I was a real-life mermaid I’d be a good one, I’d be singing and having fish friends and dolphins, I wouldn’t be luring men into the sea! I really do love the sea, I could spend hours in there and I feel so connected to nature. When I go into the sea I become one, which is really where it came from, I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to call myself a mermaid, it’s like an inner calling and makes sense to my spirit and who I am. 

We know you don’t like to label yourself as anything too particular, but how would you describe your style?

I would say for music style, I do fall under the pop category but I cover a lot of pop subgenres, such as Afropop, Latin pop and dance-pop.

Fashion-wise, I think I’m like a chameleon because I have the kind of face that can transform into different things! I know I look different in a lot of photos, but there’s no photoshop involved. I love bohemian styles, with elements of hippie! But, I love a diverse amount of fashion, it depends on my mood, it could be classy, grunge or anything. 

A couple of days ago I did a photoshoot in an amazing abandoned castle in Morocco and I was wearing a grunge style outfit that was gladiator-inspired! So, as I said before, I like being diverse and not limiting myself to one thing. 

What is next for Adelina, have you got anything big in store for the rest of 2022?

I’m planning to work on my EP! This will be my first one, in the past, I’ve concentrated on releasing singles but I think I need to let a body of work come out and let the world hear it come together – it may sound a bit like a jukebox because I like having such a diverse sound but that’s who I am!

I also have some exciting collaborations – I can’t name any names yet as they are currently in the works it is going to be big!

Words By Nadia Clasper

_{Graphic: Gerasim Kutsarov}

The post Meet Adelina: The Almighty Artist Giving Afropop A Soulful Twist appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Not only does Linasha inspire the beauty looks we want to try, she inspires the kind of person we want to be. The model uses her platform to inspire young women of colour like herself to break from the shackles of societies expectations and embrace exactly who they are. Her Instagram community is a safe space for people of minority backgrounds to share their stories and come together to experience a shared love of the beauty industry- to unite together after being excluded and underrepresented for decades. From speaking out on issues like colourism to overediting on Instagram, no topic is off-limits for the young activist.

Voir sat down with Linasha to talk Fenty collabs, activism, and what’s next for the blossoming influencer.

Tell us about yourself and how you got into make-up artistry?

I started doing make-up during covid. I’ve always had an online presence since I was around 16. When Instagram first launched I had a profile and I was one of those girls who would always be online, trying to post my online self through pictures, I always enjoyed that kind of stuff.

I got scouted to do modelling when I was around 16/17 and I have been modelling since I was 21. I loved doing editorials and high fashion, that was my thing. Once I started posting my shoots and candid photos of myself on Instagram people would constantly ask ‘how do you do your make-up?’ and I agreed I’d show them one day.

Then covid happened… I had so much time to do anything, so I started to invest my time in filming and one of my videos went viral. I kept filming more, and people kept wanting more.

At this time I had a degree in PPE and wanted to go into the civil service to work on policymaking, but the whirlwind of Instagram happened and I got sucked into it. I had so many agencies reaching out to work with me, but I said no, I really want to go into the civil service, I really wanted a graduate job. But, honestly, I couldn’t manage a 9-5 job while working on Instagram, so I took the plunge and signed with Nish. I’ve been doing this full time for around a year now, which is crazy!

You started with modelling, but would you describe yourself as a beauty influencer now?

Yeah! I would say beauty, but I also do skincare, hair, and I’m trying to implement fashion too.

Do you think the beauty industry is becoming more inclusive?

I remember my friends used to say, ‘Linasha you never wear foundation’ during high school and sixth form. I would never wear foundation because I didn’t have a foundation shade. I didn’t have anything to use until the Fenty beauty launch. That was when I had a foundation that I could actually wear and I was like wow I feel confident wearing it! The beauty industry has dramatically changed since 2017, but I think a lot still needs to change.

I feel that brands still struggle with understanding the variation in undertones and there are so many little things I can think of that are missing from the market, like a bronzer or lip liner for deeper skin tones. When I do my make-up, I instantly know what is missing.

One of the things I really hate is that drugstore brands aren’t inclusive enough and I don’t like shopping from them. They give me anxiety, I have PTSD just from going in and seeing 10 shades of white on the shelves; they have more shades online, but it’s the fact they chose to only display those shades.

You’ve been on Fenty’s Instagram on numerous occasions, do you feel that brand represents what you believe the beauty industry should be?

I wouldn’t have this job if Fenty didn’t launch. That is how much I love Fenty. I wouldn’t have my job or my love for make-up if Fenty didn’t launch.

How did your Fenty collab come about?

I posted selfies and people would ask ‘what foundation are you wearing?’ and I would tell them, ‘I’m wearing Fenty foundation’. Fenty saw this and they instantly reposted it. They would constantly repost me, then they asked if I could take over their Instagram and I was like, wow, okay this is big!

Back then, I didn’t know people were getting paid good money to do this Instagram stuff, I was just doing it as a side thing. Now I constantly work for them, which is amazing.

What has been your favourite look to create?

I love all my bold looks. Anything that has editorial vibes, like tiny placements of gems or a really stark blue eyeshadow look. Vibrant looks are my favourite.

One thing we love from your Instagram is your hair colour, are there any cool colours you’re thinking of going for next?

I think I’m going to go for turquoise next!

How would you describe your style in a few words?

My style is bold and vibrant.

Do you have any other exciting projects coming up?

I have something with Fenty coming up this month for their new icon lipsticks, so keep your eye on that. I am also working with Rimmel, which is really exciting.

You cover some really important issues on Instagram, what kind of messages do you receive from your Instagram community in terms of support?

I have the nicest community, it is really organic. If you look at my comments, everyone engages. If I speak out about something, people will happily talk to me if they’re going through something similar and they will tell me their own stories, whatever they’re going through, which is really nice. I really like that people see my Instagram as a safe space where they can talk about their experiences, I love that because it’s really nice to feel like you’re not alone.

I appreciate that on Instagram, it’s very hard to find people who look like you and mesh with your vibe. So I always give the advice to follow people who look like yourself and reflect your beliefs or morals. Sometimes you go on Instagram and find things that are overly edited, which is very debilitating, especially as a young brown girl. I always feel really sad when I see that people feel upset when they don’t see a lot of darker skin tones or don’t follow people who are confident in their own skin tone. That’s why it’s refreshing for them to see, someone who loves their skin tone. I don’t give a f*ck about what South Asian culture has to say. Even just posting something revealing, the thought of me being dark-skinned and confident triggers them in some kind of way. I will happily embrace how I look and that’s what my community loves.

How did you find the confidence to rise above all the noise and put yourself out there to find this community at such a young age?

I have always been a rebellious person. If you tell me to do something, I will do the complete opposite. If you tell me don’t do this, don’t post that, you cannot restrict me. That’s the type of personality I have. I don’t want to ever be told what I can and cannot do. If you tell me not to stay out in the sun because I will get darker, I will purposefully go out in the sun to get darker…with SPF of course! I have this urge inside me to not accept what they say, we can do what makes ourselves happy, and our happiness is always first.

Words by Olivia Booth

_{Graphics : Gerasim Kutsarov}

The post Meet Linasha; The Vibrant Beauty Influencer Creating A Safe Space For Women Of Colour appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Voir sat down with May Tahmina and discussed everything from her make-up creativity to her strive and persistence in breaking through the beauty industry as a woman of colour.

How did you get into becoming a makeup influencer?

Growing up, my mum never let me touch make-up. She’s an Asian mum, so very traditional. You’re not allowed to wear foundation so all I did was eyeliner, and I was just always good at eyeliner because that’s all I did. Then, after having done Biology for three years at uni, I was in my master’s year, and I hated it. It wasn’t exciting to me, so I dropped out and I had like eight months of free time.

I came across the editorial makeup community on Instagram, and it excited me! I just started painting on my face one day and I was like, I feel like I’m good at this! It was the first time I had felt passionate about something, so I kept on doing it and posting it.

A big thing for me was building a community and building relationships with people. But, my intentions were never to become an influencer, I just sort of fell into it because I’m passionate about what I do and my art. I’m passionate about striving for change as well,  I think that’s where I had grown my followers from.

You mentioned community, which is so key when you’re building a profile online. How would you describe the community that follows you?

They’re really appreciative and social – they show so much support. We all want the same thing, which is to be seen, we want everyone to be seen. In the editorial makeup community, were not afraid of speaking up because it’s for the greater good. We all care for each other, and we all want to progress. Within this community, it’s not just about makeup, it’s about inclusion, diversity, and change. It’s about holding everyone accountable and making sure that we’re doing better.

Of course, it’s also about makeup and our looks, but it stands for something more.

There are so many beauty influencers now, yet you stand out so much. How do you stay creative and innovative with your looks?

I think it’s hard sometimes because if your mind’s not in it, then you’re not going to create looks. You can sit for the whole day working and trying to put something on your face, but it just won’t come out. I think for me, I’ll see a lot of inspiration in other people and in colours, so I’m always working. If I see a pattern I’ll be thinking, “oh my god, that would look amazing on my face.” So, I try and take inspiration from everything. I won’t just create loads of looks that I’m not happy with, instead I’ll do like three looks in a day and it will be stuff I’ve actually thought about. If it makes me happy, then it’s worth it.

Did your rise in the social media world come about quickly and if so, how did you deal with that?

M: I’ve been doing it for 5 years now. But January last year, was when my Tik Tok blew up and went from 0 to like 500k, which was insane. And then my Instagram shot up as well! Instagram is harder to grow, but it has been easier to sustain because TikTok is very trend based.

At times, I know I need to tap into some trends but it’s not true for me, it’s not how I work. I love doing what’s in my head at that moment. But yeah, I have grown on both since last year and it has gone up and down a lot.

I have noticed my peers who are white have a much quicker growth than what I see for myself. I can also see that my growth is a lot quicker than for a lot of dark skin, black creators. So, it is frustrating, because I know that it’s still not a level playing field in terms of growth. But I’m happy with where I’m at and this is my full-time job now.

It’s very difficult, isn’t it? I think what’s great now is, more so than ever, people are talking about it.

Even when I first started, I was never seen. Brands weren’t having it. As someone of colour, and I know it is even harder for black creators, we have to do so much more to get the followers we have. Brands should be more understanding of that and I think they have started getting more understanding, slowly. I’m seeing a lot more creators who are getting PR and paid jobs with a low amount of following, which is great to see. But at the start, you’re lucky to get a lipstick for free!

Who have been your beauty icons that you look up to in the industry?

I would say Wendy’s World is a big one for me, we’re really close now. She is one of my best friends, but before, she was someone that I admired. She was always very vocal, and for someone who is a dark-skin creator to speak up as much as she did, even though she knew she had everything against her because of the world and industry we’re in, she still wasn’t afraid to speak up. Jackie Aina also! I love what she does. I think she’s great, she’s amazing.

I started this for my art, so all of the big people in glam and their journey’s don’t inspire me. However, I understand how amazing these people  are! Like NikkieTutorials is amazing, she has been put up against a lot of things. NikkieTutorials did a look inspired by me the other day and I was so gassed! But, I never grew up watching these people because that was never my journey. The only thing that genuinely inspires me are people who do art and editorial makeup.

You mention editorial beauty. Who inspires you in terms of those looks?

Pat McGrath’s editorial runway looks are amazing and everything she stands for. I’d say she is definitely someone from the get-go that I was hoping one day I would get recognised by or even by her beauty brand.

Do you have a dream collaboration?

Definitely Pat McGrath or Fenty. A Pat McGrath event would be my absolute dream. Dannesa Myricks is another one. A lot of beauty brands are scared of colour, whereas Dannesa has got some amazing colour paint.

I’d love to work with skincare brands because I’m really into that, doing my makeup on really bare or minimal skin. Brands like Kate Somerville and Paula’s Choice, they’ve really helped my skin, I think editorials are quite good for people just accepting the skin they’ve got.

What are your absolute favourite makeup products?

With Pat, her eyeshadows are just undefeated. Fenty, their gloss and their blush, that’s literally the only blush I use. And then Milk Makeup I’d love to collaborate with, I use a lot of their products. Their foundations, under eye concealer, blush, bronzer, those products are incredible. Obviously, my main product I use is Glisten Cosmetics, I’ve got her brushes, I’ve got pretty much every colour she stocks! I can’t recommend her enough because she works with so many creators and she’s really authentic. Her products are amazing and she’s someone who really cares about their brand and community.

£ 21

Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Blush

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£ 17

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

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£ 115

Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VIII Divine Rose II Limited-Edition Eyeshadow Palette

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£ 35

Milk Makeup Blur Liquid Matte Foundation

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£ 6

Glisten Cosmetics Liner Brush 8

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A lot of influencers go on to create their own lines, is that something that interests you? What does the future hold for you?

M: I think definitely at some point I will probably release some type of makeup. It’s not in the forefront of my mind. I’d love to be able to advise brands in terms of diversity. And I think making this industry a bit more open, because it’s not open enough, people are under- charging, they are underselling themselves. There is a lot of disparity in terms of pay between white people and people of colour. I’d love to be someone who changes this.

Right now, I’m concentrating on my makeup, and I am doing things behind the scenes to help with diversity. But I’m just trying to get myself out there, because I’m not as big as I want to be. I want to make this community as accepting to people in the future as it was to me.

Words by Lucy Rosenberg

_{Header Image: @maytahmi}

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Women have undeniably reshaped the creative industry. In art, in music, in fashion, and behind and on the screen, women have continued to change the creative world, and now, more than ever.

Mexican multidisciplinary artist and designer, Hugo Huerta Marin, has spent 7 years and countless journeys talking to the women defying narratives, breaking barriers and shifting culture, celebrating these actresses, musicians, photographers, artists, and designers for their talent and story, in one book, ‘Portrait of an Artist: Conversations with Trailblazing Creative Women’.

Marin brings together almost thirty of the female subversives impacting the creative industry, from Vivienne Westwood to FKA Twigs, in this collective depiction of the impact of women on the creative industries, an impact that has inspired himself.

“I have always been inspired by women.” Marin told us, “Growing up in Mexico City – in a catholic and macho culture – where women are often treated as inferior to men, I was always surrounded by powerful women leading my way that helped me expand my consciousness. I believe that had a big impact in my life, plus movies like Repulsion, art pieces like Manifesto, songs like Magdalene. The idea of the muse. The concept of the portrait and where it sits nowadays. All of these things combined really. Patti Smith once said that most of her poems were written to women because women are the most inspiring. She asked: ‘Who are most artists? Men. Who do they get inspired by? Women.’ I think that says it all.”

The names and faces in the book, spanning generations, backgrounds, and creative methods, have each torn a hole in the narrative that has forever burdened women, in art and in life. 27 selected women are defiant in their work and outstanding in their industries, including thespian talents such as Isabelle Huppert and Julianne Moore, to such influential and prominent art forces as Tracey Emin and Marina Abramović, who Marin works alongside as an art director and collaborator. As an artist and designer, who focuses so much on culture and gender himself, Hugo’s selection is certainly a personal one.

“These women fractured the boundaries of what art can be, they challenged the status quo and opened the path for other artists. Marina on the other hand changed my life. She broadened my horizons on a personal and intellectual level and made my world immeasurably bigger.

There are countless female artists whom I look up to and who represent an endless source of inspiration to me. Their work speaks to me on a personal and intellectual level and because of this, the selection was straightforward.”

I couldn’t pick (a favourite) as all encounters had something very special in them. I can think about meeting someone as political as the Cuban artist Tania Bruguera… She really changed the perspective I had of contemporary art. She is using art as a tool for social change and that was enlightening to me. On the other hand, having the chance to meet Yoko Ono and witness her driving to get to her studio was quite something. And I can go on and on… It was a life-changing journey.”

Using polaroids to shoot his portraits, and travelling far and wide to homes, theatres, galleries and studios, Marin created an intimacy that is practically unprecedented, unparalleled, making these conversations much more than interviews, and these portraits much more than their size. Groundbreaking insights into these women’s values and work – Cate Blanchett speaking about the difference between acting on stage and on screen, Carrie Mae Weems about race and photography – connect the reader with the artists in new familiarity, new rapport.

“It was very important for me to flow between conversations that felt natural and authentic. More like two artists speaking to each other rather than having a journalistic approach. The polaroids on the other hand worked great because I think they really capture people in a very candid way. No artificial lighting, no retouching… The two elements go hand-in-hand and I think that, as a whole, made them feel comfortable and connected.”

These conversations had a very natural flow. They were authentic… I wasn’t afraid of asking Charlotte Gainsbourg what she thought of the concept of pornography and she wasn’t afraid to answer either. I believe authenticity was key”.

Even amongst inspirations in his own industry, and those of the same methods he was using for the book, Hugo still found the same intimacy and result: “There is a pressure” the artist said, “I can tell you that photographing Catherine Deneuve made me nervous. I mean, she has been portrayed by the greatest photographers of the century. But we actually loved the portraits at the end… Someone told me that as an artist you have to work from a sense of having no sense of consequence, and I think that is key.”

In a book capturing these women and their voices, about the way they’ve paved the way and reconstructed the world of art in all its forms, Hugo also explores the concept of portraiture, the way it has depicted the idols of ancient civilizations throughout history, and its importance in culture and art for thousands of years.

“It has been the territory of the sculptor, the painter, and the photographer. Yet the concept of portraiture has evolved its intricate character over time. I have always been interested in how artists have depicted history through portraiture; in the elitism and formality that is historically associated with the portrait, and the question of who should be captured in it. I also think artists are reflectors of what is going on in the world and I was sort of exploring that subject. To explore the ideas and concepts the artists I interviewed are and were reflecting as well as myself.”

The consideration blends well into the book as these phenomenal women, who are changing the creative industry and forming new narratives, are admired in these visual and written portraits, as trailblazers, as change-makers and as phenomenal women.

“I have a problem with the definition of the ‘idol’ and the ‘icon’…I don’t see them in that way, I see them more as artists that have shifted the world, my world at least, and therefore the world of many others. To me, it was more the desire to meet the artists that had a big impact on me. To answer some of my own questions, to explore some of my own desires, and so on and so forth.”

“Each of these encounters has left me with an intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and psychological inheritance that I will forever carry with me. These experiences changed me inside and out, forever.”

These intimate conversations, in photo and in writing, are together a single, powerful portrait of what female creatives are to art, past, present and future, of their impact on obsolete systems and structures, and what they mean for the generations of artists to come.

Hugo Huerta Marins exploration proves the power and centrality of women in art today more than ever.

Shop ‘Portrait of an Artist: Conversations with Trailblazing Creative Women’ now:

£ 26

Portrait of an Artist: Conversations with Trailblazing Creative Women by Hugo Huerta Marin

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Words by Daisy Greetham

_{Photo Credit: FKA Twigs, Photographed by Hugo Huerta Marin}

The post An interview with Hugo Huerta Marin: An Intimate Homage to The Women Defining Today’s Creative Industry – ‘Portrait Of An Artist’ appeared first on Voir Fashion.