I’m always keeping a sharp eye on the look out for the latest techniques. So the past few months I’ve been researching about airbrush makeup. In the USA it’s the norm and I definitely think the UK will soon be following. It’s becoming a more popular and requested medium. I had the pleasure to meet one of Los Angeles’ top airbrush artists Kim Borio when she was visiting London during London Fashion week. I was lucky enough to have her come and assist me on the Qasimi show too. So I thought it best to ask her a few questions to tell us all a bit more about this growing trend in makeup!

How long have you been doing airbrush makeup?
KB - I was introduced to airbrushing make-up about 10 years ago. I dabbled in it here and there for about a year. I wasn’t well trained, so therefore I didn’t care for it. At the time, I really didn’t think I needed to use the technique. Then one day I got a phone call to do airbrush make-up on this famous actor. I told them I didn’t airbrush and lost the job because of it. After that, I dedicated myself to learn everything about it. Once I knew what I was doing and was properly trained, I became addicted!! I’ve been airbrushing consistently for the last 6 years.

Why do you think it’s so popular in Hollywood?
KB -The Talent(actors/performers)always want to look their best. Airbrushing the make-up creates a natural look to the skin with a lot less product build-up. A lot of the studios are in high-definition now so it’s an essential skill. It’s also required and requested by the studio’s and celebrities. Especially in News. Airbrushing is fast, so it cuts down on the time you spend with your "Talent" in the chair so you can get them on the set as soon as possible! You also don’t need to go in for touch-ups as often.

What machine, airbrush, products do you use and why do you like to use them?
KB - I personally use DINAIR. I have the DINAIR  compressor, brush and products in my kit. I was trained extensively with them and know the product inside and out. I use the water based make-up for my shows. It has a long lasting effect which makes my job so much easier! However, sometimes I’m asked to fill-in for certain people/shows and use what they tell me to use. With my experience, I’ve realised that all product lines are NOT created equally! We need to use the right product for the right purpose. Sometimes silicone based make-up is required, then I use Temtu. They have a great SB (Silicone-based) airbrush make-up and compressor that I love. I’ve also used OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics) ….a water-based, oil-free, cruelty free airbrush make-up on certain actors. It’s a fun line to work with!

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One of the main questions I’m asked is can ethical fashion be fashion forward? Of course the answer is yes! If we think to just a few years back it was hard to find organic food and now it’s just part of ones normal grocery shopping experience- we might even be buying organic milk without even thinking twice about - so why not fashion? Ada Zanditon has always been designing fashionable clothes - they just happen to be ethical.

Q- Were you always interested in ethical fashion?
AZ - In some ways yes but not consciously at first. I started making things by taking the clothes I was bored with and re working them so I would like them again which is actually a very green thing to do. My great grand father wrote an ethical will as well as a legal one and this legacy inspired me that no matter what I ended up doing in life I wanted to combine my ethics with it which are benefiting people and planet and creating a good business.
It was two things that really made me want to do ethical fashion, the first was my friend’s thesis about Eco fashion that she wrote for her final year paper and the second was the event organized by anti apathy called RE: fashion at which Katharine Hamnett spoke about the issues around organic cotton.

Q - You’re also an illustrator?
AD - Indeed! I have shown my illustrations as posters on the underground in Embankment, Knightsbridge and Holland Park stations as well as various London Galleries such as Nog Gallery on Brick Lane. Recently, I was commissioned by "Artist Gallery" in Moscow to create 4 new works which were exhibited there in Moscow alongside the photographer Mark LeBon. I use my illustrations to create artwork for my own designs (digital prints in my graduate collection and for the Jacquard in AW09) and I design prints for other labels.

Q - Is it difficult to source fabrics?
AD - From someone else’s perspective they would consider that my choices are more limited however for me personally I never feel limited by my choice of fabrics because I really don’t enjoy working with a fabric that is not sustainable and it pushes me to be more creative and inventive with what is available.

Q - What inspired your collection?
AD - The incantation of Amergin is inspired by the verse of the aforementioned bard who was the first poet of the Irish people and the book Soil and Soul by Alastair McIntosh. The book follows Alistair’s journey to help the residents of the Isle of Eigg to prevent their Laird from developing their mountain “Roineabhal” into a superquarry. The spirit and philosophy that the book presents is one that highlights the importance of ecology not just from a scientific point of view but from that of a community and human spirit. Ada also drew inspiration from Celtic mythology and much of the Megalithic architecture from across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Through creating strict silhouettes with modern and elegant fashionable shapes Ada is exploring how modern man can have the same desire for beauty and luxury whilst also engaging with eco consciousness.

Q - Where are you based?
AZ - I’m based in the East End of London! my studio is in Whitechapel.

Q - Will you be doing a show in September at London Fashion Week?
AZ - We’ll see…………….

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I’ve been friends with Rita Nazareno for a while now and she’s always caring these fabulous leather woven bags so I just had to ask her about them!

You studied and worked in media? What is your background?
RN - I was in television in America for a while – I was Senior Producer at the Fox station in Los Angeles and then Creative Services Director of the local NBC station in Houston where I branded the station, managed the Art and Promotions Departments and fostered relationships with the community.
I was involved in filmmaking when I was younger – I did everything from being a PA to shooting (8mm, 16mm, 35mm and video) eventually writing and directing. My BA was on TV Production and my first Masters was on Film and Video.

FWI - Rita has received: 1 Emmy Award (Los Angeles) and 5 Gold + 1 Silver ProMax Awards!

Were you reluctant to enter the family business?
RN - I wasn’t reluctant at all, because at some point I knew it was in me to enter the family business. I think I had to prove my mettle in my own way before I felt I’d be worthy enough to go back home. At some point I felt that I had achieved what I had wanted to in television and it was time for me to give back to our workers and my family, especially mom, who deserves a vacation!

When did you become involved in the family business?
I’ve always been a consultant and special projects manager for S.C. Vizcarra, but one could say I’ve been involved since I was 5. S.C.Vizcarra had a huge store in the 70’s and I was behind the counter, putting into bags and boxes all the items Japanese tourists were buying. Around that time the Jackson 5 came to Manila. We closed the store down for them - and I even got a kiss from a young Michael Jackson!

Your grandmother started the business in 1925, and your mother continued?
RN - My grandmother started her eponymous company in 1925, as an atelier for fine, hand-embroidered creations. The atelier moved to retail, still selling crafted objects from the Philippines. It then evolved into manufacturing hand-woven items under my mom’s direction.
My Lola Gunding, as I called her, was an amazing woman – such compassion coupled with creativity. And boy, she worked hard. But I do remember her laugh - it was a big, infectious laugh. She was incredible – she was born from a poor family, only finishing the 2nd grade but she had this gift for embroidery, and the good fortune of having people believe in her talent.
My grandmother embroidered the gift of the Philippine government to the then Princess Elizabeth’s wedding to Prince Philip, a delicate trousseau made from pineapple fibers, an indigenous material. My grandmother was also commissioned to embroider the American flag that was raised during Philippine Independence.

Was it predominantly the women in your family that created the business? Were the men involved?
RN - My grandmother was the force behind it all. But my grandfather - whom my grandmother married in 1943 - was an artist, a sculptor. He helped the company a great deal, illustrated a lot of my grandmother’s designs, even designed the logo, which we still use today. He also helped in developing the woodcarving industry in the Philippines.
My Mom is also just as amazing – she’s got such a huge heart and works equally hard. My dad – who handles another Vizcarra company (Pharmaceuticals) along with my younger sister - also does some designs. He switches very effortlessly from Pharmaceuticals to making accessories and furniture. He made our dining table and chairs, our headboards, and even our office furniture!
When my grandmother started her company, she had a group of young ladies helping her with the embroidery. When I was growing up, that particular group of ladies were in their 60s, and I remember them still embroidering with their thick glasses, always joking and laughing. I’d be hanging out in their area, just listening to all the gossip. About 15 years ago, we threw a party for the last remaining lady of the group – something like 60 years of service to S.C. Vizcarra. She refused to retire and she came to work everyday – so she became the holder of the keys. She must have had 50 keys that she held on to. No one can get past her too – I called her Lola Pina (Grandmother Pina).

What brought you to London?
RN - S.C.Vizcarra needed to expand to Europe and I’m here trying to learn the ins and outs of the UK industry – like looking for stockists that are a good fit, and getting to know people in the fashion community. I also am doing another Masters (MA Design Management) at London College of Fashion.

How long does it take to make one of your bags?
RN - Some of our bags take 2-3 days to produce – specifically the natural leather ones woven from one piece of leather so it has no seams. It’s really quite an intricate process and some of our weaves are quite innovative. We’re just really proud of our artisans.

Do you take private orders in London?
RN - You can find our range of hand-woven bags and home accessories on SC Vizcarra1925. And yes, we do take private orders – just email us at info@vizcarra1925.com for enquiries. Or email me, rnazareno@vizcarra1925.com

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Olesia Makhonko graduated from Kiev National University of Technology and Design with an Honours BA in Fashion design. She worked for Alexander McQueen until she launched her own womenswear brand Molessa in 2007. The brand’s inspirations are the shape of the female body, modern architecture and art. I’ve used Olesia’s dresses in several shoots and I just love her designs so I knew I’d just had to ask her a few questions about her work.

As a young designer what are your biggest challenges?
OM - My biggest challenges as a young designer are finding time to design, organize sampling and production of my collections, look after my sales and PR, and meet deadlines on an everyday basis. Running a fashion business is a very complex and time consuming process, and as the owner and designer you need to know about everything and look after every aspect relating to your label. The other biggest challenge is the financial side, as I’m one of those designers who still works full time for a well know fashion company to earn money, while trying to establish my own brand. Costs relating to running a high end fashion business are very high, and obtaining sales orders from boutiques is very difficult.

Will you be doing a show next season for London Fashion Week?
OM - I’m hoping to show either at Vauxhall Fashion Scout group show or at On/Off exhibition next season.

What advice do you have for a new graduate?
OM - I would advise young graduates who want to create their own label to understand from the beginning that in order to be successful you need to be a highly creative, motivated and hard working person, and that you need to believe in yourself and never give up, as the road to designer label success is extremely hard and long for most of us.

How do you work? What is your process?
OM - I’m one of those designers who gain their inspiration from material and shape, rather than just visual image research. I love to draw and I make many sketches while gathering ideas for new collection, however I also experiment a lot with fabrics on a dummy to get a real feel for how a new idea or design will work. So before I draw the final sketches and organize the collection, I’ll make many quick drawings, take photographs of drapes on the dummy and collect fabric swatches, and then move to making patterns and toils and organizing sampling, which my production unit or sampling machinist will do for me.

What other projects are you working on?
OM - I’m working on a diffusion range for the online retailer ASOS.com. It’ll be a more affordable and casual line, however it’ll keep the Molessa sleek, clean, geometric style and elegant feminine shapes.

Do you live in London ?
OM - Yes I live in London in the wonderful Bloomsbury area.

What do you eat for breakfast?
OM - I try to eat yogurt every morning, however often I don’t have enough time and end up eating an apple on the way to work.

Photography by Diego Indraccolo

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This season I was quite busy styling shows and although I didn’t have the chance to see lots of shows, which I love doing, I was lucky enough to see Emma Bell’s show. It opened with a violinist playing ‘How much is that doggy in the window‘ and performance artist Scottie wearing heels and a dog suit! The audience was enthusiastic and you just felt like something special was going to happen. I interviewed Emma Bell a few days after hr show:

Where did you go to school?
EB - I studied my degree in fashion design at the University of Wesminster and graduated in 2006

Were you always interested in fashion?
EB - Yes! From a really early age! I found a diary from 1993 recently in which I declared “I really love art lessons, that is why I want to be a fashion designer when I grow up!” I was also dabbling with the sewing machine and attempting to customise and make my own clothes so it was all a natural progression!

What inspired your AW 09 collection?
EB - I recently took a trip to Asia in which I totally immersed myself into learning all about local craft techniques including embroidery and batik so I translated this into my latest collection in the form of batik inspired block printing. I also looked at the romantic tragedy in Tennyson poetry as well as working my personal ethics on animal cruelty into the collection in the form of hand painted dogs on the fabrics and dog structures as accessories. I was also influenced by the utilitarian value of Communist clothing in China as many people opt to buy ex-military garments as they are economically viable and durable. I looked into quilting and it’s history and as a result worked freehand woollen embroidery and blanket stitching into the collection.

Do you have a dog?
EB - No, but I have a cat called Tango! He is ginger!
How did your collaboration with Irregular Choice™ come about?
Some of my work was used in styling their lookbook and it kind of all rolled from there! I was a huge follower of their shoes for so many years so it was great when I was taken on board and given the opportunity to design a sub-label called “Emma Bell for Irregular Choice” for two seasons. It was a womenswear line which also branched out into bags and I was also given the opportunity to dabble into footwear design which was great!
I love working on collaborations as it’s a great challenge to work alongside another brand’s design aesthetic!

Why do you think the Emma Bell label has created a cult following?
EB - I think there is definitely a demand for fashion that deviates away from trends and I think that the colour, sparkle and extravaganza of it all appeals to people. I love to inject an element of humour into my work and I think this is what people like about my label. I like to think that there is something in it for everyone whether someone be looking to rock an all out look or for someone who is just looking for that one tiny bit of colour or statement piece!

Who’s the most famous person who’s worn Emma Bell? Name drop please!
EB - Ooh well I like to think there are a few lurking out there as my clothing is available worldwide so who knows, maybe Dolly Parton or Pat Butcher has a piece of Emma Bell hiding in their wardrobe?!?!
Of the ones I can mention, my clothing has been seen on Samanda of Big Brother stardom, Jodie Harsh, Ebony Bones and comedian Josie Long on Channel 4 Skins!

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