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Issue 19April 2014

Comedy favouriteJohn Witherspoon is coming to the UK!Page 04

Hi all and welcome to the nineteenth issue of L’ART; the anniversary issue.

As we celebrate our third year as an online publication, we look to our UK hometown for personal stories of inspiration and the active chasing of dreams. Meet singer Joy Osaiah, who after hitting the studio hard and working on her songwriting, releases her first EP this summer. Plus, friends Opor Kunkiatngamdee and Samantha Flanakin who have both walked at Oxford Fashion Week, discuss their experiences and future goals in the world of fashion.

As comedy legend, John Witherspoon, is due to arrive in the UK next month for his headline tour, what better time to catch up with ‘Pops’ and highlight his career, which spans more than 40 years? Get the scoop on his latest projects and upcoming tour.

Plus, a career change from the world of performing arts to music sees former back up dancer, Daisha, serve as your international feature this issue, as she launches her solo career.

Read all this and more in your celebratory issue.

Daniella & Letisha

Contact

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LARTMagazine@gmail.comEmail

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Credits

Daniella Jones-EllisWriter & Editor

Letisha Jones-EllisWriter & Editor

Ishmael JacksonGraphic Designer

Editor’s note

Issue 19 | April 2014 | dlpublications-lart.co.uk

Features

John Witherspoon Brings ‘Pops’

To The UK | 04We catch up with the comedy favourite and he

reveals some exciting future projects.

REBORN: Daisha | 08Daisha left her career behind to follow her musi-

cal dreams. Here’s her story.

London Collections: Men SS15 | 12The men’s fashion extravaganza returns with

the British Fashion Council.

Word On The Street | 14We give you five top album releases to count

down to this season.

Bill Bellamy Hosts Your

Ladies Night Out | 20The Hackney Empire welcomes the international

star on tour.

Singer Joy Osaiah Accepts Her

Musical Calling | 22With an EP release close by, we caught up with

the local talent.

Opor & Samantha | 26Following Oxford Fashion Week, this dynamic

duo share their fashion aspirations.

L’ART

02 | Contents | L’ART L’ART | Contents | 03

Stand up comedian, actor, television sitcom feature and movie screen favourite, John Witherspoon successfully enters the fifth decade

of his career and you can catch him live on stage in the UK!

Becoming a household name for many and travelling all the way from the US, John will be spending the May Bank Holiday weekend in Wolverhampton and London May 4th to 5th and coming from the mouth of the man himself, you can expect to see Pops, Grandad and Uncle Willie, all in one.

The comedy legend, affectionately known to many as ‘Pops’, has credits in movies from Soul Plane and the Friday sequels, to voice overs in animation series The Boondocks, but this short list only portrays a fraction of

John’s achievements to date.

Working with Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Charlie Murphy, The Wayans Brothers and David Letterman remain some of his personal highlights, with the opportunity to open for Richard and working alongside Redd Foxx and many other great artists at the Comedy Store, serving as great inspiration in his early days.

“It took me 20 years before I became popular,” John remembers, after humourously branding the time he received his third cheque from Friday After Next as the defining moment for wanting a career in stand up.

“There is a lot of money in show business and film and I don’t turn anything down but the collar on my shirt. I love to do commercials, TV and radio,”. So for those wanting a career in the same field, John encourages you to ‘stick with the art, continue being a comic and don’t give up’.

Remaining busy ahead of his UK stop, John plays Robert ‘Grandad’ Freeman on cartoon

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John Witherspoon Brings ‘Pops’ To The

UKThe US comedian and actor talks new television projects, co-working

greats and the moment he realised comedy was the career for him.

“It took me 20

years before I

became popular.”

L’ART | John Witherspoon | 05

The Boondocks (available on Netflix) and is currently working on a television project over in the US titled The First Family, which sees him play the father of the US President.

“Gladys Knight is my wife, so I get a chance to kiss those big lips every week,” he jokes. John is also having a lot of fun on

the set of new television show Black Jesus, where he has the role of playing a homeless man. Portraying Jesus living in Compton, California, John reunites with working friend Charlie Murphy, as well as stand up comedian, actor and radio host Corey Holcomb (Like Mike, The Cleveland Show, Nick Cannon Presents Wild’n Out’).

With a 40 week tour in the US planned after his return, it’s clear to see that John has no preference when it comes to life on the stage or set. His love for it all has seen him conquer a varied number of projects, including a cooking show. Yes you read right and the series is available on YouTube right now, with new videos being shot on a regular

basis for your viewing fun.

John went for the title “‘Cooking For Poor People’, because when you’re hungry, everything tastes good’. We’d have to agree with him there.

Tickets are available for John’s UK show now, with included entry into the official after party. Plus special guest comedians over the weekend include Slim and Richard Blackwood.

“I’ll be there soon. Yeah Boy!”

Want to connect with John?Website: www.bangbangbangbang.comTwitter: @John_POPS_Spoon

06 | John Witherspoon | L’ART

“When you’re hungry,

everything tastes good.”

Photo Credit: Zara

“I knew if I really went for it, I’d risk all the hard work I’d built so far, including my reputation as a professional dancer.”

08 | REBORN: Daisha | L’ART

REBORN: DAISHA RETURNS TO THE STAGE AS A NEW WOMANWorking as a professional dancer wasn’t everything that Daisha wanted in life. So she made one brave decision that would change her life forever.

Daisha has stepped into the music world and she is here to stay.

But before persuing her music career, she spent the past few years living her life as a professional back up dancer and this has helped her with her new career move. “I’ve

been able to learn and witness how different artists operate and handle their careers first hand! Everyone is different,” said Daisha.

Although this previous experience in the industry has been “amazing preparation” for her music career, it was time to focus on her first love; music. So it was with the help of a clear vision and support from her teachers that encouraged her to make the big step to begin her music career.

“I’ve always loved singing but was too shy so I just stuck to dancing,” she said. “One day I decided I needed to start vocal classes in case I did Broadway. My teachers Craig Derry and

L’ART | REBORN: Daisha | 09

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Clurel Henderson convinced me to write and record a song. Then it all clicked.”

So with a bit more confidence and a strong desire for music, Reborn was born. This is the title of her debut EP as well as her first official single and the title is part of a very personal story of Daisha as a new artist.

“Reborn is about how I grew up in a small town. However I really ‘grew up’ and found myself when I moved to NYC. The energy, culture, arts and creative vibes here are unparalleled. NYC was no doubt my place of ‘rebirth’.”

So how has the new song been received by the music world? “The reception has been overwhelmingly positive. The sound is a bit eccentric so I wasn’t sure if people would vibe or not. Luckily, people are rocking.”

This response was a huge relief for Daisha, but she was far from anxious before releasing her very first track. “I’ve been preparing for years, so I was super hype to let the world hear it! I have so much music in the Daisha vault, so it’s amazing to finally be in a place to start releasing gems.

“I’m looking forward to touching a lot of people. I want my music to move people, in their lives or to the dance floor. I want to travel the world

and reach as many people as I can. Music is powerful.”

She’s not wrong there! Many people would agree with Daisha when it comes to having music as an outlet and of course everyone has their very own list of favourite artists to listen and look up to.

“There are so many! Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson, Santigold, Gwen Stefani, Missy Elliott, Pharrell, N.E.R.D and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. All these artists are different and have their own unique style and tone. I applaud their individuality. They are all bad ass performers as well.”

As well as aspiring to be just as good a performer as these talented stars, Daisha did reveal that we should also look out for an album, EP, hair and also look out for her on the big screen!

So what does Daisha get up to when she’s not focusing on her music? Well, she simply replied: “My work is my fun.” But if you’re curious to know more about the person behind Daisha, she is a ‘lover, a goofball’ and jokes around a lot. “Laughing is my favourite. I like to act silly with my friends and I’m passionate about my work. I love my fierce side.” So expect to see a lot more of that!

“I really hope I can shed light to those who also dream about creating any way that frees the spirit.”

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12 | London Collections: Men | L’ART

Images from top left to right:

Photo 1: McQueen | Photo 2: Jonathan Saunders | Photo 3: Topman | Photo 4: Saville Row

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London Collections: Men SS15

Showcasing the Best of British Menswear londoncollections.co.uk

At the Hospital Club.

As we enjoy the start of summer and continue to look forward to the height of the season, oppor-tunities to wear bright separates and lighter wear in our daily attire nears, with the fashion world remaining one step ahead.

The British Fashion Council host London Collections: Men, showcasing the reach of British fashion, from emerging talent to the global brands and introducing pieces for the spring summer 15 season (SS15), June 15th-17th. Celebrating menswear and the designers whose livelihoods are dedicated to the art, as always you can watch the live footage over on our live fashion page.

‘London Collections: Men emphasises both the creative and commercial importance of Britain’s brands and emerging talent, as well as the rich cultural landscape that contributes to the inspiration and success of this sector’.

Applications are now closed for the event, so we look forward to seeing the established and upcoming collec-tions debuting very soon.

As we await the next summer event in the menswear calendar, keep an eye out for the SS15 show schedule of catwalk shows, presentations, events, digital showcasing and showroom highlights. Your live stream feed will be waiting for you.

Word On The Street

We highlight our top five albums of the spring season. Will you be counting down to their

release dates with us?

14 | Word On The Street | L’ART

Every month there is always an album release to look forward to and the following months are no different. Here, we cut the list down to five top choices that have caught our eye for April and May and we can guarantee you’ll be counting down to their release dates in no time.

1. Nas Illmatic XX – April 15th If there was ever a highly anticipated album, this would have to be it! Ever since Nas revealed the news about a second edition of his first Illmatic album – released in April 1994 - the count down has been well and truly on.

Today, Illmatic is known as one of the most classic hip-hop albums to date and for a debut album, it gave Nas a huge platform for what would be a successful 20 year music career.

Over the years, Nas has earnt the title of a highly respected lyricist, so it’s no surprise that his work has been re-invented by playwright’s who have brought his music to life on stage, showing ‘how intellectually well-versed Nas truly is’.

Now, Illmatic XX will include re-mastered original recordings with unreleased cuts, demos, out takes and more! Plus there will also be an Illmatic XX feature film. “With Illmatic, I didn’t think about it. I just did it. I believe everybody has good instincts,” said Nas.

“Now I’m a man from the past and I’m supremely grateful. There’s a Nigerian proverb ‘What is past is pro-logue’. I’m here today because of Illmatic.”

2. Kelis FOOD – April 18th - 28thThis may be the last album that Kelis will ever make, but she’s not ready to claim retirement just yet. The singer-songwriter says it depends on how the mood suits her, as she doesn’t have any musical ambitions any-more.

So with that said, Kelis fans make sure you get your copy of FOOD just in case! Each song has a food-themed title, as the entire album reflects the more positive and mature mindset that she is experiencing at this time in her life. That will explain the title of the first official track if you were none the wiser!

Nas - Illmatic XX

Kelis - FOOD

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L’ART | Word On The Street | 15

16 | Word On The Street | L’ART

‘Jerk Ribs’ is a ‘funky, horn-dominated number’ and Kelis has expressed that this song best represents the vibe of the whole album. The food influence may also have something to do with Kelis graduating as a certi-fied chef from New York’s Le Cordon Bleu College Of Culinary Arts, and earning herself a Cooking Channel show called Saucy & Sweet.

But whether it’s music or cooking that dominates the rest of Kelis’ life, either way, she feels ‘successful’. As well as the album, look out for Kelis on tour, her own sauce line, cooking show and possibly her own cook-book. The future is bright!

3. Chris Brown X – May 5thBreezy has already described this as his ‘best album yet’ and his fans are dying to hear the complete project after X was given a new release date. So May is now the month to look forward to.

X is Brown’s sixth studio album and may also be his last as he has stated in the past, so it seems that there are high expectations on this album!

Tracks already released from the album have included ‘Love More’ featuring Nicki Minaj, ‘Don’t Think They Know’ featuring Aaliyah, ‘Fine China’ and more recently ‘Loyal’ with Tyga and Lil Wayne.

Brown previously gave us an insight into the direction he wanted to take with this new album and we were immediately made aware of his own personal music influences.

“I wanted to touch musically on Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Sam Cooke, and incorporate those influences with the new,” he said. Well, when it comes to his dance moves you can definitely see the Michael Jackson influence, so who can hear Sam Cooke and Stevie Wonder in there too? Be ready to hear the com-plete project to find out!

4. Mariah Carey The Art Of Letting Go – May 6thAlthough this album has suffered a delay due to Mariah wanting to deliver the complete project exactly how she’s envisioned it, the count down to The Art Of Letting Go is now closer to its new release date.

Chris Brown - X

Mariah Carey - The Art Of Letting Go

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Following the news of Jermaine Dupri being her new manager, Mariah has also been working hard to pro-duce the best songs for her audience, as she gets ready to share her 14th studio album with the world.

Singles such as ‘Beautiful’ featuring Miguel, ‘You’re Mine (Eternal)’, with Trey Songz on the remix, and ‘The Art Of Letting Go’, have already been released to give you a taste of the whole package and you’ve still got a lot more collaborations to look forward to hearing.

R.Kelly and Stevie Wonder also make a feature on the album, as they contribute to tracks ‘I Can’t Love U’ (R.Kelly) and ‘I’ll Still Be Around’ (Stevie Wonder). Plus, she will be working with The Dream once again, following their hit ‘My Love’, as he has produced two tracks on the album, as well as Jermaine Dupri, Miguel, Darkchild, Mike WiLL Made It, Bryan Michael Cox and Mariah herself.

Sounds like it’s going to be a huge hit!

5. Ice Cube Everythangs Corrupt – May 13th Since the days of N.W.A., Ice Cube has never failed to reach out to his audience through his music. Referred to as the most dangerous rapper alive, he now has the release of his tenth studio album to look forward to after recently writing, directing and starring in his new movie Ride Along with Kevin Hart.

Everythangs Corrupt is also the title of the album’s first single, which was released in perfect timing according to Ice Cube, as it was around the time of the presedential election. As he said: “This one’s for the political heads.”

“Everythangs Corrupt; it’s basically talking about how everywhere you look, corruption has poisoned us,” said Ice Cube. “I got songs on there like ‘Dominating The Weak’, which is really what the system is all about, putting the sheep asleep and dominating the weak.

“There’s a record on there talking about everybody popping pills. That’s the new thing to do. It’s this and that on there, it’s not an overly political album, and it’s more like a hardcore album.”

Ice Cube has been recording songs for 18 months now and has a lot of tracks to choose from, so get ready for its May debut!

Ice Cube - Everythangs Corrupt

WHICH ALBUMS WILL YOU BE BUYING?

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Bill Bellamy Hosts Your Ladies Night OutProving that comedy can be sexy, comedian Bill Bellamy hosts his tour on

his return to London’s Hackney Empire.

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Want more comedy and a chance to see another international star in the UK? Offering hilar-ious, edgy, uncensored and always unapologetic humour, Bill Bellamy returns to the UK!

Having performed to sold out audiences across the US, Bill Bellamy is set to bring his La-dies Night Out Comedy Tour to London’s Hackney Empire on Saturday June 28th.

Following on from the Bank Holiday weekend, the laughs continue through the Summer thanks to All Star Comedy Productions, as the US actor and stand up comedian can be seen in his current show for one night only.

Bill started his career in the 80s after winning round the famously tough audience at Showtime At The Apollo and first became a household name on Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam. His own comedy spe-cial Booty Call was to follow, with Bill’s career continuing to vary in areas of the stage, television [Keenan & Kel, Cousin Skeeter] and movies [The Brothers, Two Can Play That Game].

Today, Bill can be seen on TV One where his show Bill Bellamy’s Who’s Got Jokes? celebrates its fourth season. The stand up competition challenges contestants to a three-minute stand up curse free and stays within the time given.

Your tickets for summer fun are available from the Hackney Empire today.

UK artist Joy Osaiah is set to debut her first EP this summer and with it comes a powerful and positive message for her listeners.

The Banks Of The Cherith shares Joy’s inspiration of music with the world, as she accepts her calling as a singer; something she believes she was always destined to do.

“He spends his life doing other things and all of a sudden tragedy breaks out,” Joy explains, as she touches on the meaning behind her EP title and the prophet whom Paulo Coelho’s book is based upon. “He has to run away from where he lives and ends up hiding by the banks of the cherith (riverbank). While he’s there he finally accepts who he is.”

Now accepting music and hoping to encourage others to do the same with passions in their own life, Joy remains excited for her project release this summer and with all songs on the track listing having their own message,

overall Joy’s aim is to portray what she’s all about as an artist through her lyrics.

“As far as I can remember I’ve always loved music,” said Joy. With her parents always playing music around the house and her mother singing in the church choir, these have led to Joy’s understanding of music, how to structure a song and what it means to sing.

Great performance energy, the ability to use your voice as an instrument, along with the ability to write, are just a few aspects of being an artist that Joy finds important and these attributes can be found in the artists within her top ranked.

Although she found the selection of a top three hard to do (she managed to sneak in one extra artist), Joy narrowed her random selection down to North Carolina group Little Brother, Chaka Khan, Ella Fitzgerald and African acoustic artist Asha, for factors such as their performance energy, writing technique and the ability to use their voices as an instrument. It is these elements that Joy aims to use in her own development as an artist.

Joy’s influence of music types such as

“As far as I can remember

I’ve always loved music.”

Singer Joy Osaiah Accepts Her Musical

CallingWith her summer EP release date approaching, Joy bares all in a bid to

share her hopeful sounds.

22 | Joy Osaiah | L’ART L’ART | Joy Osaiah | 23

African, Jazz, Old Soul, Gospel, 90s RnB, Hip Hop and Dance music with House influences, all play an equal role in her choice of idols, with some Indie bands also taking preference.

“My taste of music is quite wide. Little Brother are amazing lyricists. Seeing them live [their energy] was the decider for me to touch upon Hip Hop Soul music. Chaka Khan is legendary in terms of song and Ella Fitzgerald is one of my favourite Jazz singers. They make their voices interesting and use it to tell a story. I want to take what they do and incorporate what they’re doing.”

Communicating with music through her heart, Joy’s hopeful songs reflect her beginning in church and with her best songs resulting from things being on her mind, Joy’s songwriting process varies like any other artist. Whether an easy time or difficult, the key is to always start with inspiration.

Currently focusing on her songwriting and studio time, you can keep up to date with Joy on her website as we await live gig dates for 2014 and the official EP release date.

“This is what I’m going to do and I’m going for it and I want people to take that away. It’s never too late to go for a dream.”

“They make their voices interesting and use it to tell a story.”

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Website:

www.joyosaiahmusic.com

Twitter:

@JoyOsaiah

Opor & Samantha: Inspired By Fashion Week

This dynamic duo are the best of friends and although their fashion aspirations are different to one another, it has still brought them closer

together. This is their story...

26 | Opor & Samantha: Inspired By Fashion Week | L’ART

Following the incredible run of fashion week events from London, Milan, Paris, New York, Toronto and even Oxford, there has been a void

in the fashion industry, as things have now gotten a little quieter compared to the past few months.

But fear not, as the biggest graduate fashion event for all UK and international students is well on its way. Graduate Fashion Week (GFW) is a huge four-day event (from May 31st to June 3rd) that can only be described as an extravaganza!

It gives the opportunity for graduates to showcase their work, as well as taking part in workshops and seminars to further boost their career within fashion. This year also marks the 23rd anniversary of GFW, so expect some even greater opportunities at hand for you to take full advantage of.

Two ladies who dream of one day achieving all their fashion-driven goals are Opor and Sam. As well as being close friends, the two have a lot in common when it comes to fashion.

The pair have both been involved in Oxford Fashion Week, our very own local annual week of fashion events, founded in 2009.

Since then it has grown into ‘an established part of the new fashion week circuit’, where designs from fashion graduates, established and cutting edge designers are all the talk of the town.

Today, Opor and Sam share their own personal story with you about their journey in the fashion world, including Oxford Fashion Week and what the future holds in a world full of opportunities.

L’ART: How did you become involved in Oxford Fashion Week (OFW)?

Samantha: By becoming one of the models in their Cosmopolitan and Concept Show. However, this year, even though I didn’t get through, I attended three of their shows. Being able to watch the models and garments coming down the runway front row is an experience I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget.

Opor: Having worked as a model for my friend, Samantha Flanakin, and having watched her perform on the runway in 2012 gave me an interest towards the fashion industry and modeling opportunities in Oxfordshire. From this I took on Oxford Fashion Week open casting in 2013 at Malmaison Hotel.

Oxford Fashion Week 2014’s glamorous venue at the Malmaison Hotel.

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28 | Opor & Samantha: Inspired By Fashion Week | L’ART

L’ART: What were your specific roles and responsibilities during this fashionable event?

Samantha: To turn up on time to rehearsals and call times so I could get my hair and makeup done for the shows, have a few practices going down the runway and getting a general feel to what it was like. However, this year I felt that OFW has been taken to a completely new level. You could just feel that so much attention to detail and rehearsals had gone into the shows to make them completely incredible.

L’ART: What was it like to be part of one of Oxford’s most talked about events?

Samantha: It’s a feeling I can’t really explain. This year had not only created fantastic shows, but they’ve created an incredible experience.

Opor: I feel glad that the city I live in have such a fantastic person like Carl Anglim (Director and Founder of OFW) who brings new and vibrant ideas and opportunities into the community. I feel great to have been part of an amazing and well-known event. I cannot wait for the

“It’s a feeling I can’t really explain.”

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30 | Opor & Samantha: Inspired By Fashion Week | L’ART

upcoming event this November.

L’ART: Name your number one highlight of the whole experience.

Samantha: This year, getting to watch my best friend Opor model in the Couture and Concept shows, as well as being blown away by the venues, the garments and I was extremely proud of her. She looked absolutely amazing.

Opor: Getting to know and speak to professionals who are currently working in the industry. The fact that I get to meet and work with such amazing people! Carl Anglim, Emma Appleton and Tiffany Saunders – superb role models – and are always there to support you throughout the whole experience.

L’ART: What is it that you love about fashion?

Samantha: I love every aspect of it. I love the idea of turning your imagination and ideas into garments, and how there are no limitations to what you can create. I have a great admiration for hair and makeup artists, as well as photographers capturing that one incredible moment that’ll never be forgotten. I believe it’s what connects us together.

Without Coco Chanel, the iconic little black dress would be a figment of our imaginations, without Mary Quant the mini skirt would probably still be unheard in our society, without Vivien Westwood we would have no rebellious street style and designers such as Alexander McQueen, and John Galliano would have never evolved and pushed the boundaries of what fashion is today. The list is endless. It is everyone’s way of expressing themselves without having to say a word.

Opor: That designers and stylists can be as crazy and creative as they want. It can go as wild as the designer wants, because it’s their design and no one elses! In addition, fashion doesn’t always have to be on runways and catwalks. Fashion is within all and every individual.

L’ART: What aspirations would you personally like to achieve within the fashion industry?

Samantha: I have so many. To be able to attend Central St. Martins or London College of Fashion to study womenswear, and I would like to work in the industry for a few years until I can create my own brand, designing and making up-market garments - maybe one day in the future even Haute Couture.

Opor Kunkiatngamdee at The Concept Show, The Macdonald Randolph Hotel.

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L’ART: Tell us about any fashion projects you’re currently involved in or have planned for the future.

Samantha: I’m currently studying fashion at the City of Oxford College, attending a L3 extended diploma, which is really hands on and involves all aspects of fashion, so I guess the main projects I’m currently involved in are ones that are set by the course. I hope to create my first collection of garments and I like to post everything I do online.

L’ART: What is the ultimate goal you’d like to achieve when it comes to your work in fashion?

Samantha: To design and make Haute Couture. The possibilities with what you can do are endless and the attention to detail is impeccable. Haute Couture has no restrictions like high-street clothing, so you can be as extravagant and eccentric as you can afford. I think that is any designers ultimate goal now, to create new boundaries and new levels of social excitement and shock through the garments they create.

Opor: Going to University to study HR Management. That has nothing to do with fashion, however that doesn’t mean I cannot apply my skills in the fashion industry. If

I want to achieve something in the work of fashion, I will do this with Samantha. Apart from that, modelling would be something I want to do. I have been doing it for some years and as a result, really enjoy promotion, portrait and fashion work in the industry.

Well there you have it, two strong-willed ladies who are passionate about the opportunities within their reach when it comes to business and fashion. Look out world!

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L’ART | * | 33

Photo Credit: Miss Selfridge

L’ART