Understanding what you think about yourself and how it can affect what you believe is possible for your life.

In Summer, Evelina Eco + I sat down (over zoom!) with Esther Knight, co-founder of CEO of sustainable fashion brand Fanfare. 

We covered so many different topics... from being a woman in business, her choice to partner with the charity A21 (on a mission to abolish modern day slavery), what it's really like to run a sustainable business, educating her employees + partners on sustainability, and we cover the question; Is collaboration possible in an industry known for its competitiveness? - breaking down how sustainability fights against the competitive nature that the fashion industry has inhabited for so many years.

you can follow Fanfare on IG: @fanfarelabel

https://fanfarelabel.com

While in the London lockdown we interviewed the founders of the brand Little Places - "a platform to discover the best independent places and brands in London."

We filmed this over zoom, while quarantining! 

We spoke to founders, Kyra + Jason, about how Little Places came about + why it exists today.

Be sure to check out their beautiful site and instagram - they create some gorgeous content!

https://www.littleplaces.london/

Instagram

this episode is taken exclusively from our modelme webinar! 

with Creative Director, Photographer, and Founder of TRIB318, Josiah Hyacinth. 

we have launched an educational platform to help creatives be the best version of themselves. you can check it out through our site: www.modelmemission.co.uk 

this webinar covers:

why you should start a business

finding a gap in the market

growing a community

creating a company

getting out of an inspiration block

STEP NOW is ran by 5 absolutely wonderful humans who I’ve just loved knowing in this short period of time that we have been introduced. Ray, Solomon, Princess, Godwin + Tony are the guys (and girl!) behind STEP NOW, an organisation that supports young people with finance, careers, family + friends, their physical + mental health.

I sat down with 4 of the team and really got to understand why STEP NOW was created, how the business supports young people on a day to day basis, how Princess finds working with 4 men(!), + how the current situation with coronavirus has affected a business that runs so heavily with face to face interaction.

Massively inspired by how this business is adapting, I spent my time on Zoom with them making notes and having ideas from all the intricate details + stories they gave me. I can’t wait to see how STEP NOW go from strength to strength through this season, + when we are in to the new normal and can leave our homes again.

follow STEP NOW: 

Website

OOfficial STEP NOW - IG

Ray

Princess

Solomon

Deveer

Tony

companies inspiring STEP NOW: (mentioned on the podcast)

https://www.instagram.com/juvenis_youth/

https://www.instagram.com/spiralskills/

https://www.instagram.com/milkhoneybees/

https://www.instagram.com/brixtonsoupkitchen/

https://www.instagram.com/boxupcrime/

https://www.instagram.com/carlkonadu/

https://www.instagram.com/lambethtigersfc/

https://www.instagram.com/just_geen/

https://www.instagram.com/ciaralondon/

Sign up here for our future membership online launch + to join our mailing list

Check out modelme: www.modelmemission.co.uk

modelme is designed to empower + educate creatives, currently through our online events on instagram, through our podcast here, + our blog.

I first the met the Common Purpose guys (Sam, Tiago and Dan) during working at my part time job! We were friendly and spoke about all things in life - apart from our careers - for a while - until one day I asked what their logo was on their sweaters (this is why I think branded clothing is such a good idea! We still need to do that at modelme...) 

When we spoke more about what Common Purpose was - which is a boutique personal training service - we quickly realised how aligned we were as brands. Mindset being something both Common Purpose + modelme value highly, the idea of doing a collab fitness event made total sense. And then... lockdown happened! So we decided to take it online, and are currently running a series of IG lives over on @model_me + @commonpurposeclub. Next week we will be doing smoothie making, and on the 18th May to launch our mental health awareness week of events at modelme, we will be starting on the 18th at 8:30am with Sam from Common Purpose, with a "core" workout and a "mindset" q+a. 

Loved this podcast with the boys, we could of spoke for hours! 

You can find more about Common Purpose here:

Website

Instagram

YouTube

Sign up here for our future membership online launch + to join our mailing list

Check out modelme: www.modelmemission.co.uk

modelme is designed to empower + educate creatives, currently through our online events on instagram, through our podcast here, + our blog. 

Sabinna Rachimova is the founder + CEO of ethical fashion brand, SABINNA. I recently was introduced to Sabinna through our friends at Own-Kind, and in the weeks before lockdown in the UK we worked together in many different ways - Fran Quendler (Head of PR + Communications at SABINNA) spoke on our Clothes Swap + Sustainability Talks panel, I featured on their podcast "Connecting People", and I also dipped my toe back into modelling to shoot their lookbook. 

Sabinna is a brand that I've really been inspired by lately, mainly because of the fact they are so much more than an "ethical fashion brand". They hold community close, as we do at modelme, and regularly were running workshops so that their community can understand the time it takes to, for example, crochet - recently they held a "how to create your own crochet" workshop. 

I loved this podcast with Sabinna, we cover feminism to readjusting to the work-from-home-every-day life, what it was like to move to the UK from Austria + what to look out for with greenwashing! 

www.sabinna.com

@sabinna_com

Sabinna on linkedin 

Connecting People Podcast

Sign up here for our future membership online launch + to join our mailing list

Check out modelme: www.modelmemission.co.uk

modelme is designed to empower and educate models and creatives, the modelme podcast is a place to learn and hear different insights from talented creatives from all over the world, in many different areas of the creative and fashion industry.

Eshita Kabra Davies is the incredibly inspirational Founder of By Rotation, UK's first and only fashion rental app where you can rent and lend your wardrobe. I sat with Eshita over zoom (embracing the isolation period!) and discussed the idea behind By Rotation, what it’s like to work with your husband, how she makes sure all areas of culture and diversity are covered through her talented team, and what COVID-19 means for businesses like hers. I left the podcast feeling super encouraged and truly inspired by Eshita’s thoughts and actions. The way brands and people are responding to supporting people and finding light in this crisis - brands like By Rotation, who are giving away a free rental to every NHS staff member, so they can have something extra cute to wear when this is over! - is really empowering to be part of and watch.

Eshita also shared some people she is really inspired by right now, which we would love to share with you:

Sharmadean Reid - Founder of Beauty Stack 

Emily Weiss - Founder + CEO of Glossier 

Mikaela Loach - Sustainability Activist + Medical Student! 

You can find By Rotation on instagram here @byrotationofficial

Eshita’s personal IG @arentyoueshita 

And you can download their free app through Android and the App Store - www.byrotation.com

Here's links to who Natasha recommended:

@psyclelondon

@bloklondon

@model_me

Sign up here for our future membership online launch + to join our mailing list

Check out Model Me: www.modelmemission.co.uk

Facebook

Model Me is designed to empower and educate models and creatives, the Model Me Podcast is a place to learn and hear different insights from talented creatives from all over the world, in many different areas of the creative and fashion industry.

This weeks edition of the podcast brings the very humble, inspiring and innovative Sanjay Soni, CEO + founder of PURSU. PURSU is an energy bar that Sanjay created himself in his kitchen at home (full story on the podcast!). Sanjay has been so supportive of Model Me ever since we were introduced in Summer, PURSU is quite different to other snack bars for me - and at Model Me I'm passionate about using brands that are different; that stand out from other things on the market.

What I love most about Sanjay is not just the innovation behind the ingredients in the bar but also the packaging itself - which is compostable - a decision he didn't make lightly but thought was absolutely necessary. Our friends at Pulsitos are on this right track too - creating snack packaging that is sustainable and not made from plastic. 

I loved recording this podcast with Sanjay - an authentic, honest conversation about the reality of building a brand alone, from scratch, what it really means to fully believe in yourself for your project to work, and building a brand from your moments of despair. Entrepreneurs are a different breed - it takes an element of people that not everyone is built with, and as CEO of Model Me, I certainly can say myself, how encouraging it was to meet Sanjay and have such a wonderfully frank, but massively encouraging conversation.

Check out Pursu online: www.pursu.co.uk

Instagram @pursunutrition

Our next Model Me events:

Tuesday 10th December: PRESSURE, POWER, PURPOSE @ The Curtain

Saturday 14th December: FITNESS EVENT with Courtney Fearon @ BXR 

@model_me

www.modelmemission.co.uk

Tony Longe is someone I met at the beginning of the year, through one of my actor friends, and Tony is someone we should all be watching. I knew that since the day I met him. There aren’t many people who operate like this man - which make him even more exciting to be around and witness his moves. Tony acts with a level of discipline and ambition that I personally believe is rare in today’s world - he works harder than most but also is one of the most humble men I’ve met. An incredibly talented Creative Producer who has his imagination playing in many creative projects - you’ll find yourself uttering his name next to the likes of Beats Headphones, Film 4, and Aitch... all of who he’s already worked with.

Major excited to share this podcast with you + you can rest assure we’ll be doing this again. Currently in the process of maybe persuading him to be a regular guest hehe.

DISCOVER TONY HERE:

www.tonylonge.com

@producerlonge