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With an ingrained love for co-ordinating outfits, twins Jessica and Jacqueline use skills from their day job as fashion designers to create cute matching clothes and accessories for dogs and owners.

Their business, Fox Named Todd, continues to expand with exciting collaborations and their recent addition of pet boxes (their take on the popular subscription box). We learn about the inspiration behind their ideas and find out what the future holds…

HoC: How did Fox Named Todd start? We take it you’re both dog people?!
Jessica & Jacqueline: We always had pets growing up so we grew up loving animals. We started making accessories for our own dogs and it grew into creating our own shop.

HoC: So, Fox Named Todd isn’t even your “main” job! As owners of a “side hustle” business, how did you balance your time?
Jessica & Jacqueline: Yes we work as Fashion Designers by day! We always schedule things. It takes a lot of time management skills and a lot of late nights and weekends.

READ MORE: Get Your Dog-Friendly Wellness Fit With ‘Doga’

HoC: When do you do manage to get some down time what’s your favourite way to spend time with your dogs?
Jessica & Jacqueline: We love to cook for our pets. We like to make them meals and treats from home and they really enjoy them! We even started offering some dog treats in our shop for other pups to enjoy.

HoC: Owners of cats might be feeling a bit left out right now – what about our feline friends?
Jessica & Jacqueline: All of our accessories can be for cats or dogs! We do have toys specifically for cats as well like kickers or catnip toys. We also have a collaboration with Choupette’s Diary and have an exclusive high end line of feline products available on their website.

HoC: Not only do you sell cute doggy clothes in a variety of prints, but you offer some of these in human sizes too! What was the idea behind this?
Jessica & Jacqueline: We are twins and always grew up matching, so we though it would be a great idea to match with your pet as well! We have a lot of different options to be able to match with your pet like shirts, hair scrunchies, and pyjamas.

READ MORE: #WomenWorldwide: Making #Twinning With Your Pet A Designer Essential – Behind The Brand With Jessica And Jacqeline Walters From Fox Named Todd

HoC: You have quite an extensive range of prints and products. Where does your inspiration come from and what are your most popular products?
Jessica & Jacqueline: We love quirky prints that are conversation starters! We try to have a wide variety of prints so there can be something for everyone. Probably food would be our biggest inspiration, we offer a lot of food prints! Bandanas and shirts are our most popular products.

HoC: Tell us more about your new pet boxes.
Jessica & Jacqueline: Pet boxes are very popular right now, we wanted to offer boxes but without the commitment of a monthly subscription. They come with a bandana, toy, and treats. We will be adding more boxes each month with a new theme, as well as boxes for holidays!

READ MORE: #TeamCocoPup: Treat Your Pup With These Furtastic Gifts

HoC: – People are always so focused on spoiling their furry friends, but what about all the pet owners who deserve a treat too?!
Jessica & Jacqueline: We also have items for pet moms and dads! We have products where you can match your pet like hair scrunchies, T-shirts, or pajama shorts. We also have a new lifestyle collection with items just for humans like mugs, tumblers, beanies, enamel pins, and tote bags, all that show off how much you love your pet!

HoC: It’s the start of a new year – what does 2020 hold for Fox Named Todd?
Jessica & Jacqueline: In the new year we will be adding a lot more mini collections with custom prints and toys. We have a lot of fun themes in the works and super excited to offer them in the next coming months!

Check out their website here: foxnamedtodd.com and follow them on Instagram here: @foxnamedtoddbandanas

Pushing boundaries in the world of guinea pigs, Rik and Helen create fun-filled toys and accessories – including world firsts!

We find out how they went from simply adopting two piggies, to creating their own range of circus-themed goodies and learn what it means for a guinea pig to ‘popcorn’ (you’ll be wanting to look that up on YouTube, trust us)…

What made you decide to first adopt guinea pigs?
Rik: It was Helen’s doing! We got married in 2010 and shortly after the wedding was over, she said, “Right, now I want us to get guinea pigs!” She’d had every other small animal as a child but never a guinea pig, so felt this was the natural next step! It didn’t take Helen long to find that we had a local guinea pig rescue near our home in Chelmsford. One visit later and we were both hooked!

Guinea pigs do make great family pets but don’t be fooled into thinking they are ‘easy’ or ‘cheap to look after’. They require the same dedication and commitment as any other pet. That said, they are fairly self-sufficient during the day, so guinea pigs are a good choice if you want the companionship of a dog or cat, but work away from home in the daytime. They have, in fact, remarkably big personalities!

So, how did having pet piggies then lead to you creating your own line of pet accessories?

Helen: Keen to lavish our new family members with love, we went out and bought them every toy and accessory on the market, they were spoilt rotten! But we quickly discovered many of these products weren’t up to the job. For some reason (probably financial), all small animal products were lumped together in one category and many of these products were trying to cater for all small furries at once, rather than being species specific. It meant that the true welfare and enrichment needs of these creatures were not really being met. With Rik’s background as a product designer and our desire to improve the lives of guinea pigs, we decided to have a go at changing things.

Disappointed with the quality of what was already on the market, how do you ensure your products stand above the rest?

Rik: We simply made it our mission statement to make the best enrichment toys on the market, regardless of cost. This was a brave step, but we knew what the market wanted and were very confident that people would want to pay more to give their small furries a better life. We go through a rigorous testing process before committing to a new design, these products are literally “tested by guinea pigs!”. If we are not totally convinced that a new product concept raises the bar and will be the market leader, we don’t do it.

All your products are themed around a circus. How did you decide of this theme for your first range of products?

Helen: We had lots of ideas for themes and will definitely do other ones in the future, but we started with the circus for good reason. Firstly, it’s unisex. Remarkably, around 90% of our customers are female, but we felt there was huge opportunity to get boys engaged and encourage them to consider guinea pigs as a pet in later life (and not just as children). By having a trendy guinea pig brand, we’re already beginning to address this. ‘PigDads’ get a lot of attention!

Secondly, with a circus theme, it’s really colourful and eye-catching, something you really don’t see in the small animal section of your local pet shop.

Thirdly, we knew that the interest in circuses (despite some bad press) was here to stay. Rik had spent 3 ½ years up in London designing film merchandise. He recognised how popular collecting ranges was and was also very aware of some of new film titles on the horizon. It’s no coincidence that ‘The Greatest Showman’ released shortly after HayPigs!® and that the remake of ‘Dumbo’ was also scheduled for 2019.

While the use of live animals in circuses is now widely condemned (and with very good reason), we felt the essence of the circus is still relevant today*. It’s all about tapping into our childhoods. That sense of fun, nostalgia and wonder. By engaging the humans and encouraging them to spend more time with their pets, everyone is a winner!

*It’s worth pointing out that HayPigs!® Guinea Pig Circus™ is a parody of the circus; our guinea pigs are playing the roles of the human characters and not the animals.

The products are all novel ideas, with fun and creative designs, but cater to real needs of small animals too. Why is this important?

Rik: Yes, while novel, it was not just about making quirky circus themed enrichment toys. We wanted each and every product to have awesome functionality and durability, and raise the bar in design and aesthetics. Funnily enough, it’s in introducing a theme that we have been inspired to come up with some world firsts! For example, our Cavy Cannonball™ – Tilting Tunnel is the first guinea pig tunnel to feature a tilting axel. Had we not been considering how to come up with a toy based on a human cannonballer, we may never have thought about it!

Will you ever create products to fit a new theme or are you going to continue to expand the circus range?

Helen: We definitely will in the future, but for now we are concentrating on expanding our existing range. We’ve just released two brand new products (the HayPigs!® Circus Treat Ball™ – 3-in-1 Enrichment Toy and the HayPigs!® Junior Food Tamer™ – Mini Food Bow) and they are already a massive hit with our customers and, of course, their piggies! We’ve got some more big ideas for 2020, but they are all top secret I’m afraid so watch this space!!

Very intriguing… Your website says that your products are “designed for and tested by Guinea Pigs”. Tell us more! What’s the testing process and how to you gather feedback from the little guys themselves?
Rik: Working with guinea pigs is very rewarding and what distinguishes them from many of the other small animals is that they do give you a lot of feedback! They have a plethora of noises and mannerisms that you can learn to read. If they’re happy or sad, frustrated or content, angry or hangry, you’ll know about it! This makes them the perfect product testers. We create working prototypes that we can gain feedback from. If they don’t like what we’ve come up with, they will discard it. If it captures their interest, they’ll be all over it – guinea pigs are naturally very inquisitive. The secret is to hold their attention for as long as possible and retain that attention every time you introduce the product. Then you know you’ve got a winning design!

Helen: The ultimate compliment from a guinea pig is a piggy ‘popcorn’. This is like an uncontrollable spasm in which your piggy leaps and spins in the air in excitement. For anyone who has a guinea pig, watching your piggy popcorn makes your heart glow inside!

A popcorning guinea pigs sounds adorable! Do you share the daily lives of your piggies online?

Rik: Yes, we have a very active social media account. We started our Instagram page before we’d launched the business and you can follow the lives of our rescue piggies on there (we currently have six). If you love cute and fluffy and a little escapism from daily life, we promise our posts will make you smile every time they pop up in your feed!

You can follow HayPigs!® on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (@haypigs). We also encourage you to check out our website: haypigs.com

Let’s talk about the F word, failure. However you square it off in your head failure is painful and can knock your confidence. The more skilled you get at dealing with it, the less you’ll worry about failure and start living your life because the more we worry about failing the less risks we take and nothing ever changes if you always do the same thing. Avoiding failure is the biggest failure of all because its worse to have never tried at all. Here’s how to stop worrying about failure and start living your life.

Get present

Worrying comes from living in the future and second guessing what is going to happen. The more you live in the moment and focus on the present the less likely you’ll spend time worrying about failing. Practicing meditation or being mindful is a great way of being present, try and build daily habits that help you be more present.

Reframe failure

Changing the way you view failure can make it easier to deal with. Failure brings us closer to success so reframe failure as a steppingstone to success and achieving your goal.

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

Fear of failure can cause paralysis and stop you from doing anything. Nothing good comes out of comfort zones so allow yourself to feel a state of discomfort and take a chance by doing things you wouldn’t normally do. Our mind likes familiar situations and when we try new things or think differently it becomes worried but the more you expose yourself to uncomfortable situations the mind gets more familiar with it and worries less.

Start small

Start by taking small calculated risks and gradually your confidence will grow pushing you further to do new things.

Own your failures

Being accountable and honest shows you are responsible and have integrity. When you are responsible you have the power and ability to learn, grow and make changes.

Failure helps build resiliency

Failure forces you to rethink, reconsider and find new resources which helps us bounce back quicker.

Use your energy where it will make an impact

Worrying burns a lot of energy and we only have a finite amount of energy each day so channel it into the good stuff, the things that are going to make an impact on your day and life.

Any film lover would certainly recognise the name Mark Kermode. As the UK’s most trusted film critic, Kermode’s distinctive voice and unmistakably recognisable coiffure has gained him a sort of ‘cult’ following amongst British film circles. These days, it seems any serious conversation about film always involves Kermode.

We caught with the famed film critic after one of his ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ panel discussions at The Dixon Hotel to talk about his endless love for film, and what it took to kickstart his career as a critic during his university days in Manchester. We also discuss best and worst films of the year, favourite directors, and his starring role in Marriott Bonvoy’s Loyalty & Love Campaign.

The Loyalty & Love Campaign is a thoughtful collection of fifteen photographs, shot by Rankin celebrating the power of travel in revitalising and nourishing relationships. Mark and his wife Linda were shot in The Dixon Hotel.

Tell us about the first moment that made you realise film was going to be your life?

It happened quite early. I was taken to the cinema by my mother and we saw ‘Krakatoa: East of Java,’ which was kind of an adventure romp film. I may have seen it before that, but it’s the first film I ever remember seeing. It has adventure, airships, and a volcano.

I remember sitting there thinking, “this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Years later, I got a DVD of it, as I haven’t seen it since I was a child. I forgot a lot of it, but the key moments and images brought me back to my childhood – it was like a time travelling machine to my youth.

Talk us through your early days as a film critic. What was the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?

I went to university in Manchester in the 1980s doing an English degree. I’ve always wanted to write about films, and back then we had a listing magazine called ‘City Life’ – which was the equivalent of Time Out back then.

Before the internet, you could just walk into the office of a newspaper and ask for work. I walked in there and simply offered to write film reviews. In the beginning, they found other jobs for me to do like driving the van etc, but I eventually started to write.

I did the same thing in London. I walked into the Time Out offices in London and asked for a job – and that’s really how I started off. The biggest challenge back then was having the nerve to present yourself, but it’s more difficult nowadays. With the internet, it’s much more difficult to be a film critic now.

What is the best and worst films you’ve ever seen?

The best film I’ve ever seen is ‘The Exorcist’. In fact, I made a documentary about it and wrote a book about it in 1997, where I was involved in finding missing scenes from the film. The worst film I’ve ever seen is ‘The Exorcist 2”. It was a truly terrible sequel that was made by people who haven’t even seen the original film.

Talking about sequels, do you think the Hollywood film scene is too reliant on sequels these days?

Nowadays, there are plenty of film sequels especially with the comic stuff. It’s hard to get a completely original project off the ground. Most of the stuff that I see are things that really interest me.

Although remakes aren’t necessarily a bad thing either. We had all those different versions of ‘A Star is Born’ and I liked most of them.

Out of all the big film releases of 2019 – what would you say would be your top 3?

I’m a huge fan of musicals, and Rocketman was a fantastic mix of fact and fiction that was also a proper musical. Nowadays people make music films like jukebox movies and biopics but to make a musical is quite a difficult thing. I thought it was brilliant because it was a musical first and foremost.

Bait is one the most remarkable thing I’ve ever seen. It’s brilliant, breath-taking film making. It’s made by Cornish filmmakers and is a proper, genuine, indigenous Cornish movie, that couldn’t have been made by anyone other than Mark Jenkin. It’s become a very big arthouse hit, as it was made of love and not money. In fact, they’ve been turning people away from it in some cinemas because it’s so popular.

Finally, Only You, is a really brilliant romance story directed by Harry Wootliff. He’s a brilliant filmmaker and actually showed it at the film festival in Shetland as one of our top film choices of the year.

“Some people think that you become a critic because you’re a frustrated filmmaker, but I know that the worst film I’ve ever seen, I could not have made. They are incomprehensible.”

Is there a film maker whose films you’d watch no matter what they made?

Definitely Lynne Ramsey who made ‘You Were Never Really Here’, ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’ and ‘Morvern Callar.’ She makes films fairly infrequently and she only makes projects she wants to work on, but I would watch anything she made.

If you were ever to make your own film – who would be part of Mark Kermode’s dream team?

I would never make a film. I have a very strict rule about this, that you’re either a critic or a maker. I know some very celebrated filmmakers who were critics, but I could never make a film. Some people think that you become a critic because you’re a frustrated filmmaker, but I know that the worst film I’ve ever seen, I could not have made. They are incomprehensible.

I’ve written documentaries, but crucially never directed them. If someone were to make a film about me, the only thing I would want is to be as far away from it as humanly possible.

Tell us about your collaboration with Marriott Bonvoy and a little bit about your part in the Loyalty&Love Campaigns?

I was doing some talks with the Autograph Collection Hotels with the Marriott. So, my partner Linda, who is a film academic, and I stayed at the Dixon hotel, and we loved it. There was a space wherein we could have a nice time together amidst our slightly frantic lives.

Soon after, we were talking about the Love & Loyalty campaign. At the time, Linda had been talking about getting writers spaces in hotels to work, and it just made sense. We had our photographs taken by Rankin, who’s made short films too. I actually introduced one of his films as part of Channel 4’s shooting gallery, so I obviously knew his name and reputation.

We went to The Dixon for the shoot and Rankin turned up and he’s lovely! He knew the same films as I did, and it was really relaxed. What they were trying to emphasise is that staying in a hotel is a special experience – it’s like a little cocoon away from everything else where you can relax, think, read, write, and be creative.

What advice do you have for aspiring film critics looking to make it in the industry?

The first is something that Kim Newman told me. He said, ‘If you’re going to be a film critic, you really need to have wanted to do it for quite a long time. If you haven’t watched films obsessively as a child, then you’ll have a lot of catching up to do”.

It’s not something that you can just decide to do one day like any other job, it’s more to do with doing it properly. There are certain requirements as a film reviewer, you need to contextualise a film, where it comes from, where it sits, categorise it, and the least important thing is what did you think about it. The trick is to be completely honest of what you think regardless what other people think.

People don’t read reviews to know how to think about a film. Funnily enough, a YouGov poll said that I was the most trusted film critic in the UK, but actually that came down to less than 4% of the people surveyed. People watch films because someone recommended it to them. You’re writing reviews to describe, contextualise, and widen the context of what people think of film.

www.marriottloyaltyandlove.com

Find out how travel, loyalty and love are celebrated in Illustrator Quentin Jones’ relationship with husband George Northcott as they shoot with Rankin for Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott Bonvoy, the travel reward programme from Marriott International, has launched Loyalty & Love, a collaboration with British photographer, Rankin.

The campaign examines the importance of loyalty and travel in modern relationships featuring fifteen couples shot by Rankin across fifteen Marriott Bonvoy hotels in Europe. Each of the couples’ stories share a common theme of experiences and precious time spent travelling, to tell tales of family bonding, friendships and romance.

And it’s all about romance for Quentin Jones and George Northcott, a married couple who’s personal love story centres around travel from the very start, as they first met in an airport.

“We met in Heathrow Terminal 5 on our way to the same group holiday in Mexico five years ago,” recalls illustrator and film maker Quentin Jones. “George was a friend of my sister’s husband’s friend and we met going through the airport, but first spoke properly on the plane.”

By the time the trip ended, they were dating. Unfortunately the pair lived on either side of the pond, with Jones in New York and Northcott in London. They didn’t let this stop the blossoming romance though and dived head first into a long-distance romance hopping back and forth over the Atlantic.

“George was really romantic. Every time he came to visit, he wrote a rhyming comedy poem about the trip,” says Jones.

Fast-forward to now and the pair have been living in the UK for three years and have two children: sons 3-year-old Grey and 10-month-old Cassius.

Calling North London home, the pair made a habit of weaving travel into their lives. After a fairytale weekend-long wedding in Venice, they spent three weeks in India for their honeymoon.

Jones tells us: “I think Venice will always be special to us because we got married there and we often go back for the Biennale. Every time you arrive in Venice, it takes your breath away.”

READ MORE: A New Way To Hotel: Creativity By Day, Cocktails By Night

They now make it a priority to escape regularly for weekends away, making time for just the two of them among the chaos of work, life and kids.

“I think it’s really important to find time as a couple, so this year we went to Miami for some sun in February, skiing in March, then Venice to the Biennale opening in May,” Jones tells us.

She adds: “Trips with kids can be so amazing, but for quick weekends away, just being the two of us is such a treat.”

To celebrate the Loyalty & Love campaign world-famous British fashion and portrait photographer shot Jones and Northcott at The Great Northern, London.

“I have been shot by him a few times over the years, and he is still as funny as ever,” she describes the experience.

READ MORE: Mark Kermode On His Love For Film And His Starring Role In Marriott Bonvoy’s Loyalty & Love Campaign

Rankin commented; “Hotels are fascinating places; each guest and room has a different story to tell, forming a treasure trove of memories made together. In Loyalty & Love, we wanted to capture the romance and glamour of staying in a hotel by revealing our couples behind closed doors, suspended in their own private bubble of their hotel room. The result is a collection of images which put the romance back into travel and show the important role that this precious time together can play in a relationship.”

Marriott Bonvoy is the new name for a travel programme that lets members earn and redeem points with 30 brands and more than 7,000 hotels worldwide. Launched in February 2019, Marriott Bonvoy replaced Marriott Rewards, The Ritz-Carlton Rewards and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). Comprised of a portfolio of extraordinary brands where you can earn and redeem, as well as offering approximately 120,000 destination tours and adventures on Marriott Bonvoy Moments, the travel programme enables members to explore the world in pursuit of their passions.

Jones tells us why they chose to stay in hotels: “Loyalty works both ways, and it’s always nice to be rewarded by a brand. One of the things I like about Marriott Bonvoy is the number and quality of hotels and experiences on offer – loyalty is easy when you’re spoilt for choice!

“I adore staying in hotels because of how stress free it makes a trip – particularly with babies.”

The project and Rankin’s other subjects include Vicky McClure & fiancé, Jonny Owen; Olympic Gold medallists, Kate & Helen Richardson Walsh; Film critics Mark Kermode and wife Linda Ruth Williams and fashion influencer twins Hermon and Heroda Berhane, alongside Marriott International employees and Marriott Bonvoy members.

When it comes to women in music the statistics are shocking…

In 2018 BBC Reality Check analysed the 10 biggest festivals in the UK and found that just 13% of performing acts were female – that’s just 97 female bands, singers and DJs out of 756 acts. These figures show the lack of opportunities and representation women face in the music industry.

House of Coco want to shine some light on some talented female DJs to celebrate women in the music industry. Check out five of our fave disc-spinning boss babes:

Emily Rawson @emilyrawsondj
Specialising in 90s and 00s R‘n’B and hip-hop Emily Rawson is a big name in the UK DJ scene. She started DJing many years ago after playing on some decks owned by her male friends – and found she was a natural. After University she began working in events to discover a severe lack of females in the industry. This led to Emily pioneering an all-female DJ collective called Rock The Belles, celebrating fierce female talent and getting them booked for events.

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Now I’m a Mum, I mostly DJ during the day! Catch me at @rnbrunchparty every Sat (except 2nd sats when I’m at @flykidparties) at @thecurtainldn Most fun you can have on a Saturday afternoon with the most hilarious hostess @djsandraomari Tx from link in bio! ☝? ????@redrooster_ldn Shoreditch ? D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #brunch #lunch #waffles #london #brunchparty #brunchgoals #rnb #90s #90srnb #instafood #party #music #femaledj #love #londonfood #monday #redrooster #shoreditch #londonbrunch #chicken #foodporn #instafood #september #autumn #summer

A post shared by Dj Emily Rawson (@emilyrawsondj) on Sep 23, 2019 at 3:35am PDT

Millie Cotton @millie_cotton
Millie Cotton wears many hats; content creator, podcast host and DJ. Her love of both fashion and music led to her DJing for Levi’s, Pandora and Nike, as well as at prominent East London venues such as The Queen of Hoxton and Concrete. She’s an ambassador for women being their own boss as she’s not signed to an agency, and also regularly discusses important female topics, such as periods and contraception, on her podcast Keeping It Candid.

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warmed up & down for some actual legends last night (pet shop boys!), siick @google @youtube

A post shared by Millie Cotton (@millie_cotton) on Jun 20, 2019 at 3:56am PDT

Maya Jama @mayajama
This all-round powerhouse has conquered fashion by launching a line with Pretty Little Thing, modelling on multiple magazine front pages, TV presenting by featuring as a guest panellist on Loose Women and shows such as True Love or True Lies on MTV. After a brief radio gig on RinseFM, Maya now hosts a BBC Radio 1 show on Fridays and Saturdays. As well as killing it with a prime time weekend show, you can find live DJing at parties and events. We love her behind the scenes Instagram stories, showing what she gets up to in the studi when the songs are playing (expect some wild dance moves).

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Me at work being shy.. (@bbcradio1 every Friday & sat 10-1pm)

A post shared by Maya Jama (@mayajama) on Dec 29, 2018 at 4:36am PST

Bittersweet @bittersweetdjs
Ashley James and Charlotte De Carle are the dynamic duo that DJ under the name Bittersweet. Both girls started as presenters, each having shows on Hoxton Radio, and while living together decided to join forces and DJ. They’ve had great success and have played for brands such as Coca Cola, Rimmel and French Connection. Ashley also launched a slogan t-shirt line based on female empowerment, so you’ll often see both girls wearing tees emblazoned with positive quotes like “Who Runs The World” and “Self Love Club”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2ClSxIgl_e/

Jordss
Jordss is a 26-year-old DJ from London who is getting women noticed with her ironically named database Girls Can’t DJ.

This is an online platform for female DJs with two purposes: firstly to create an accessible database of female talent for promoters and festival bookers and secondly to form a community for females DJs to share stories and experiences.

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Hanging out my asssss djing at @nike all day ????

A post shared by J O R D S S (@jordss.dj) on Nov 24, 2018 at 6:14am PST

“I think sisterhood is so important and is one of the main reasons I started GCDJ is to create a community and support network – power in numbers and all that!” she says.

Self-confessed “music head” Jordss stumbled into DJing after growing up making mixtapes for friends and family. After being donated some decks (a “proper old-school Gemini CDM 4000”) by a friend she learnt the fundamentals and began burning CDs and learning to blend tracks.

You will now find Jordss taking over the decks at top venues around London, such as Nike Town, Shabba and West London Social Club, as well as hosting radio shows on Balamii and Reprezent. Playing tracks from all genres, but with a love of R’n’B edits, she says “as long I like a song I will play it.” Her Actin Kinda Shady edit (find it on her Soundcloud) is a guaranteed party-starter.

Find the full interview with Jordss in the BossBabe issue of our print magazine – out now!

New York City is the home and design haven for Noor Shamma and her namesake jewellery brand Noor Shamma.

Noor’s designs are beautifully elegant, tastefully designed, and follow an ethical before they reach the customer. The Noor Shamma collections are sustainably sourced by using recycled and conflict free 18-karat gold, her team follow the sustainable practice through conserving natural resources, reducing energy usage, reducing carbon emissions and by reducing their carbon footprint.

We ask Noor about her background in jewellery, her love of elegant design, and we want to know more about her own personal favourite designs and styles. She is our latest #BossBabe superstar and she features in this, our #WomenWorldwide series.

Q. Does your working career stem from within the jewellery industry, or did you come from a different business sector?

A. I’ve always been into art and design (since childhood) but my career has primarily been in corporate communications, marketing and branding for the past 14 years or so. I randomly yet naturally transitioned into jewellery design and gradually developed my skill-set, while keeping my full-time corporate job!

Q. You tend to work with 18-karat gold, diamonds and pearls, are these your favourite metals and stones to design jewellery from?

A. I love designing timeless jewellery and that naturally impacts my metal and stone choices.

Q. You currently have three collections available from Noor Shamma, they include the Repertoire, Troika, and Luz; can you tell us a little more about these collections?

A. My collections introduce architectural elements and distinctive geometric patterns where each of the pieces are expertly engineered in a way that allows unique multi-functionality through different adaptations, making them perfect day-to-night – they’re so versatile, elegant and fun.

Q. You design necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings in your collections; do you have a piece that is your favourite ‘go to’ for every occasion?

A. That’s a tough question. There are many pieces that I love, but if I had to pick it would be the OG Repertoire U-hoops, and the Luz Diamond U-Huggies which I almost never take off lately. Plus the Luz signet ring is quite special!

Q. Do you wear your own Noor Shamma designs along with any other designer jewellery brands, or do you only wear Noor Shamma?

A. I wear my own designs along with other jewellery designers’ brands.

Q. You are very eco-friendly and run a sustainable business at Noor Shamma, can you tell us why you have taken this route and not the traditional route?

A. We live at a time where there is so much more awareness on global issues and a better understanding of the importance of sustainability. I simply feel that we can each contribute to the world in our ways since every little thing would make a difference.

Q. Your Instagram @noorshamma showcases some of your designs beautifully; do you find social media helps to promote your brand?

A. Most certainly, as it exposes the brand to a larger audience around the world.

Q. We hear that you are planning on attending fashion week in different cities across the world, have you shown at New York Fashion Week or any other fashion week previously?

A. I’ve already presented in Milan Design Week (April 2019) and London Fashion Week (September 2019) and I most definitely hope to attend more of these shows. I’ve also presented at a couple of prominent jewellery trade shows in NYC such as Metal & Smith and JA NY, and there’s more to come.

Q. Did you have to take any specialist courses in fine jewellery or art design before you launched your business in New York?

A. Over two years ago, after I realised my passion and talent in jewellery design and when I finally decided to launch my very own brand, I took an intensive course and received my GIA accreditation in Applied Jewellery Professional.

Q. Did anyone offer you any useful business advice before you launched your company that you still use to this day?

A. Trust your gut, you know best.

Q. Did anyone offer you any bad advice that you followed, and later wished you hadn’t?

A. To be honest, any bad decisions I made were my call.

Q. If you were to offer one piece of advice to someone thinking of getting into the fine jewellery sector, what would it be?

A. Do your homework.

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our #BossBabe questions for House of Coco Magazine.
Visit the website www.noorshamma.com to find out more, and Instagram @noorshamma to see Noor’s latest designs.

Pavlina Jauss is a German luxury fashion designer that specialises in the field of luxury avant-garde fashion, with a nod towards fair trade and sustainability. Pavlina prides herself in working with some of the best European suppliers around and produces 99% of her designs in Hamburg, Germany, with only her knitwear being produced in Bulgaria by a traditional knitting company.

Pavlina’s latest designs are ethereal, flowing, and contemporary, all are exquisitely crafted with intricate finishing touches that produce head-turning quality clothing.

We wanted to know more about Pavlina, her designs, and why her catwalks are the talk of fashion week.

Q. At what point did you realise that you were destined to be a fashion designer?

A. I can not say exactly. To me it felt like a mix of chances and changes in my life. It was a rather slow process.

Q. Is your background in the fashion industry and clothing design, or did you come across from a different business sector?

A. I came from an economic background. I admired the work of several designers, but discovered my abilities in this area afterwards. At this point I took action and began my second education as a fashion designer.

Q. All the Pavlina Jauss designs are eponymous with ethereal free flowing materials, can you tell us what materials you have used for your Autumn/Winter 2020 collection?

A. I attach great importance to the sustainability, quality and origin of the fabrics I use. The actual selection is only from european suppliers. Alpaca, cashmere, cotton, virgin wool and viscose/cotton mixes are important ingredients for this collection.

Q. You are showing at Paris Fashion Week later this year, do you have a favourite piece from your collection that will be on the catwalk?

A. I am in love with most of my creations. As a designer you will never release something that you do not like. Often, my absolute favorites are the garments that are not bestsellers.

Q. Your designs are known for being flattering, fashionable and luxuriously stylish, yet always with relaxing ease – how do you manage to keep your designs informal with such strong style?

A. This is an interesting question and hard to answer. I would guess, it is a mix of my personal approach on fashion design and the number one criteria for every garment in my collections: I must want to wear it by myself.

Q. Can we ask when you are at your most creative design-wise; are you a morning, afternoon or evening designer? And, where do your design-ideas come from?

A. This varies. I think I am more creative in the evenings, but more productive during the day. I love to find inspiration and recharge myself by enjoying a glass of wine with my friends and family or reading a good book on my own. I find a lot of inspiration through music, history, mythology and nature, but also things in my regular life inspire me from time to time.

Q. If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you be doing right now?

A. If I was not into fashion, I might have become an interior designer or would love to work in an antique shop. I love antiquities.

Q. What are your immediate plans for Pavlina Jauss in the next few years, do you intend on expanding or bringing in new designers to work alongside you, or will you be focusing on fashion shows?

A. I really want to continue to evolve my brand in a slow and healthy way. Slower growth gives me the possibility to maintain full control over the quality of the garments we produce.

Q. Did anyone offer you any good business advice before you embarked on becoming a fashion designer, and do you still adhere to that advice now that you are running a successful business?

A. We jumped in at the deep end to be honest.

Q. What piece of advice would you give someone looking to get into the fashion industry?

A. The fashion business has changed dramatically in the past. Being brave, passionate and patient are essential skills of the successful people I know in that business. Creativity and diligence help as well.

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our #BossBabe questions for House of Coco Magazine online. #WomenWorldwide #GirlBoss

Visit www.pavlinajauss.com for more information. Instagram @pavlinajauss.

Sometimes you come across a skincare brand that seems to embody everything you are about, especially when that brand is all about being bold, being fierce, and being bare.

The #TeamCoco girls love everything about this motto, which resonates with our own philosophies in both work and play.

Iana Bertini launched her skincare brand Bold & Bare ® with this in mind and she and her team believe that you should feel comfortable in your own skin. They don’t believe in apologising for who you are. They believe you should feel confident about boldly going after your dreams, and they also believe in celebrating and cultivating uniqueness on every level. There is only one you. So go ahead and #beboldbebare

Let’s talk skincare with Iana Bertini of Bold & Bare.

Q. Have you always worked within the skincare and beauty industry or was this new territory for you?

A. Not at all, I come from a corporate environment in the payments industry, however being a woman, I have always been interested in beauty, not just physical appearance, but what makes women feel beautiful. I have noticed this about myself, that my confidence didn’t depend on makeup or what I wore, but how comfortable I felt in my own skin. I also had a growing interest in psychology, self-improvement and wellness and by the time I turned 30 I decided it’s time for a change.

I needed a new challenge and to be doing something more fulfilling that is aligned with my values. I wanted to inspire other women to be authentic and to be bold about who they are. So that’s how Bold & Bare was born.

Q. Did you have to take any specialist dermatology courses to find out how to produce skincare products, or did you study for this at college/university?

A. I take care of the business side and let the experts take care of the formulations. Of course, through extensive research and being in the industry I understand skincare & the ingredients very well, but we work with the best chemists in US and it took 2 years and multiple iterations to formulate our products. More important is that we listen to our customers feedback, rather than push other unneeded products to an already saturated beauty market.

Q. When you set up Bold & Bare did you have one specific skincare product in mind that you wanted to get off the ground first?

A. I wanted to create two essential products that will be easy to use and provide multiple benefits. This is what Bold & Bare is about, a simple routine for the modern woman of today that lives a bold life. So we launched with two products that complement each other:

Purity Mask is this amazing clay mask, enriched with botanical extracts that deeply cleanses and balances the skin. With today’s pollution and environmental stress, it’s really important to detox your skin and improve cell turnover.

Bare Elixir is a multitasking serum/oil that nourishes, plumps and also protects skin. I love using it on its own, mixed with foundation or on my cheeks for an added natural glow.

Q. Which is your ‘go to’ skincare product that you can’t be without, and also which is the best selling product from your collection?

A. I can’t live without a serum or oil, these products usually have the most potent ingredients and they are really important to use. And our most sold product is the Bare Elixir, we have received some amazing feedback from our customers and they love the versatility of it.

Q. Can you talk us through your own personal skincare routine?

A. I’m a really non-fussy type of woman. I don’t like complicated and lengthy routines. So, you can call my routine minimalist, and the same goes for makeup.

I usually cleanse, apply the Bare Elixir and sunscreen and off I go. Twice a week I would use a cleansing mask like our Purity mask to renew and balance my skin.

I truly believe that any skincare routine has to be complimented by a healthy lifestyle; so, exercise, healthy diet and hydration are all part of my routine.

Q. How long have you been running your business, and was there ever a point that you thought your skincare collection wouldn’t make it off the ground?

A. I started in 2017 and launched in March 2019, so we are still a very new business. And yes, there have been moments when I thought nothing is going as per my plan, I wasn’t happy with the formulation and I should just quit. In those moments what kept me going is the message behind Bold & Bare and how I want to grow into such a woman. So, I stayed authentic to my idea and vision and kept going boldly after my dream.

Q. Your products are 100% cruelty free, vegan, free of parabens, silicones, sulfates, pthlates, mineral oil, PEG and petrolatum – can you tell us why you have gone down this route, when so many big brands don’t adhere to these ethics?

A. It was really important to me for my business to be aligned with my values and my lifestyle. I have been really into wellness, yoga and spirituality for a few years, I am, vegan myself and so it would be unnatural for me to promote products that are not in line with what I stand for. Especially that nowadays there’s no need to compromise anymore, we have so many effective products that are also consciously created.

Q. Did anyone offer you any good business advice before you launched Bold & Bare?

A. My husband always tells me to “trust my intuition” and I am still learning to, as my mind is usually louder. Also, I am lucky that my family and friends fully support me and always tell me to follow my dreams.

Q. Have you made any mistakes that turned into a great learning curve since starting your business?

A. Quite a few to be honest. But my mindset has changed since and that has proven to be the biggest learning curve. Mistakes or setbacks are just feedback and a chance to correct your course. And so, flexibility is the biggest asset one can have as an entrepreneur.

Q. If you were to offer one piece of advice to someone thinking of getting into the world of skincare, what would it be?

A. It’s a very complex and competitive industry and so be well prepared that it might take longer than you’d think. Also like any business, it requires a lot of patience and hard work. But as with everything, if you have a passion for this world, then go for it boldly and nothing can stop you!

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our #BossBabe questions for House of Coco Magazine.

Visit https://boldbare.com for more information.

Lulu Phipps not only gets to work with beautiful alpaca fibre in which she designs her unique collection of scarves, shawls, and interiors for her business Softly Softly, but she also owns and runs an alpaca farm in Northamptonshire with her husband Simon Phipps.

#TeamCoco couldn’t be more excited to interview Lulu for our #WomenWorldwide and #BossBabe series, to find out how it all started, when she first got into alpacas and how it developed into her own fashion company specialising in alpaca shawls, scarves and interiors.

Q. Have you always worked with or been around alpacas, since being little, or was this a new-found interest from a business perspective?

A. I have been in the alpaca business for 12 years, before that I had a somewhat varied career path. I trained at ballet school from the age of 5, then was a professional dancer for 8 years from the age of 16. I then was involved with Formula One motor racing before my daughters were born. Following on from then I did interior design and soft furnishings. I also trained as a phycotherapist. The alpaca side of my life has grown gradually, with the business venture evolving at the same time.

Q. You launched your first alpaca business back in 2007 with your husband Simon, did it start out solely as a breeding farm, or did you know that in future years you would launch clothing and interiors lines too?

A. Our ‘alpaca adventure’ started quite by accident. Simon and I were watching a vet programme on TV one evening where the vets were trying to save the life of a tiny alpaca baby (they succeeded thankfully!) and we were intruiged. We then, by chance, met an alpaca breeder a few weeks later at a country show and started to take a more serious interest. Following more research and talking to a number of breeders we then bought our first pregnant females. We already had land and horses so it seemed a fairly easy progression. Since then we have bred over 50 alpacas here at the farm, and sold to many established and new owners both in the UK and Europe. The initial idea was to build the breeding business, Softly Softly came later!

Q. Are all the Softly Softly designs for men, women, children and the home made from your own alpaca fibres, or do you also work with other small and unique businesses?

A. The Softly Softly collection comes from a number of areas. We have products made from our own alpaca herd fibre, these are created in conjunction with The Border Mill in Scotland. I also select scarves, shawls and throws from two companies in Peru. The Peruvian people have been working with alpaca fibre for thousands of years. It is known as ‘The Fibre of the Gods’ and at times only Inca Royalty were allowed to wear alpaca cloth. Their knowledge and expertise is second to none in the world so twice a year I choose artist designed limited edition items to add to the collection. The fibre from our own alpacas that doesn’t go to the mill is sent to Penrose Products in Nottinghamshire, where they produce for us amazing luxury bedding.

Q. Do you personally design and make your own Softly Softly scarves and shawls, or do you work alongside other designers?

A. Our alpacas are sheared once a year, in the spring. At that time I assess all the fibre and choose the finest quality to go up to The Border Mill. Once I know the quality, quantity and colour range we have to use then Juliet and I work together to design the fabrics. We discuss the fibre blends, the colour ways and the weaving designs. I only have a limited number of each design manufactured so they remain highly exclusive and original.

Q. Would you use the same alpaca fibres that you use for a scarf to also make a cushion for the home, or are there different types of alpaca fibres to work with?

A. I will only use our highest quality fibre for the Softly Softly products made in the UK. I believe that a throw or cushion should be as soft as a scarf. The Peruvians have perfected the art of blending 70% alpaca fibre with 30% silk, this creates the amazing lightweight, soft fabric in the scarves and shawls. In the past year we have been working with The Border Mill in blending alpaca with rose fibre. Rose fibre is a cellulose from the stems of roses and has all the qualities of silk – strength, lustre, softness, but in a more eco friendly and sustainable way. We have called the collection ‘Alpaca Rose’ and we are busy creating beautiful designs for a new range.

Q. Can we ask when you are at your most creative design-wise, and where do your design-ideas come from?

A. I’m probably at my most creative either in the wee small hours of the morning or when sitting on my tractor cutting grass paddocks! Alpaca fibre has many unique atributes, its hypo allergenic (it’s a dry fibre so doesn’t attract dust mites like wool or feather), its individual fibres are hollow so it is temperature controlling and it is the most sustainable fibre on the planet. I am constantly looking at fabrics, clothing and interiors and asking “would that work in alpaca?”

Q. If you weren’t running Softly Softly and had never been lucky enough to run your alpaca farm, what kind of business do you think would you be working in?

A. With my career path it could have been anything! I’ve always liked interior design but I love being a farmer as well!

Q. What are your immediate plans for Softly Softly, do you intend on opening any stores around the UK?

A. World domination of the alpaca product business!!!! Seriously – I have no plans for opening stores at present. That is a huge commitment of resources and time and perhaps not in this current political climate. I am concentrating on growing brand awareness and my customer numbers. One of the hardest parts of building Softly Softly is to show how amazing alpaca fibre can be. When I talk about alpaca many people tell me about their Peruvian jumper that granny bought 50 years ago that is still growing strong! It is such a tactile fabric and that is hard to get across unless you actually can feel and touch it.

Other plans are to develop new ranges of travel accessories and a collection for babies – who wouldn’t love to have their newborn wrapped in a blanket made from ‘Alpaca Rose’. We also have the scented candle, hand wash and lotion. I designed this to compliment the alpaca/silk scarves. We called the range ‘Softly Softly Scented’ and the scent is called ‘Silk’ It is a mix of White Lily and Neroli oil and is gorgeous!!

Christmas gift boxes are in development with the Scented range plus pick and mix from the collection, just the thing for under the Christmas Tree.

Q. Did anyone offer you good business advice before you launched Softly Softly?

A. My lovely supportive husband Simon. He has the business brain, I have the inspiration.

Q. Have you had to overcome obstacles while running your businesses, or has anything happened to ever make you step back and think twice about what you’re doing?

A. As I write this I am battling breast cancer for the second time. The first diagnosis was almost 5 years ago, before I started Softly Softly. This time was a bit of a surprise, though it has always lurked quietly in the back of my mind that it may reappear someday. I thought long and hard about the next steps in the days following the news. Do I stop Softly Softly? How am I going to run this business? I looked back at the first time and I remembered that one of the things that kept me going was getting up in the mornings and going out to feed the alpacas. They are such gentle, inquisitive animals that it was often I felt they were asking how I was each day. So I decided to put on my big girl battle pants and kick cancers butt again and keep the business going and growing. I have postponed some events that physically might be a step too far but we are concentrating on the website, social media and customer growth. I’ve learnt that life is unpredicatable and sometimes challenging but for me positivity and humour are the way forward. I have the support of amazing family and friends, and when the going gets tough I can curl up under a beautiful alpaca blanket!

Q. What piece of advice would you give someone looking to set up a business using alpaca fibres to design clothing and interiors?

A. Do lots of research. Learn about alpaca fibre from breeders and manufacturers. Find out what makes the best quality fibre and why.

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our #BossBabe and #WomenWorldwide questions for House of Coco Magazine online. We think you are an inspiration to continue running your wonderful alpaca business, even under the toughest of circumstances.

Visit www.softlysoftly.uk.com for more information about Lulu’s clothing and interior designs. Visit www.lusialpacas.co.uk for more info about breeding and buying alpacas.