Meet one of the women behind some of your favourite MESHKI campaigns and get to know what drives our Head Of Creative, what inspires her, and what does the woman with the total MESHKI wardrobe find herself returning to again and again…
How did you get started at MESHKI and how long have you been helming Head of Creative and running all the campaigns we know and love?
I got started with MESHKI around 7 years ago! I started in a Customer Service and Graphic Designer role, and since February 2019, I've been blessed to beHead of Creative with MESHKI.
The first campaign shoot I produced was our first-ever suiting collection, so I have a soft spot for any collection with suiting and making those shoots epic.
For the women who are interested in one day being a Creative Director, what advice would you like to give people about getting ahead in this industry?
Keep your eyes open, keep your hands working (of course, let your brain rest, too). Inspiration can strike anywhere!
An idea from 5 years ago can be perfect for a project today, or a comment from an accountant can be the catalyst for a unique fashion brand strapline.
There's also a lot of admin that comes with creating: budgeting, timelines, production, feedback notes, archiving, briefing and debriefing — even when those tasks get overwhelming, keep working on your craft.
Even if it's just 15 minutes out of a 12-hour admin day to draw, write or take photos, whatever your creative outlet is.
Your campaign concepts are considered pretty iconic and the MESHKI brand image is so well known now—but how do you make sure you always stay ahead of the trends or come up with new ideas?
I wish it was as simple as Raven having a random vision — iykyk. Some days, it's labouring over a laptop doing research or scrolling endlessly on my phone; sometimes, it's a romanticised walk on the beach. Most of the time, it's a collaboration of all of the above.
All of the time, it's teamwork and sense-checking with those I work with. Everyone in MESHKI is so creative that I don't need to walk far through the MESHKI HQ to come up with an amazing idea. It just makes my job more exciting. I don't need to be alone in my imaginary world of possibilities.
Are there any destinations you’ve travelled to for a shoot that have just inspired you? Or astounded you? Where should the MESHKI woman travel to next?
I love this question! MESHKI campaigns have taken us to some unreal places like the country Oman or The Pinnacles in Western Australia.
The place that inspired me the most, and I actually cannot stop thinking about it, is New York City. Wow, so original. I know.
The city is basically brimming with creative minds. I made some amazing friendships there and met some of the most unforgettable personalities (good and bad!) Overall, I was inspired and awed at every corner, there's just this energy in New York City that you can't find anywhere else.
I still have so much of the world to explore and many more places to shoot in!
Who are your ultimate style icons?
For my personal style, the women I've been admiring for years and years and years have been Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Marianne Hewitt and Aimee Song.
I was incredibly experimental with my style in high school; it was my art form, and I was just trusting the process — think lime green skinny jeans and an asymmetrical pixie cut. Coming across fashion blogs and #OOTD posts of Rosie, Marianna and Aimee really grounded me and opened my eyes to the style I wanted to emulate: timeless and sophisticated but with a little bit of that edge from my lime-green-pixie-cut era.
What music do you love?
My Spotify is a bit mixed at the moment.
Right now I'm obsessed with Laufey. I grew up on the Sound of Music and classical music, so her music just sounds so nostalgic. I have a little bit of OPM (Original Pilipino Music) in the playlist since my trip to the Philippines this year. There is always 2000s R&B in the mix as well. But on a daily basis, I always have lo-fi on, just to help me focus — my Spotify wrapped was basically all lo-fi.
Since MESHKI aims to celebrate every woman’s taste and style—How would you describe your own style?
I focus my styling on sophistication and minimalism; that's the realm in which I feel most at home and myself. I like to bring my individuality into my style through a unique shoe, outerwear or experimenting with what's trending at the moment but making sure it still looks like 'me'.
Personally, style is my art form, and it changes with time and external influences, but at the end of the day, it's marked with my signature. Even if I do something trendy, or step outside of my neutral colour palette, I still need to feel like myself at the end of the day to feel confident.
You basically have your every woman’s dream job, with access to any MESHKI piece you want. What are some of the pieces that you find yourself returning to again and again, no matter the season?
First, thank you very much, I can’t believe this is my job. Second, such an easy question because I basically live in these pieces:
- The Ilona Denim Maxi Skirt — I have it in two colours, and I wear both on a weekly basis. I may just be wearing this skirt until the end of time.
- Andreas Trench — or any trench really! Trending or not, I don't leave the house without a trench during the colder months. In fact, sometimes I keep it in the car because I use it that much.
- Louisa Knit Maxi Dress— one of our new styles. Get yourself a dress that can actually do it all. I've worn this dress casually, I've worn it to a co*cktail event, I've worn it layered, by itself, with flats, with heels, with boots. This dress is an actual chameleon. Even though I've worn it many times on many different occasions, it still looks so elegant.
There's actually plenty more. My closet is basically a MESHKI archive at this point, but right now, those are my favourites!
SEE ALL OF CHARITY’S MESHKI CAMPAIGNS HERE
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FOLLOW CHARITY ON INSTAGRAM @charityrare2
