My Big Idea

Freelance set designer and creative director of Behind The Glass London, young British female entrepreneur Sabrina Lee Hammon talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about her career at the November 2016 Mindshare Huddle networking event in London. A visual storyteller with a natural eye for design and composition, Sabrina has used her passion for installations, fashion and film to deliver eye-catching in-store displays, window installations and brand dinners for clients such as Soho House Group, Burberry, Triumph, Selfridges, Paul Smith, Ugg, Topshop, Urban Decay and Harvey Nichols to name but a few. Encouraged by a tutor, Sabrina initially focused on set design for her degree in performance design and practice at Central Saint Martins. After graduation, she assisted the renowned set designer Shona Heath and freelanced on in-store displays at Liberty and Selfridges. Eventually, her father suggested that she take the plunge and start up her own set design company, Behind The Glass London, focusing on fashion retail. When it came to landing her first big client for Behind The Glass London, Sabrina took a typically creative approach, handing out her CV to London’s biggest department stores in the form of a Viewfinder filled with images of projects she had worked on! Her gamble paid off and she secured an assignment at Harvey Nichols working on headpieces for an installation in the designer fashion department. And the rest is history… Here’s Sabrina’s big idea.

Kicking off her career in publishing at the cult art website and magazine It’s Nice That, journalist Liv Siddall talks to ASOS Magazine’s junior writer Georgia Murray. Starting out by writing on her favourite zines, comics, books, exhibitions and art, Liv found her voice through highlighting the creative objects and people she found fascinating, and now she is the contributing editor of feminist literary magazine, Riposte (N.B. check out our podcast with Riposte’s editor Danielle Pender for My Big Idea during London Fashion Week). Alongside her role at Riposte, Liv was asked to develop legendary record shop Rough Trade’s very first print magazine to mark its 40th anniversary this year. In conjunction with her friend, designer Bruce Usher, Liv has created a space which both invites and cherishes the relationships between fans and music, and that reflects the aesthetic and vibe of the Rough Trade shops. Think collages, disposable cameras, tour diaries and dialogues about music that mirror the chats you have with your mates down the pub. Here, Liv talks about the pressure to live up to the Rough Trade name, how the most important people in the magazine are the shops’ staff, and how there’s no excuse not to create something you love. Here’s Liv’s big idea

Twenty-something nail art pro and product designer Emma Zentner talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about how she has built her reputation as one of London’s most in-demand nail artists with Boom Nails and how she’s also transferred her design skills to launch Boom Things, making beautifully decorated mobile phone covers. Londoner Emma’s nail art career started off as a hobby during her graphic design degree at Bristol UWE. Inspired by the success of WAH Nails and the sudden explosion in nail art, Emma started experimenting, then dreaming up and creating designs for her friends and other students. After graduation, Emma founded Boom Nails in 2011, which took off through word-of-mouth and industry recommendation. Boom Nails creates hand-painted nail art – specialising in intricate, bespoke designs – for magazines, individuals, corporate clients, events and products. Emma has worked with clients including Tate Modern, adidas, Urban Outfitters, Virgin Media, Boots, Boohoo, o2, Victoria Miro Gallery and Smashbox, and her handiwork has featured in publications such as Grazia, i-D online and Garage. Keen to deploy her talents elsewhere, Emma launched Boom Things in 2014 as she wanted to design products, too, such as mobile phone cases (now available at ASOS). With ambitions to expand her product range into homewares and stationery, Emma’s dream collaboration would be with Liberty to create wallpapers for the iconic department store. Here’s Emma’s big idea.

Young British female journalist Kam Sandhu talks to ASOS Magazine’s senior fashion and beauty writer Naomi Attwood about Real Media, a cooperative of journalists dedicated to public interest journalism and challenging mass media distortion. They report on issues from housing, welfare, politics to debating racism and de-mystifying the banking industry. Having spent several years reporting on welfare and austerity at RealFare, journalism graduate Kam co-founded Real Media as a combative independent platform to challenge the media distortion of issues, while promoting and creating public interest journalism. Kam now divides her time between her day job at a record label and working on projects for Real Media, and she hosts the monthly Real Media podcast ‘Now We Here’ – which covers news from the perspectives of people of colour. On 10 December, the organisation will be launching the Real Media App – which aggregates the best of independent news alongside their own original content and a media fund that allows people to donate to their favourite media organisations. Here’s Kam’s big idea.

Brazilian-born stylist and journalist Thais Mendes talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about how she’s shaking up the modelling scene in her homeland with Squad Agency, her street-casting agency that’s based in São Paulo, but which she co-manages from London. Living and working in London for 13 years, Thais wanted to take the growing concept that she saw in the UK of casting charismatic, talented, attractive but non-traditional models, and introduce it to Brazil, where the industry is still dominated by a narrow, sometimes surgically enhanced, conventionally European aesthetic. Thais started Squad Agency in November 2015 – with her friend and associate Patricia Veneziano – out of a desire to reflect the real, 21st-century diversity of Brazil and highlight the talents of young creative people, with the aim of casting them for brands, fashion campaigns and social media activations. Thais’ mission seems to be paying off, as she has now cast models for campaigns by Dove, adidas, Pop magazine, i-D and Converse. This is even more impressive given that Squad Agency has yet to launch its own website (due in early 2017), but instead finds new faces on Instagram, including artists, skaters, DJs and singers, all of whom have their own unique style, personality and attitude, as well as good looks and sizeable social media followings. In addition to scouting more models, Thais is hoping to develop Squad Agency into Squad Network, a creative collective that develops collaborations, projects and brand partnerships in all areas of fashion and advertising. Here’s Thais’ big idea.

Creator of healthy breakfast range Qnola, young British female entrepreneur Danielle Copperman talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about how she’s gone from modelling (at ASOS, no less!) to wowing the food industry with her super-nutritious quinoa-based granola. And, at the age of just 23, Danielle has managed to get Qnola stocked at the likes of Waitrose and Selfridges, while still maintaining a successful modelling career. Originally hoping to study nutrition at university, Danielle needed a science A-level. As a result, she taught herself a biology A-level, viewing her studies as a back-up if modelling didn’t work out. In fact, Danielle gained regular bookings – frequently at ASOS – so she didn’t go to university, but instead has since studied for a diploma in nutrition, alongside writing a food blog, modelmangetout.com. Having eliminated gluten from her diet, Qnola was born out of Danielle’s desire to fuel up on a quick-but-healthy gluten-free granola as she went from model casting to model casting. Initially testing out recipes with family, her fellow models and Instagram followers, they inspired Danielle to develop Qnola as a product. Qnola was first launched in 2014 at fellow My Big Idea interviewee Lily Simpson’s Detox Kitchen deli, and the product soon drew an impressive following, as well as the attention of retailers such as Waitrose. With a projected turnover of £300k this year, Danielle is hoping to grow the Qnola team, and is looking for international stockists, notably in the US, as well as keeping up with her modelling career. Here’s Danielle’s big idea.

Founding director of social enterprise Do Nation, young British female entrepreneur Hermione Taylor talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about how her online platform is inspiring people and companies to make pledges to change their behaviour or start campaigns for the good of the environment. The seeds of the Do Nation concept were first planted back in 2009 when, after getting an MA in Environmental Technology, Hermione decided to cycle from London to Morocco as a personal challenge. Instead of looking to raise money, she asked people to donate simple, sustainable actions to sponsor her trip – such as cycling to work or eating less meat. These donations saved the equivalent of an impressive 84 flights’ worth of CO2 emissions, which inspired her to eventually set up Do Nation. Since then, over 10,000 people have made nearly 19,500 pledges on Do Nation supporting other people’s challenges, and Hermione herself has even given a TED talk on why small actions can help to tackle climate change, using her life-changing adventure to Morocco as an example. Initially a platform for individuals to make pledges, Do Nation has attracted the interest of the corporate world. Today, their clients include popular food and drink brand Innocent and the electronics giant Siemens. Hermione is looking to get even more people and organisations involved with Do Nation and inspire the next generation of leaders focusing on issues of sustainability. Here’s Hermione’s big idea.

Twenty-something British female entrepreneur Becky Tong talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about her London-based music company Juicebox, a business that encompasses music curation, artist management, press and radio promotion, and even has its own record label. Becky didn’t go down the usual route of university, instead preferring to explore her passion for music by starting out as an intern at Sony Records at the age of 18. She spent three years at the label, picking up valuable experience of developing artists and promoting them. Last year, Becky decided to strike out and launch Juicebox with her business partner Adam Callan. Becky’s role at Juicebox involves bringing new artists into the business, so she’s constantly online, and always on the lookout for fresh, original talent. Her involvement in music isn’t just limited to management and promotion; she keeps her hand in by DJ-ing for fashion parties and club nights, something that’s come quite naturally to her (but that’s no big surprise given that her father is the legendary Pete Tong). With a roster of talent that includes up-and-coming DJ Joe Hertz, Becky is keen to expand Juicebox and sign more artists to the company’s record label – and maybe even persuade the likes of Solange to join their ranks… Here’s Becky’s big idea.

Twenty-something fashion blogger and entrepreneur Natalie Hughes talks to ASOS editor at large Danielle Radojcin about working with Christian Louboutin, Natalie Massenet and building a business that looks after the social media content and strategies for fashion and lifestyle brands. Having previously worked at Net-A-Porter as their social media editor, developing the site’s social media presence and working closely with Dame Natalie Massenet, Natalie then moved to Christian Louboutin, where she oversaw the luxury shoe brand’s launch on Chinese social media channels. In addition to her work at The Fashion Digital, Natalie uses her 10 years of industry experience to lecture on social media at Central St Martins. With an impressive 600,000 followers on Pinterest, she is an influencer for the channel – you may have even spotted her in TV ads for the platform! Currently based at her home office in London, Natalie is keen to expand her roster of clients and eventually hopes to grow her self-funded start-up into something much bigger, offering digital products such as apps and webinars alongside the social media content curation and strategy services she already provides. Here’s Natalie’s big idea.