O.T.T

Kenya Hunt, Fashion Director of Grazia UK, joins O.T.T today! A journalist, editor, my mentor, Kenya, recently added author to her resume. Hunt's debut book "Girl: Essays on Black Womanhood!" is a powerful collection of essays discussing the Black woman experience in this world that also features contributions from her peers, including Funmi Fetto and Jessica Horn. Hunt worked her way up the ranks from her Assistant Editor days at Jane Magazine to becoming Elle UK's first Black Deputy Editor. A powerful force in creating change in the fashion industry, she founded R.O.O.M mentoring, a mentoring scheme that aims to improve diversity in the fashion industry. I'm so grateful to have Kenya on O.T.T today! We will be discussing her rise in the industry, her move to London, and her incredible new book.

Fashion’s kindest, most talented, and low-key couple Aidan Zamiri and Paolina Russo join O.T.T today! Paolina Russo is a knitwear designer that is taking over the world one illusion knit bodysuit at a time. The Canadian-born designer’s work is rooted in suburbia, up-cycling, and sports culture. She has left us SHOOK since her BA Saint Martins’ graduate collection in 2018.  Russo was awarded the prestigious L’Oreal Prize for her BA collection. This September she released her Fall Winter 2020 Adidas Originals collection, blessing the world with her artistry on a global scale. One of the British Fashion New Wave Creatives of 2019, Aidan Zamiri is the creative director, photographer, filmmaker all-around bad bitch from Glasgow that has been like an oxygen mask bringing new life into the industry. Working with the most exciting voices in music today, Zamiri is bringing the fun, high energy, and life back into music videos. When he's not working with artists like FKA Twigs and Dreamwife, he is busy shooting campaigns for brands like Nike, Vivienne Westwood, and Louisa Ballou. I feel blessed and highly favored that they took time from their busy schedules to do O.T.T. Today we will be talking about their work, the Y2K obsession and how they stay minding their business!

Athena Paignton is a London based makeup artist, face painter, and illustrator. Paignton's work can be seen in The Face, Dazed, and Italian Vogue to name a few titles the makeup artist has lent her talents to. When she isn’t beating the faces of Pamela Anderson and Solange she is an avid environmental and mental health advocate. Today we are going to be talking about how her love for makeup manifested, her tips for getting through the second lockdown, and her worst early side jobs.

On the 10th episode of O.T.T, I am joined by my friends and menswear designers Bianca Saunders and Marvin Desroc. Saunders a Forbes 30 under 30 and British Fashion Council NEWGEN recipient has captivated the industry with her innovative pattern cutting and meticulously researched collections. Desroc a graduate from Central Saint Martin’s esteemed MA program is bringing sleek sexy sophistication back with his work, which has been seen in Another Man, and i-D. Both have played a vital role in showing different ways Black masculinity can be represented through dress. Today we will be talking about their work, the Versuz battles, and minding your business!

Multidisciplinary creative Gareth Wrighton joins O.T.T today. The designer, stylist, and video game creator has become one of fashion's most exciting and thought-provoking voices in the industry right now. Wrighton graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2016 and made waves with his final major project entitled "The Maul" a post-apocalyptic video game which took it’s players into a post apocalyptic parallel universe where zombies were weaning Wrighton’s collection. He made his Fashion East debut during the Fall-Winter 2019 season where he captivated the audience with his stunning knits, and satirical MAGA inspired hats with the slogan "My Period's Late Again". Today we are talking about his career, the pop culture moments that formed his taste, and our mutual love of Britney Spears.