December 20, 2023 |
When it comes to the Holiday Club, fashion’s future is in great hands. The brainchild of Bisoye Babalola BEM, the free-to-attend summer school nurtures 16–25-year-olds in London looking to explore a career in a creative field, be it fashion, music, or art. The talent incubator was set up for young people who may be at risk of criminal activity, gang culture or social exclusion, where Babalola has enlisted a series of industry-leading names – including set designer Thomas Bird and editors Hattie Collins and Kacion Mayers – to mentor each applicant as they step into the first stages of their careers.
The 25 fledging talents part of this year’s cohort have collaborated to produce the second issue of the Holiday Club magazine, which features a slew of the finest tastemakers working in fashion and music today. From designers Saul Nash, Priya Ahluwalia and Casablanca’s Charaf Tajer, to Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy, Circle Zero Eight founder/ editor-in-chief Elgar Johnson and hair experts Gary Gill and Taiba. The Holiday Club cohort entirely produced the magazine themselves, from photographing and styling the talent, conducting the interviews inside, set designing and working on hair and make-up.
“I founded Holiday Club to support and provide a platform for the next generation of creative talent to understand the landscape of the fashion and music industry,” says Babalola. “Whilst working in collaboration with Nat Bury, Head of Arts and Culture, we spoke at length about the importance of Holiday Club’s second issue reaching and directing individuals looking to find inspiration and motivation in the ever-evolving world of fashion and music. We believe in the power of community, and this issue is a testament to that.”
Here, we meet four of Holiday Club’s blossoming stars.
Why did you guys want to get involved with Holiday Club?
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: I first saw it on Instagram. I remember first showing up outside of the building and I didn’t know what was going to happen! I felt like even after the first day I’d already learnt so much and so I knew the rest of the three weeks were going to be really beneficial.
Did you know each other before Holiday Club?
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: We didn’t know each other before but best believe we’ve seen each other since Holiday Club. We’ve definitely formed a friendship.
Anisah Myers-Grey: I joined because I felt like I needed to push myself. After graduating, it was hard to see where I could find my place within the industry at first. I studied media comms at BCU so it was quite a broad topic and I thought with the degree I could go down so many routes. I’m interested in photography and so that’s what I wanted to move towards. It was nice meeting people because I didn’t have many creative friends at the time. It was nice to not be so comfortable. I would say that the environment has helped me grow creatively. The imposter syndrome is real though! So it was nice to be given a space to ask questions and learn from people.
Was there a certain mentor that you worked with or a piece of advice that stuck with you?
Vanda Szijj: My mentor Laura McCluskey made me feel really comfortable from the beginning. She reassured me throughout the whole process and she gave me advice on directing whilst photographing which was something I’d never really done before. This boosted my confidence.
Was there a moment that you felt like you challenged yourself the most?
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: The way I look at it is that I don’t usually see things as a challenge but instead a learning experience. Not to be that person haha. But I really learnt a lot and I got to experience things like hair grooming, styling, aspects that I had no experience or prior interest with. All these different roles are so important in their own way and so being able to do shoots and seeing how each individual’s work all goes towards the team effort was really valuable to me.
Was there a creative medium that you tried for the first time that you were surprised you enjoyed?
Anisah Myers-Grey: Graphic design. In my head I had this misconception that it was really difficult. But once I started it, I realised how much I enjoyed doing it.
Andrew Roberts: For me it was set design, creating a backdrop from scratch. My mentor Thomas [Bird] was really helpful and the whole experience was enjoyable. It goes hand in hand with what I like, which is photography and journalism, so I feel like it’s something I’d like to explore. I got to understand how pivotal it was to the industry. What we’ve learnt [at Holiday Club] can now be used for what we actually want to do. That’s the message around Holiday Club, taking on all these experiences and then being able to utilise them.
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: We didn’t sit around and read a bunch of things, we learned from doing and from our mentors. Holiday Club introduced us to a bunch of people who we might not have had the chance to meet and we’ve been able to build relationships with them where we can learn from each other.
Was there a particular shoot or story that you enjoyed working on the most?
Vanda Szijj: The Flag Twins were a personal favourite! It was really fun, the energy, everything they brought to the experience. It happened during the last week so it was a good send-off.
Anisah Myers-Grey: I would say Taiba! That was during our first week and it was so interesting to hear the story of how she got into doing her hair art and even after she told us her journey, I went onto her Instagram and I was just blown away. It was nice as well because sometimes you can be a bit ignorant to some passions and crafts. For example, with the hair art, it’s not just hair, it’s not just styling, she made a lamp with hair and she covered a mirror too. It was nice to see that representation of Black hair, too. It was inspirational.
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: Gary Gill and Charaf from Casablanca. It’s interesting hearing other artists’ perspectives on their work. Charaf mentioned going to other countries or restaurants before delving into his design process, it was interesting to hear another designer’s methodology. And then Gary, his energy was just so chill and I just enjoyed that conversation. Maybe it was the longevity that he has had within the industry and the fact that he just took the time to come and sit with us.
Andrew Roberts: Each of them were monumental. With Taiba I learned about how pivotal set design was and with Gary Gill I was part of the editorial team with Tracey and Anissa and it just showed me that someone could be doing this well in the industry and continue to love what they do. With Flag Twins and Casablanca, they all brought personality and so much energy.
Vanda Szijj: Opportunities aren’t just endless within the industry, they’re endless within Holiday Club. I can’t lie, going into the experience, I had no clue what to expect, but since then I’ve made friends and I’ve had access to so many different parts of the industry. There wasn’t a time where I felt like communication was lost between anyone. I feel like I’ve now got a second family.
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: Whilst Holiday Club was only for 3 weeks, the experience is still going on. So technically, we’re launching the magazine and you’d think that this might be the last part of the experience but it genuinely isn’t! Meeting Bisoye [Babalola BEM], meeting everyone, it’s just been a blessing.
If you were going to do another issue is there anyone that you would like to have involved?
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: Rihanna?! Too much?!
In 10 years, where do you want to be in your careers?
Chibuikem Chimbo [Tracey]: 10 years from now, I’m going to be running a successful clothing brand, and photographing my collection. Holiday Club has helped me be confident in my own ideas. I definitely want to be working with these guys again.
Vanda Szijj: 10 years time? I just want to give back to people and I want to help people. Whilst I’m elevated, I want everyone to be elevated with me! I’d like to be working in music, maybe photography as well, I’d like to have a charity, maybe like Holiday Club.
Andrew Roberts: I’d like to be a journalist, working in editorial, looking at fashion and sports, and streetwear too. I want to leave something in this world that’s bigger than me, something that’s timeless. I want to be able to give back and give others opportunities that maybe I didn’t get when I was much younger. I want to encourage people, sometimes you just need a pep talk or a little push to help people reach their potential.
Anisah Myers-Grey: I’d probably say being one of the best fashion photographers and probably just trying to push the boundaries in the beauty industry, paving the way for young Black females. I’d love to create some sort of photo book and visual work but of course like everyone said, I want to be able to give back too.
Holiday Club Issue 02 is available here.
HOLIDAY CLUB 2023
Andrew Roberts
Anisah Myers-Grey
Annie ‘Koice’ Manuales
Chibuikem Chimbo
Daniel Zamora
Kadie Koroma
Katrina Dela Cruz
Khem Sharu
Jameel Hussey
Jevarn Bediako-Wiredu
Jeshaiah Ike Ainoo
Mary Kola
Maria Apha
Melicka Ghafouri
Nyasha Makusha
Thai Mccabe
Tonye Igali
Tilly Osborne
William-Aston Owusu-Dellimore
Vanda Szijj
Yen Thi Ngo Tran
