Rosy Nicholas

The amazing, milk-guzzling, peanut-loving, crafty genius Rosy Nicholas graduated from Camberwell College of Arts a few years ago and went straight into the big bad world of freelance. Her delicious, arty work spans illustration, props and accessories, and her client list is noteworthy: she has crafted pieces for Dover Street Market, Nicola Formichetti and Tim Walker, to name a few. When we found out we had the chance to spend some time with her, we headed straight to her treasure trove of a studio in Hackney, east London.

What has been your biggest “performance” so far?

“Probably my look book for Lazy Oaf’s Garfield collection. Garfield was one of my favourite cartoons as a child and it was my first look book, so I was nervous.”

How did you feel after taking part?

“Very satisfied – like Garfield after pizza! It went great and looked amazing in the end.”

How did you deal with the run-up to it?

“Just by being prepared and organised and having fun making all the props. I think if you cover enough things in fur and glitter, then it’s bound to be okay on the day of the shoot.”

Dream gig?

“I’d like to be able to redecorate all the buses and Tubes in London – new paint jobs and patterned fabrics. I think it would make the rush-hour journeys just a little nicer.”

Who would be your five ideal dinner guests?

“Prince, David Hockney, Joan Rivers, Madonna, 
John Waters.”

Charles Jeffrey

Hailing from Glasgow, Charles Jeffrey is fresh from debuting his phenomenal Central Saint Martins 
MA collection at London Fashion Week. Not only 
is this handsome chap’s menswear a breath of fresh 
air, but his illustrations are beautiful and his club night LOVERBOY is not to be missed. Along with 
a fair few others, we see a very bright future ahead for this young man, and we were lucky enough to spend time with him at his beloved CSM campus just after the big show.

How did you feel after your “performance”?

“Tired, excited, proud and stressed.”

How did you deal with the run-up to it?

“I surrounded myself with good people.”

Dream gig?

“To see The White Stripes perform.”

Who would be your five ideal dinner guests?

“Andy Warhol, Jack White, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Charlize Theron, Yves Saint Laurent.”

Fiona O’Neill

Our girl Fiona O’Neill, a genuine fairy who is originally from the green pastures of Dublin, graduated from Central Saint Martins last year with a BA in Fashion. Her hand-painted dresses, inspired by strong female forms in Japanese art, wowed the audience at her graduate show. It’s no exaggeration to say the fluidity of her designs is bewitching. Since that show, her pieces have appeared in the magazines Dazed & Confused, Wonderland and, most recently, were worn by Björk for the cover story for The Gentlewoman’s spring/summer edition. We were able to sneak into O’Neill’s south London dwellings for a quick catch-up.

What has been your biggest “performance” so far?

“Probably my look book for Lazy Oaf’s Garfield collection. Garfield was one of my favourite cartoons as a child and it was my first look book, so I was nervous.”

How did you feel after taking part?

“Very satisfied – like Garfield after pizza! It went great and looked amazing in the end.”

How did you deal with the run-up to it?

“Just by being prepared and organised and having fun making all the props. I think if you cover enough things in fur and glitter, then it’s bound to be okay on the day of the shoot.”

Dream gig?

“I’d like to be able to redecorate all the buses and Tubes in London – new paint jobs and patterned fabrics. I think it would make the rush-hour journeys just a little nicer.”
Who would be your five ideal dinner guests?
“Prince, David Hockney, Joan Rivers, Madonna, 
John Waters.”

James Massiah

This inspirational young poet and musician can capture your attention and draw you in, even when lost in your deepest daydream. His works delve into morality, sex and religion, and great performances already under his belt include at London’s Southbank Centre and Tate Modern, as well as the Houses of Parliament. He is also the curator of The A & The E, a platform where people can come together to 
discuss the arts and philosophy. And he just happens to be a pretty technically talented DJ, too – he’s a regular on NTS radio and always has a slot at Work It, one of The Forumist’s favourite nights. We managed to track him down at his friend’s studio in east London’s Shoreditch.

What has been your biggest performance to date?

“In terms of scale, it would have to be the work I did with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.”

How did you feel after taking part?

“Relieved! It was the highest level of production I’d worked on and we were operating within a really 
tight schedule.”

How did you deal with the run-up to it?

“Lots of rehearsals. I had to spend lots of focused time alone, which can be hard at times, seeing as so much of my free time is spent socialising.”

Dream gig?

“Francis and the Lights, Blood Orange, Azealia Banks, Rick James and Larry Heard.”

Who would be your five ideal dinner guests?

“Barack Obama, Malcolm X, David Blaine, Aleister Crowley, Jay Electronica.”

Credits:

Words and styling by Luci Ellis

Photography by Sylvain Homo.

Stylist’s assistant: 
Nicole Carvahlo.

Rosy Nicholas, top by Libertine-Libertine. Charles Jeffrey, waistcoat by Mohsin, top by Kings of Indigo. Fiona O’Neill , dungarees by This Is Welcome. James Massiah, T-shirt by DVST