Photography by  Finn Constantine

Styling by Kamran Rajput

Words by Elly Watson

Olive Pometsey

As young journalist’s career paths go, Olive Pometsey has struck gold. Whereas the rest of us began our careers doing Starbucks runs, tackling 50 minute transcriptions and enjoying that sweet, sweet existence of unpaid internships, Olive won Vogue’s Talent Contest in 2017 and has gone on to impress in numerous famous publications. “That was mental!” She laughs about seeing her name appear printed in some of the UK’s most prestigious fashion mags. “I couldn’t get over it, I kept taking pictures and saying ‘that’s me!’”

Joining her school magazine in Year Four, Olive never really thought about getting into journalism until many years later. “I’d always toyed with the idea but I wasn’t sure.” She tells me. “I always thought it was kind of hard to get into and so I didn’t know how to get into it. Then when I was at uni, I just wrote random articles for newspapers and I entered a competition and got an internship. When I came out of the first day of the internship, I was like ‘oh shit, this is what I wanna do.’”

Building up her portfolio with her bewitching writing skills, Olive’s socially conscious commentary and striking honesty in her work is what makes her stand out against the crowd. “I always accidentally end up writing about me and stuff like that because that’s what I know!” She laughs. “They always tell you to write about what you know so I write about my afro and feminism. I guess I like writing about stuff that makes people socially aware, topics that are quite personal, or aimed at women.”

This forms the core idea behind her next journalistic move. “What I really want to do is make women’s magazines a little bit more political.” She tells me. “You don’t really have that in women’s magazines and we’re fighting for equality so why can’t you deal with politics and fashion at the same time?” Can we get an amen?

Rueben Selby

I was always just one of those kids sketching or drawing in my work books.” Reuben Selby tells me, smiling. Catching the creative bug at a young age, the photographer/designer/all-round mastermind has taken on pretty much every artistic path imaginable. “I don’t actually know how I first got into the creative scene!” He laughs. “I first started as a fashion product manager for some designers and from that I started doing my own photography and I had to cast models for that, and then I just started literally doing random stuff like putting on exhibitions, working with a lot of creative people in London and just trying to build a platform and show people’s work.”

It’s the idea of highlighting other creatives which has spearheaded Reuben’s latest venture. Originally establishing a group on Facebook, he created a 400-people strong collective where people could share their creative ideas and put on exhibitions together. This eventually spawned the idea in Reuben’s head of designing a new virtual platform where creatives could meet each other. “For me, trying to get into whatever it is I’ve been trying to get into, it’s so hard to make your own connections.” He explains. “Being with people at the top of the industry, even if just for five minutes, it’s still going to affect me and I take a lot from that experience. I’m trying to make that a lot more acceptable.”

Designing an app called Daisie which connects creatives - allowing people to network, collaborate and share advice - Game of Thrones’ own Maisie Williams has even gotten on board with the idea, so you know it’s bound to be badass. Set to launch in August, the app is still being developed at the moment and is already gaining loads of buzz, but Reuben’s not stopping there. With plans to set up his own agency, designing a collection and a new exhibition on-the-go, this is only the beginning. Get ready.

Lola Parnell

With both parents being musicians - Mum’s a singer and Dad’s a producer - it’s no surprise that Lola Parnell would follow their footsteps and venture into the musical world herself. After watching them from the sidelines growing up, she got the inside scoop into what it takes to make it and is now using it to her full advantage. “It’s given me a lot of insight for sure.” She tells me. “I’ve seen how certain things work but because my mum tried to be a recording artist and so did my dad and it didn’t work out for either of them, that gave me a harsh reality check… It took me a long time to believe in myself as an artist and believe that I could do it.”

And “doing it” is exactly what she’s doing. Releasing her debut single “Mountain Dew” earlier this year, it’s a neo-soul sizzler drawing influence from a range of musical greats and an exciting debut from the rising artist. “I think it’s a bit of everything.” Lola says of her sound. “I never know where to box in my music because every single song is a different alternative genre. It’s never a specific genre.”

Citing Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak and Soulwax as inspirations, Lola’s songwriting style also often drifts between themes, however they are always rooted in her experience of growing up. “When I was writing I tended just to not really think about anything in particular, and just let stuff come to me.” She explains. “I wouldn’t really think about anything in particular. It would kind of be after I’d written it that I’d realise what it was about. It could be anything really. I wrote a lot of songs about my parents, a lot about shitty relationships that I haven’t so much enjoyed, usually inspired not by love but by stuff that I noticed, like something that is money driven, but the topic that my songs seem to revolve around is where the line is between being a child and an adult, so the process of becoming an adult and where that line is. Whatever the song’s about, it’s got a lot to do with responsibility, whether that relates to being a woman, or to death or whatever it is.”

With loads of new music set to come out very soon - including next single “Care” which details “the stages of a relationship with someone who refuses to be vulnerable” - 2018 is set to be Lola’s breakthrough year and we can’t wait to see what she does next.

Alfie Kungu

Alfie Kungu has a unique ability to light up a room. Whilst somewhat in part due to his infectious smile, it’s mostly because Alfie creates some of the brightest and boldest paintings you have ever seen. “I’m heavily inspired by the relationship between colour and texture and the surface on what I’m painting on.” He tells me, laughing. “I get really satisfied by certain colour combinations!”

First becoming interested in painting after choosing the course “with the least amount of writing” at college, Alfie often draws inspiration for his pieces from his memories and surroundings. “A lot of the time [I find inspiration] on the street and in public.” He explains. “When it’s my figurative work, it’s from memory and nostalgia of different scenarios growing up and interacting with people through friends or people I don’t even know! Memories that seem to stick and you don’t really know why, but you can close your eyes and it instantly takes you back there. For my less figurative work, I’m heavily influenced by cartoons and little characters in advertisements.”

A quick scroll through his Insta shows you the inside of Alfie’s bright and beautiful world, although he’s got plans far beyond wowing us via iPhone screens. “I’ve also got a long term idea for a really good show but I’ve not started on that yet.” He tells me excitedly. “We’re not painting on traditional surfaces, we are using punch bags which is very boxing/gym aesthetic. I’ve had this idea for a long time and I just know I need to do it. Also you know how you can get images on beaded curtains? Well, I want to get my own beaded curtains done but I had an idea of doing an enormous beaded curtain and painting on really thick gym ropes put together, which I want at the entrance of this show so people can walk through it…”

“I want people to think it’s really playful.” He replies when I ask about his ultimate aim with his artwork. “When I’m doing it I’m really joyful and happy. Predominantly people always say it’s really positive but ultimately people can decide if they think it’s shit or if they don’t like it, that’s up to them. Once you do it, it’s out there and you got to be open for people to take it how it is. I hope people can relate to my work or at least enjoy it and the colour should bring the happiness out of it.”

Alessia Gunawan

First picking up a camera when she was nine years old, being a photographer was never actually the plan for Alessia Gunawan. “My parents are both fashion designers, and my dad being Indonesian, you know, just Asian in general, they really wanted me to follow their footsteps.” She explains. “I was told ‘this is what you’re gonna do, you’re an only child as well, you have to continue the company that we started,’ and when I was a kid, I actually thought that was what I was going to do. But then during some short courses at CSM, I just decided it wasn’t something that I really liked.”

Convincing them to let her have a go at photography, behind the camera was where she found her stride. Crafting dreamlike creations, Alessia describes trying to represent a world that “might exist” somewhere outside of our own, using technology to fulfil her ambitions. “I’m really interested in renderings and animation and how to make these renderings through coding as well.” She explains. “I think the internet is a big thing for me, because I do believe that it’s the most important technology that we’re so lucky to have as an everyday commodity, but the problem is that no one really knows how to use it. It’s so full of potential, but it’s really sad to see people using it for the wrong purposes and for superficial needs.”

Currently working on a new project that ties in her interest for technology, Alessia is experimenting with photoshop as well as expanding her video skills in an attempt to prove to people the deeper meaning of what the worldwide web can offer. “I’m going to make a book,” she tells me, “but it’s gonna be in different chapters and it’s gonna talk about a topic that is relevant for people to understand how the internet really works and the potential it has. It’s going to be completely different from what I do now.” And we can’t wait to like it, retweet it, share it.

Brie Moreno

Toronto-born Brie Moreno moved to London eight years ago and, so far, has never looked back. “I mean it’s better museums for inspiration and everything’s free here!” She says of her new home. “There’s so many galleries and I feel like I’m surrounded by more artists, and not just illustrators like myself, but I’m coming across photographers and stylists and, I don’t know, there’s just so much more! Now that I’m in London and not in school anymore, I can really take advantage of that and push my limits.”

Interested in drawing from a really young age, Brie found her love for comics and illustration while studying fine art at university and has been scribbling down her creations ever since. “I take all themes and remake them to fit my own life and what I’m going through and the people I think are interesting.” She explains of the inspiration behind her work. “I have a lot of folk tales and myths I kind of like to steal from - well not steal from but I bring inspiration from them and make them more present.”

With a quick scroll through her Insta, you can see these fantastical creations come to life as she blends the real and surreal to create captivating characters. I ask Brie if there’s anything that she wants people to take away from her illustrations and she pauses. “I hope they feel like some sort of connection and, I don’t know, it’s for anyone that feels like an oddball, I guess.” She smiles. “I don’t think the work I make is that intimidating, it’s pretty approachable and very familiar, obviously for me at least, but I feel like I draw things that people can relate to and other bodies that people can relate to. Yeah. Does that makes sense?” Totally, and we love it.