SIMPLYG Folk is a little passion project of ours (well, Deborah's).
We're all about people and have the pleasure of meeting some pretty great ones through our work at the salon. So we're rolling this out on the fly, not with any fixed objective but to simply introduce you, who has found some interest in us to people we find simply great.
First up Remy, a staff writer at Grazia who we first met her earlier this year when she booked in to get some classic braids and subsequently wrote about her experience of embracing her afro hair during lockdown.
Where do you consider home and where did you grow up?
RF - More recently home is East London, but I’m from Sheffield in South Yorkshire, and home will always be there. Ten minutes from the rolling hills of the countryside, calling people ‘love’ and ‘duck’, and of course my Grandma’s cooking.
You recently joined the editorial team at Grazia. Tell us about your path into journalism.
RF - I started my career journey by studying Journalism at university, I’d always wanted to be a writer and loved reading the weekend newspapers more than anything else. While I was studying I looked into magazine, and fashion journalism in particular, and after graduating and moving home for a while I moved to London to get the best experience. After a couple of years of interning at some brilliant places like Elle, Cosmopolitan, MATCHESFashion, and Vogue, I spent 2 years freelancing as a stylists assistant, Fashion Assistant at Yoox Net A Porter, and now I have just joined the Grazia team as Fashion and Beauty Assistant.
When I finally met you, I was stuck by your sense of personal style, what would you say is your favourite piece in your wardrobe, why and where did you get it from?
RF - It’s very hard to narrow down just one piece! I have things that mean a lot to me for sentimental reasons, bags or jewellery that my mum handed down or things that I saved up for ages to buy, but I always feel at my best in a suit. I have maybe 5 or 6 that I wear on rotation with trainers, and usually with a t-shirt or one of my boyfriends white shirts. Coming to think of it, a lot of what I wear is ‘borrowed’ from my boyfriend…
You say that you’re a bit of a pasta connoisseur – if you had to choose one pasta dish to eat every day for the next 12 months what would it be?
RF - Has to be Mafadine! It’s particularly good with a creamy, truffle and mushroom sauce, but I’m also a big fan of a slow beef cooked ragu.
What are your go-tos to help you unwind after a particularly busy week?
RF - Reading is my favourite way to unwind, in the last year I’ve loved The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennet, Luster by Raven Smith, Written in Bone by Sue Black, and anything by Bernadine Evaristo. If I’m not reading or having brunch with my friends I’m probably rewatching Scandal or having a self-care Sunday session, I love running a bath, lighting some candles and looking after my skin. Sunday Riley and Skin Proud are my favourite skincare brands at the moment.
I quite like the way you’ve colour curated your IG feed and the iconic imagery featured throughout. If you could personally bear witness to one iconic moment in pop culture, what would it be?
RF - I’ve been able to shoot with some brilliant people and models in my job, but I will always remember shooting with Alek Wek because of how kind and attentive she was, even as an international supermodel. But for me the most iconic moment was seeing Lauryn Hill at the 02 for The Miseducation 20th anniversary tour, it’s still one of my favourite albums of all time and felt like a once in a lifetime moment.
And finally, we’re always on the hunt for new tunes to add to our salon playlist. What song would you like to hear when you’re next in?
RF -
THANK YOU REMY