SOAPOPERA MEETS ALA CHAMP MAGAZINE

Some of the most incredible relationships happen out of the blue when you least expect it, yet they then develop and bloom into strong bonds that go beyond a simple work connections and friendship. Actually, they trigger a series of domino effect reactions that throw you in a never ending loop of exciting synergies.

The first time I met Monique, I was strolling through Carnaby Street under the gloomy sky of London with – who then was – my boyfriend and my pink-haired bestfriend Camilla who had just recently relocated to London.

Monique’s glow and bubbly energy immediately struck me. She was dressed in black, covered in an aviator style bomber to fight the brisk weather, yet you could see that the drizzle could not break her happy mood, nor she was dreading the clear water and white sand of her home country Australia.

We cliqued on the spot.

Fast forward a few months, the Polish turned Aussie turned Brit blondie landed in Milan with her even more energetic doppelganger Joanna. What a blessing to have such lovely girls in my town. An almighty set of twins, embodying what I mean for girl power. Living on two different sides of the world, in completely different time zones, making shit happen so smoothly you would think they live under the same roof and spend 24h a day together.

We met for a Spritz in one of my favorite bars in town, Banco, in the Navigli district. They brought me a present, the latest issue of Champ Mag, pulling me straight into the international Champ family. A “round-world” kinkfolk of creative minds that kick ass in different countries across the Globe. After all, what could you expect from such virtuous sisters? Nothing but excellence.

For the BFF issue, I sat (behind the retina screens of our computers due to logistic reasons) down with them to learn more about their backgrounds and what drives them. Enjoy!

Naomi. Hi girls. First of all thanks for taking the time to answer a few questions for Soapopera Fanzine. I am extremely happy to be able to get up close and personal with both of you as I appreciate your work and dedication – not to mention that I love your forever positivity and non-stop energy.
To start, please introduce yourselves.
Who are you, where do you come from, and where are you based now?
AlaChamp. Originally from Adelaide in South Australia, we’re both living in the cities of London and Tokyo.
Monique moved to London for it’s energy and diversity of creativity and cultures like nowhere else. It is of course different to the rest of the UK, and as a city it contains the best architecture, art and design of the highest level worldwide. Here your standard of work is set high. It is the most demanding city in the world (rent, living costs, over-saturation and (healthy) competition in any field) but that is the individual structure of the city and what keeps it so exciting.
Tokyo is such a fast-paced and wide-spread city, but still it has an exciting creative community that Joanna is a part of. Her network there is made up of individuals from various cultures and creative disciplines (art, fashion, architecture, design) yet all sharing a common interest for progression in society, and the industry.
Actually, we are always saying to one another on Skype (our main form of communication) that we wake up each day falling in love with our cities each day.

N. How does living so far away from each other affect your projects?
AC. It’s more of a positive contributor. We are both in and amongst London and Tokyo, whilst exploring Asia, Europe and the Americas, respectfully. These days there is no distance as you are either a LINE/Whats App message or Skype call away, and how amazing when you’re both on the same page and can confidently move forward with ideas with minimal verbal communication.

N. Your backgrounds are very interesting, what were you doing before the idea of Ala Champ came along?
AC. Experience is everything, this is what shapes your perspective and approach to people, projects and the future. As an Editor speaking with leaders in all types of creative fields, it’s important to apply your knowledge to encourage an interview’s most insightful responses. We were both in management and marketing roles before (London and Melbourne), and of course work in luxury retail and specialty coffee too – understanding seasonality influence in industries, and even culinary processes and production.

N. What triggered the idea of starting your own publication? Nowadays the world of print is a bit dead. Most of the people don’t buy magazines anymore. What gave you the push to start Ala Champ?
AC. The world of print is not dead, it currently seems to be in abundance. Which is both a good and bad thing. Now we are experiencing the On-Demand Era. Over-accessibility in design software, printer and communication has encouraged a complete influx of magazines and books printed, both independent and under the arm of a retailer or publishing house. Information and creative stimulation is harder to sift through, where you really have to be truly new and different to stand out.

N. Obviously your magazine is very successful nowadays and counts interviews and collaborations with many important names from different fields such as fashion, design, art and much more – were they already friends or has Champ helped in establishing new relationships and make new friends?
AC. Both. There is a strong global community that has organically grown with like-minded individuals drawn together sharing similar traits; progressive, connecting, uncompetitive and uncompetitive. Those confident that they are creating something truly forward-thinking and new in their creative discipline and are equally supportive to another! It’s a whole global community that has completely organically grown, where you’re proud to say “I’m part of CHAMP!”, or “I know CHAMP!” – it’s that unspoken global understanding.

N. What’s interesting about you is that you are very young, but already seem to have really clear ideas of the direction you want your life to take and so far you have picked up nothing but brilliant results. How does being a strong minded and self confident girl affect your business? Do you find it harder?
AC. Life is short! If you can contribute to create something truly memorable and progressive, then everyone should be confident and self-assured about that. It’s much more easier and enjoyable if you’re focussing on your own goals and not watching what anyone else is doing. Most people are working for someone else, and don’t have a firm grasp on their personal direction and sense of achievement. Strong-mindedness is one of the best qualities to hold, it comes from confidence and intuition and saves so much time when a decision is made.

N. This issue is about BFFs. Do you consider yourselves each other’s bestfriend?
AC.  Yes <3

N. Has working together on a project made your relationship even stronger?
AC. The best creative partnerships are usually from siblings, close friends or a partner. The closeness and emotional, personal investment is high, so honesty, risk and challenges are experienced and celebrated together. Take for example Italian sisters Franca and Carla Sozzani, or partners photographers Inez and Vindoodh, or London’s Gilbert & George.

N. Last but not least, what does being bestfriends mean to you?
AC. Keeping it real and being there for each other!

You can learn more about Monique and Joanna Kawecki from Ala CHAMP Magazine here www.champ-magazine.com