In this final part of our interview with Loh founder and product designer, Céline Loh, she shares her best advice for fellow creatives, favourite modelling moment and recent work with Kurt Geiger. Watch part 3 here!
BA: What do you do as your day job with Kurt Geiger?
Loh: Right now with Kurt Geiger, my title is Ideator, and I've been redesigning their packaging. They want me to completely redo all the boxes, all the exterior and the whole experience. It was supposed to be just that, but now they've pushed me to doing the social media content for the design side of things, so not everything, but showing the process which has yet to happen. Also, I think my boss wants me to start doing stuff for the accessories as well so it's very exciting that they trust me so much so quickly.
BA: Is it something you enjoy then?
Loh: Oh yeah, I love it. They treat me so well, and my boss is super nurturing. It's a very different experience working for a large brand versus a small studios. It's so so different but I'm loving it - it's great!
BA: You're a model too aren't you? How do you go about juggling all these things? Is it difficult?
Loh: It's doable because I'm doing it. It goes like this: full-time job comes first, then Loh, then modelling, in order of priority. I was really lucky because my booker saw something in me so I got signed. Anyone can be a model, seriously! You just need someone to recognise that you have some kind of face. But it's very unstable - Jobs don't come so frequently. I think people have an assumption that if you're a model then you're always getting work. But that's not true unless you've really made it. Most models have huge amounts of time, like freelancers but maybe even more, there's huge gaps of not having work. Then if you do get a job, maybe it's just one day or a couple of days and then there's nothing again. For me modelling is never going to be the priority, it's always been a side thing. It's like 'oh I kind of have a face, and I like to make more money, so I may as well put myself forward for modelling'. Yeah, it's been nice, it's been a different experience.
BA: Have you got a stand-out favourite modelling job you've done?
Loh: So most recently I was in a music video for Digital Farm Animals as a party girl, and that was one of the most memorable days ever. It was so fun! I met so many people - all kinds of people from different agencies. There were agents for background people, then my agency which is for modelling. Then another agency for the actors. There were all these different age types, all these different people on the same set. It was so much fun. There was a goat as well - so cute, very handsome!
BA: What's next for Loh? Have you got any big projects? You showed me the China Town plant accessories, are they coming out soon?
Loh: Yeah, I literally just dropped them into Brand Academy! I'm going to have a shop window coming at the end of June with the Steam Room East, which is in Hackney. I'm really grateful because they saw something in my brand, and we resonated a lot with each other. Steam Room East is a laundry room in the back, but in the front they're a lifestyle shop. They sell all kinds of Asian-inspired products, and laundry products. They're going to give me a whole shop window, so that's going to be really cool.
BA: Have you got any tips or words of wisdom for other budding Creatives starting out?
Loh: I have so much. Not to sound arrogant, but there are so many things and no one listens to me! The number 1 tip I would give to babies out there is you just have to make a step. It's too easy to be thinking and thinking, 'oh yeah I want to make this brand, but what about the cost or what about this', it doesn't matter, just get out there and make a step - take initiative. The more you are thinking, the longer it's going to be. You're standing in front of yourself to making stuff happen. You just have to be ambitious, make a step, and be edgy. Just talk to people and see what happens, because you never know until you try!
