Issue 01 - Aziza Jones
Hello, thanks for dropping by and having a read. Smash LDN, started as a small project at university it received so much support from the industry that has grown to a team of young people working together to support unsigned UK talent. The backgrounds of the team are from all four corners of LDN.
Back in November 2010 the project was given to me on my degree course at Middlesex University studying Fashion Design, Styling & Promotion. The object of the brief was to create a body of work in any form or your choice relative to the promotion of fashion. I drew the ideas for my project I found in recent UK music. Artists like Professor Green, Tinie Tempah, Devlin had just dropped their albums and was like the excitement for me when garage came out. Tinie’s trendsetting frames and seeing Lily Allen in Professor Green’s video ‘Just be Good to Me’. Made me pay more attention to the underground music scene, Her ability to be involved in fashion and music, was intriguing. I became more interested in where this people who changed UK music forever came from and their backgrounds. So impressed with what I found, I shot the artists completely street style.
Talking to friends and a couple months of networking I had made contact with various unsigned artists. In particular, I was looking for someone with a very powerful presence and personal style. It was on one of these many nights of networking I met Aziza Jones (above) at the Unsigned Hype in Camden. Someone I had met at Spotlight Showcase in Shoreditch introduced me to her
At this point the project was called ‘Make it Count’ or M.I.C.Also I couldn’t quite make up my mind on the name at this point. The following week I met Fabio Pires (Visual Director) and Joel (Video Director) at a club in Soho, and what was a conversation for a lighter turned into an exchange of ideas. We switched numbers and the week before Christmas we had a meeting. We still had no name for the magazine. Although in a couple hours the three of us brainstormed some ideas in starbucks the (Fabio & Joel) Fabio said Smash’ that came off one of the buzz words ‘breakthrough’ then we thought it was too much like Smash Hits so we added LDN. There you go SmashLDN if you were wondering….;)
I booked a studio in Finsbury Park for Aziza’s shoot after the New Year. I was recommended Saints Artistry through a friend at work. Saint’s Artistry is a graphics and image consultancy designed to support upcoming artists. Sadie (Photography & Make Up) whilst being a Make Up artist, does photography for album artwork. Our second meeting on the shoot that cold snowy morning was one of most enjoyable and memorable moments of the journey of the magazine so far.
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Read Issue/01
My challenge was to find a talented model type, with edge. That is exactly the impression I got from Aziza. The vocals matched the beauty and well… look at the front cover.
Smassshhh!!! Lol
Watch ‘Smash LDN Launch Party’ - Live Performances
Lia Dixon
