OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE’LL BE INTERVIEWING A HANDFUL OF INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS, STARTING IN LONDON. THESE INTERVIEWS WON’T BE LONG READS, JUST A LITTLE 5-10 MINUTE DOSE OF DAILY STORYTELLING THAT PERHAPS, MIGHT SPARK SOME CREATIVITY, THOUGHT OR SELF-REFLECTION. I PERSONALLY HAVE LEARNED SOMETHING FROM EACH INDIVIDUAL AND CAN NOT WAIT TO SHARE THEIR STORIES WITH YOU.
Hello, I’m Aylea. I’m a Londoner (born and bred), I work professionally as a social and content manager and a womenswear concept store, and run an online fashion, beauty, culture and lifestyle platform called The VogueCIEL on the side. Nunu: What was your moment of manifestation?
Aylea: I would say I’m always having them; I’m constantly realising what I could and should be doing, but, the first moment came after being featured on Into The Gloss as part of their #ITGTopShelfie series.
I was working at Matchesfashion in my first non-retail job after graduating from uni when the feature went up. I had already started The VogueCIEL as a sort of portfolio, to show prospective employers that I was keen and passionate to work as fashion and lifestyle writer/journalist – I studied Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, so my degree didn’t strongly correlate to my career path. Anyway, I mentioned The VogueCIEL in the article and received lots of positive feedback, as well as a proposal from Sunday Riley to work with them on a feature. It was really at that moment that I realised that The VogueCIEL could be more than a portfolio. It could be a place for me to really express myself and create a platform that is an amalgam of all of my interest while creating content that other people can digest and enjoy.
Working more attentively on The VogueCIEL made me realise that I could utilise my visual artistic skills alongside my writing skills, and I more importantly that I wanted to. Leaving school I wanted to be a features editor or art director, I never thought about the possibility of merging the two disciplines.
Nunu: Can you describe a time when you felt most happy or proud of yourself?
Aylea: I was definitely very proud when I was featured on Into The Gloss, but I suppose I didn’t do much for that to happen, so I’d say it’s probably when I redesigned The VogueCIEL. I wasn’t satisfied with the old aesthetic and interface and was uninspired, so I moved the website to a different site builder and literally didn’t know what I was doing. I spent many late nights and weekends working on it; building the designing, researching coding, uploading all of the articles, but it was worth it. I really believe in putting in the hours to get results, and I’m a bit of a nerd so I relish in learning new skills, but redesigning the site was a testing task that I’m proud of.
Nunu: & finally, who or what inspires you?
Aylea: I’m inspired by so many people, mainly women, it’s difficult to select just one. It’s such a cliché but, my mother, but also Oprah (my celebrity mother) is a huge inspiration. She’s resilient, creative, resourceful, generous and warm. I’m the same personality type as her (ENFJ) and sun sign (Aquarius), and perhaps that knowledge makes me a little biased, but I just feel like she’s a lifestyle oracle.
Stay up to date with Alyea over on the thevogueciel.com and on her Instagram @ayleaskye for beautifully curated content.
- Isabella Rider Freelance Creative Consultant | Photographer | Social Media Expert
