By Roshannah Bagley

LONDON, United Kingdom:: As the second of a number of exclusive looks into some of the UK’s most promising fashion students, FAULT presents Anna Volosenko. The Cuban born self professed tomboy has spent her formative years studying at London College of Fashion and Middlesex University. The budding fashion photographer, stylist and blogger takes some time out to speak to FAULT.

FAULT:: How long have you had an interest in fashion?

Anna:: Since about 16, I went through a bit of a tomboy phase before then but I’ve always been very creative. Art was my favourite subject at school. The older I got, the more comfortable I felt in my own skin and with that my interest in fashion grew.

FAULT:: What spurred you to pursue paths in styling and photography?

Anna:: With me everything has a chain reaction. I was very into fine art and drawing as a child, through that I developed an interest in photography. I then discovered amazing images by fashion photographers such as Tim Walker and that inspired me to create my own imagery. That’s when the styling aspect came about I guess, although I’ve always been more interested in style more than fashion. As YSL said “fashions fades, style is eternal”.

FAULT:: Who is your favourite stylist?

Anna:: I’m always blown away by the amazing editorials by Nicola Formichetti and Karen Langley in Dazed & Confused. I also admire Panos Yiapanis – his style is very dark and gothic but he always manages to throw in the right accessories to transform the outfit into something beautiful rather than macabre.

FAULT:: Who is your favourite photographer?

Anna:: I would have to say Tim Walker – his images always seem so magical and you can just get lost in them. I also like Matt Irwin’s work. His photography is very simple and the complete opposite of Walker but I like how he always manages to capture the personally and essence of the person he’s photographing. From my experience it’s very hard to get someone to relax and just be themselves in front of a camera for you, so I admire him for that.

FAULT:: Who or what inspires you?

Anna:: Anything that’s a bit out of the ordinary and dramatic. Film, theatre and performance are massive influences. I also have a huge obsession with the Circus and street style blogs. Travelling and different cultures are also very important to me as I lived in three different countries – Cuba, Russia and Ukraine – before moving to London.

FAULT:: How would you describe your personal style?

Anna:: It really depends on my mood but I suppose it always varies between Goth, grunge or mod. I don’t like being too girly, I’m still a tomboy at heart.

FAULT:: What would you like to do once you have completed your studies?

Anna:: To become a successful stylist as well as a contributor to a fashion magazine as I’m also interested in journalism. That would be my dream job.

FAULT:: What have you learnt from your time at Middlesex University?

Anna:: The course I did there included Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion. It was very varied so I learned all sorts of new skills such as how to use Illustrator and how to do magazine lay outs. This is also around the time when I started to get into journalism and so I set up my blog Stylistique. I left after the first year as I wanted to concentrate on the styling and photography aspect but I don’t regret studying there – I met some lovely people.

FAULT:: What is your FAULT?

Anna:: I’m such a hoarder! I get really attached to things that have sentimental value. I’m also always buying outrageous accessories knowing that I will never wear them, using the excuse “I might use it in a photo shoot someday” to justify the purchase.

http://stylistique-stylistique.blogspot.com/