During the summer of 2018, Laura Hesketh & & Lou Mensah worked on a photo shoot ‘Has Your Birth Healed A Generation?’ The shoot questioned how race relations have developed through their lifetimes

Continuing this discourse they agreed to create a culture and news podcast relating to the mixed race experience, and Shade was born.

New journal produced entirely by women. Launch issue photo story + interview on the mixed race experience by Lou here

Managing communications for The Flower Laboratory - botanical set design studio founded by Gillian O'Brien. Clients inc. Vogue, Harper's Bazaar & i-D Mag

Winner of The Worth Foundation 'Best New Retail Business' 2016, Air & Grace London is a new footwear brand founded by former MD of Aldo & Head Buyer at Kurt Geiger, Claire Burrows. Claire brought me in to Art Direct her A|W 16 photo campaign. With the budget of a new brand, and a precise target market to reach, I enlisted the skills of Photographer Johanna Nyholm (Vogue Italia, Rollercoaster Mag and Photo Dir. Off Black Mag) and Stylist Simone Konu (Vogue Italia).

Mawi are a luxury Accessories label, based in East London. Their pieces are worn by A-listers inc. Rhianna, Madonna & Fergie; in videos, editorial and at events. To date they have created collaborative collections with Disney Couture, Atelier Swarovski, Hugo Boss, Swarovski Crystallized, Bruno Magli and Selfridges and Koovs. The brand has also been commissioned to design pieces for David Koma, Katie Eary, Mark Fast and Temperley London. I facilitate the procurement of new collaborations with designers and retailers.

Design for kids! Tomato Tutors is a London based kids tutoring company, that nurtures their students creativity and well-being, as well as offering additional support to national curriculum study. I worked with award winning artist Lynnie Zulu to create a series of illustrations for Tomato Tutors social media platforms. The series was inspired by popular songs, e.g, De La Soul '3 is the magic number', Jackson 5 'ABC' and The White Stripes 'We're going to be friends.' All tying in with the theme of learning and personal development as promoted by the business.

Brief Procure new business clients + sponsorship.

Response  Whistles and Mothers Meeting 6 month promo-partnership. This partnership launches Mothers Meetings book 'How to be a hip mam without losing your cool.' The partnership was launched in a week of events at The St Martins Lane Hotel London. Co-hosted by MM Founder Jenny Scott + Whistles CEO Jane Sheperdson. Guest speakers included Mothers Meeting mamas BBC TV Presenter Cherry Healy and WAH Nails founder Sharmadean Read. Events were then rolled out to Whistles stores across 6 cities in the UK.

Brief Lou was approached by The Huffington Post UK to be a contributor to the UK Style & Arts Blog.

Link to blogs here

Brief Photograph a 6 page fashion feature for The Independent Newspaper/American Express Fashion Photography Award, to be judged by Alexander McQueen + Nick Knight + The Independent Newspaper Fashion Editor Susannah Frankel.

Result  Awarded special selection by Alexander McQueen. First runner up winner in the main competition, and commissioned to shoot a consequent story for the Weekend Fashion magazine.

Brief: Shoot on set images for a Marc Silver film installation. Marc works worldwide as a filmmaker and director of photography. His work has amassed awards at the Sundance Festival, been broadcast on HBO and shortlisted for an Oscar and nominated for an Emmy. He is Creative Director of The Filmmaker Fund.

Response: Lou's mages were used in the resulting Art Gallery Installation and accompanying book.

Role In-House Product PR Manager.

Brief Press communications. Launch new products toNational Press. Produce press material, photoshoots + advertorials. Support The Body Shop Foundation charity Campaigns through media promotion.

Brief Photograph images to illustrate features by GQ writers. Images to communicate my view of the article to the GQ's audience.

ResponseCollaborate with the models in critiquing the portrayal of women in media images. Create images for GQ that cater to both their audience and the models interpretation of the story. Consecutive photography commissions for GQ Magazine. and worldwide syndication of images, now permanently archived in the Conde Nast Library. 

Procure and support the Brand collaboration between Mothercare + Mothers Meeting. Resulting in the Mothercare x Mothers Meeting Power Lunch held at The The Cafe Royal, London May 2015, and ongoing collaborative events between the brands.