This week’s Londoner is pretty FASH baby. Samuel Smith (not THE Sam Smith) is Fashion Editor for Online Retailer oki-ni, which sells some of the best products and brands around in the mens fashion arena so you could say he knows a thing or two about dressing well, new designers and how to style himself. We catch some words below…
Where do you live in London and why?
I live in Streatham, South-West London. I grew up around there so I love it, it feels like home and I like the more suburban vibe. I spend every day working in East London so it’s nice to have a change, plus I couldn’t afford the flat I have here North of the river!
A lot of people would kill for your job as Fashion Editor at oki-ni, what advice would you give those trying to break the market?
That’s a really tricky question. It is hard to break into the industry and get a job where you can earn enough to actually sustain yourself. I think attitude is really important, you have to be willing to take on a lot and not be afraid of doing shitty part-time jobs along the way. People often say it’s about who you know in this industry – and whilst I think there’s definitely truth in that – I’ve always found if you work hard and produce good work, you do get ahead. It really depends on what area you’re looking at, a job like mine working for a retailer isn’t as cutthroat as doing the same job freelance.
You recently launched a print magazine, in an age where print is dying. What was the thought behind this?
Being an online company, we don’t get to work much with print, so it was always a big goal of mine. Although you say print is dying, from a retail perspective, a printed publication is actually a very viable product – it widens our reach for potential new customers, allows us to display our stock via a different channel, and ultimately is just nice to give away to our customers.
You stock lots of cool brands on oki-ni who are your favourites?
My style is very pared-down, but I love the more luxurious side of our brand offering – I buy a lot of essentials from Jil Sander, Valentino and Paul Smith. We have a few new brands on the horizon which I’m pretty excited about too, but I can’t say much more just yet.
Finally, what would your perfect day in London be?
I love London because there’s always something new to discover, even just by walking around. My perfect day would consist of something fun and a bit touristy – I think those London walking tours seem really interesting, although I’ve lived here all my life there’s still so much I don’t know. Then stumbling across a new pub before a bit of vintage interior shopping (I often go to the auctions over at Lots Road) and finally just chilling with friends – pretty simple really.
Gents, wanna update your wardrobe? Ladies need a V Day prezzie. Then have a lookie here: www.oki–ni.com