Intimate.
This is the word that popped in our mind when we first saw Fenn’s work. And it’s also the way she describes it. She is fun, beautiful, strong: you can tell that from the very first moment. For us, she’s one of the women’s voices that, simply with her platforms and art, is shaping fashion, filmmaking and storytelling.
Fenn is a journalist, filmmaker (House of Holland or Alexa Chung campaigns, just to name a few) and radio speaker on BBC 1Xtra where she is interested in interviewing the people behind the curtains, the ones who have that interesting and particular story to tell, and she wants to know them all.
Fenn O’Meally is simply a very special one and we are on the edge to see her next (intimate and) unique project coming out.
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Where did the idea of transforming your journalistic background in an artistic way come from?
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I really needed to “platform” my journalist background. I think that for a lot of people it’s hard to trust somebody who is so new, so you have to kind of create your own platforms. That’s how, I guess, my own way of recording, filming and all this other stuff came about, and it just turned out to become this multidimensional platform. At the end of the day, I wanted to interview people, I wanted to tell stories. And if I could do that and platform that, then I was winning. So, that’s how I learned to film, record, edit, etc.
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With which medium do you feel the freest to express yourself?
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It’s funny because I don’t think there’s one particular medium that I love more.
For me, it really is about storytelling and there are days where we are filming and editing a film and I feel like this is amazing: this is why I focus on this. And then I’ll be in the studio with my producer at Radio 1Xtra and I’ll be like, “actually no, this is amazing.” As said, my thing is really about storytelling so I don’t have a favorite medium but the one mission for me is to be able to interview somebody with a distinctive style whether in front or behind the camera. Even if it’s on radio and it’s not visual I think that if I can define a way to be able to interview and storytelling in a way that people understand it is from me, then that’s what I love.
“At the end of the day, I wanted to interview people, I wanted to tell stories.”
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What’s the most memorable interview you have done so far?
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I interviewed Nile Rodgers at the BRITs. And I was like to him, “this is my first time at the BRITs, do you have any tips?” and he was like, “to be always interviewed by you because you are lovely.” My dad was really proud of me for that [laugh]. I think you learn so much from every different interview.
The best interviews for me are the ones where people are quite closed off and they don’t tell you much and you feel like you are going to break down the barrier and to actually get to know them. And once you crack a smile from them or they laugh, that’s the best. Also, just recently I interviewed Beyoncé’s choreographer for Radio 1Xtra and that was amazing. He’s just great.
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What do you look for when you interview someone?
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For me, it is about making it less repetitive for them because I guess anybody who tells a story about themselves has told the story in so many different ways. You, me, somebody famous, they’ve told or regurgitated that story that needs to go out. It is really about looking at their Instagram feed or looking at the story or if s/he has commented on something. What can you do or find out about them that can make them smile? Or that can make them reminisce.
It’s trying to connect with that person on a different level and actually make sure that you can get something different from them. Because it becomes boring for them if they tell that story a lot. You want them to realize that you are just a normal person and that you see them as normal people. I think that if you can build that kind of relationship with them in the space of 10-15 minutes or however long you have, then that’s impressive.
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Is there someone you would love to interview?
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There are so many people I would love to interview. For me it’s really about people who are not necessarily on the spotlight, for instance: Kanye ordered a curry from Wales to be flown over to New York. His Chef had to go to New York. I really wanted to interview the chef. Obviously, I’d love to interview Rihanna or Beyoncé, I’d love to interview these big names. Also Usain Bolt, that would just be amazing.
You don’t know whether you are going to have a good interview or not so I can never really say, “this is a person I want to interview” because I just want to see how I can connect with different people on different levels.
“The best interviews for me are the ones where people are quite closed off and they don’t tell you much and you feel like you are going to break down the barrier and to actually get to know them.”
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In your opinion, what’s a universal language?
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I think music. I’ve been listening to Buena Vista Social Club since I was a child just because my mom would always play them. That for me entails so many memories and so many stories. I think music is such a powerful language. You don’t have to necessarily understand the words.
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The song of the moment?
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I’d say Daniel Caesar. Daniel Caesar has this song we just played, “Best Part,” and it’s a great song. And “Black Party” is great too.
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The song of your childhood?
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It would definitely be something to do with Ray Charles because my dad would always play Ray Charles. Either him or Louis Armstrong.
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What kind of opportunities do you think London offers more than other cities?
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London is amazing.
It’s funny because I split my time between London and New York. And I love New York, it’s amazing. And I think the one thing about London is that you can go into the city and have an idea and somebody would collaborate with you and share the idea. I just feel that in London you can really collaborate openly. It’s not questioned. It’s like, “oh yeah, I want to work in that too” or “I want to work in that with you.” Sometimes you become into your little bubble of “that’s how life is” and then you go out of it. You go out of London and that way of living, that way of creating content or that way of creating something is not necessarily done and it’s kind of WIP, but I think London just offers so much and you can’t take it for granted.
But in the same way, New York does: you go into a coffee shop and people would be like, “what do you do?” “How can I get involved in that?”. It’s just super collaborative and there are opportunities everywhere you go if you open yourself to them.
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“I think music is such a powerful language.”
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What’s your favorite video camera?
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It’s not a video camera, it’s a film camera, a little Yashika Electro 35mm. And everybody is always asking me like what I film on, so here is the announcement: the film camera I use is a Yashika Electro 35mm. It’s just a really beautiful camera; the images are so beautiful. And then I have just an old C 100, but I think that the Yashika is probably my favorite camera. I used to work with a guy who used that camera and so I bought one and it’s just amazing.
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You have done a lot of filming in fashion. What was the best experience?
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I think I have to shout out at Henry Holland because basically I got hired to do his first show campaign. So, the girls that were in the campaign, they had videos of themselves and he was like, “I’m going to do this, do you want to do it?” And I was like, “ok, I’ll do it!”.
In 24 hours I had to do this, and I filmed and the whole campaign myself and edited in 24 hours. I was up until 6 am. For one whole day, I was up from 7 am until 7 am the next day filming and editing this campaign but Henry has backed everything I’ve done for a long time. So, that was probably the best experience I’ve had because I think Henry has been in this position where he just needed a hand or he just needed somebody to really believe in him. And I think is good to have someone like him who can give you that support and trust.
“Everybody is always asking me, so here is the announcement: the film camera I use is a Yashika Electro 35mm.”
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Since you have done a lot of fashion films, how would you describe your style? And your fashion style?
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I feel like my filming style is quite intimate. I hope that is quite intimate: I just want people to realize that these people on camera are just normal people. I mean, that’s how I’d like to interview someone as well. I know that they are normal persons and that we can have a normal conversation.
And then my style. I’d say my style is quite simple. Maybe a little bit weird at times: I like to show my nipples [laugh], I don’t really wear bras. I don’t have any tattoos. My style is simple, a little bit weird sometimes, I think my style goes with my personality. I like to wear long trousers, like flare trousers. I just have a thing for flare trousers. It’s quite simple.
For example, I love this store in New York on Lafayette street and this guy has this amazing vintage pieces, I guess they are vintage. He doesn’t really advertise the shop as a vintage store, it’s just like his collection of pieces and it’s amazing. So, I got this patchwork jacket from them and it was just so beautiful. So, I think my style is simple but with a few statement pieces.
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Your must-have beauty products?
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I love Origins: coconut oil and Vitamin C oil are great too. And then Moroccan Oil for my hair. And, actually, there is a place called “Windle and Moodie” in Covent Garden which does really good hair products, hair shampoo, and conditioner. But I love Origins, I am a big fan of Origins. The eye cream is great.
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The last series you binge-watched?
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I am terrible, I don’t really watch TV series. I used to. I used to watch them all the time. “Atlanta” actually, I haven’t binge-watched it, I just watched it; I interviewed Ibra Ake, the producer of Childish Gambino’s “This is America” and “Atlanta,” this was before the series came to the UK, and I was like, “should I watch it?” and he goes, “yeah, you have to watch it.” So I watched and it’s amazing.
“I just want people to realize that these people on camera are just normal people.”
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What is the last movie you watched that “spoke” to you?
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Maybe “I Am Love,” that was amazing.
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One epic fail on the job?
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Once I interviewed someone and my shirt was undone all the time. But to avoid what I didn’t actually know. So that was quite embarrassing. The photographer told me at the end. You could see everything.
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What is your must-have on set?
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Le Labo, “Another 13,” just because it smells great and everybody is just like: “Oh, it smells nice!” and the conversation starts.
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Your happy place?
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My happy place and my favorite spot is definitely Victoria Park Pavilion. So, I run around the park and there’s a coffee shop pavilion and I drink coffee after my run. It’s the best morning ritual.
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Your favorite word?
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I used to love the word “coating.” But we were talking about “padding” the other day and that’s another great word. I love the sound of it.
“I run around Victoria Park Pavilion and there’s a coffee shop pavilion and I drink coffee after my run. It’s the best morning ritual.”
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What did you have already crossed from your bucket list?
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It’s funny because you cross so many things and you are like: “what’s next?”
For me, it’s really nice to be able to have people message me and ask “how do I do this?” or “how I get into this?”. I never planned for it to be that way. At the very beginning, I just wanted to be a presenter but I realize now that it’s really about wanting to be able to relate, tell stories and interview people. So, I guess, the bucket list that was once created has changed.
I just want to make and tell stories that are able to connect with people and make people think and also interview people in a way that they are able to open up and feel like they can open up. And I think that is the main thing on the bucket list.
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The most beautiful thing while filming one of your short films?
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When somebody comes into the room and they are so closed off and you start to open up a little bit. And they are like, “oh, you are actually a normal person, you are not just some robot with a camera who wants to get footage of me.” It’s really nice to see when somebody’s mood change. You really notice it. Even just with people you interview on Radio 1Xtra, it’s quite nice to see them switch and it’s nice to be able for my producer to see that as well. I pride myself to be able to make somebody’s switch.
“I just want to make and tell stories that are able to connect with people and make people think.”
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Is there a feature film in the making?
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There is actually a film that I am doing which is called “You Must Be Mistaken” and it’s based on the “fuck ups” that successful people have made. So, the mistakes that successful people make. I’ve done the first series so far. Well, the first episode. I’m working on one each month and then collect them all. And then I’ll have a list of different people and their fuck ups. You look at a successful person and you just see the success, but you don’t see the difficulties.
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What’s next?
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Building and growing. I just want to be able to challenge myself every single day. What I realized the other day is that when I feel like I have accomplished something or achieved something, that is what gives me a burst. So, just more challenges.
– BUILDING & GROWING –
Photos and Video by Johnny Carrano.
Makeup Artist: Alessandra Nicole Poiesi.
Follow Fenn: @fenn_omeally
