On the day of my arrival, I had the lucky opportunity to attend the launch party of the new look womenswear collection. The party was at the beautiful W Hotel and was attended by lots of press and celebrities. I couldn’t believe my luck! I also met lots of future colleagues who were all so welcoming and kind! Knowing some of the people helped a lot in cooling my nerves for my first day at work the following day. The day started with a bit of stress, it was my first time on the tube and I had no idea how it worked. But luckily I didn’t get lost! I arrived at a really cool old post office in north London, rang the bell and stepped into a large and inviting office space full of light, magazines, clothing and friendly people. Was this indeed a girls’ dream? I didn’t know an office could look that cool!

I was asked to start work in the editorial department with Shoot Editor, Ania. My first assignment was to make mood boards for the upcoming shoots, which I was due to be helping with. During the days that followed, my role was to assist in the shoots, by helping to prepare the outfits, dressing the models and ensuring the right accessories were used with the right outfit. The shoots are hard work, with lots of time pressure, but they are also great fun. In fact, I absolutely loved it as I got to work with an awesome photographer, a very experienced stylist and some great models.

After two weeks of shooting, Baukjen asked whether Sophie (another intern) and I would like to see how she prepares a Style Guide. She took the time to explain how it all works and we helped her choose from a range of lovely images. It may sound easy but there is a lot more to it than you might think. I’m really excited to see the final result.

After two great weeks with Ania, I moved to work with Laura in the ecommerce department, because a key objective of my internship is to see how all the different parts of Baukjen work. I had to do all kinds of different things such as testing the website itself and data analysis. It’s a rather complicated business but a key part of the success of Baukjen.

As I write this, I have just joined the marketing department, which is run by Ally. Here we focus on all things related to social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, the blog, as well as the emails and homepages. It’s really interesting and fun because you get to see things from the brand’s perspective. Instead of being the actual customer, you have to think like one. There is a lot more thought and process going into what you put on the site than I could have ever imagined.

I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of the Baukjen team! It’s a fun loving, inspirational crowd that’s made me feel welcome and they have involved me in many aspects of the business. It is impressive to see how a brand like Baukjen develops itself and grows, day after day, week after week, year after year. The experience has already taught me a lot, giving me an insight into the industry and the opportunity to meet inspiring people, all in just five weeks!

I’m very much looking forward to what’s coming next but it’s already clear that this is an experience I will never forget!

The post Life as a Baukjen Intern appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

If you’ve ever wondered what happens on the other side of the camera, watch our video to see what goes on behind the scenes….

The post Go Behind the Scenes at our Latest Shoot appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

To celebrate the recent launch of Baukjen, we threw an amazing party at the Wyld Bar at the W Hotel last week. It was a fabulous night and an amazing time was had by us and our lovely guests who joined in the celebrations.

Take a look at the official video below to see what we got up to….

The post Video of the Week appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

We often come to the office wearing the same Baukjen pieces, just styled different ways. Here’s Baukjen and Marina both wearing the SS10 Biker Jacket

Baukjen and Marina selecting the leathers for the next season

Baukjen, Ania and Marina at a shoot

After the shoot, it’s time for editing and then the final selection of what goes in, in this case, the lookbook

The office cat. She (he?) has adopted us and uses every opportunity to come in and find a cosy corner to curl up in

Shoots are hard work but we always have lots of fun along the way

For every shoot, we put together a board of the key looks

Before each shoot, we spend hour a day putting together looks and styling them. Here we’re preparing the AW12 lookbook shoot

The post Behind the Scenes at Baukjen HQ appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

What is the philosophy behind Baukjen the brand?

Our newly re-branded Baukjen line was designed with a focus on creating understated, everyday looks that you can really live in. It’s all about minimum effort and maximum style. The London style and way of dressing is very much reflected in our collection and how we put looks together -it’s about mixing it up, putting the unexpected together, but at the same time it’s about building the perfect uniform of essentials to live in every day such as the skinny jeans, luxe tee and biker jacket.

What do you think women are looking for in their clothes?

Every woman I know is super busy, has very long to do lists and time is a scarce resource. Women need clothes that fit within their lifestyle, that are easy to wear, have a great fit and last for years. I am one of those women and understand how important it is to have clothes that you can go about your daily life in and look and feel great about yourself in.

I think women are expecting more from their clothes in the sense that they want pieces that will work in all sorts of different outfits, like a coat that they can wear to work and then dress down with jeans at the weekend. I think women in general have become more demanding and rightly so – I certainly have.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Inspiration is everywhere, films, travelling, magazines, blogs. I’m constantly taking pictures. It’s also about looking at how women dress around the world and sometimes it’s just about the stitching detail of someone’s coat, and you think ‘wow, we could use that’.

What is it about fashion that you love?

I feel so much better when I feel happy with how I look – I love the confidence that fashion gives you. Plus there is always something new around the corner, I love how you can break rules, and that something that wasn’t done a couple of years ago is suddenly cool again. It’s exciting, dynamic and ever changing. That’s probably what I love most about it.

Did you always want to work in the fashion industry?

Yes, absolutely. I grew up in a very close family with lots of creative cousins that included a fashion photographer, stylist, graphic designer and architect. One of my closest cousins is a stylist and was always off to gorgeous locations. Her life looked so glamorous and exciting. I’m 10 years younger than her and used to visit her as a kid and she would explain how the fashion world worked. Right from the start I found it fascinating and so exciting, she really was an inspiration to me.

You’re Co-Founder and also Creative Director, how do you balance the business side with the creative?

I balance it because I have to! But I don’t always find it easy. I have to shift my mindset a lot. It’s very common for me to come out of a meeting where we’ve been talking about fabrics or colours to go into another where I’m discussing cash flow. It’s challenging at times.

How do you see Baukjen developing?

It’s grown a lot but we’re just at the tip of the iceberg. Our focus is to offer great collections and styling advice and slowly we’ll be adding more product groups, including footwear and jewellery. We ask our customers for feedback on a regular basis and I like to hear what they say as it helps steer our direction.

How do you relax?

I love to read when I can find the time and nothing beats a long soak in the bath. A walk with some of my favourite music on is great for unwinding at the weekend and I love having dinner with my friends and family. In a busy life, it’s all about enjoying the simple things.

What is your favourite…

Restaurant

Cecconi’s in Mayfair for fantastic Italian food.

Part of London

Can I have two? Hampstead where I’m from and where I live and I also love Notting Hill.

City

London, I love the diversity and all the cultures, it’s such a great place with so many things going on. I must admit I also love Amsterdam, cycling from one place to the next, the beauty of it, the food is also great plus I have endless cousins that live there.

Holiday Destination

Italy,  love Tuscany and I’d love to go to the Amalfi coast. I’m also hoping that at some point soon we can go to somewhere far away like Bora Bora with the kids, where hopefully no one will call us and we can enjoy a few weeks of relaxed bliss!

Gallery

The Hayward Gallery, here in London.

Film

It’s quite old and I haven’t watched it for ages but I love When Harry Met Sally!

Book

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I try to read it every year.

And finally, who would be your dream dinner party guests?

Cate Blanchett, Piers Morgan, Denzel Washington, Grace Coddington, Michael McIntyre and Jamie Oliver.

The post Company Founder Baukjen Invites us into her World appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

The post Welcome to Baukjen appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

The post How to Say It appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

Launch day arrived yesterday with a flurry of excitement at Baukjen HQ with the team eager to share everything we’ve been working so hard on. With everything up and running smoothly, we celebrated by tucking into a little party food of delicious Baukjen cupcakes and pizza. Cups of tea were happily consumed in the new Baukjen mugs and we finished the day with a little fizz.

As you can see from the snaps below, it was a great start to what we hope will be a bright future for Baukjen and we’re looking forward to sharing it all with you.

The post Day One at Baukjen HQ appeared first on Baukjen’s World.

A quick hair check then back to shooting

Our lovely photographer climbing high for the perfect picture

The sun is shining in this beautiful Notting Hill mews

A/W 12 Jackets waiting to be photographed

Baukjen and Marina all smiles at the shoot

Baukjen, Marina and Ania take five for a much needed break between shots

Ania, Baukjen and Marina still smiling after 6 hours shooting

Ania tweaking the look on our lovely model Josipa

The post Behind the Scenes – The August Issue appeared first on Baukjen’s World.