Here is the first of a series of ongoing interviews with Hot New
Brands. Keep checking back as we will be adding to this over the next few weeks.

Interview with Alberto and Tancredi Alemagna of Tamilano

What inspired you to set up Tamilano?
We can’t forget the smell of the Panettone cake served at table during the Christmas dinner. For us more than one cake it was one symbol. In the same way the chocolate has inspired us for its magical proprieties, for its history and obviously for its great flavor!
After our first visit to a chocolate factory we didn’t have any more doubts about our road.
Our family has worked in the candy business since 1911 with the brand: “Alemagna”.
My brother and I have grown up with candy. In 2007 we launched T’a Sentimento Italiano.

Where do you get the inspiration for your creations?
After we travelled thousands of km around the world we stop a second to look around us. We realized that all around the world there is a piece of Italy so we run back home and we started to write a book … our family history book!
We start from our tradition and continue smiling to the future.

What do you most enjoy doing in your working day?
When we arrive in the office and we open our stock room and we eat some chocolate. Definitely tasting chocolates!

If you face a challenging situation in work, how do you get over it?
Working by our self and sometimes working in a team. This helps you to see the situation from another point of view.

What is the best advice that you received when setting up your business?
Don’t save money on quality!

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?
That we are making our company bigger every year during the worst worldwide crisis. I’m proud that people are recognizing our efforts.

Describe your perfect day.
The perfect day is when my phone don’t ring all the time and I can dedicate myself to improve my knowledge on this exceptional product.

How do you unwind after work?
Going out with friends to a nice restaurant. I love high quality gourmet food and I love to see what other chefs prepare, even with a good glass of wine, red wine!

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?
Oasis, Oasis and …. Oasis!

If you could give one piece of advice to someone about changing their career what would it be?
Call me!

Info about Tamilano.

THE ESSENCE OF T’A
T’a Chocolate is the realization of a dream for brothers Tancredi and Alberto Alemagna. Their goal was to produce luxury chocolate which combines time honored “Made in Italy” tradition with fresh, modern creativity, using only the best Grand Cru cacao beans and stylishly innovative eco-friendly packaging. The result is refined and captivating chocolate creations that explore and transform contemporary taste trends. Whether treating yourself or savoring it with others, T’a Chocolate is a little bit of indulgence that turns the everyday into something special. One taste and you’ll see why we say: T’a Chocolate...impossible to resist.
http://www.tamilano.com/

Interview with Harry Brantly and Max Leese, FB Collection

What inspired you to set up Frescobol?
Countless summers spent in hot locations and the growing gap in the market for a luxury men’s beachwear brand that caters for both the active and laid back individuals. A passion for beach culture, top quality clothing/accessories and product design. Ultimately it was our super smart Frescobol sets that led us to create the wider concept of FB Collection.

Where did you get the inspiration for your designs?
Brasil has a huge influence on our company and we are positioning ourselves to ride the ‘Brasil wave’… We have taken inspiration from the Copacabana sidewalk in Rio de Janeiro and incorporated this ‘timeless’ mosaic pattern into our website and our new line of beach trunks (the lining of the pockets are printed with this pattern and a splash of water reveals the pattern through the shorts). We have a long list of ideas for the future in terms of new products and design, mostly from our own experiences but also from other likeminded people who are in the industry from around the world. For instance we are taking an up and coming artist to Brasil with us in September on a new project for our Summer 2011 limited edition shorts.

What do you most enjoy doing in your working day?
Variety. Having started only 6 months ago, Harry and I are still working as a two man team…(apart from a lot of outside influence from designers, our PR team, branding consultant etc). Essentially we could be meeting a potential new stockist in the South of France one day and sorting out the stock in the office the next. Also the travel, making a wide range of new contacts, and most of all brainstorming new projects and future products to develop our brand…

If you face a challenging situation in work, how do you get over it?
We face challenging situations every day. Starting a new business isn’t easy and you have to be able to stay calm and be ready to expect things to turn out the opposite as you planned. That’s not to say that it isn’t worth planning in the first place, luckily Harry and I are in the office together most days which allows us to bounce ideas of each other however simple or complicated they may be. That way we can try to reach the most judged and informed decision.

What is the best advice that you received when setting up your business?
We have met a number of people that have been extremely successful in setting up businesses in the last 6 months. The key message I have taken from those meetings is that when you are starting out you have to stay flexible and stay strong. Don’t be too fixed in any single direction in which you want your company or your brand to go as inevitable you will end up somewhere else! That said you must stay focused on your goals.

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?
I am sure its a cliché in the entrepreneurial world, but it has to be leaving the City. Both Harry and I had the opportunity to ride out the storm in the our jobs and even move within our industries but we made a positive decision to leave and set up FB Collection. I am not going to lie, there have been moments when I have looked back…but it was and will always be the right decision. Spending my life behind 2 screens and commuting into the City everyday was no longer an option for me!

Describe your perfect day.
Last week… We had a stand at an event down in the South of France at the Panerai sponsored Les Voiles D’Antibes. We had just sold our new line of trunks into the Hotel du Cap – Eden Rock in Cap D’Antibes so Harry and I alternated between our stand and the beach!

My perfect day is sitting on Harry’s 60ft Princess Express. An early start to drive past some fishing boats and pick up some fresh Lula (Squid) to grill on the boat in the afternoon. Then spend the day parked off Lopes Mendes beach with the jet ski or wakeboard, windsurfer and surfboard all floating in the water ready to go!

How do you unwind after work?
If I am in London I will normally have a game of tennis or go for a run. Abroad I will try and go windsurfing…. Almost always something active…although I do like to have a decent book on the go and watch the occasional film.

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?
A very boring answer, but I enjoy most music from Ibiza dance to a bit of Rachmaninov… Dire Straights… and I have just become addicted to the Edward Maya song (not the radio version!)

If you could give one piece of advice to someone about changing their career what would it be?
Whatever you do, make sure you are enjoying it.  Heading into the City everyday and sitting in an air-conditioned office behind 2 screens wasn’t enjoyable for me. To me there is no point in doing something just for the money.

Info about the Frescobol Collection.

Brand and concept - http://www.fbcollection.com/brand/

Recent collaboration -  http://www.fbcollection.com/projects/

Trunks and Frescobol - http://www.fbcollection.com/collection/

Thank you so much for taking part in this interview.

Interview with Celia Weinstock, founder of Lyme Fine Jewellery

What inspired you to set up Lyme Fine Jewellery ?
Lyme Fine Jewellery pays homage to my maternal ancestral home, Lyme Park in Cheshire as I wanted to evoke the grandeur, elegance and luxury of the stately home in my jewellery. Also, I was lucky to find gifted craftsmen who could bring my designs to life with exceptional attention to detail.

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?
My designs are inspired by a range of influences, from motifs in Eastern art, architecture and furniture, to flora and fauna, and jewellery from historical and cultural eras. Inspirations for my debut collection include Art Deco, Naturalistic and Ancient Asian motifs.

What do you most enjoy doing in your working day?
I enjoy the process of doing rough sketches of an idea in my notepad, then drawing the design in a precise and technical way in graphite, before painting it in watercolour to add texture and tone. The final result is so accurate that it looks like a photograph.

If you face a challenging situation in work, how do you get over it?
I try to remember that setting up your own business will always be stressful because you have to deal with areas of the business which might not necessarily be your strengths. Therefore, I always seek advice from people who are in a position to help me. My motto is, ‘If in doubt, ask’.

What is the best advice that you received when setting up your business?
To be patient, and be proud of your product. Jewellery is such a passion of mine that I enjoy everything about the design and manufacturing process.

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?
In less than a year, I designed a collection of 60 pieces of jewellery and held an exhibition in London, from which I have been selling my pieces since.

Describe your perfect day.
My perfect day would consist of visiting a museum for inspiration for my designs, having a delicious lunch with friends, a bit of browsing/shopping, (I love to buy jewellery as well as design it), then going to be glamorous party.

As I love what I do, work and pleasure are the same thing, so I never really ‘switch off’.

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?
I always listen to music while I draw and paint my designs, as it helps me focus. At the moment, I have been listening to Verdi’s Il Trovatore while I work.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone about changing their career what would it be?
Make sure you are in it for the right reasons, you should be passionate about what you do because it will take a lot of hard work and perseverance to achieve success.

Info about Lyme Fine Jewellery
Celia Weinstock creates jewellery on commission alongside themed collections, hand-making each piece with precious and semi-precious gemstones set in 18k gold. Taking inspiration from Art Deco, Naturalistic and ancient Asian motifs, Celia’s designs evoke the elegance and style of historical and cultural eras, and combine a sense of old world glamour with a contemporary edge.
http://www.lymefinejewellery.com/

Interview with Rosie Nottage, Garden Designer and Founder of Rosie Nottage Garden Design

What inspired you to set up Rosie Nottage Garden Design?

I’ve always loved plants and studied Botany at university. I worked in media for 10 years running a big conference business and then was made redundant after the company was taken over. Even though it was a lucrative career, I wasn’t smiling every day and was often stressed out at home. I took some time out to think about my next move and went on the trip of a lifetime around the Far East with my partner. We’d been to some incredible places and I realised that my favourite holiday photos were of plants climbing up temples rather than the temples themselves, so I resolved that when we got back I would make a career out of what I loved, and swap my stilettos for steel toe caps.

I was very lucky as the college I wanted to attend (KLC) suddenly had a spare place. I contacted the course director the day after we landed from our trip, had an interview the day after and on the third day back in the UK I was sitting in college beginning the course.

I’ve always wanted to run my own business, and garden design is a very flexible way of working, as I can choose how many clients to work with at any one time and the extent that I work on each project. Some people like to commission a designer for the initial ideas and then to work with their own contractors, and some people prefer to work with one team from beginning to end so we project manage the building for them. I’m lucky as I’ve been able to use my business and event project management skills in creating gardens to budget and on time.

I love people’s reactions as their homes are transformed; it totally changes the way they use the space and is really rewarding.

Where do you get the inspiration for your garden designs?

Some of the most intriguing designs have been inspired by seemingly unrelated objects: inspiration can come from a hat, a painting, a building… not necessarily something organic. My favourite project to date was for the Royal Ballet School in Richmond Park and was based on the proportions of the Golden Section, discovered by theologians in 300BC.

For each garden I try to find out what it is that excites the client and that is often the springboard for the garden design, especially if there is a particular artist, culture or architect that they are a fan of.

What do you most enjoy doing in your working day?

There’s a point in each design where there are photos of the client's garden all over my office walls, photos of art they like and images I want to connect with the garden. I enjoy that moment when I am absorbing it all and the design starts to come together – the big overall idea is usually quite fast, and then the detail is where the hours are spent.

It’s also great to have a glass of wine with a client at the end of the project in their new garden, as it’s a team effort and enormously satisfying for them as well as for us when it’s all completed.

If you face a challenging situation in work, how do you get over it?

Go out and get some fresh air and do something completely different for half an hour. When I get back to my desk, my mind has usually found a resolution.

What is the best advice that you received when setting up your business?

Go for it, and say yes to every opportunity as you don’t know what it will lead to. I entered a competition a few months into my course to design a planting scheme for a stand at Chelsea Flower Show. I was up against 40 fully qualified designers so wasn’t sure I could win, but they really liked my design so I got to launch my business at Chelsea and see customers photographing my planting, a really exciting and rare opportunity which I wouldn’t have had if I had been shy.

Some really well known designers came to our graduation show and their advice to all of us was to get out there and go for it; they had the same attitude at the beginning of their careers and it has stood them in good stead.

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?

Taking the plunge to leave a really well paid career and do something which I truly enjoy. I’ve had to adjust to a different lifestyle, but am much happier and more fulfilled. I think that energy comes across in my clients' gardens.

Describe your perfect day.

A walk on a windy beach or across the south downs in the morning, somewhere with lots of wind and greenery. The perfect lunch would be a long one in a pub with a proper fire, followed by a bit more of a walk through some woodland, then curling up in the evening with my partner.

How do you unwind after work?

I practice yoga twice a week and make time to see as much of my friends in the evening as possible. Working in isolation means I unwind by spending time with groups of people in conversation, and yoga is a great way to calm both mind and body, not to mention stretch out any aches and pains if I’ve been laying plants out.

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?

I listen to BBC6 or last.fm all day online, and favourites on my iPod are Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros, Stevie Wonder and Alabama 3. I sometimes adapt the music I’m listening to for the style of garden I’m working on – from cool and contemporary to classical.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone about changing their career what would it be?

Go for it, and say yes to every opportunity as you don’t know where it will lead!

Info about Rosie Nottage Garden Design:

Rosie Nottage Garden Design is a small company, creating bespoke gardens for clients in London and the South East. We pride ourselves in quality of finish, and listening hard to the clients’ brief to ensure the garden helps to transform their home in the way they would like it to. Gardens are a living, breathing thing and our designs not only last and change through the seasons, they really can create an outdoor room – essential in London where space (and time to relax) is at a premium.

www.rosienottage.com

Interview with Alexandra Fagan, Designer and Founder of Beauchamp's

What inspired you to set up Beauchamp’s?

Winning the Liberty Best of British Open call in April 2009

Where do you get the inspiration for your designs?

The ever changing colours and textures of the Chameleon.

The concept of having one belt that sits on the waist and hips is a major part of the Beauchamp’s conceptual designs.

The need for unbeatable quality!

What do you most enjoy doing in your working day?

Designing! The new seasons designs are always such fun to work on and the challenge of creating stylish yet exciting new concepts is hugely satisfying!

If you face a challenging situation in work, how do you get over it?

Draw or talk someone – preferably my cousin!

What is the best advice that you received when setting up your business?

Less is more! Do a less designs and make them strong – keep things simple in every aspect of the business!

What are you most proud of in your career, or life to date?

Getting stocked at Liberty of London and being in Tatler this month!

How do you unwind after work?

Seeing friends, a glass of wine, having a hot bath whilst listening to Enya.

Do you listen to music? What is on your iPod?

Cheese! Or Lily Allen/Enya!

If you could give one piece of advice to someone at the start of their career what would it be?

Listen to people
Ask questions
Never rush into anything.
Less is always more especially in the design world!
Don’t be scared to ask for help!

Info about Beauchamp’s :

Started in July 2009
Designs By Alex Fagan
Buy from: www.beauchamps-online.com
Or Selected stockists:
Liberty, Katie and Jo, Isabella

Thank you to all our interviewees for taking part in these interviews.