Minxes, you are going to LOVE this!

Nicola Carley is my new idol girl. She’s only worked 7 weeks in the past 9 months, so in a bid to create an income, she has set up the Cherry Picked Pop Up Pamper Parlour with only five pounds in her bank account, a bunch of fabulous friends and experience and skills gained through studies, travel and previous jobs…

The Cherry Picked Pop Up Pamper Parlour will give you the chance to get fruity for a cheap-but-most-definitely-chic pop up event at Anexo in Turnmill Street, London at 7.00pm on the 30th June 2010.

Describe the girl behind the label, Nicola Carley, in 5 words?
Feisty, alternative, arty, intelligent, romantic.

What is Cherry Picked Style exactly?
Cherry Picked Style is a mix of couture and culture, best served chilled. It’s about helping girls accentuate their best side without the pressure of feeling the need to look perfect every day. By the same token, I want to create an environment where women will feel comfortable showing off their best side. And by that I mean not only their looks but; their photography; their artwork; their writing; their producing etc.

I want Cherry Picked to showcase the best in female talent in a fun environment and to encourage female creativity. I’m not talking girl bands here. I want to create a platform for women who have something interesting and important to say. And maybe, now and then, we’ll let the boys in. Just for a peek. But we’ll see.

You’re planning an event on Wednesday 30th June – tell us all about it!
The Cherry Picked Pop Up Pamper Parlour? It’s a cheap, but most definitely chic, pop up event for girls and the aim is to make them feel like pampered princesses for an evening without spending a fortune. With the £11 ticket, they’ll get a glass of bubbly, a cupcake and clothes swap. So if your wardrobe is a little tired and your purse is exhausted, come along to the Cherry Picked clothes swap corner for a revamp.

Or, update your look by getting on the ‘pamper production line’ for a mini-makeover. You’ll have your make-up applied professionally, hair styled by London Fashion Week’s Sonya Howie and you’ll get pictures to take home at the end – all for only £50.

There’s also a mini market featuring clothes from FrockingFabulous.co.uk for those vintage fiends, handmade jewellery from Kei vs Ivy and accessories courtesy of Accessorise-me.com. We’ve also got a beauty boutique where girls can purchase a reflexology taster treatment for only a fiver or an Indian head massage. Julie at www.newvintage.co.uk has kindly loaned me some beautiful pieces to decorate the event and in all this heat, it’ll be a relief to have it set to the background of some cool and summery tracks from DJ KiRA.

There’s more info on my website: www.cherrypickedstyling.com and tickets can be purchased online here: http://www.eventsbot.com/events/eb831958006.

The first 20 people will get a goody bag which includes a bracelet from Kei vs Ivy, jewellery from Accessorise-me.com and more.

Your story is pretty awesome, Nicola – what made you set up Cherry Picked?
Having worked only 7 weeks in the past 9 months Cherry Picked was a bid to create an income and potentially, further down the line: jobs. I am setting up the Cherry Picked Pop Up Pamper Parlour with only; five pounds in my bank account, passion, the help of friends and experience and skills gained through studies, travel and previous jobs.

I was a PR until, one job after another found me struggling either with stress (which actually made me ill at one point) or trying to make myself fit – personality and looks wise – the organisations I worked for.

With a degree in English, five years experience in public relations working on accounts like Microsoft and the best part of a novel written under my belt, along with a good deal of creativity, you could wonder why this might be so. But the trouble is, I speak my mind, I’m direct and I have principles. If I see public money being wasted, unnecessarily for example, I find it difficult to ignore.

A part time role working for a local entrepreneur left me in an even worse position as he failed to keep appointments and became unavailable for weeks at a time. I was left without any income at all and effectively wasted two months when I could have been trying something else.

This has all forced me, like many others, to the point where, having received a number of emails which begin, “Thank you for your application but…” I had no other option but to try making money myself. I was so fed up. I felt let down and my cash had run down to the minus figures with no sign of anything in the pipeline. And so was born the Cherry Picked Pop Up Pamper Parlour. An amalgamation of all the things that I love; meeting people, making people feel good and have fun, all without necessarily spending a fortune. I did a makeover for a friend, which felt so great making her feel good about herself that I wanted to repeat the experience. I realised that clothes swapping was a great hook for getting people to an event and thought, how about making it easy for people to buy cool stuff from cool people, so I added the mini-market and so on. But I want to take it a few stages further.

I draw, write and paint myself but often feel alienated by the big institutions and the fact that I haven’t studied art. I thought, why not make it even more accessible than the affordable art fairs? So I have big plans for the company. I want it to become a brand that people associate with female talent and female fun. A brand that people will look to for great writers, photographers, artists etc. But I have to prove that I can make this event a success first.

Without the moral support of my friends and partner, I’m not sure I’d have the confidence to do this but right now, I feel excited and hopeful for the future. Needing to sell tickets to be able to pay my rent is one powerful motivator!

What songs would be on a Cherry Picked soundtrack?
Funny you should ask that as my partner – DJ KiRA – is putting something together for Cherry Picked and anyone coming to the event will get one to take home. Personally, I’d be a mish-mash as my music knowledge is somewhat narrower. I love everything from Audio Bully to Beach House and back to Drum n Bass but since you ask I would say, somewhere between, fun, emotive and female power:

Tinkerbells – produced by DJ KiRA. (he made it especially for me – unreleased as yet).
Do you want the truth or something beautiful – Paloma Faith
Kid Creme – Austin’s Groove – Fatboy Slim
Minor Swing – Belleruche
Resist - Kosheen
Pretty woman – Roy Orbison
The son of a preacher man - Dusty Springfield
Baby make your move – Dave Armstrong
Sway – Bic Runga

What’s your life motto?
It’s better to regret something you have done, than something you haven’t.

The Chery Picked Sassy List: .
Book: That’s a tough one given I was rarely without a book until the chase for cash began and I spent 3 years immersed in an English degree that spanned the aborigine through to Shakespeare. I think it would have to be A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth.
Album: Kicking the National Habit – Grand National
City: London. I just haven’t been anywhere that beats it. Though a trip to NY could change that.
Shop: this may be cheating but… Spitalfields Market.
Make-up brand: MAC
Hang-out: Tart Bar in Clerkenwell.

What’s next in the life o’ Miss Nicola?
To finish writing Who is Petite Nicole? And planning for the next event.

Go buy your ticket for the Cherry Picked Pop Up Pamper Parlour NOW! Tickets are £11 and include a glass of bubbly and a cupcake, courtesy of Cory’s Mum’s Cupcakes, you’d be nuts to miss it. Go to http://www.eventsbot.com/events/eb831958006 for tickets or email cherrypickedstyling@yahoo.co.uk or go to www.cherrypickedstyling.com