#1 Sofa Series: Milou Tjioe
International Women's Day is coming up and in the context of 'for women, by women' we thought it would be great to do something different. That is why we as a female team would like to introduce you to a new recurring item, namely: Eline Rosina Sofa Series!
In this item we chat on the couch every month with a woman who inspires us. In this episode we have a guest: Milou Tjioe!
You've probably seen her on our socials before, because we find her incredibly inspiring. From fashion shows in the forest to a world of your own — nothing is too crazy for the creative Milou. We sat on the couch with her to talk about her passion for creation.
For the people who don't know you yet, would you like to introduce yourself? Milou: I'm Milou, freelance creative. That means that I do all kinds of creative things, such as styling, creating content, graphical things, etc.
So you have your own business in it, could you tell us how that came about? Milou: Ever since I was a child I have always been busy with making things: drawing, crafting, tearing pictures from magazines and that sort of thing. I was always busy with something. I saw this as a hobby and I never thought of starting a career in this. For that reason I once did a study that was mainly focused on theory. I had the feeling that I mainly did this for others and found out that I really missed the creative side, so I took a minor in 'liberal arts' at the art academy. This minor was incredibly free, we could really make anything we wanted to make. At that moment it really started to bubble and I started investigating what else could be done.
Before I started the minor I did an internship at MODEFABRIEK, an event agency within the fashion industry. Since that internship I went to the events every year and that's how I started talking to people. At that time Instagram was starting to get a bit popular and I was always taking pictures everywhere I was. I wanted a kind of gathering place for myself as a kind of mood board and I saw Instagram as the perfect channel for that. After a while random people started following me, then I thought 'okay weird, but nice.' It actually grew from there.
What does an average working week look like for you? Milou: It's never really the same. I am always looking for inspiration in books, on websites, in museums, while traveling. That is a common thread in my work. I also make a lot of content for Instagram. In addition, if I have a styling job, for example, I am busy making a look overview, collecting styling and things like that. But it's actually impossible to gauge how my week is going, because everything is mixed up and that's what makes the work so nice. That diversity also inspires each other.
What do you enjoy doing the most? Milou: Wow, tough question! I think creating something in images without working towards an end goal: creating a visually correct image. Because without an end goal you are free and creativity flows better. Inspiration really comes at the most random moments. I often have that in bed I suddenly think 'hey, this is cool' and then I would prefer to write it down somewhere, but I always forget to put a book next to my bed.
Where do you get the most energy from? Milou: When I am released and I am with people who also have a certain vision, so that you reinforce each other in this. For example, I was recently in the woods with someone and we were in a beautiful place with all kinds of moss and different structures and then I suddenly thought 'how cool would it be to give a fashion show here and that people walk all over each other on their own path' and he went over that with his ideas and that's how we actually stimulated each other in creativity.
So you actually developed your passion for creation at a young age? Milou: Yes, I was always busy making things and my father always photographed when we were on vacation and I found that quite interesting at a certain point. So I started asking questions like 'how does this work?' and 'may I hold the camera for a moment?' At some point that ended in us going everywhere together and my mother always lost us. I think that's why I've created a certain view of things.
Do you still have dreams in the field of work? Milou: I find that a very difficult question, because everything changes so quickly and I accidentally ended up somewhere. Every time something new is added and some things I didn't even know existed. I think that's why moving along is the best for now. I mainly want to make really cool things and I think the direction I want to go is still to come.
And what if everything is possible? Nothing would be too crazy? Milou: I would like to have a world where everything breathes Milou. This can also be in the form of a brand or a concept. That's something that's still on my list!
But further for the future I think I don't really dare to write down dreams and goals, because then you have to do all things from yourself while that has to work against you. I've had for a long time that "should" was kind of a main theme in my life, so nothing was fun anymore, so I want to stay away from that.
How would you like to inspire women? Milou: When I look at myself, I just do everything by feel, everything that I support myself. And I hope that in this way I inspire people to do the same. That you don't have to fit into a box, but that you can just sail your own course.
Do you have any tips for women who also want to do something in the creative industry? Milou: I have noticed that a network is very important, just to make contact with everyone. In addition, I would say just believe in what you are worth or what you like. For example, if you want to become a content creator, you probably have a certain insight and a certain vision of image. Just make it and show others how you look.
At the end of the interview, we asked Milou to put together her favorite look as a stylist:
Click here to view the interview.
Next time: Yeliz Çiçek, editor-in-chief at LINDA.meiden
