Tamara Cincik

Charlotte Church has been my client since working on her new album artwork over some rainy days on the Welsh coastline and some sunny days in a West London studio.
Truly one of the most sweet, genuine and down-to-earth people you are going to meet, quickly her huge smile and gorgeous green eyes envelop you into a cosy intimacy that she is, really is, one of the girls…
Last night I was laughing with the rest of ‘Team Church’ in the green room, backstage while she filmed and ran circles with her ready wit, around Chris and his guests on The Chris Moyles Quiz Night Show for Channel 4. We’ve been in retro 70′s Streatham houses, tastefully antiquated Stamford Hill terraces, the wilds of Wales, West End mansions (where noone wanted to know what they were filming in the basement!), plus many more… Each time, I look forward to spending time with Charlotte, for her friendliness, sense of fun and honest intelligence. But when I heard her sing last month at a secret gig in Balham, then at The Pigalle, then I was blown away, the voice is a gift from God and for once in my life it left me speechless!.. I feel proud to be working with someone who is the real deal. Charlotte is so much more than a pretty face (which she has of course!); and while we love the dress up part of our work together and I love styling Charlotte and seeing her rock a new look: which we’re calling ‘Celtic Grunge’ (a style where she looks 24 and which we feel suits both the tone of her album and her); it’s that precious voice which underpins all this.
Here are some of her recent looks for different events and artwork.
About the M4, Dave, Charlotte’s sweet as they come driver, reckons he can get to London from Cardiff during rush hour in 3 hours max. Given it took me over 4 when starting out at midnight, you know you’re on the right team!!!

The Cover and yes it was raining!

SInging At The Pigalle - rocking Charlotte's 'Celtic Grunge' aesthetic.

With the band.

Charlotte likes to sing barefoot.

Lacy in Balham.

It's performing which Charlotte holds most dear.

Dolly daydream for Heat!

With the fabulously funny Graham Norton

Loved this Nanette Lepore dress

I do love a ruffle!

Still from the video shoot for 'Back To Scratch': so many Charlottes!

The new album is due out very soon. For more info, go to www.charlottechurch.com
You can also see the video we worked on for Back To Scratch (directed by the legend that is Kevin Godley) here on my website.
Whoever wrote this, clearly deserves an accolade;- http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/music/features/Look+Its+Charlotte+Churchs+New+Album-13204.html

Zeki Muren

The clothes are pure Liberace, while the voice is pure overstated drama, holding legends in it’s poetry.  My Istanbul manicurist cannot understand much I say each time I visit her salon in Taxsim, but we share a deep love of Zeki Muren; she like me understands the passion and the pleasure of ‘huzun’ – it’s a Turkish nostalgic active melancholia, which doesn’t really translate into Anglo Saxon script or mindsets.

Charles Asnavour

‘La Boheme’, the song of the immigrant: young, filled with dreams and memories, total 100% genius.  An Armenian in Paris, he shares the oriental sense for melancholic memory and melody.

Charles is not clearly in favour of the new cigarette laws

Zulfi Livaneli: his voice haunts the melody.

Ferdi Tayfur

Ferdi Tayfur is like my father, from Adana in the south of Turkey.  His cousin Ege used to say, give Suleyman (my Dad) a backgammon set and Ferdi Tayfur songs and he will always be happy.  These are songs borne from folklore and mountain fireside tales.  My Turkish Grandfather was a revered pehlivan (wrestling champion!) and yayla folk singer, who, enchanted by my Mother, would sing her songs neither of us could understand, but which held the story of the land and their lives in it’s tunes.  In Adana real men sport moustaches; Ferdi is let’s be under no doubt here, a real man…

The Welsh Link

Coming to England, the quest of new dreams: a tailor on Carnaby Street, the verve of Swinging Sixties London, Dad worked for Vogue and met my mother.  However, the music didn’t beat rhythm to the same huzun tune, except that is for Tom Jones…  He might be Welsh, he might think he is singing soul, but then soul is the blues, and the blues is huzun.  Here then, the East meets the West and we can all rock to the groove: albeit sporting new clothes and dancing to a new song.  The open shirt, the gold, the hairy chest, if we gazed south you know he’d be wearing Italian slip on shoes; Turkish or Welsh – all very familiar indeed!..