On a sunshine filled morning in late October, we found ourselves at the beautifully bohemian west-London home of swimwear designer and socialite Tatjana Pesko. Over take-out coffee and croissants we invaded her sitting room and miraculously turned it into the location of our photo-shoot. After pouring over Christian Louboutin boots, fur coats and lace underwear, the pint-sized beauty curled-up on the sofa in grey sweat-pants and jumper and talked to us about travel, men and of course, swimwear.
WHEN DID YOU START YOUR BRAND?, I started Tatjana Anika in 2009, starting with a small capsule collection which launched in 2010.
HOW DID YOU START TATJANA ANIKA?, I was working in interior design prior to Tatjana Anika and I loved creating mood boards and collages of things I liked, so I started doing these for my personal pleasure with fashion. I had loads of inspiration, imagery and materials that I started collecting. Then I started narrowing things down and I realized I really wanted to create a collection of beachwear.
DESCRIBE THE BRAND IN 3 SENTENCES?, The first would have to be ‘beauty in simplicity’. We love creating the highest-end products that have a modern take of a retro vibe. We want the TA woman to be able to have all her summer needs, to go from day to night in pieces from our collections.
HOW DO YOU BEGIN DESIGNING A COLLECTION?, I start with the mood boards and then going back to the brand bible is always key when designing a collection. You start with so many ideas and designs and you move them around the board testing them all out until you eventually find the vibe to the collection and you narrow it down until it tells a story.
WHERE DO YOU GO FOR INSPIRATION?, Inspiration can come from anywhere, a friend, a piece of art, a beautiful view or just a colour. But luckily for me, travelling is part of my job so I get really inspired by different cultures, their traditions and the different surroundings.
WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO TRAVEL TO?, I love travelling to Greece and Turkey. I love being on boats! Sailing from Turkey to Greece is just one of the nicest trips I have ever done. I also go to Ibiza a lot which is stunning and great fun, but I would really love to travel around the Greek islands next year.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR TIME OFF?, Since I travel so much for work when I am home I like to just stay at home and have friends over for dinner and drinks. But on the other hand, I’ll also use my time off to do more travelling, like going to see friends abroad, or I’ll try to go on mini breaks if I have a couple of days off.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE CITY IN THE WORLD?, I would have to say London.
WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE RESTAURANT AND BAR IN LONDON?, I love Coya in Mayfair and Buca Di Lupo in Soho. As for bars, I love going to Bottega Negra for food and drinks.
WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO/WHO IS YOUR IDOL?, I look up to my family who have always been there for me, the roots run deep and I’m really lucky to have them in my life.
WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN MEN?, I like a man with a serenity about him. Usually smart, witty, but with a laid back attitude to life.
HOW DO YOU RELAX?, Holidays are the ultimate relaxation! Otherwise I love to be completely lazy and will sometimes just lie in bed with a book or a movie.
WHAT’S YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?, A bracelet my father gave me at the millennium that has been in his family for generations. It’s beyond stunning and it shows it was made in another age. I absolutely adore it.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE STILL IN YOUR CAREER?, There is so much I want to achieve. I would love to do a collaboration with another designer. I would love my brand to be recognized as one of the main contenders in swimwear, eventually selling to all the key stores around the world. The dream is to have my own store one day, a girl can always dream…!
PHOTOGRAPHS BY Marco Walker, STYLING BY Holly Macnaghten, HAIR & MAKE-UP BY Sergio Alvarez
TATJANA WEARS, Look One: Swimsuit, Tatjana Anika, tatjana-anika.com, Look Two: Fur Coat, Roberto Cavalli, £ 2,436.00, robertocavalli.com, Look Three: Kaftan, Tatjana Anika, tatjana-anika.com, Ring, Tod’s, £245, tods.com, Neckalce, Bex Rox, £290, bexrox.com, Socks, Sock Shop, £15, sockshop.co.uk
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