Sophie Awdry, our co-founder at Eco Glitter Fun talks to the brands first Global Brand Ambassador - Ibiza icon, talented musician and eco glitter lover, Lovely Laura.
When did you find out about Eco Glitter?
I came across Eco Glitter about a year ago when Sophie at Eco Glitter Fun contacted me about the possibility of wearing some of their gorgeous glitter at my events. The reason these guys caught my attention was because of their brands commitment to distributing eco glitter in the most sustainable way possible – not only is the glitter biodegradable but its delivered in cute glass bottles, metal lids and recycled card packaging. Choosing to move to eco glitter was a conscious move to help reduce micro plastics from our eco system. When washed off the glitter breaks down in an eco-friendly manner in our seas unlike normal plastic glitter that sits for years polluting our oceans and all marine life in them.
We are super excited and proud to have you as our first global brand ambassador. What made you agree to the role?
I love the fact that they don’t just sell eco glitter – the guys are avid eco warriors and have a true mission to help reduce plastics from the earth. They are not in it for the money and a large part of their mission is to educate people in how to reduce plastics use and live more sustainably. The guys are also festival lovers, Ibiza babes and this is something which of course resonates with me! Combining glitter with a great cause is juts great, I’m honoured to be a part of the journey and excited about what the future holds for the brand.
Why do you think it’s important for everyone to make the switch to biodegradable?
It's common knowledge now that our planet is in a desperate state. The human race has done a great job of suffocating and polluting the planet with plastics. We have all heard of the gigantic plastic island that floats in our Pacific Ocean right? Well, by wearing plastic products like normal glitter, you are contributing to this living disaster - not cool! Glitter is fast becoming a global fashion accessory and unfortunately, this means we will be seeing more of these plastic particles heading down our drains and into our seas. If every one of us could try to buy our glitter consciously and make sure that it is biodegradable then at least we could all wear and enjoy our sparkles guilt-free knowing that we are doing our bit to help the planet's future.
We've had glitter bums and glitter boobs.... What do you think the glitter trends are going to be this summer?
Haha! I have no idea!! It seems glitter is fast becoming trendy on everything and everywhere. Maybe I should start glittering up my saxophone?
Glitter is appearing on the catwalk this year has really helped to bring it mainstream. It definitely not just for just festivals anymore, wouldn't you agree?
Massively! I was buzzing when I saw that. Glitter just makes me smile and literally brings sparkles and joy to everything in my opinion, so I'm not surprised it has now caught on mainstream. My husband hates it though, especially when he keeps finding it weeks later in the oddest places!
Who inspired you to get into music?
I was born into a musical family so I guess it was in my bones at birth. My Mum said as a baby I would go into a trance whenever they played Ella Fitzgerald, apparently I was scatting before I could talk! My Grandad was also a great jazz pianist so he would always be encouraging me to jam with him on my clarinet. I was very fortunate to have such a supportive family so I guess they were very key to inspiring me musically. I took up the saxophone much later in life but was always inspired by great players such as Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Parker etc; I loved the emotion that poured out of their horns. But never did I see myself improvising sax to electronic house music though, that was a very happy accident and another story for another time!
Any advice for the fans who want to be musicians?
Follow your heart and stay true to yourself. Play music that inspires you and that tells your story, then you have something individual and special to give to your listeners. When I hear a musician I want to be moved by their playing; I want to hear their soul coming out of their instrument. The music industry is extremely tough and very fickle. For every 'yes' you will probably receive a hundred 'no's', so you need to stay true to yourself, focused and never stop believing.
Tell us about what you and your husband Dj Ben Santiago are up to this summer....
We are very excited to be headlining a few shows at Ibiza Rocks this summer. This is something we are extremely proud of especially as it's without doubt one of the best live music venues in Ibiza. We will also be performing at Cafe Mambo for some after-sunset sessions whilst also zipping off the island to play some exciting festivals like Tomorrowland, Electroland & We Are FSTVL. Not only that but we are also trying to finish off a few tracks ready for release this year, so it's going to be a busy few months!
So what’s next for the Lovely Laura brand... Make-up line? Fitness line? 😹
Haha! Fitness line? I can barely get myself to the beach so I think that would turn out more of a Comedy DVD!! No, in all honesty, I haven't thought that far ahead. My primary focus is my music and live events which unfortunately takes up more time than I can manage at the minute. I have had some great ideas along the way but it's getting the time to execute them which is the difficult part. I would love another 10 hours in every day then I just might achieve everything I want!
Finally, If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 items would you want with you?
My saxophone of course - only if I can have an endless supply of reeds though?
Yorkshire Gold T-bags
My woolly comfort blanket!
So that concludes our interview with Lovely Laura, we are stocking her up with all the eco glitter she needs to cover the entire festival and ibiza season.... are you stocked up yet?
No?
Then shop for Eco Glitter NOW and get your blends in!
Who is Lovely Laura?
With YouTube videos hitting 50m views worldwide, Lovely Laura is Ibiza’s most treasured and sought after saxophonist. An honours graduate in Jazz from Leeds College of Music in the UK, the talented saxophonist/vocalist is renowned for her incredible live shows with Café Mambo, Ocean Beach Ibiza, Hed Kandi, Ministry of Sound, Klingande, Pacha Ibiza, Ushuaïa, EsParadis and Space-Ibiza. When not delivering unforgettable experiences in Ibiza she can be seen at prestigious international clubs and festivals such as Tomorrowland, Cocoon (Frankfurt), Amnesia-Ibiza, Zouk (Singapore) & Pacha (Worldwide). Read more about Lovely Laura www.laurafowles.com