Episode 16 : We speak with Daniella Milton and Mandi Martin from The Milton Agency, we chat about the birth of the agency, what the role of an agent is, what representation means to them and how important communication and trust are within the agent, artist relationship.
KIT CORNER: MYKITCO
DANIELLA MILTON
* Lynne Franks PR. Fashion PR assistant . Lynne was the most sought after fashion PR in the business. Daniella started at 15 a half years old as a junior and worked her way up the ladder. After a few years break Daniella rejoined as Fashion and Beauty Account Director ( see below) working with some of the biggest fashion designers in the world.
* Marie Claire Magazine UK. Fashion and beauty booking editor. Yes This meant booking all the talent for fashion and beauty shoots including hair and make-up.
* * David Bailey/Camera Eye Ltd Worked for iconic photographer David Bailey as his studio and personal assistant.
* Elite Models UK. Hired to Produce a charity dinner with live auction and runway show.
* British Fashion Awards Royal Albert Hall UK. Show Producer. Secured talent and every aspect of the show.
* Back to Lynne Franks PR as Fashion and Beauty Account Director.
* Anjelica Huston/Gray Angel Productions US. Executive assistant to Anjelica Huston. Running all of her day to day personal and business affairs.
* Milton Agency Agent/founder
MANDI MARTIN
Mandi Martin’s love of film began on her first job as an assistant at “Video, Video, Video” in Heath St, Hampstead when video (Betamax & VHS) was a fairly new thing to hit the UK. Between customers she would watch film after film and her knowledge of the medium was astonishing to her industry customers (including many actors, producers, writers &
directors). It was here in 1981, that she met Rick Baker for the first time – and the seed of Make Up for the movies was sewn.
Planning a fashion design/marketing career Mandi attended The College of Distributive Trades (CDT) in the early eighties but left short of her degree award when offered her dream job as a junior accessory Designer for Pink Soda – a highly directional fashion house in W1. She became Design Director of the company and in 1987 received The Queens Award for Export for her role.
Head hunted by fashion designer Wendy Dagworthy, Mandi moved into a higher end of Fashion and Costume and worked tirelessly on Catwalk collections as second to Wendy and enjoyed the creative input she had in the shows. Working in London’s Soho, she developed a love of Film and Theatre and attended the Metro Cinema frequently
supporting independent and foreign film as much as possible.
Fashion turned to more serious education when Mandi decided to re-train as an alternative therapist and qualifications in Health Science, Medicine and Homeopathy followed taking her into 1999.
Daniella Milton & Mandi Martin first met when Daniella was (on behalf of Lynne Franks PR) the press officer for Pink Soda – where Mandi was the Design Director. Design remained on Mandi’s agenda throughout her other training. She realised that the pull towards the Fashion, Film and Media world remained strong. Her long time friend, Daniella “Milton” had established her Agency in 1999 and when trying to find someone to help support her UK artists in London, Mandi seemed the obvious choice.
After some discussion, in 2007, Mandi agreed to join Daniella and help develop the London branch of The Milton Agency and see where it went. The London branch opened in 2005 with just a few Artists on the books. The roster now includes some of the very best Make Up and Hair Designers in the business: Frances Hannon, Morag Ross, Kerry Warn, Tina Earnshaw, Aldo Signoretti, Matteo Silvi, Luca Vannella, Paul Engelen, Paul Gooch, Sharon Martin, and many others. Mandi Martin became a Partner in the business in 2012.
Mandi chooses projects very carefully with her clients, and is often referred to for script input by the Artists that know and trust her. Close business and personal relationships with Producers, Directors, Costume Designers and others in the industry have ensured the agency is the go to place for Films In Development and Pre-Production. As an active member of BECTU, Mandi was recently called upon to provide job descriptions for Make Up and Hair Departments for the BAFTA Guru Family tree web content. In 2018, Milton Agency launched a subsidiary branch of the business: Milton RED; catering for the Red carpet, Press & publicity market.
Continuing her curiosity of Mind, Spirit and body, Mandi completed a Professional Diploma in Psychotherapeutic Counselling in 2018 and practices part time alongside her role as partner/agent at Milton Agency. Mandi is committed to volunteering her psychotherapeutic Services to the local Hospice, and works with patients at end of life and their loved ones in bereavement. Something that she feels privileged to be able to do. Whilst Mandi Martin does not represent Rick Baker, the two have remained in contact since their first meeting in 1981 and continue to debate the world of Make Up in Film ad infinitum!
www.themiltonagency.com
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KIT CORNER – MYKITCO
For Kit Corner on Episode 16, we spoke with professional Makeup Artist James Molloy creator of MYKITCO. In 2015, makeup artist James Molloy and his partner, Alex Thompson, launched MYKITCO.™
James – with an incredible career spanning 18 years which has seen him travel the world for international collections, head up a major makeup brand as Director of Artistry for MAC Asia Pacific and more recently seen him become the global Ambassador for Rimmel London – was never fully satisfied with the choice of tools and accessories available on the market.
Together with Alex – who completes the duo with his business and events background – they decided to create a brand that offers makeup artists and makeup lovers affordable, high quality, professional brushes, bags and accessories. Starting in the spare room of their home, James and Alex took the utmost care to hand make their original designs from scratch. James then tried and tested each and every bag and brush until they were perfect. With ultimate confidence in the quality they were offering, MYKITCO. quickly became an industry favourite, responsible for some major kit upgrades all over the world.
OFFER EXPIRES: 30th September 2020