Wish You Were Here With... Georgina Harding and Michelle Lu
Semaine co-founders, Georgina Harding and Michelle Lu are leading this week's vacation selfie series and stirring some serious FOMO at home in Italy...
Where are you?
M - On holiday at the beautiful villa of the lovely Carla and Antonio Sersale, owners of Le Sirenuse, on the Amalfi coast. On the terrace there's an outdoor shower overlooking the sea surrounded by the biggest fig tree I've ever seen...I could stay there all day.
G - On a trip to Napoli, the motherland of my boyfriend – we drove for hours with salty hair all the way down to Puglia!
How would you sum up what you do in a sentence?
M - I’m the co-founder of an online platform called Semaine–I run it with my business partner Georgina…my side is more content based, I create / produce films, documentaries, music videos, photography, art direct, write and edit...basically a bit of everything as we’re a start-up!
G - Live, eat, breathe Semaine.
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
M - An astronaut or marine biologist…clearly never made it close to either of them.
G - A horse trainer.
How do you waste time, when your schedule is clear?
M - Play the piano.
G - Running. Depending how clear the schedule is, either running around a park, or running away (preferably to a hotter climate.)
What did you do on your last day off?
M - Went for a very long walk.
G - Half ironman. 100% not a joke.
What's your greatest ambition?
M - To use my voice no matter how great or small to make a difference. And to live a full and happy balanced life.
G - I don’t think I know yet.
Do you have any phobias?
G - Spiders!
M - Spider and failure.
Who do you most admire?
M - My parents.
G - My mother and also her mother, my grandmother. She’s 96 and she has an iPad and iPhone FaceTime’s me and also uses Instagram stories...
What do you talk about when you get your hair cut?
M - I cut my own hair so hard to say!
G - My hairdresser’s new baby, and occasionally raving.
What's the last dream that you can remember having?
M - Sadly can’t remember the details…
G - That my boyfriend had an affair with a supermodel. I woke up feeling quite sad but also relatively proud of him.
What would you most like to change about the world?
M - That our differences would be something we celebrate rather let divide us and that we learn to better care and respect our earth.
G - That we all cared more…About each other and the planet we live on.
What would you most like to change about yourself?
M - I wish I were more patient.
G - Many things I wish were a little different about myself but you get to an age where you just accept you are who you are and appreciate what you are and what you have.
Have you ever pretended to be someone else in the mirror?
M - As a teenager of course. Who didn’t pretend to be their favourite pop star.
G - Of course. Mainly pop stars. From the age of around 4-7 Whitney Houston which then evolved to Sporty Spice.
If you could do anything without fear of repercussion, what would you do?
M - Paint.
G - Have more naps.
If you could ask anyone a question, who would you ask, and what?
M - Ask Jesus where he hid the wine.
G - Someone in 3018, what’s next.
Describe yourself in three words...
M - Spontaneous, curious, passionate.
G - I’m pretty tall. What’s the most surprising thing we’d find out if we looked at your phone?
M - My mail icon says I have 55,924 unread messages.
G - The fact that it doesn’t (yet) have a cracked screen.
Favourite song?
M - “Thinking of You” Either Sister Sledge or Lord Echo’s version.
G - “Sure shot” Tracy Weber
Favourite colour?
M - I quite like yellow these days.
G - Yellow.
The perfect night out?
M - Dinner at home with friends followed by music and a lot of dancing.
G - One that ends in the morning.
The funniest person you know?
M - My boyfriend.
G - Tayah Leigh Barrs.
The funniest thing you’ve ever read about yourself?
G - My diary. Peaks were around age 12 -14.
One thing you can’t live without?
M - A bath everyday.
G - My phone, obviously.
Favourite thing to eat?
M - Soba and papayas. Not together.
G - Breakfast
Least favourite thing to eat?
M - Sea cucumber.
G - Trick question, as you tend to avoid the things you don’t like to eat. So I’m not so sure.
What was your first job?
M - Babysitter, as every other teenager who grew up in suburban America. And then an intern at American Vogue.
G - Waitress. Aged 13 – 18. In Skegness.
The best advice you've ever been given?
M - Trust your gut.
G - One day it’ll be worth it.
What inspired you to start Semaine?
M - At the time when Semaine was conceived, this is nearly five years ago now, we felt that online platforms were quite homogenous, either gearing towards content or e-commerce, men or women, deeply educational or light… my business partner (Georgina Harding) and I wanted to create a place where each week would be surprise and a truly different online experience. Where you could be enveloped in an educational documentary, discover a hotel in Morocco, learn about environmentalism or inspired by a young fashion designer…all under one roof. We are all very complex beings and have many needs, so Semaine is our attempt to (hopefully) inspire and surprise our community each week at a time.
G - Michelle and I had a unique opportunity to see the inside of the industry and we wanted to do things a little differently. To create something unrivalled to what is out there already, showcasing the coolest people, finding the most amazing undiscovered brands and content you actually wanted to read, watch and engage with.
Who or what inspires you?
M - As trite as it sounds, everything around me. Things I read, shows, exhibitions, music and of course traveling which never ceases to open up a new part of your mind. But foremost is people. My friends, loved ones, people I meet along the way...they’re an endless source of inspiration.
G - Michelle
What drives your creativity?
M - I’m a frustrated creative polymath having worn so many hats but never felt exceptionally good at one thing…and I don’t say that in a self deprecating way. Because of that, I funnily feel my creativity comes from my passion and desire to fuel the creatives around me...to work with them to bring their creative visions to life. And that synergy together creates incredible things and drives my own creativity, which can be magical.
G - Knowing there is always more too see and discover. For me I guess creativity is a bit like a hunger that is never quite satisfied. I am 100% a nerd so I can easily become obsessed with finding the new, different, the undiscovered.
Who do you consider to be the true creatives in the world?
M - Those that follow their instinct…whose work stays true to themselves and have been able to not waver and retain their uniqueness and identity.
G - The ones who are quietly changing the world who are yet to be discovered.
Who’s the coolest person you know?
M - My brother.
G – Georgina Godley
