From modelling to DJing, acting and documentary filmmaking, you name it and chances are Yemi Sul has put her creative touch on it. The Nigerian-Australian is a powerhouse slowly making her mark in the creative industries, from appearing in Her Black Book’s first-ever campaign (pictured above, shot by Charles Grant), to working with some of the world’s most prestigious brands — both in her hometown of Sydney, as well as in fashion capitals of the world, London and Los Angeles. Now, Yemi has her sights set on dominating yet another creative industry — filmmaking. Launching her own company, Freckle TV, the content creation studio seeks to fulfil Yemi’s lifelong dream of creating and directing her own projects, with a focus on diversity and representation.
“I created Freckle TV as an outlet for my creative ideas, and a way to actualise them,” she tells HBB. “I have a background in film production, specifically documentary film-making. In 2020 when I founded the company there was intense calling on me to make my own films and to figure out how to do that. Creating a company was the first step and putting pen to paper for what it would stand for was the next. Diversity and representation has always been of great importance to me, and Freckle TV is modelled around making that happen. I named it Freckle TV as a Freckle is a dot of melanin that can exist on any skin tone thus a nod to the essence of what diversity is.”
Just two short years in, and Freckle TV has certainly made waves — directing a four-episode series for the ABC titled ‘Rosaline’s Untaming’, an intimate look at the African Australian experience through hair, something Yemi pulled from her own experiences to create and direct. It’s uniquely inspiring message saw the piece nominated for an AACTA Award.
Here, we take a look inside Yemi’s Black Book, which includes a love of ‘90s simplicity, the non-negotiable product for curly hair and the homeware trend she can’t get enough of this season.
“Working full time in the modelling and influencer space you become very aware of how easy and simple it is to advertise a brand just by wearing it, this has made me conscious to make sure I am not doing that when I’m not working. I love plain, stripped back and unbranded pieces that allow who I am to shine through as opposed to the brand that I am wearing.”
“This winter, I’m looking forward to wearing tall leather/vegan boots.”
“My model off-duty look includes organic high-quality fabrics for comfort. I feel that the quality of the garment translates visually. So I like quality cotton t-shirts, raw indigo denim, or a washed denim classic Levi’s look. Leather boots or my dad style new balance sneakers, wool jumpers for early mornings and late finishes. Comfort is key. I want to put my clothes back on after a long day of shooting and feel hugged by them, like they’re an extension of my skin.”
“As most of the time I like to dress relatively plainly and stripped back, when I’m DJing is the time where that goes out the window and I really love to let my inner child play. I love sequins done in a stylish way, playing with textures in fabrics, embellishments. I’ve started experimenting with my eye makeup and matching it to my outfit, from orange glitter eyeliner, to a silver sparkle lid. The DJ is expected to stand out, and while I’m lucky that my afro does that regardless, I have started to really embrace that role in lean into it as much as I can.”
“My most regularly repurchased beauty item is the Drunk Elephant Vitamin C serum.”
“For curly hair, you can’t go past Blue Magic hair grease from any Black hair shop — it’s a staple in most Black homes.”
“This season, in the homewares space I’ve been lusting over mid-century chests."
“When entertaining at home, I love to dress the table with the Oud glasshouse candle and some Lilie’s if I’m feeling particularly put together.”
