Combine her vibrant style, a talented knack for creating good vibes via music and a strong sense of community for fellow creatives, Andrea Orani is someone to get on your radar stat.
As well as mixing tunes at the slickest events in town, DJ Andyheartthrob, aka Andrea Orani, hosts a weekly radio show on Base FM sponsored by local label Miss Crabb. Not to mention heading up The Dynasty Collective – a platform that amplifies the creative voices of local women of colour.
Read on to find out more about her radio show, inspirations and why feminism is such an important part of her work…
Who does the Dynasty Collective aim to make space for in the creative community? And why?
Dynasty aims to make space first and foremost for young woman of colour in our community. And aims to create safe open spaces where we can network, share ideas, create, inspire and talk about these ideas of feminism, and express ourselves through our work, our talents, our dreams in a way that is tangible to us. The lived experience of a w.o.c and challenges we face are different to a white woman, and that’s just what it is, so it is necessary to take our space and be seen in our community. Dynasty is for the girls and we open the door to everyone who is down with and supports what we are about.
Tell us about the collaboration between Dynasty and Miss Crabb, how did it come about?
Dynasty Collective and Miss Crabb have values and principles in common, Miss Crabb sponsors the Dynasty Radio Show that I host on BaseFM every Tuesday 4pm-6pm, this is a platform that gives Dynasty a voice and allows access for other young woman of colour to share their views and their talents and inspire the next wave of creative woman coming through. To have that support was really refreshing and the relationship is flourishing.
What values do Dynasty and Miss Crabb share?
It’s pretty simple, both are down with equality, creating safe spaces and kicking down the door for all w.o.c and everyone who supports our values. Dynasty was built the values that the third wave feminism movement is, the underlying idea being that feminists in our time come from different communities and backgrounds, Dynasty embraces individualism and diversity as this is part of what redefines what it is to be a feminist in our time.
I think Miss Crabb has always designed clothes for women of all shapes and sizes and they are timeless pieces that you can wear in a way that is individual to your own style and identity, it just translates so perfectly with Dynasty.
Why is creativity important to you?
To me it is an expression of myself, my mind and it is individual to me – a special thing that everyone has. It is an outlet, when I don’t have words, or need to clear my head, another type of expression that comes from within that I don’t have to justify or explain and can just be – I think that’s beautiful and special, and when we can harness that, it helps in a really positive way mentally, spiritually and that trickles into everything you do in life and allows you to connect with other people in a way that is genuine and real. Expressing yourself and who you are is a stand in itself in today’s society.
How can people support Dynasty and stay in the loop with what your creatives are doing?
You can follow us on Instagram @dynasty_collective and on Facebook @Dynasty Collective for events and pop-ups we host. We also have our radio show on BaseFM 107.3, you can hear us every Tuesday 4-6pm for all the tunes and special guests. For direct contact, get in touch via [email protected]
Lastly, sum up your vibe in 3 words…
D.I.Y
