Most of you probably know how much Loanne and I enjoy festivals, so when Visa invited us to experience Boardmasters festival as a VIP in luxury bell tents with surf lessons and a private flight experience over the picturesque Cornwall countryside we were ready to sign up straight away!

This year Visa was a sponsor of Boardmasters working with its partner, Square to bring up to 100% card acceptance to the festival for the first time in its 36-year history.

We arrived on Wednesday evening to our luxury bell tents complete with beds, duvets, electricity and charging facilities and to top that off every morning we pre-ordered breakfast - using contactless no less - from our tent, which was delivered right to us by our dedicated Visa butlers. A faraway cry from what we are used to at festivals, so it was an extremely pleasant surprise!

The festival grounds were spacious and location wise probably the most beautiful location in the UK for a festival. The music was great too and we were able to enjoy the most epic sunsets whilst dancing away to some incredible DJs amongst stretches of beautiful beach as a backdrop which made the experience even better.

During our 4 days we spent time wandering around the festival going on rides, eating the delicious food and drinks from the food trucks and bars. Visa provided us with a pre-paid debit card and a wearable to make simple transactions throughout our time there which made everything so much easier, time- efficient and allowed us to forget about money! Usually at festivals it’s such a pain to have to find the nearest cash machine and then walk around with loose coins and change in our bum bags, so being able to pay with a tap of the wrist or card was ideal.

We also had access to the Deck, Visa’s exclusive viewing platform, which offered the best seats in the house and its Visa Everywhere Lounge where we watched thousands of people dance along to Jamiroquai, what an amazing experience! On Friday, we watched some epic DJs and danced for 6 hours straight to Camelphat and Sonny Fodera which was certainly our highlight.

To top off the ultimate Boardmaster’s experience Visa  organised a private flight experience where Loanne got to fly the plane over the festival, the views were breathtaking as we flew over the picturesque festival and stunning stretches of sandy beaches.

On our final day we had a 2 hour surf lesson which was so much fun, it was great to pick up the board again and surf some beginner-friendly waves.

Overall it was an incredible trip made so much more enjoyable with Visa. Although it was a very young crowd at the festival, the music and surroundings were stunning and definitely a festival we would recommend to music heads and those who love a breathtaking setting.

What an incredible way to celebrate the last ever Secret Garden Party festival than DJ'ing on the epic Lake Stage (which this year resembled an old school 70's American house party) and spending the weekend pimped out in a Mercedes Benz Marco Polo camper van, which was by far the most luxurious and comfortable experience we've endured at a festival. With a fully equipped kitchenette and two built-in beds that we set up in moments, the V-Class Marco Polo offered the comfort of a home amidst a muddy, rainy field which made our last festival experience the best one yet! 

Thank you to everyone who came and partied to our tunes and everyone who made it the best possible send off to one of our favourite festivals.  

Below captures our Friday afternoon at the Festival, thank you to the extremely talented videographer Emilia Reid who spent the afternoon following us around and working her magic and Megan Thorne for the video cut.

Well, this really is a proud moment for us both. If you'd have asked us 10 months ago (having only just quit our full time jobs), if we'd ever imagine having a feature in one of the most prestigious fashion magazines in the world, we probably would have turned our heads and laughed. So we couldn't be more proud to share this with you guys and for each and everyone of you who have supported and believed in us on our journey so far.

For those that haven't yet read the piece,  I've given it a fairly good go at translating it all, so I hope you enjoy!
 
And for those that are German, or would prefer to read it in German ;) Here is the original feature!
 

Jordan and Loanne Collyer – Not without my Sister

June 10, 2017 PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: INFLUENCER IN THE PORTRAIT-

Jordan and Loanne Collyer really share everything: a blog, an Instagram account, an apartment in South East London - and even their DNA. Because the two 26-year-old Brits are identical twins who have built the blog "The Collyer Twins" out of their similar looks and passion for travelling. By moving to Portugal as teens, their style is characterized by playful croptops, summer prints and casual beach waves. And since this does not really fit the weather of the British capital, it seems as if the two are constantly on the road - always searching for the sun and the perfect wave.

VOGUE: You are running your blog together, you're a DJ duo and you live together. Does that not sometimes get too much?

Jordan Collyer:  Yes, it can do. It can get really intense. Living and working with anyone can get hard and it definitely is a work in progress. We do end up bickering quite a bit as you would being sisters, luckily we never hold a grudge and we tend to make up within minutes after the argument! 

It is important that we give each other breathing space so we make sure that we're not always working in the same place or hanging out all the time!

They are identical twins and also your clothing style is very similar ...

Loanne Collyer: That's right! I would say it is quite similar, yes. We tend to wear similar styles and always end up picking the same clothes. However, Jordan is more likely to buy less but spend more on premium, one-off items that you wouldn't see on the High street, whereas I tend to bulk purchase but find better bargains!

How did you start your joint blog?

Loanne Collyer: Jordan started a fashion blog eight years ago whilst she was at university as a means to document her favourite looks, style and clothes but it was merely a fun side project she only updated once in a blue moon. When I left University a year later, we decided to join forces. 

We're extremely similar and have always been passionate about fashion, travel, music and presenting so we thought what better way to document this than having a joint blog? I think the fact that we're identical twins makes it more intriguing for other people too, everyone seems to find twins interesting!

At the beginning of last year, we vowed to be out of our full time social media jobs by the end of that year in order to focus on the blogging and DJing full time. By August, we had quit our jobs and secured a manager and since then everything has been skyrocketing!

      What does a typical workday look like for you?

Jordan Collyer: Every day is so different (which is what’s so exciting about the job.) I’ll give you an example of one of our days this week: Wake up at 6am to DJ at a fitness class at the Mondrian hotel. Head into town for a lunch meeting whilst doing emails on the go. In the afternoon link up with a photographer to shoot content for the blog, come home spend a couple of hours on the decks mixing and preparing for another gig, then finish off a blog post! Bed by 11pm.

     It seems as if your Instagram account is almost always summer. Are you both constant in traveling?

Loanne Collyer: We wish it was always summer!!! But yes, we are doing a lot of travelling at the moment. We've just come back from LA and Mallorca and are heading off to Ibiza next week for a campaign shoot and then off to Paris with Puma and The Kooples. 

 The lighting is always so much better in sunnier countries, so we end up taking double the amount of photos we normally                         would in London.

I think growing up in Portugal really gave us the travel bug, we start to get itchy feet if we're in London for more than a few months at a time and need our next dose of sunshine. We thrive off exploring new places and it's always an added bonus if the sun is shining.

      How was it for you as teenagers to emigrate to Portugal?

Jordan Collyer:  Yes, we moved to Portugal when we were 14, my mum married a Portuguese man so we moved to a place called Cascais right by the beach and went to International school until we were 18. It was such a culture shock moving from a state school in south London where we were naughty kids and never did homework to going to a private school in Portugal where it was ‘Cool’ to be smart and work hard. It certainly put us in good stead for University. We loved it! Growing up by the beach, speaking Portuguese and spending our weekends surfing, it couldn’t get much better!

Let us share your travel experience: How do you look fresh even after a long flight?

Loanne Collyer:

1. Drink a lot of water

2. Moisturise! Our skin gets really dry on flights so moisturising it makes it so much better.

3.Change in to a breezy, light outfit!

Tell us something about you that you would not expect...

Loanne Collyer: Jordan is left handed but eats right handed and surfs with the right foot. And I'm completely the opposite! (Talk about mirror image!)

 

What do you dream of for the future?

Continue to do what we’re doing, travel even more with the DJ’ing and blogging. We’d love to DJ at some awesome festivals like Glastonbury & Coachella! We’re DJing at our first festivals this Summer and hoping to do a lot more in the future! 

Eventually we would like to build the brand up to a point where we can launch our own merchandise, we both love the idea of having a clothing line...maybe starting off with designing headphones to tie in with the music element!

Jordan: On a personal level I want to have visited at least 30 new countries before I’m 30. (That’s a lot of air miles but it’s definitely do-able) I’ve also got an obsession with glass homes and am determined to buy one at some point! I’m not sure where just yet but definitely somewhere with a killer view!
Loanne: I have always dreamed of being able to build my own house in one of the Greek islands, surrounded by vineyards, coves and beautiful beaches. A place where all my friends and family can come all the time.

When we heard that two of our favourite brands The Kooples and Puma were doing a collaboration, excitement and curiosity took over and we couldn't wait to see what the two had dreamed up. They certainly didn't disappoint either, a Puma style sneaker combined with The Kooples' rock'n roll androgynous edge, the classic clyde design, reinterpreted in black & white and stamped with The Kooples' signature silver skull, classic, simple and super comfortable, just how we like it! 

So to celebrate the launch of their new sneaker, we boarded the Eurostar to Paris with a suitcase packed to the brim of The Kooples gear ready to dance around in our new favourite sneaker (which by the way we've been wearing ever since we've received them.)

The Kooples has always been a brand Loanne and I have loved. The brands Parisian charm combined with British heritage cool makes it an iconic brand like no other. Added to which their genius campaigns of using 'pairs' and 'couples' is a sure winner for us! 

We hadn't visited Paris for a year so it was lovely to come back and visit the city of love although the weather was a little hit and miss. We were lucky enough to meet the founders of The Kooples: three brothers - Alexandre, Laurent and Raphaël Elicha, who are all seriously the epitome of cool and all oozing charisma & charm, the perfect Kooples ambassadors! 

We had a bit of time before the party to take a few snaps around the Parisian streets. Loanne and I decided to go for two different looks, I chose the more feminine & flirty look which comprised of a daisy shirt and skirt. (Yes, it looks like a dress but they are actually two separates! )  Whereas Loanne went for the more androgynous, cool look by wearing navy blue trousers with velvet detailing, a simple white Kooples t-shirt and a black blazer with the white clyde trainers. 

We've decided to include a few more snaps of us repping The Kooples. The black and white stills you may recognise from our recent shoot with Vogue Germany and the final photo when we spent last Christmas in Mauritius. Our Kooples items sure have travelled the globe with us,  the pieces are so timeless and chic that you can wear them anywhere and at any time!

We can't wait to discover their next collaboration and to continue filling our wardrobe with more of their dreamy items! 

When preparing for LA, we knew there would be one wardrobe essential that would make it to our suitcases without fail. Our summery Topshop dresses! With the sun guaranteed to shine and with Coachella on our list of things to do whilst in the US, these floral numbers are a perfect addition. 
Neither of us have purchased a nice dress in a while, and usually I'd say we're more 'shorts and trousers' kinda gals, but Topshop have such a great range of dresses at the moment, perfect for any occasion, so these were an instant, no-brainer purchase.

We're currently staying in West Hollywood and after a few hectic but fun days in Palm springs at Coachella, we've arrived back in LA and are taking it easy, excited to explore what the city has to offer. Any recommendations are hugely welcome...

We're staying in West Hollywood at the moment in a super cute AirBnB. It's one of those typical American houses surrounded by huge, wide roads that are scattered with palm trees. So dreamy. We spent the afternoon, wondering round the area, with the warm breeze on our faces. I couldn't help but feel like I was a part in Desperate housewives walking down Wisteria Lane! We have quite a few things planned in the coming week, so we'll be sure to keep you all posted but I'm sure we'll be rocking these flowing, floral dresses a lot more this holiday to fit in with the summery, chilled LA vibe!

Shop the look below:

                                                                               Floral Pink Dress | Topshop
                                                                               Floral Red Dress  | Topshop

 

So the countdown begins. T minus 3 days until we'll be in LA, sitting pool side, margarita in one hand and a burrito in the other, listening to some funky tunes and chillaxing to the max...Okay, not exactly that but you get the vibe. Haha

For all you avid, stylish travellers, do any of you find packing a bit of a chore? We certainly used to and in the past we've always done a throw in jobby hoping that a few dresses, shorts and flip-flops will suffice, when, lo and behold, we've forgotten the most crucial shirt for that one big occasion. 

Now, however, with travelling becoming a regular stint we've become quite the strategic packers. (I'd like to think so anyway.) Planning specific outfits for events/ occasions has been an absolute life saver, and that's exactly what we've done for LA.

So we've teamed up with Reiss to create the ultimate packing guide and shed some insight into our top tips and fave items we'll be taking with us. 

What are your top 3 in-flight essentials?

Jordan: My Master & Dynamic headphones, lip balm & candy kittens

Loanne: Comfy socks, headphones, a good moisturiser (La mer hydrating serum is my ultimate fave!)

What’s your top tip for packing when you’re away for a long period of time?

Plan at least 3 different looks before you go! For LA we've gone for:

Beach vibes: Reiss floral bikini, Reiss white trainers or  pink trainers, a pair of Monokel black sunnies & tortoiseshell sunnies 

Night out: a light satin shirt, black shorts , black suede mules and a clutch

Brunch/ day party: blue suit, a white shirt and my vanity bag

Which are your favourite pieces in your suitcase for this trip?

Jordan: Reiss white leather sneakers, Cleo glasses, vintage biker jacket

Loanne:  My Monokel sunnies, my black leather jacket  - absolutely perfect for a breezy evening at Coachella! Get me there now!

How do you adapt your style for a trip to somewhere like L.A?

Jordan: More colourful dresses & shorts

Loanne: Swap the culottes and the jeans for boho dresses and the boots for the sandals and open toed shoes.The blacks will turn to whites and brighter colours!

Top 3 tracks you'll be listening to on-route to LA? 

Jordan: Drake-Ice melts & Do not disturb, Childish Gambino - Redbone

Loanne: Drake- Passionfruit, Childish Gambino - Redbone, Chi Town- Mele

What one key trend do you think everyone should buy into this summer?

Jordan: Anything pink!! Anything from a ruffled pink T to some candy cotton slip-ons

Loanne: Ruffles and stripes! I've just bought a new ruffled shirt, it's perfect for summer and I love the shape it gives to clothing. You also can't go wrong with stripes, for me they always bring me back to summer time.

Do you believe that less is more or you can you never have too many clothes?

Jordan: I've always been a less is more kinda gal, even if i buy loads of clothes I'll always gravitate back to my go-to pieces

Loanne: I think it's important to have your staple, timeless pieces which are long lasting and which go with everything. However, with the majority of my clothes, I wear them a few times and then I want something new. So in that sense, I can never have too many clothes!