Rakes At Home: Richard & Melissa

The following is an extract from my article for The Rake. Read it in full here.

Richard Biedul and Melissa Jane Tarling are a couple that need no introduction, especially if you’re familiar with The Rake, but allow me to do so anyway. If you don’t recognise Richard Biedul by name, you most certainly will by face. A former solicitor who was ‘discovered’ outside of a pub, Richard started his career as a runway model that took Fashion Week by storm, and has since gone on to model for some of menswear’s most famous brands, as well as showcase his creative flair on collaborative projects with the likes of King & Tuckfield and more recently, Joseph Cheaney.

Melissa is an art director and stylist, with an incredible eye for detail and aesthetic. Her work for the likes of ASOS, Reiss, Collusion, King & Tuckfield and many others carved her out as one of the most sought after stylists in the industry - spanning both men and womenswear. In short, she’s likely to be your favourite stylist’s favourite stylist.

The Coronavirus, which brought the world to a sudden halt, made the work of creatives that much more difficult - with manufacturers temporary closing production, and campaigns and product launches being delayed indefinitely. As the saying goes, however, you can’t keep a good man (or woman) down. Richard and Melissa, who live together in East London, are two of the most creative people you’re likely to meet, so we set them a task: pick a selection of clothes from The Rake’s e-commerce offering to create your best #RakesAtHome looks. Of course, they did it with aplomb, so we got them to break down what they chose, how they styled it, and what they’ve been up to during the lockdown.