Mosaik.

Mosaik has been an idea that has been in planning for a few months now and we are so happy to finally launch. We are a group of ten girls with skills and passions in areas such as art, design, textiles,writing and photography, working together to craft an online magazine and source to promote local Melbourne business and life.

The name ‘Mosaik’ was decided because it translates to ‘mosaic’ in Swedish. Scandinavian design is all about simplicity and minimalism and that is the aesthetic we hope to project. To further this, each of the ten girls working on this magazine has different skills in areas of design and art culture, and this works to our advantage, as our differences combine to create the magazine as a whole. We acknowledge that Mosaik is still a working process and will continue to evolve. Just like mosaics we are not perfect; Mosaic's have broken edges, they are rough clusters of many little fragments but there is a beautiful simplicity to gathering these shattered pieces and putting them together.

Mosaik is ultimately bringing together a group of friends who want to share with the world their love for creativity and life in general, therefore, our magazine will have sub-sections that cover travel, food, film, fashion, music, literature, art, DIY, and the wonderful humans we meet along the way. After two months of meetings, lots of cups of teas, and many changes to plans, we are so glad to finally be publicly launching Mosaik.

We hope you all enjoy reading the range of posts that will be shared over the coming weeks, months, and, hopefully, years, and always love hearing ways that you think our magazine can be improved.

Thank you so much for supporting this project, and keep smiling,

Christine.

Christine’s greatest asset is her smile. Lighting up the room like a million little candles, she compels so much happiness and positivity into other’s lives. An avid designer and creator, she is currently studying Industrial Design, and is never seen without a fineliner nearby. Constantly putting pen to paper, Christine is always brainstorming and sketching innovative products and projects. Her bedroom an organized mess, she is always barricaded by folio pages, paint palettes, and design books.  In the future she hopes to also try out teaching. Christine is incredibly loyal, and will always put others before herself. Always up for an adventure, you can often find Christine trying out new Melbourne cafes, exploring the city, or visiting galleries and exhibitions. The world is a brighter and happier place with Christine in it. 

- N

Tess.

Tess is by far the least boring person you will ever meet, there is never a dull conversation or moment you will experience with her, everything about her and every moment spent with Tess is oh so memorable, in every way possible. The first time I met Tess honestly we didn’t get along, but this was when we were thirteen. I began to become good friends with Tess near the end of our high school years, she introduced me to great music, she would insist on making me playlists, changing and improving my whole preference of music. Most people know Tess for her undying love for Nine Inch Nails and her great snap chats of her glorious feline Buddy. Tess is a creative person; she never limits herself and always wants to experience new places and concepts, she takes an interest in the quirky kinds of things in life, as she is a quirky character herself. Tess is one of the most individual and likable people I know, everything she creates or does, she always retain her own Tess kind of style, which definitely separates her from the crowd. All this makes her the great friend, cat owner and the amazing and exceptional person she is to me and all her other friends.

- D

Olivia.

The forever creative, never boring evil mastermind with a heart of gold.

Studying Advertising , this girl knows how to work everything from water colour and finer liner to Adobe Illustrator. Her creative energy is fresh, vibrant and very playful.  She also uses her creative skills and all the spare time she has to invest in creating memes and finding videos to spring on all her friends. Or she is just rewatching episodes of the Simpsons or Seinfeld.

Every time you see Olivia she will always have a crazy, typical Olivia  story that could only ever happen to her. Whether it’s burning a batch of brownies or ordering the wrong meal at a restaurant, life is never a dull moment when she is around. She will out wit and out smart you and leave you embarrassed and most likely humiliated. But besides all of that, she has an absolute heart of gold! When it comes down to it, she has everyone’s best interests at heart and will do anything for her family and friends. Her kindness, loyalty, generosity and love can be matched by no other and she is always there for a heart warming chat, or simply just a good laugh.

- S

Darcy.

I have only a vague idea of when or where I met Isabella, or Darcy as she is more commonly known, but I’m glad I did. I think we were brought together by our shared love for art, Asian food and Lana Del Rey. When I think of Darc I instantly think of cats; her world revolves around them. (If you saw her Instagram you would think she was part of a cat cult. For real though.) She is the ultimate cat lady and yet she doesn’t have a cat of her own (I have initiated a campaign called Cats4Darcy2014 to raise awareness and combat this injustice.)

Apart from being a crazy cat lady Isabella is an amazing artist as well as the sweetest, kindest and most lovely person. She is constantly thinking about others and she is so accepting of everyone and every ones differences. She doesn’t let anything define her, especially not other people’s expectations.  

I asked her for a quote that sums her up and she gave me one from a Studio Ghilibi film called Neko no ongaeshi 'The Cat Returns' (of course).

“Always believe in yourself. Do this and no matter where you are you will have nothing to fear” Darcy is currently studying Fine Arts at Monash University and has a very bright future ahead of her I am sure.                                                                                                          

- A

Stephanie.

Stephanie, 23, photographer, music lover

Steph originally was studying medicine however soon realised she had a greater passion for photography. Steph is a brilliant photographer and is willing to put herself out there to gain further skills. She is currently undertaking a photography course at RMIT. Her other passions include sport (mainly tennis and football) and also dining out and trying new foods. Steph is the oldest sister of the Comelli Clan and of Mosaic Magazine (sorry Steph but it’s true you are old). I was initially first introduced to Steph as Nicole and Christine's older sister. However today I would classify her as a good friend of mine. Whenever you are with steph you always have a good time, eat good food and have a laugh. In general I have such a great appreciation for Steph. She has an absolute heart of gold and is one of the reasons that I am employed today (and for that I am forever grateful). Steph is a quick witted and honest person who generally says ‘how it is’ however she is still generous and kind.

- O

Sarah.

Sarah is a nineteen-year-old living in the wrong century. She is fascinated by all things 1950’s-inspired, and has a very unique aesthetic style. Currently studying Fashion Design and Technology, Sarah is very creative-minded and is always sewing, creating, and designing in her spare time. Quite literally a walking jukebox, Sarah has incredible knowledge on a variety of styles and eras of music, and knows the lyrics to almost every song known to man. She is one of the most positive and easy-going people you’ll ever meet, dances like a house on fire, and enjoys taking part in fun-runs (she is currently training for a half-marathon!). A curious and cultured girl, she has traveled quite a lot in her nineteen years visiting countries such as Italy, Fiji, and Brazil. Sarah is a force to be reckoned with; She is destined to go far.

- N

Beth.

Beth is the most creative, witty and wise 19-year-old that you’ll ever meet! She finds joy in anything from visiting art exhibitions, discovering new cafes, sharing around and reading books and broadening her horizon through absolutely anything! Currently studying Fine Arts, Beth is talented in all areas of art and design, ranging from sketching, to lino-cutting, to crafting her own headbands out of wool! :) There is nothing that this girl can’t do or isn’t knowledgeable about and spending just 10 minutes with her makes you feel so much wiser! Her positive attitude towards everything is infectious and her eagerness to make the world a better place shows through her caring deeds, traveling around the world to support the less fortunate (to date, she has done this in India and Tanzania.) Beth is pretty incredible!

- C

Miriam.

Passing the Melbourne Star whilst on a train to the city at night, it struck me that there are a lot of similarities to be made between my dear friend Miriam and that ferris wheel. Both have endured long journeys to become the jaw dropping attraction they are today and both are exceedingly bright. Like the Melbourne star, Miriam is a star within herself. Like the massive luminous spheres held together by their gravity in the sky, Miriam is one of nature’s wonders and a true marvel in the person she is. Like Patrick Star from Spongebob Squarepants she devotes herself to her adoring friends and some of her best spent time is with them. She is more entertaining than Dancing with the Stars by a large margin and even more engaging than Star Trek or Star Wars. Her sharp wit can be likened to that of the five points in a star shape and she spreads the love as liberally you would Western Star butter. A major component of her life is devoted to travel and I hope to one day ride the Eurostar with her as we experience Europe together yet again. As she is an Aviation Technology and Business double degree student I am confident she will one day be absorbed in a career she loves, spending most of her time in flight -amongst the stars where she belongs. If I were to rate Miriam, I’d give her five stars.

- B

Nicole.

Nicole, 19, aspiring high school teacher, bedtime 10.30.

If you truly knew Nicole you would see beyond her known recognition of being a twin and the "nice girl". In high school Nicole was very well known for both being a twin but also for being nice. But if you truly knew Nicole you would know she is more than nice and more than just a twin for she is the most talented, unique, kind and loyal person that you could come across. Nicole and I work together however we met in high school, I don't remember having a friend better than before Nicole. If you knew Nicole you'd know how talented she was at singing and playing guitar. If you knew Nicole you'd know she has several journals for different categories of her life. If you knew Nicole you'd know that she wears the body shop mango cream.

- O