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Meet Our Team.
Legion Mas proudly consists of an extraordinary, and diverse team of artisans from a variety of creative disciplines. We also have a Talent Database offering skilled professionals, creative interns, students, and upcoming talent the opportunity to gain experience and work on commercial projects worldwide.
Marelle Steblecki
COSTUME DESIGNER & MAKER
Marelle Steblecki is a Zimbabwean-born costume and womenswear designer with 14 years of experience working within the UK carnival network. Her creative journey began as a student volunteering at a mas band in London where she learned traditional mas-making skills such as wire bending, feather work, and large-scale production. Marelle is alumna of the University of the Creative Arts. Her bachelor’s degree in fashion design helped to instill in-depth knowledge of technical, theoretical, and contextual areas of fashion design, whilst the invaluable teachings of mas making have given her skills to become a trained welder and a known name amongst the network for costume production.
Olga Nampima
MAKEUP ARTIST
Our talented team includes professional makeup artists,
Olga Nampima offers over 10 years of experience in high-fashion and media makeup. Olga is a graduate of the DFMA Academy and the London College of Fashion and has achieved success in her own makeup outlet in Africa, as well as training groups of 20+ students. You can contact her via the details below to experience the highest quality makeup service.
Ty McKenzie
WIRE SPECIALIST & COSTUME DESIGNER
Talented Ty McKenzie has studied the craft of making mas since the age of 15 and established himself as a master in wire bending and feathering in 2016. He proudly showcases his exclusive costume designs for Notting Hill Carnival each year as part of his own Hype Mas UK brand. You can experience his creative craftsmanship by using the contact details below.
Val Juma
VISUAL ARTIST & PHOTOGRAPHER
Experience the beauty of cultures around the world with Val Juma. Val is an international photographer and visual artist with a passion for Afrofuturism, he captures stunning photography and video footage in countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, England, Scotland, Brazil, Canada, and the Caribbean. Val has also brought his creativity to theatre productions and has been featured in various publications, magazines, and social media platforms. Join Val and Legion Mas on a journey of eye-catching visuals and inspiring stories by making enquiries via the contact form below.
Melissa Simon-Hartman
COSTUME DESIGNER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Melissa Simon-Hartman is a London-born artist, costume, and fashion designer best known for her contributions to Beyonce’s ‘Black is King’ and, most recently, Beyonce’s album ‘Renaissance’. Extremely proud of her Trinidadian and Ghanaian heritage, both cultures heavily influence her work, both on stage and screen, and through her own label,
Simon-Hartman London.
Melissa was the costume designer for the Royal Shakespeare company’s 2022 production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon and her work met with wide critical acclaim which landed her a nomination for a What’s on Stage award for ‘Best Costume Design’.
At Legion Mas, Melissa creates stunning and unique costume pieces for clients all over the world. Combining traditional African and Caribbean designs with modern and contemporary elements, Melissa is able to create truly one-of-a-kind pieces that will make you stand out from the crowd.
Barbara Nyarko
COSTUME DESIGNER & MAKER
Barbara is a seasoned carnival costume designer and maker. She owns a carnival band in the UK called Mas Africa and runs the Adinkra carnival in her home country, Ghana. Barbara executes continuous projects and initiatives within the carnival community to promote the cultural & historical synergies between Africa and the Caribbean.
