Together, Anna Trevelyan and Stavros Karelis built what became London’s most influential independent concept store, and one of the clearest expressions of what fashion curation can look like when it’s done with genuine conviction.

Stavros’ career began in his native Greece, where at 18 he spent a year working as a magazine fashion editor, before relocating to London to study Politics and International Law at Goldsmiths. While still a student, he launched Digitaria, a platform that organised events and showcased the work of young designers and artists, an early signal of the instinct that would define everything that followed.

Anna, meanwhile, cut her teeth assisting Nicola Formichetti during his tenure as Lady Gaga’s creative director, a training ground at the Haus of Gaga that left a clear imprint on her fearless, colour-saturated aesthetic. She went on to become a sought-after stylist, shooting with photographers Nick Knight and Ben Hassett, and working regularly with clients including Kim Kardashian and Bella Hadid.

In 2009, Stavros and Anna opened Machine-A in London’s Soho to showcase emerging designers alongside established fashion brands on the same shop floor. The store became the place in London where a graduate’s debut collection could hang next to an international name, and be taken just as seriously. Between them, their accolades reflect the scale of their influence: Stavros is a recipient of GQ’s 35 Most Successful Men Under 38 and a BoF 500 honouree; Anna is also on the BoF 500 and a two-time winner of the Guardian Club 100’s top three fashion influencers.

Both of them serve as passionate mentors, supporting young fashion brands and design talents through mentorship and giving them retail space at Machine-A. Stavros also judges for the BFC’s NewGen programme and reviews portfolios at the Royal College of Art and the University of Westminster.