Then, in the early 2000s, her friends twisted their fingers to their temples: "You are 25 years old, you have an excellent position and salary - what are you doing ?!" Moreover, when the brave Lydia announced her decision to step down as commercial director of a large real estate firm, three other companies immediately made flattering offers to her. But she, having worked the allotted two months, still left - and sat down to write her own business plan. Because I saw potential in a new business - not a corporate career, but personal and very beautiful decisions.
At the start, Lydia Simonova's team had only a few people. Today, Lid's Eventhouse employs more than 50 classy specialists - designers, decorators, props, artists and florists, and the company's portfolio includes hundreds of complex design projects for shopping centers in Moscow and other Russian cities, many social and charitable events, weddings and other holidays. In 2017, as in the past, Lid's Eventhouse became the official partner of Marie Claire at the Prix d'Excellence de lBeaute award ceremony. Everyone who admired the decor of the halls and appreciated the design of flower bouquets at that evening can confirm: it turned out really beautiful.
MC: Lydia, you started your business in the early 2000s, in the so-called "fat" years - then many really wanted to demonstrate their prosperity. And what is the attitude of people towards the holiday now?
Lydia Simonova: Yes, in that period of easy money people had a desire to demonstrate their success. But there was almost no adequate supply on the market - the concept of how to decorate your celebrations, especially private ones, had not yet matured. Of course, everyone celebrated weddings, but the approach to them was rather formal - there were not enough conceptual projects at that time. Now the situation is different: a culture of decorating private celebrations has appeared, but the situation with money has changed. We have gone through a couple of crises, the market has become more complex, and the competition has increased significantly. And still there is a demand for high-quality decoration - in recent years, interest in such services has only been growing.
Do we still hope that beauty will save the world?
People always said: "We want it to be beautiful" - even ten years ago, when the decor often looked just awful. Now tastes develop, we become sophisticated. In Russia, this business is a little over ten years old, and in the world it is already a very long history. In other countries, decorators have even partially burned out - there this industry is no longer so “searching”. Therefore, there is great interest in Russian event decor today. Very large foreign colleagues have subscribed to our leaders on social networks. Photographers from America come to us, they send me greetings via WhatsApp … But until recently it seemed that no one knew about us! Literally three years ago, this turning point happened - before that we looked at others, and now they are watching us. And intently - there are projects that even copy. This is a clear trend.
Where do you find inspiration yourself?
I never look for it in our own area - in the works of foreign colleagues or Russian decorators. I will look at nature, architecture, painting, graphics - art in the broadest sense of the word. It is possible to analyze someone else's experience of event design - but it is better not to copy. Once a stone arch - a kind of natural bridge - led us to think of a form for a festive decoration. Another time, an unusual photo frame became the prototype of a 5-meter structure. Ideas are absolutely unpredictable things. Sometimes you revise a lot of materials, dig through the coolest works in the field of architecture - and everything seems to be something wrong, not in the right place. After all, each image is sought for a specific project.
How do you know that other people will like it too?
We need meetings, live communication. A certain speaking technique. Of course, for some, visual nuances are not so important - the main thing for them is that guests enter a beautiful room. But this is extremely rare. In 90% of cases - especially when it comes to weddings - people are very active in the discussion. Sometimes they come with "homemade preparations". And sometimes - just today there was such a meeting - they just sit and are silent.
And how then to be?
Then the path will be longer. It is necessary to go through not three stages of work on the project, but four or five. Bit by bit of information that I will get from the conversation, I will prepare for the next meeting, then move on. They are not decorators, but we, and we must offer ideas.
What do you need, besides the budget, to "make beautifully"?
The budget is important - for the decorator it is the freedom to work with the material. But there is another most important criterion - time. It seems to many that this is nonsense, but when there is enough time, the result can be more impressive than when you have billions, but there is no way to bring together all the details, find and collect everything you need. When you have to work with what is available on the bases, the perfect picture may not happen.
Time is more important than finance? Quite unexpected
And nobody thinks about it. Relatively speaking, you will not find 200 identical candlesticks at once even in Moscow. And if you have time for details, everything can come together in a stunningly harmonious picture - and it will not depend on the amount of money. Coming up with beauty is one thing, but technically realizing it in a short time is a separate big question.
Is it obvious to you in all situations what you personally want? For example, you did not come to your profession right away …
For me, this decision was absolutely natural. Generally speaking, I am a seeker. But I think I was lucky: I found mine, say, not at 60, but earlier. In this regard, I consider myself happy. Yes, I studied in a completely different direction - as many former schoolchildren receive a diploma "for mom and dad." I wanted to be a financier, like my brother, but he entered the Finance Academy and I failed. And for the company with a classmate I went to the University of Geodesy and Cartography. The grades were good, but from the second year I was already working. I realized that I want activity. She was a translator, for some time she was looking for herself in tourism. Then - since I'm a good salesperson - I went to a real estate company. I started as a sales manager, and after three months I was made a commercial director. Among our objects was Novinsky Passage - then it just opened. And for the New Year, a very unaesthetically decorated Christmas tree was installed there. I talked to the manager, asked on the Internet - how many such “masterpieces” are there? And I realized that I wanted to do the same - but only beautifully! When I told my boss that I was leaving and starting a company that would decorate the trees, he asked: "Are you crazy?" I answered: "No." After I quit my job and then wrote a business plan, I found investors - as a result, our project began without any personal investment. And then for several years, everything that we earned was invested in the development of the company. In addition to instinct, a lot of patience is still needed here.asked on the Internet - how many such "masterpieces" are? And I realized that I wanted to do the same - but only beautifully! When I told my boss that I was leaving and starting a company that would decorate the trees, he asked: "Are you crazy?" I answered: "No." After I quit my job and then wrote a business plan, I found investors - as a result, our project began without any personal investment. And then for several years, everything that we earned was invested in the development of the company. In addition to instinct, a lot of patience is still needed here.asked on the Internet - how many such "masterpieces" are? And I realized that I wanted to do the same - but only beautifully! When I told my boss that I was leaving and starting a company that would decorate the trees, he asked: "Are you crazy?" I answered: "No." After I quit my job and then wrote a business plan, I found investors - as a result, our project began without any personal investment. And then for several years, everything that we earned was invested in the development of the company. In addition to instinct, a lot of patience is still needed here. And then for several years, everything that we earned was invested in the development of the company. In addition to instinct, a lot of patience is still needed here. And then for several years, everything that we earned was invested in the development of the company. In addition to instinct, a lot of patience is still needed here.
How to build a creative business right? In your opinion, is creativity generally compatible with discipline?
Of course, if you do not count as a creative worker only the one who comes to the office at three o'clock in the afternoon and says that he has not been visited by the muse. We try to find the right people - this is a difficult selection, and a certain approach is needed within the team. A person must be endowed with creativity, but be able to work in the specified formats. In fact, this is a rare treasure. Therefore, for example, we consciously take family people. When there is someone to whom you strive in the evening, with whom you want to spend the weekend at the dacha, this already sets a certain coordinate system. It is dangerous to rely only on a flight of fantasy, or worse, on brain enhancers. This way you will not deliver the general project on time and you will not always be able to rely on this person.
Internal code, do you have any formal rules in this regard?
Yes, but rather unwritten. Although those who have been working in the company for a long time, it is already in their blood. The main rule is that we are a team, we do not let each other down, we hold on to the last, when it's hard. And this happens very often - such a business. The work is either empty or too dense - several large projects can be running simultaneously, and in different cities. Night installations, extreme loads - only a team can withstand it, people are close-knit who will not back down and will not let you down.
What helps to mobilize yourself in such moments?
Probably, I must say that I meditate, I do asanas, but I don’t do anything like that. I just pull myself together. There is a responsibility - as a leader, I cannot give up slack before my team. We just work methodically and accurately. And then - again! - and exhale.
How do you recover from overloads?
It helps me that I don't “go to work” - my work, in fact, is my life. But there are two things that energize and restore me personally. One, very powerful and beloved, is the sea. The second, closer and more real, is my garden. Recently, I have been carried away by the country theme: I have a large territory, I want to create something very interesting and beautiful.
Psychologists often advise, in order to maintain strength, "make yourself a holiday." As a professional, what would you arrange for yourself?
I'm not a noisy person at all. I love people, there are many of them in my life, but sometimes there is not enough privacy, dialogue with myself. For example, if I had a free month - and this never happened! - I would like to travel, eat deliciously, admire the sunset, splash in the warm sea. This is probably good. And the second option is to spend time in a country house, outdoors, with loved ones. So that it was some kind of very cozy day when everyone is warm and sincere. I cannot imagine a noisy celebration in my honor - in a large restaurant or in a luxurious villa. Fantasy does not paint such pictures for me.
And it's all about her
Lydia Simonova
Founder and General Director of LID'S EVENTHOUSE - a company that decorates large social events, weddings and private celebrations, shopping centers and urban areas
Age: 39
City: Moscow
Education: Moscow University of Geodesy and Cartography
Career: translator and personal assistant; sales manager, then commercial director of a large real estate company. In 2004 she founded LID'S EVENTHOUSE
Clothing style: casual
Favorite scent: Armani Privé Vetiver d'Hiver
Favorite car: Mercedes-Benz
Favorite place: Maldives, Dominican Republic, Tenerife
Dream: devote a whole year to travel
Photo: archive of press services
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