She may be recognisable to millions for her past role on Coronation Street - but Arianna Ajtar says it is her business success that deserves to grab the headlines now. Arianna had a dramatic role in the ITV soap as model Olivia Radfield in 2018 and 2019.
Arianna, 27, says of her success: "We are now an eight figure annual turnover brand, which is honestly wild when you bring it all the way back to starting with less than £3,000 in my dad's living room. We've come such a long way, and I've learnt so many lessons. Arianna says: "I was 19 when I first founded Mars, I just thought I'm going to design some pieces on a kids doodle app, which I still use. I'm not a trained designer, with no background in business. I was the seller as well as the consumer at that stage.
"I messed up along the way, whether it was missing the day of orders, or our customer service at the start. If I went on holiday, I'd have to just close the website down! That's how it was for the first three years." "But I'm still friends with the Corrie cast and they take the mickey out of me when they see me still called a Corrie star because I know it was a small role, but I guess it was a big storyline.
"I'd always designed going out wear, swimwear, festival clothes because that's what I was passionate about. But in lockdown I had only one supplier who closed for six months." "After lockdown, I just smashed it. It stuck with me that it was a make or break situation and the thought of not having Mars in my life after nearly five years, the thought of not doing it for a job, that was scary.
What does Ari put it down to? She says: "I think it was a mixture of me growing up, my incredible team who are so good at what they do. It was a combination of things I think. When the brand first started, Arianna already had a big following on Instagram, and would tag her photos whenever she went out.
"I remember going to Parklife last year and everyone was wearing Mars, I went over to this girl in the toilet, and "said oh my god you look amazing", she looked at me like I was mad. But anyone I see wearing Mars, they're literally my best friend in the world."