Behind the Jewels with Demi Colleen!

Behind the Jewels with Demi Colleen!

This weeks behind the jewels is a real treat, we found Demi Colleen's gorgeous instagram account late last year and she commented on our IG that she loved our stuff, and the feeling was very very mutual!  Since then we've been obsessed with Demi and everything she says/does/wears and when we met her at our Urban Outfitters London pop-up we decided we HAD to work together on Demi's collection of her fave jewels, which is live now!  She was kind enough to answer some of our burning questions about star signs, imposter syndrome and dopamine dressing here!

 

Behind the Jewels always starts with the same question: what was your first ever significant piece of jewellery and how did you acquire it?
A small pair of gold teddy bear hoops from my mum. I think she got me them when I was about 3 or 4 years old. My nickname as a child was magpie because I loved shiny things. Funnily enough, my mum recently the hoops after sorting through storage, so I’ll be keeping them safe to hopefully pass on to my own  future child!

Silver or gold? 
I’m a gold girly. Always have been and always will be!

Can you tell us a bit about your fashion journey and how you got started doing what you do?
I’ve always worn colourful clothes since I was a child. My mum adored dressing me up in fun outfits; 90’s fashion is undefeated. Even back then, a lot of my clothes were 2nd hand. As a teen and young adult, I felt a bit more conscious about standing out so my fashion became more ‘safe’ and I relied on fast fashion brands to tell me what was cool to wear. It was mostly trend led and almost always Black. However, after becoming more aware of the environmental and ethical impact of the fashion industry, I decided to stop buying from them. Since then, I’ve rediscovered my personal style and I’ve shared that journey on my instagram and blog for quite a few years. I even have a hashtag DemisDopamineDressing where I encouraged my audience to share their own fits.  So many people have told me I’ve helped them introduce colour into their wardrobes and they love it.


How would you describe your personal style, and what inspires your
fashion choices?
To sum it up in two words it would be: Dopamine Dressing. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter and is involved in the reward function of our brains.  Dopamine is something our bodies produce naturally, and when released in large amount it creates feelings of pleasure and reward. I used to get these feelings from buying a lot of new clothes but now it comes from colourful, sustainably sourced outfits instead. Colour therapy is very important to me when it comes to picking my fashion choices. I want to feel and exude confidence, excitement, and happiness. We don’t all have a universal agreement as to what colours bring that out in us, for some it might be Black.  However, for me - the more colour the better.

Do you ever get imposter syndrome, if so how do you overcome it?
I used to. Before getting into writing and content creation, my career was veterinary nursing. I’d been doing that for 11 years and it was what I studied and trained for. I feel into the career I have now, and for years at the beginning I was sure it was an accident. I was consistently shocked that people listened to and trusted my opinions. When brands started to notice me, I still didn’t quite believe what was happening and I was sure my number would be up soon. I’m not sure exactly finally gave me the validation I needed, but at some point I started trusting myself and making an effort to look at my success from a more objective point of view. If a stranger had the same experience and I was observing it, would I call them a fraud or say they were simply ‘lucky’ or their work was no good? Or would I admire and applaud their skill, time, and expertise. Now I am so proud of everything I accomplish; big and small projects alike! and actually get frustrated that my star isn’t bigger, haha! Everything in good time though…

What’s your star sign and does it describe you well?
Pisces! I think on the surface, I would say no - almost no one guesses it correctly when they first meet me. Once we chat for a bit, it becomes more obvious, apparently! Typical characteristics include being empathetic, closed off, romantic, imaginative and I think a lot of my personal and professional life have been influenced by these heavily. My first career was focused on caring and my second involves me being creative almost daily. I jumped into my first relationship and loved hard, and 8 years later we’re engaged to be married (he’s also a water sign, lol). Being closed off has served me well and badly over the years. I’m quite stubborn on this one but I’m working on it!



Favourite activity outside of working?
My ‘hobbies’ fall into two categories, where I’m either standing still or I’m moving a lot! I love space, so I’ve been reading and watching lot about space and astrophysics as well as star gazing. I also LOVE bird watching. I started feeding the birds in my garden this summer and downloaded an app to identify bird calls when I’m out and about. I have a robin couple living in a tree behind my garden that will come when I call them. My more energetic hobby is something from childhood. I used to do Irish dancing competitively but stopped as a teenager. Although its given me lifelong injuries, Ive wanted to go back to it for years and I finally found an adult class, so will be starting that very soon!

One thing you can’t live without?
A good and proper summer. I have poor circulation and I’m cold almost all the time. I’m wearing two pairs of thermals right now and it’s mild out! I love the warmth of the sun on my face and body - it literally feels like it’s charging me up. I love hanging out my laundry in it, I love seeing birds dry themselves in it after dipping in the bird bath. I love sunsets and the smell of sun cream and I love seeing people in their sun dresses and smiles. The best time of the year.

One thing that makes you smile?

Seeing my Sphynx cat roll onto her side every morning, she looks like an unbaked croissant.

Favourite Instagram account?
Is it cheeky to say one of my own? I’m doing it anyway! I recently launched my educational and community platform @sustyish on instagram. Full name is Sustainableish to encompass the imperfect nature of living sustainably.  There’s guides for susty swaps and brand lists with interviews and events and more planned to come. I don’t respond well to preachy tellings off where I feel like I’m not doing enough, so on @sustyish its sustainability but with joy included!

Fave piece from your collection?
An impossible question, I love them all. However, due to my deep space obsession, I’m going to pick the Astragal Gold Necklace. I love carrying her around with me on my neck - swinging about as if she’s shooting off to Mars.

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