Kelly may now be a content Queen, but this wasn’t always the case. From humble beginnings, Kelly reveals her early faux pas. “When I was first introduced to influencers and the concept of a ‘nice grid,’ I became overly focused on the aesthetics… so I deleted everything on my feed and uploaded arty photos with a silly amount of filter on them.” A self-confessed ‘knob move’ that many of us have been guilty of, she thanks a brutally honest friend for telling her to cut it out.
“She told me that my personality is what people love and want to see and that I needed to stop with the highly-curated pics that also, just weren’t very good. Basically, she told me to stop being a try-hard, and that will forever be a piece of advice that changed the way I thought and acted online.”
Coming into her own with a candid vulnerability became the pivotal point for Kelly, attracting an audience drawn to her uncut content. Having the confidence to bear it all online – especially with tens of thousands of eyes on you - doesn’t come easily. When asked to spill her best kept secrets,
Kelly doesn’t sugar coat it, saying “Being myself comes down to confidence I have within me, which unfortunately has only come with age… I don’t have tips.”
While we wish we could get a how-to guide on channelling her killer confidence, Kelly says there’s one thing that’s a non negotiable for her in life.
“I can’t stress how important it is to only surround yourself with people who fuel your soul and your brain. There is no place for negativity or toxicity in my life and it irks people sometimes that I'll avoid group situations or people in order to remain away from it. I’m loyal AF but I’m also not afraid to end relationships with people if they’re impacting my mental health and happiness. Selfish? Yep.
Imperative? Yep.
No one else is going to put you first so if there’s a person or group of people who negatively impact your energy, lessen the contact or cut them off completely, it’s not worth it!”
There’s no shortcut to this steadfast assurance and no-nonsense approach, but there are a few things Kelly wishes she could have told her younger self.
You’ll be fine, doll. Oh, and you’re not fat.
Travel more.
Do more internships.
Keep up the blogging.
Stop dying your hair brown, it doesn’t suit you.
Have more fun with sex and don’t worry about ‘a number’.
Own your style, if you want to wear pink shoes and a sequined blazer, go for it.
Get Omnilux and go off the pill, it will work way better at treating your acne.
Call your grandparents more, even if they can’t hear you.
Invent Afterpay.
Duly noted, Kel. In our next life, Afterpay is definitely on the to-do list. X
(Abbie wears our Charlotte slip dress)
At the ripe age of 24, Abbie has had enough controversy surrounding her to last a lifetime. While she has managed to take it all in her stride it hasn’t been easy - we don’t know how many people who can say they’ve escaped a reality tv show unscathed.
“The thing I remembered was that The Bachelor wasn’t my real life,” says Abbie. “But if it weren’t for all of the negativity during the filming and once it aired, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
While it has been a rough ride at times since being on the show, Abbie says she wouldn’t change a thing and is grateful that she’s able to use her newfound platform to speak on issues she’s passionate about. Her 128k (and counting) Instagram followers have heard her speak candidly about her political standpoint, her views on climate change, and her own experience with abortion.
Abbie is simultaneously vulnerable while maintaining steadfast durability in her strongwilled nature. Her recently acquired tattoo reads FEMINIST, which she jokes as being the “best dickhead repellent.” This kind of girl power is something she takes very seriously and isn’t afraid to speak up about.
( Abbie wears our Lola Set )
“I remember when I was about 14 having an argument with a nun at my Catholic school about slut-shaming and advocating for sex workers,” she recalls, saying this was before she’d ever heard the term ‘slut-shaming’ but was already well aware of its implications for young women.
“I think we have come leaps and bounds from when I was a teenager 10 years ago, but in order to maintain this trajectory of progress it’s important for us as a whole to be vocal about the
positives in owning our sexuality and to call people out who are either consciously or subconsciously slut-shaming others or even themselves.”
Being this self-assured doesn’t just happen overnight, and Abbie is no exception. She says doing yoga and working out gets her feeling confident and sexy in seconds, but that’s not her only self-love secret.
“A very obvious answer here is that I have sex! This seems really basic, but I think a lot of women associate sex with shame and taboo. I use it to fuel my confidence - it’s about owning your sexuality, not shying away from it.”
( Abbie wears our Lola Set )
When asked how she came to be so confident, Abbie laughs, saying “God, I don’t even really know!” Being exposed to the opinions of the nation hasn’t been easy, but she’s come out the other side a hell of a lot stronger and wiser.
“I think the trick is to stop caring what others think as much as you can. If someone doesn’t like you for being your authentic self - as long as you’re not hurting others - then they aren’t your kind of person,” she explains.
Admitting that this might be easier said than done, Abbie says it takes a lot of practice to tune out the negativity. Her advice - surround yourself with friends who will lift you up and soon enough it will become second nature to show yourself the same love that they show you.
( Abbie wears our Lola Set )
“Everyone has insecurities - I have hundreds - but if you focus on your strengths you will lead a much happier life,” Abbie says.
Wise beyond her years, Abbie is the older sister we all wish we could go to for advice. That’s why we are counting down the days until her podcast ‘It’s A Lot with Abbie Chatfield’ launches so we can hear more on what she has to say about life, love, lessons and all while having a lot of laughs. In the meantime, we will be channeling Chatfield vibes all the way. X
Fierce feminist, photographer and creative Norah Wells is carving a path of self-love not only for herself but for every woman who has ever walked this earth. Rocking a pair of blush pink corduroy jeans flared out over her ankle, Norah expertly applies her winged eyeliner, a skill she’s learned from years working at a Sydney lingerie store.
“I can’t close the damn drawer of my dresser, it’s that full of lingerie!” laughs Norah.
“Chucking on a full set before work and jamming out to some ridiculous twerk-anthem is definitely a confidence booster,” she laughs.
To the untrained eye, this combination of lingerie and feminism may seem like a bit of a paradox. But it’s this exact misconception that fuels Norah’s creative work as a photographer. By photographing many of her subjects topless, bra-less, or semi-nude, Norah is confronting an issue as old as time: the sexualisation and objectification of women.
“The main reason I choose to sway towards more minimal clothing is definitely because of the underlying feminist morals I have that surround the female body,” she says.
“I hate that as soon as a girl decides to take her top off she’s immediately objectified.”
Her aim is to subvert the patriarchy by wholly embracing the female form boldly and unapologetically.
“I guess this is just me doing my bit in empowering other women, and promoting that everything we do does not need to be for men or their perception of our bodies,” says Norah.
Lacy lingerie and a spicy fashion-sense are core to Norah’s confidence mantra, ‘If I die today, would I want to haunt my ex-lovers in this outfit?’ she says with a wink.
When it comes to matters of the heart, Norah has found a way of conquering the closure conundrum that many of us have grappled with when relationships come crashing down. Where do we find this
oh-so-elusive closure? Here’s the secret: according to Norah, you don’t.
“Realistically, what is this closure going to give you?” Norah says.
“If they’ve done you wrong, it won’t change their actions, so take those actions as your closure.”
Norah was once told that if someone truly wants to be in your life they will do absolutely anything to do so. Realising this forced her to read situations as they are and not as she wanted them to be.
“I think as lovers we are obsessed with building a fantasy around people that really don’t deserve it,” she says.
It’s insights like this that beckon disbelief that Norah is only 20 years old. And yet, at such a raw age she is empowering her entire existence with the determination to uplift all women, herself included. But as you might suspect, such vigor and strength is not born from a life of smooth-sailing.
Norah is the first to admit that she’s had a pretty rocky road toward self-love. It’s the knowledge that she’s not alone in this, knowing that this is a pervasive issue within our society, which fuels Norah’s work in empowering women to love themselves.
“Heartbreak turns into lessons, lessons help you grow, holding onto shitty relationships do not,” she says.
And that includes a shitty relationship with yourself.
In the presence of Norah’s bear-it-all smile and hooting Laughter, you may think she was born from the womb emanating this unapologetic confidence. But loving yourself is something Norah knows doesn’t always come easily.
“Something I really identified with, not only in myself but also in a lot of my girlfriends when I was younger, was how much
effort we put into impressing boys, which hugely affected my
body image and how I saw myself,” explains Norah.
Norah’s high school years coincided with the rise of social media. The infamous Instagram is like Janus, the Roman god with two faces.
Simultaneously, Instagram has the potential to foster connection and creativity as well as comparison and perfectionism.
This became a pivotal point in Norah’s journey when she realised
that she was no longer living for herself by continuously matching her energy to those around her and comparing herself to others. After years of people-pleasing as a way of adapting to a time in her life when she was moving between a number of different schools, Norah says she was forced to ask herself ‘do you really want to be like this forever?’
Fast forward to today and Norah is making waves in the photography space. With her film camera by her side, she is relentlessly independent as she truly comes into her own.
“I realised my past doesn’t define me. After travelling I really discovered that I can be whoever I want to be without fitting into a box and putting all this unnecessary pressure on myself,” she says.
This power-presence is reflected both in Norah’s creative work as well as her own personal style. Finding ways to show off her lingerie as outerwear, Norah embraces breaking the rules and making a stand.
Whilst the look and quality of a piece can make or break, Norah feels her best when she knows what she’s wearing vibes with her on every level.
When asked what her favourite thing about Caitlin Vee lingerie, Norah says “Caitlin’s ethics and morals of all-inclusivity is the single most important aspect about this brand.”
This is something that resonates with Norah’s own work, which she holds close to her heart. But she wants other women to know that she hasn’t always had it figured out.
When asked what she wishes she had been told starting out, this is what Norah had to say:
“Sometimes it’s going to be really fucking hard. Following your dreams is going to break you in half and put you back together again, the criticism will never go away but your biggest competitor is yourself. I have never ever seen someone get to where they want to be without putting in the hours, always work harder and never forget to reward yourself for your achievements.”
“Nurture your close relationships, they will be your fall back when things go wrong, I can promise you that you will never be fulfilled if you’re surrounding yourself with people who haven’t got the right intentions for you especially when you are young. Always be grateful for the positive things that come your way, stay humble and be able to take constructive criticism. Everything is a lesson in its own way and it’s up to you what you take from that”
“Don’t lose sight of what you want because someone is degrading you for your gender, the colour of your skin, or the way you choose to express yourself.”
Want to see more from Norah?
You can find Norahs Instagram @itsnorahwells & website https://www.itsnorahwells.com/
All photography by Hannah Juneva - @filmbynana @hannahjuneva
]]>