As I’m currently sitting down
in one of my favorite local coffee spots,
I’ll open up my heart and mind to you.
Oilily challenged me to explore my daring and expressive spirit
together with them and I can only hope it will inspire you.
So just sit back, relax and continue reading.
Who are you? That’s a question you never have to deal with until a certain age. At some point in your life, you need to figure out what you want and who you are. But this doesn’t swing by once. You have to answer this question in every different phase that you’re in. Every time you age.
dancing was my dream
My first life changing decision was approximately 7 years ago. I was 18 years old and decided not to continue as a professional dancer. Dancing has been my dream, passion and life goal from the age of 4. But my heart at some point told me: this is not it.
But what is? After sitting down reviewing my qualities, weaknesses, things I like to do and things I didn’t like to do, I figured I wanted to go to college. I went back to high school in order to do that. In Holland there are different levels in high school. I completed one. After the Dance Academy I went back to high school on a higher level, which could get me into University. I graduated, goofy happy. And started my Journalism study.
It’s 2015. Over a year went by and I got in touch with blogging. I actually never wanted to start a blog, but since Blogging was a school subject, I kinda rolled in it. I actually enjoyed it and started to make it more personal. Posing in the garden, attaching my iPhone to a plant holder is how I took pictures of my outfits. People noticed me and that’s how Celmatique all of a sudden started growing.
But when I was younger, I wasn’t that pretty, skinny, tall, the blonde girl next door with long straight hair. However I’d rather wanted to stand out than fit in. I used my creativity of dressing up as my strength and power to self-esteem. Clothes made me feel a type of way. At that time in high school, dancing was still very important to me. Therefore I was inspired a lot by the Hip Hop culture. I even used to wear my brothers clothes and jeans. The boyfriend or mom jeans didn’t exist yet at that time. But not just my dancing background inspired my style.
we always dressed differently
Having both parents working in the fashion business, my brother and I were always dressed differently. Even as kids. We were used to standing out. So I never felt ashamed of it, we lived up to it and owned it like no other. Funny detail: my mom used to be a designer for Oilily! So colors and prints were not strange to us either.
After my internship at one of the biggest Dutch magazines I found my calling. I wanted to start my own business. Make my mark on this world. Celmatique, that was it. It’s not just the clothes I love so much, it’s the power of being able to inspire people by expressing yourself. And I want more people to be inspired to be – simple: themselves. You don’t have to be the girl next door, or the ordinary guy. You have to find out who you are and proceed from there.
Celmatique’s vision has helped people so far in finding themselves. To me that’s the most honorable thing. I even inspired someone who was once very close to me. However, new growth cannot come without loss. I know many of you also followed my experiences in Ghana. I will always be grateful for the times we had and even though it was long distance, I never got so close to anyone in my life. Charles also shaped me into the person I am today and I know it’s vice versa. Love once brought us together, but it’s also love that let us decide we need to go our separate ways.
style is about confidence.
and confidence comes from within.
In the end, your own journey is the most important. See style is about confidence. And confidence comes from within. Are you happy with who you are? Are you expressing yourself enough to reflect your personality? What do you want to show the world? Who are you? Celmatique is all about that.
I come from a very loving, warm and complete family. They have supported me in everything I do. I truly believe the people who raise you, the people closest to you, shape you into the person you are or want to become. My mom has always been my biggest inspiration. She is the most hardworking woman I know, never complains and together with my dad, always took such good care of my brother and me. My family inspires me every day to never lose my positivity, passion and love towards life.
I’m aware of the fact not everyone has this. Not everyone comes from a family like mine. But that doesn’t mean you’re in it alone. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to find a greater example of who you want to become. This is what I want Celmatique to be for you. Something you can identify with, something you can take positive energy from and inspires you to be nothing more than yourself.