This week in our Conversations In Colour series, we chat to fashion entrepreneur and model, Julie Blichfeld, on her love for colour, vintage clothing and how she plans to incorporate more self-care into her life for 2025.
Tell us about you. How have you got to where you are today?
That’s a good, and a big, question. I think it’s a combination of several things that have led me to where I am today. But one thing that I’m sure of is that I wouldn’t be where I am today if I had been scared of trying new possibilities from an early age. One of the words people around me have used through the years to describe me is “brave”, which for me is a bit funny as I suffer from anxiety and have an over-thinking mind. But I take it as a big compliment, and actually find myself to agree in some ways. I have always dreamed big and when I have wanted something in my life I’ve been very determined to get it, and ended up getting it (most of the time). So I think I am where I am because I have been brave enough to dream big and believe in my own skills. I started working in the fashion industry as a model when I was 18 and two years later I started as an intern at a fashion magazine where I got paid €200 per month. When I look back today, I can’t believe how I managed to work full time, earning extra money by working in a clothing store, paying my own rent and food, and still having fun. But I did! I think there is some wisdom to find there: If you’re in the right place, you’ll make it work. But it has to feel right in your gut and if you suddenly seem to find yourself unhappy you should begin to ask yourself whether you’re in the right place.
What is your earliest memory of colour?
The flat where I grew up had walls which were painted purple and yellow. Those colours are very clear in my mind. My first fashion color moment I clearly remember is a pink and white crispy Thai silk princess dress with tiny satin roses, my mom sewed me when I was 5 years old. I wore it for Fastelavn (a Danish dress up party for kids every February) and I felt like the prettiest and most colourful princess that day.
What colours are you particularly attracted to and why?
Interiors wise, I am definitely attracted to everything light purple as it has such a calming effect on my nervous system. It’s the same with light blue actually. But when it comes to my wardrobe, I love red. It is so fresh, sexy and bold and I love to combine it with blue, soft yellow and pink.
Does your love of colour translate into other parts of your life?
For sure. My home is very colourful and my kids are always wearing bright colours and different patterns too. I am also mostly attracted to colourful art and ceramics as they have a deeper connection to how I experience the world. I live in Denmark, which I love, but it is grey five to six months of the year, at least, so if I can add some color, I’ll do it in every way I can.
What inspired you to start Collect23, your vintage clothing shop?
I have always been into vintage - and secondhand shopping. The treasures you can find with vintage have, for me, much higher value than a new, produced piece. So when my eldest son was a newborn, and I wasn’t able to visit the same small vintage shops I normally visited (due to baby life, stroller gear, nap time etc.), one important thought hit me: “why isn’t there a place online where you can buy curated high quality vintage pieces on the same terms as if you were shopping for new items?” After I had that thought it was like an epiphany and everything was built in my head in about 30 minutes; the platform, aesthetic, look, logo and vibe. Ten months later, Collect23 opened the doors both online and to the showroom and I got my first orders the same day.
What’s coming up next for you?
My personal Instagram platform is a perfect place for me to be creative in both fashion, beauty and interior, and allows me to be in touch with amazing people from all over the world. I am so grateful for that space and the brands that trust my creativity in hiring me for campaigns or advice, and I’ll keep on using that media with huge pleasure. Besides that, I have some small upcoming projects with Collect23 I am looking forward to, and then, on a more private note, I’m gonna spend more time working on my mental health. I have recently started doing weekly slow pace runs and weight lifting. I have started winter bathing in a sauna club, taking a lot of herb supplements to reduce anxiety and most important of all, I’ve started to be super aware of which projects, people and events I want to prioritise. So hopefully, my 2025 will bring me a more balanced mind, some meaningful conversations with loving people, and creative projects, collaborations and partnerships.
You can find Julie here.
You can shop Julie’s edit here.
