Finding my feet....Dior Style

Finding our feet sometimes takes a little longer than we had expected or wanted. We sift through the many choices that confront us daily as well as fight the demons in our head about what is possible. There have been times where people told me that I couldn't do it, that it was too hard or that I needed thousands of dollars to even start. I have found that where there's a will there is always a way.

I have recently witnessed this with a friend who thought that his dream of starting his own superyacht company was many light years away. He saw himself "there" at 40 but the question on my lips of course was, what was he doing today to get there by 40? As he told me how long it would take for him to design just one of his amazing creations and of course in his mind it was a very long time, me being me I broke it down and calculated that it would actually take him a few days to design one and if he wanted three then he could have it done in just over a week - problem solved right? Well in my mind at least, in his he couldnt possibly see how he could have it done in such a short time. So yes he continued to complain about where he was right now and to feel frustrated because of where he wanted to be - common problem!

The problem was not his talent or his ability but more importantly in what he believed and what others told him to believe about what was possible for his life.

Well somehow I have managed to change his mind and that wasn't easy - he is very stubborn!
And because of that he has now set up his company, published his website and had his creations published online the other day...and for those who know me well I don't take no for an answer but instead become more determined to prove that it is possible....mission accomplished :-)

I myself like many others have been shaped and moulded in this way by well meaning loved ones who want the best for me - yes of course they do! What they want is to be happy and if you succeeding means that they will be less so than they will do whatever they can to make sure they are "helping you".

I have discovered that it is up to us to take responsibility and control of life, our future and our happiness. Finding our feet is about our self esteem and belief in who we are that goes beyond what others think is possible. Like Edison I have found thousands of ways of failing, jobs that didn't work out, things I started but never finished, well meaning people who 's words put my dreams on hold... all this has made me stronger and I can truly say that I have finally found my feet which don't seem to be much use when I have also discovered that I have wings with which to fly.

The one I never wanted...to finding the one I do!

Dealing with broken hearts, broken promises and broken expectations can be a painful ordeal. We have all been there one time or another or maybe one time too many where we knew the person in front of us is not the right one, we may have walked away a hundred times but still going back again for that last try. I know we have all been there many times but that somehow does not make it any easier. The pain can tear us apart and maybe the pain is old accumulated from the other times before that and before that and before that again!

I often wonder why when we know that someone or something is not quite right for us that we stick it out instead of walking away? But what I do know is that holding on eventually tears us apart and instead of making an empowered choice we get to a point where we are desperately hanging on to something we never wanted in the first place.

What I know is that love no matter for how long it lasts has the ability to teach, change and transform us into getting what we truly deserve and want. We as women often hold on for far too long, we love much too hard and dont give ourselves enough credit for how amazing we really are. We are meant to find our life partner to share our hopes and dreams with, someone who will be there for us and love as deeply as we do. Until that day comes we continue to be challenged and to have our hearts torn open but what I have found is that it makes me more determined, compassionate and able to love more deeply the next time around. And that is a blessing and a gift and I know I will be grateful for having left the one I never wanted to meet the one I truly do!

Private Access WOMAN launch...Eat Pray & Love in Style

We know the journey isn't easy so you might as well do it in style. And that is exactly what we did at the recent launch of Private Access WOMAN.

Bringing together 120 women in one place (and a few men) to celebrate the premier of Eat Pray Love and support UNIFEM a campaign for violence against women....its amazing to see what women can achieve together.

With Tempus Two champagne, Chanel cupcakes and a luxurious venue serving culinary delights, it was certainly a beautiful night to celebrate being a woman.

VIP HUSSY & LEONA EDMISTON goodie bags were filled with luxury brands including Essie nailpolish, Bvlgari, Lolita Lempicka, Kiehls, inspiring books, Balance Water and every guest receiving a full bottle of Tempus Two bubbly thanks to Private Access..... now everyone can live a privileged life.

And I got to wear the Butterfly dress designed and created by Marie Hatzis the founder of Hussy who is also a leading mentor for Private Access Woman. It really is a woman's world!

VIEW THE LAUNCH PHOTOS...Click here

Learning to Eat, Pray & Love

There is a journey we all must take at one time or another to re discover who we truly are. I recently attended the premier of Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts and finally was able to make sense of the many journey's I myself have taken over the years when things came to an end in my life. And end to a relationship or a transition in my career path or to mend my broken heart and weary soul from the challenges of life.

The only thing I have known is to jump on that plane and head to another country in search of myself. To find out who I was yet again because I have found that as we transition from one chapter to another at times we need to look deep within to see the person we no longer are and the person we wish to be.

Some would say that taking off on another adventure is running away, I would say that it takes courage to pack up your life yet again and to leave the familiar behind....for me its running towards something new and I have found that each time I have grown immensely from the experience and was able to create the life I truly wanted only by taking a break from the life I had outgrown.

As Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love has everything that 'should' make her happy her spirit is in need of something greater. I believe that knowing thyself is one of the most important things we must undertake in this lifetime if we are to find lasting joy and fulfillment. We must define who we are, what we love, what is no longer us and go about re discovering the new woman that is waiting to be seen.

By some I have been often labelled as high maintenance. I am not sure whether it's me knowing exactly what I want and stopping at nothing to attain my goals & dreams or it's the fact that I know which food makes me feel good, which activities make me feel bad and which places drain me of my energy....in some people's eyes this could be way 'too hard' but in mine I see it as the most liberating path to truly knowing what makes me tick and what doesnt and only focussing my attention on what works for no one else but ME. Yes its all about me - in my wisdom I have learned that no one takes care of you but YOU and through getting to know yourself you can finally learn how to truly live without limitations. You can finally let go and be free to be who you were meant to be. You can also focus on the 20% that will give you 80% of what you truly desire in this life. They call it high maintenance, I call that smart!

So whether you need to learn to Eat, to Pray or to Love, the journey begins within but sometimes there are special places that we can travel to which will help us to learn the lessons we need to evolve on our path and sometimes we need to stay right where we are and find that place deep within our own hearts.

Fashionable Metamorphosis....by Nina Richards

FASHION NEVER LIES

I’ve always believed that fashion is a true expression of oneself: as fashion never lies. Fashion comes in many different styles, forms, colours and appearances. One person’s idea of the perfect outfit is another’s idea of disastrous. And this is the true beauty of it all. There is no right or wrong way of fashion, everyone consumes it and expresses it in endless ways. One of the most valuable lessons I have learnt is that fashion is the greatest way for self-expression and allows infinite possibilities to discover and transform oneself.

In today’s world we are all become more and more common. Everyone wants the same things, to look the same and to be the same. We are literally turning into a world of clones. I can’t pin point the exact moment when being unique, being an individual and standing up for what you believe as an individual diminished. When did being different become being strange? No one likes to be lost amongst a crowd; we were all born with specific ambitions and individual goals in life so why do we continue to strive to be the same? Maybe it’s the fear that being unique will make you look peculiar, make you not fit in with everyone around you. But when did that become a bad thing? We need the courage to turn all of this around and become the individual’s that we were born to be.

Fashion is a way for you to resist the globalization of normality and resist turning into a blank face in a crowded room. Fashion can express what you feel, what you love and who you are in every piece of clothing, without you having to utter a single word. This is a true form of art. Style has the ability to not only change the way the world sees you, it has the ability to change the way you see yourself. Imagine if we all walked around wearing the exact same thing, what a boring world that would be. No two outfits are the same, the same as no two people are the same. So show the world that being you is truly amazing and most of all, that you are one of a kind.

It is not your clothes that make you who you are but they definitely tell a lot about you, more than any words can possibly display. Nevertheless, the clothes that you wear should be a piece of who you are, a piece of your heart. The greatest gift that fashion has ever given us is the ability to express who we are every single day. So don’t take this for granted and always remember it’s the way in which these clothes are expressed that makes us truly shine.

Fate and New York City....

As we travel along this great road called life there are so many surprises, twists and turns that at times we have to wonder whether we are on the right path with the right people and whether our choices and what we are doing will lead us to where we want to go.

Carrie Bradshaw says "Can you make a mistake and miss your fate? I have found that no matter what "mistakes" we make that ultimately we come back after having detoured off to another place. I have realised that these places and detours are not mistakes but opportunities to grow, to expand, to love and to experience this great thing we call life.

It reminds me of a road trip I took with a friend a few years ago, we started in Brisbane and drove to Byron Bay.... we kind of got lost a few times but much to our surprise we found that we ended up in a perfect place with its own wonders and its own beauty. We ended up in a place which was much better than our minds could have directed us to. This road trip taught me a great lesson about life itself and so did the time where I packed my entire life into 10 boxes, flew to New York City for a new life and somehow ended up in Miami Beach instead. What I found was a better life than the one I planned in my head, I found joy and fulfillment like I'd never experienced before and new friends who to this day are very special to me.

All of this taught me that we can have goals and dreams and that sometimes we must open our minds and our hearts to the people, the places and opportunities that present themselves almost with such ease and miraculously transform our lives and our spirits forever.

I look back at the last 12 months of my life and as difficult as some things have been, I see how far I have come, how much I have grown and evolved and how much I needed this stage before I embarked on the next one. Did I know this a year ago? Definately not, but what I see is that there is something bigger than me that knows better than me and I have finally learned to surrender to whoever and whatever guides my life and propels me to make the decisions and the choices that I do...

There are no mistakes and you can never miss your fate, the turns are all part of it but you must learn to listen and hear for the winds of change that call you where once again you must leave the familiar and embark on the next stage and next turn to realise your potential and your fate and for me it could just be back in the Big Apple with my very own Mr Big.

Success and it's diverse ways....

But can one define success? What does it really mean when you hear someone say ‘they are successful’? Many years ago your grandmothers and great-grandmothers would have defined success as raising the perfect family and providing the best you can for them. However, society’s definition of success today takes on a whole new meaning. For many, success is reaching the highest position in your field of work, getting that promotion, a dream house, the perfect family, the best car, the latest ‘it’ bag. If you have any or one of these things society will envy you and label you as successful. And I know this feeling, I’ve done it all too often: wished I was someone else, wished I was doing what they were doing, or have what they have. But you know what? We can’t all be the same; we can’t all be perfect and achieve everything. For some success means having everything whilst for others success is achieved in their own simple ways.

Ultimately, you can’t define success. Only the individual and what you feel in your heart can determine if you are successful or not. No matter if you believe being successful is by getting married and walking down the isle in the perfect wedding dress, having a baby and buying a house with a white picket fence or scoring the job you’ve always dreamed of. It can also be as simple as kissing the boy you’ve been in love with since grade five or going on a holiday with your best friends, success varies from each person and we all need to realize that we are all successful in our own little ways. This lifetime is full of surprises and we can’t waste moments lusting over what other people have when there are people who are lusting after what we have. We need to appreciate the simple things, the special qualities that make us each unique and individual. And when that happens, when we fulfill and become the person we have always imaged and hoped to be, success will follow and we will realize that success has been with us all along.

xx Nina Richards

Private Interview with Erika Heynatz

With so many great Australian women who are talented, ambitious and gorgeous we like to share with you the stories behind what makes them the unstoppable forces that they are. We give you a sneak peak into the private world of Erika Heynatz where you can get an insight into what it takes to reach the top and launching in September - Private Access™ Woman the lifestyle and mentoring program that will bring you the latest in style and spiritual substance from successful women for successful women where you can learn how to join the elite club for women and live a privileged life.

Where were you born?

Port Moresby Papau New Guinea

Where did you grow up?
Papau New Guinea, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth, Brisbane, Townsville, Cairns. Dad was a lieutenant commander Navy so we jumped around a bit, which has served me well in preparation for a career that sees me living out of a suitcase and seeing the airport as a second home.

Favourite fashion brand - why?
I’m a huge fan of Stella McCartney for Adidas – active, dynamic and ethically created garments, a strong use of organic fabrics. She is an animal rights activist who is strongly aligned with PETA. Everything she does cruelty free, she takes responsibility for her impact as a designer and an individual, & encourages informed choice as consumer.

Favourite designer - why?
Isabel Marant creates my favourite type of understated chic, sexy separates that mix and match to create a look that is casual, fun & feminine with an androgynous edge. Her collections heavily feature denim, leather, plaid, cashmere, organic cotton and great boots.

Favourite holiday spot – why?
Hawaii – super cheap flights and a reasonably short flight, amazing old surf shacks to rent, perfect beginner waves for surfing, warm brilliant aqua blue water, amazing weather and easy access to great Mexican food and margaritas.

Favourite resort/place to stay?
Copacabana palace in Rio, South America is the perfect old world hotel, magnificent in it’s history, style, incredible service, close to as much fun as you can handle. Swimming in the ocean out the front of the hotel and looking up at sugar loaf mountain with the favelas behind makes it an unusual collision and contrast of visual beauty.

Things you love and cant live without?
Stella McCartney for Adidas Jacket - half my life is spent in workout gear, but this is my favourite lucky green jacket. This makes me go faster, run forever, the colour makes me feel good, and because of its texture, people always squeeze my arm or hug me when I wear it. And I like being squeezed.

Christian Dior Watch- this watch is the perfect timepiece in every way, it spruces up average outfits instantly and I feel nude without it. From the moment I put it on it felt like a perfect match, and I can't count the amount of compliments I receive about it. I run a tight ship, some days in 15 minute increments, so it's the face that gets looked at the most in my life!

Juicer - Part of the daily morning ritual I make a huge beetroot, ginger, lemon, carrot and celery juice. I think veggie juice is the elixir of life and balances out all the other crap I put inside my body along the way. The noise it makes is unbearably loud, a bit like a chainsaw, I think the neighbour must plot killing me when I fire it up at 6am every day.

Tobasco Sauce - to say that I am a chili freak is an understatement. I inherited my father’s love of all things spicy and have a dangerous collection of hot stuffs in the house. Tobasco is the staple favourite, and I use it on everything from toast to fruit and I love the cheap sensory thrill of feeling like my mouth is on fire.

Andrew - my partner in life is one seriously chilled out dude, who really is just happy to be. Not the rose smelling type, but has shown me how to stop and sniff the ocean - or throw me into it head first if necessary.

Music/Soundtracks - My favourite CD's are soundtracks, glorious collections of mostly dramatic orchestral, sweeping arrangements that make simple tasks like cleaning the house or just staring out the window on a long drive instantly more wonderful. A single Man, Magnolia, Monsoon Wedding, Last Samurai (anything Hanz Zimmer) I especially love the brilliant collaborations between composers and artists on soundtracks like "One Giant Leap".

Pens/coloured textas - thanks to my Mum who is an artist, at age 34, I still get coloured pencils for my birthday. And I love it. This year watercolor pencils. I could die in the aisles of officeworks with a smile on my face. And I'm a kleptomaniac - always on the hunt for the perfect 0.5 firm tip black pen (and something to doodle on)

Mini things/Sample sizes - now, thanks to ultra convenience, single serving, fast living, always moving times, you can get anything in mini size or a sachet. Small things packed & stacked perfectly give me the ability to travel light with all the things I love, and it's my way of compartmentalizing & creating order in an otherwise chaotic working world.

Grand Cinema - Escaping into the magical world of film and out of my own head is my absolute favourite passtime. Going to a movie, handholding & lolly sharing, always feels like I'm on a date.
How did you start out?
My career began as a model while I in my 3rd year of Graphic design at university, I began doing fashion parades, which led to full time modeling work that evolved into television, radio and film – all the while harbouring a desire to be a recording artist. I sought out as many opportunities as I could to sing, but wasn’t ever able to give it my full focus until I was offered a spot on “It Takes Two” and the chance to be mentored through musical boot camp. After winning the series, I was signed to EMI and have been writing, recording and producing music since. I released my debut Album “Sweeter Side” this year and filmed my first two music videos for the singles “Kingdom” and “Bullet”.

What do you love most about what you do?
Music has incredible transformative power, I love the creative process of writing and collaboration with other artists and the physical sensation of singing is absolutely joyous! Live television and performance is an incredible adrenalin sport that requires courage, and film/music video creates the opportunity to experiment with character play and fantasy as an artist.

What do you feel is your calling and how do you achieve it through your art and work as a singer? I think creative communication is my calling, as an entertainer I strive to be as generous of spirit as possible, using spoken word or song to connect/engage distract, to shift peoples thoughts and feelings – to be present in the moment. Music is a great way of keeping our stories and expression alive.

What other professions have you tried and when and how did you know that this was your calling? There’s feels, for me, like finality to the word “calling”, and I think I am still very much in the process of evolving and working out where I belong. I don’t imagine I’ll ever be still or have the resolve to stay in the one role. I’ve worked in Design, Modelling, Acting, TV Presenting, Radio, public speaking singer and songwriter. Of all professions, recording artist has proven to be the most challenging, the most rewarding, and the one that feels truly connected to my hearts desire.

What inspired you to become a singer? Did you always know what you wanted to do?
From my earliest school days, music has brought me incredible pleasure, and I have pursued creative expression in every form throughout my adult life. I have always known that I would end up involved in this industry. Yet also knew that it would require patience due to the relevance of timing and the competitive nature of the business.
Who has influenced your career and how?
An ever-growing list of musicians, artists, actors, athletes, explorers & adventures influence my career pursuits and the way I strive to perform in my professional life. These are people who live in the fearless pursuit of their dreams, have incredible courage and determination, enormous creative capacity and seemingly limitless personal strength, determination, motivation and potential.

Was success a choice or something that just happened? What conscious decision did you make to get to where you are today? I have set myself goals, and at times exhausted myself in the pursuit of them, so I think it’s a choice. Some goals, however, have come more easily than others and I’ve realized that not everything has to be chased – sometimes being open, gracious and receptive creates far greater opportunity.

What do you believe contributed mostly to you achieving success? What do you attribute to your success and having reached being at the top of your game? Old fashioned hard work and persistence. I’ve never given up on myself or any one of my desires. That said, I think I have a level of self-belief and faith in the world, instilled in me by a hugely supportive family, which I’m incredibly grateful for.


Who are your role models and what inspires you about them?
My role models tend to be very strong creative women with multifaceted careers. What inspires me about them is their ability to embrace change, thrive in a constant state of adaptation, exude incredible confidence, remain loyal to their passion, act with integrity, and speak with clarity and conviction, while always honoring and nourishing their family and friendships.

How do you find balance in your life and have a successful career?
Being really conscious of making balance a priority through lifestyle changes including exercise, meditation, healthy eating, plugging back into simple (slow) daily pleasures and social pursuits creates a sense of stability and enables me to be present when things get chaotic.

Have you had a mentor along the way?
My mother, an artist and writer has always been my greatest mentor.
When I first embarked on my career as a singer, opera singer David Hobson mentored through my initiation into this difficult industry, and really enlightened me with his sensitivity as a performing artist.
Professionally, my manager of over 10 years, Ursula Hufnagl has been an incredible and consistent mentor – pushing me and encouraging me in the pursuit of every single dream I’ve had. She has always been swift to share her experience and firm in her counsel.

Who would you most like to meet and why?
Wow, another long wish list. Suzanne Vega one of the first musicians to have a really powerful effect on me. The strength of the narrative in her writing completely captured my imagination as a teenager and I’ve loved her songs ever since. I’d love to have her as a teacher, and I’d love to learn her skill of such sharp creative observation, word and melodic mastery. Sting would be a close second.

What difficulties and challenges have you faced to get to where you are and how did you turn them around?
Categorization/pigeon holing – I’ve been on the receiving end of plenty of negative critique and judgment based on my career as model moving into film, TV and music. I’ve experienced the limited vision of others in terms of what I can pursue professionally and their desire to enforce that. I’m always curious to know what bothers people so much about me exploring another role within the entertainment industry? But I figure, stand tall and you’ll get shot at! As long as I have the nuts to do what I want, albeit within a very public arena, I’m going to cop commentary on my choices. I will never allow others to define me or decide what is good for me and I feel confident that I can prove them wrong through my sheer pleasure, diligence and pride in what I do.

Financial insecurity – the only consistent thing about the work that I do is its inconsistency! Riding the peaks and troughs in the financial flow has had an effect on my confidence in the past. One minute you’re rolling around in the crispy greens, and the next your bank balance is a wasteland. I managed to turn that around early in my career by anticipating those times and being practical. I’ve always maintained my financial independence by having an emergency fund, saving a bit and investing a bit. I have a really healthy attitude towards money these days and work towards maintaining a real attitude of abundance.

Do you have a favourite quote you would like to share with us and what it means to you?
The boat my father built and we grew up and travelled on as children was called Different Drummer. This name comes from the quote by American Philosopher and poet Henry David Thoreau:

“If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears, however measured or far away”.

This is a strong belief held by my parents; the true celebration and respect for individuality, independent thought and action… and it has become firm belief of my own.

Erika Heynatz xx

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Does our past dictate our present and transcend into our futures...by Ashleigh Austen

In retrospective: Does our past dictate our present and transcend into our futures?

This is the question I asked myself as I wandered through the exhibition of the famous Valentino Garavani. The Valentino Retrospective Exhibition is being shown for the first time outside of Paris displaying his most celebrated haute couture from the past 50 years. The sophisticated and timeless designs proved to be a fitting analogy for how far women have come today.

The exhibition is a whimsical of colours, textures and patterns draped on the bodies of 100 mannequins, each one no different to the next, supposedly allowing the gowns true beauty shine through, without tainting them with human emotion and characteristics.

The mannequins, although lifeless, were elegant in all their silver glory. The thing that bothered me about them was they were insensible. Each exactly the same as the next, bearing no expression, and certainly no resemblance to the European royalty, Hollywood celebrities and members of high society the world over who have adorned Valentino’s designs. The exhibition includes garments worn by stars such as Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor. Who are all strong and successful women who relished the timeless quality of Valentino’s wearable art.

As Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements said: “This is more than a history of the House of Valentino, this is a history of fashion through the decades.”
And she is absolutely right. Each gown told a story of the woman who graced it through each decade since the 1950’s. The outfits were quite daring for their time and it was interesting to guess what year each piece was designed.

The women, who wore each piece throughout our milestone eras, perhaps faced the struggles of feminism and oppression of her fashion choices to be stepping so boldly outside of society’s lines. Their perseverance and courage allowed them to claim the rights for women to come to wear such gowns that fully expressed their sophistication and glamour, no matter how daring the statement.

The exquisite haute couture garments reveal Valentino’s mastery of the elegant line, classic form and opulent detail. Valentino’s approach spanning the past five decades included the recurrence of geometric patterns and graphic prints, the skilful use of fabric to create dramatic silhouettes and, of course, the distinctive palette of black, white and ‘Valentino red’.

Running from the 7th of August until the 14th of November, Valentino’s masterpieces are on display to the public at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art. It is not to be missed for any woman who appreciates her choice to adorn wearable art, no matter what the era.

Opportunies to start over.....by Ashleigh Austen

One woman’s disappointment is another one’s dreams?

What happens when the hopes and dreams we had are broken by the very people we thought would make them come true. I was walking through the hustle and bustle of the city when I noticed something which answered this very question.

It was a window full of broken dreams and disappointments. It was a trade in jewellery store.With all of the glistening gold and gems I couldn’t help but wonder what each piece meant to the women who previously owned them. The exhilarated feeling you get when your partner hands you a small box (especially if it’s blue) is short lived for some women.

Jewellery has such a special place in a woman's life. I often recall my very own pieces and the stories which they tell and the memories which they hold of a moment in time.

How each piece ended up in this crammed window is unsure. Every woman would have received their very own box from their special someone and it would have held prized possession on her tallboy. Yet here, in this window is rows and rows of crammed jewels, not a single item had a special place amongst the others.

As my eyes scanned over each piece briefly, sadness washed over me as I wondered of the tainted nature of the gorgeous engagement rings. Why had their owners slipped them off their fingers and into the hands of a shady looking pawn shop dealer?

But now, this jewellery stands for sale, longing for someone to come along and cherish it by adorning it on their slim hand or draping it across a feminine collarbone. Call me a traditionalist, but I’m a big believer that there is method in the means. I just wouldn’t feel right opening a box that my partner has given me with a ring that I didn’t know the story behind.

When I receive a ring, I want it to be special, my very own story, and my very own new beginning. That’s the thing about jewellery: it’s so intensely personal that when you chose to part with it; there is always a reason behind the motive.

With the GFC, perhaps the owner fell on financial hard times and had to part with their favourite ruby ring to make ends meet. Although more often than not, these women fell out of love, somehow or another and everything that special ring, necklace, bracelet represented, is no longer.

Jewellery, amidst its obvious costs is a special engagement. Perhaps not always to marriage, but to I’m sorry, to I love you or to happy birthday. Jewellery represents a celebration and long after the celebration has ended, the jewellery remains, perhaps just in a crammed window downtown amongst other women’s long forgotten hopes and dreams.

But the beauty about fashion and jewellery is that we can begin anew, we can start all over again with every season, collection or moment we wish to capture and there are some designers and brands like Samantha Wills who seem to give us women a renewed sense of hope. When all else has been stripped away and only the memories of the broken dreams remain we have the gift of starting over in style. Now that's opportunity shopping with a new meaning!