INSPIRING MORNING CHATS WITH SUSIE

INSPIRING MORNING CHATS WITH SUSIE
We are so excited to welcome Susie Williams to our Journal page. We have long admired her style and positivity she puts out into the world and in awe of her reflection and response to the business that life can entail. She is an avid collector of Vintage Fashion, Naturopathic Medicine Student and, on top of that, a Yoga teacher. She represents the vision of being true to yourself and following any paths that you are drawn to; keeping all passions alive. 
You can follow Susie on Instagram at @susiewilliamss and keep an eye out on her business page for handpicked vintage gems @susie_q_vintage.
Susie wears - Mila dress (blues)
Styled our Lowen and Celeste dress with her own vintage collection
 
Read her story below.

 

 


Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! My name is Susie and I’m a Naturopathic Medicine and Nutrition student, yoga teacher and seller of vintage clothing. When people ask me what I do, I usually have to pause for a moment and end up saying that I have my fingers in lots of pies. I used to believe that my creativity was a hinderance, often because I felt so spread out, with so many passions and interests. I thought that all of my interests were unrelated in meaning and there’s no way I can create a future with such a mix but I’m learning more and more everyday that they are simply another layer to who I am becoming. As a late teen, I loved fashion. After leaving school and having to wear a uniform every day, I loved that I could decide who I wanted to be every single day and that I could use clothes to express that. I even nearly went to London college of fashion. That all changed when became quite unwell with mental issues as a late teen which then later led me into the health and wellness sphere. Looking back, fashion was probably also a big contributor to learning to love myself again. I first got a job at Neal’s Yard Remedies which sparked my love for herbs, nutrition and holistic living which led me on to meeting and learning from so many amazing people and practitioners in the space. I’m still there to this day in the Guildford store and I’m forever grateful for how much it has shaped me as a person. Fashion and wellness might seem like different worlds and I’m still trying to work out how I can combine the two going forward. But creativity, expression and self confidence leaches into every aspect of our lives for the better, especially our physical health.

 

Above - Susie’s beloved vintage collection 

 

What do you love about vintage and what is your favourite piece you own?

For me, vintage is more than just quirky one off items of clothing from the past. It’s the story that the garments hold and for me, how my imagination can drift off dreaming about the lives that were lived in the garment before I was even here. I love true 60’s and 70’s original pieces but I wouldn’t say I’m rigid with it. I love to take elements of certain eras but like to have fun with it and it has to feel like me. Textures are so important and having a contrast between them are what I think makes a whole outfit come together. My favorite item has to be an original 1970’s hand Indian block print kaftan. I had the exact vision in my brain before I found her, and I found her for a steal! She had big gaping holes in the armpits but one of my beautiful friends Meg who happens to be an incredible seamstress mended her for me and she’s as good as new! It’s one of those pieces that I’ll be wearing forever until it completely falls apart.

Talk us through a dream Saturday ?

I normally work Saturdays! But on the rare one that I have off, a dream Saturday for me is getting up slowly and heading down to Brighton. Me and my partner spend a lot of time down there when we have a rare day together. We love to amble down the lanes and head to all of our favourite vintage stores and spend time chatting to the inspiring people that own them that we’ve met over the years. I dream to have a little store one day selling lots of different wares so I guess I’m trying to soak up as much inspiration as I can. We love to people watch over great food and coffee and ideally if the weather’s warm have a dip in the sea! As much as we’re both country people with a love for peace, quiet and the outdoors. There’s something about Brighton that just lights me up every time I’m there. I’d love to live down there one day.

What naturopathic remedies should we all be keeping in our cupboards?

Definitely a bottle of elderberry and echinacea tincture! Or some propolis in either capsule form or extract. It’s always my first port of call when I’m starting to feel under the weather or at this time of year. Remembering that colds and flu are part of life and super important for our immune systems, but it’s how quickly we recover and experience them that shows us the strength of our system. That and a good nights sleep usually nips whatever lurgy was on it’s way in the bud.

What’s your favourite season and why?

Ooooo that’s so so tricky. As much as I’m a sun baby and the default would be summer, Ive learnt to love every season. A big part of my teaching and own yoga practice is working in harmony with the seasons. Tailoring the practice and lifestyle at different times of year to tap into and understand what each season is asking of us and how we can best use our energy at each time. If I had to pick one though, it would probably have to be spring, maybe it’s because I’m born in may? And I connect really deeply with that time of year. Or maybe it’s that usually the darker days of winter tend to seem to go on forever, so those first few days of a slightly warmer temperature, the light changing and longer days really feel quite emotional. I’m an avid forager too so in the depths of winter the produce becomes pretty sparse so seeing those first green shoots popping up always feels like such a rebirth.
Any morning rituals you live by?

I used to get up hours and hours before my day HAD to begin in order to cross everything off my list that I felt like I needed to do to be developing myself. Now, I find that life feels so much less rigid when I have a little less structure, I often snooze and snuggle in bed for any extra moments and am lucky that I don’t often have to be in work until 10 or 11, meaning I have a little extra wriggle room when it comes to slow mornings. Gone are the days of sunrise hot yoga and up before dawn. I think as women we often put so much value on our productivity. But I’m now much more confident in knowing that I’m much more valuable in my relationships and life in general when I take things softly and slowly. Music in the morning is a non negotiable usually something old and slow and it completely shapes how my day is going to go. Whilst I’m in a period of my life that I can go at a slower pace, I’m taking as much as I can of it. I wouldn’t even say I have a routine now, just whatever feels good on the day. Sometimes it’s movement, other times it’s stillness and sometimes it’s just a deliciously slow breakfast!
Susies world via her Instagram page @susiewilliamss 
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