Within an achingly cool Prahran warehouse, in a room filled with flowers, fairy floss and frivolity, the Melbourne fashion pack raised their glasses to toast Christiana Heideman in celebration of Damselfly’s tenth magnificent year.
Cocktails served in jam jars, frozen yogurt delights and a snap happy photo booth transformed the event in to a childlike wonderland – and one of the best parties of the year. At the centre of it all stood Christiana, the gorgeous creative force behind the Damselfly brand.
Searching for some insight into the iconic Australian jewellery brand, I chatted with the lady of the hour about her past, her future and her tips for a summer of style…
How did Damselfly originate and where did you learn your craft?
I have had a life long obsession with sparkly things, ever since I used to play in my mother’s jewellery box, and I always knew I wanted to do something creative in my career. At 18, I deferred my Fine Arts degree to travel to India, and came home incredibly inspired. I was entranced by the local silver and goldsmiths in Udaipur, and decided to start a label while I was there. I returned to Australia with a bag of gems and a scrapbook full of ideas, and the rest is history…
You’ve experienced such great successes with Damselfly. Did you ever expect to see your designs in the pages of Vogue or Harpers Bazaar?
I had no idea what I was in for when I started the business 10 years ago, but it was always a dream to see my designs featured in high fashion magazines like Vogue. I have become more accustomed to it now, but often I still get a pleasant surprise and have to pinch myself when I open a magazine and see my work on the page.
How would you describe a typical Damselfly girl or Elias guy?
The way I would describe Damselfly changes every season, it’s really dependant on my inspirations at the time. However, I would describe the ‘Damselfly woman’ or ‘Elias man’ as urban, creative, nomadic and free spirited.
Damselfly has adorned the bodies of some seriously impressive celebrities from Miranda Kerr to Gwen Stefani. Is there someone you’d love to see don Damselfly in the future?
I’d love to see the likes of Erin Wasson, Alexa Chung or Lou Dillon sporting a bit of Damselfly bling.
You’ve recently expanded your range into a stunning collection of body jewellery. What’s next for the label?
I’m currently working on a range of leather bags to release next year, and also planning to expand the garment collection.
Do you have a favourite or signature piece?
It constantly changes but at the moment I’m a big fan of the feather epaulet and coin glove from the ‘I Hate Myself For Loving You’ range.
Where do you find inspiration and how does such inspiration translate into a new season’s collection?
Everywhere – I’m constantly inspired! It could be anything from a song, a piece of art work, vintage jewellery, travel or just people watching… Sometimes the most obscure and unexpected things can inspire me to design a collection.
Coming into Summer, what accessories will you be wearing?
This summer I’ll be all over the bright crystal pendants from ‘Dream Weaver’, and layer up the candy coloured agate ‘love child’ rings with a few of my trusty old favourites. ‘Dream Weaver’ is a really bright, fun, Woodstock-inspired range, perfect for summer festivals.
Any Summer adornment advice for Onya readers?
After a long cold winter of black and grey, it’s good to have some fun with your accessories again. It’s time to see some colour, and now that the jackets and scarves are off there’s more room for bling. I try not to go to heavy with my summer jewels and generally stick to a few layered pendants and a stack of my favourite bracelets/wrist bands along with my trusty fave rings.
Want to get your hands on some of Damselfly’s amazing designs? Check here for stockists or why not swing by the new ‘pop up’ store in Prahran. Located on Chatham Road, it’s open until the end of January so it’s the perfect place to snap up some Christmas gifts that will definitely score you a spot on Santa’s nice list.
Our warmest Onya congratulations to Christianna and the Damselfly team, here’s to the next ten years of truly stunning designs!
Damselfly Pop-Up Store
20-28 Chatham St
Prahran, VIC
Open Tuesday to Saturday
10am – 6pm
Image Credit: Ahmad Azizi
