CUSTOMER OF THE MONTH: EVIE MAY

Recognise Evie May? You should. She's currently starring in our Spring Summer 2012 campaign and is a self-confessed "complete Tatty Devine addict".

Evie May first caught our eye when we called out for models on our Facebook and a customer remarked just how much she looks like Frida Kahlo, one of the main inspirations behind the collection. We too loved her distinctive look and in no time at all, she was whisked to London and working it for the camera.

Evie May isn't just a pretty face. When she isn't rocking bananas as a headpiece, she is a prolific tweeter and runs her own fashion and lifestyle blog: What Evie Wore Next. It showcases Evie's offbeat, retro inspired wardrobe and ever evolving style alongside interviews with up and coming designers and photographers.

How old are you?

I'm 16 years old.

When and how did you discover Tatty Devine?

I discovered Tatty Devine mid-way through 2010 when I was watching a Mighty Boosh audio commentary! Mr Noel Fielding was sporting a particularly fetching necklace and when the director asked him where it was from he replied "I don't know if the costume lady made or if she found it at Tatty Devine." I immediately felt intrigued by the name 'Tatty Devine' and with the aid of Google I was soon on your website and in love with every piece of jewellery in your collections!

What are your favourite pieces of jewellery?

I have so many pieces of Tatty Devine it's so hard to choose! My blue Bunny Bow earrings mean a lot to me as I won them in the first ever Tatty Devine competition I entered. My Ying Yang ring also holds a lot of sentiment as I bought it on my first visit to your Brick Lane boutique.

However I also really love my Large Eye Necklace as I am obsessed with all things Egyptian and I also love my Sexy Legs Brooch as I had to hit up eBay in order to find one, so when I finally got it I was over the moon!

Plus when I met the Wombats, their lead singer even complimented me on it!

How would you describe your personal style?

I would say my personal style is very eclectic and always has tribute to vintage fashion in some way. One of my favourite eras of fashion is the 1950's, so I may be wearing jeans and t-shirt but it's usually teamed with a pair of striking 50's heels or a 50's hair-bow. However with the array of vintage fashion in my collection, I sometimes look like I've tumbled out of the wrong era! I like to use my clothes to channel my personality so my clothing is determined by my mood and I always like to stand out from the crowd with bright or bold pieces, so I tend to buy clothes not many other people around me are wearing.

How did you feel when you were picked to model for Tatty Devine?

I don't think words could describe how happy and surprised I was! As you probably all know, I am a MASSIVE fan of your jewellery, so to be given the opportunity to model your beautiful pieces felt like a dream come true!

What was it like on the shoot?

I think it was one of the best experiences of my life! Everyone was thoroughly lovely to me, and considering I’ve never modelled before it was even better than I expected it to be! It all felt very laid back yet very glamorous at the same time and I think I'll remember that day forever.

Did you like the hair and make-up?

I absolutely loved getting my hair and make-up done like Frida. It was so different to anything I've had before and the girls who did my hair and make-up were so talented so I was very happy with how it turned out. I just wish I had the girls to do my hair and make-up every day for me! (However we might have to tone down the mono-brow for everyday I think...)

Was there anything you didn't like about the shoot?

The only thing I didn't like about the shoot was the fact I had to leave behind all the gorgeous pieces of jewellery I modelled! They were all so beautiful and I can safely say this collection is truly amazing, but then I wouldn't expect anything less from Rosie and Harriet!

Had you heard of Frida Kahlo before?

I had heard of Frida before! I'd watched the film about her life featuring Salma Hayek so I knew she was a very remarkable lady.

Were you aware you look like her?

I wasn't really as I'd never really thought about it! However when you advertised for a model on your Facebook one of your lovely customers said I looked just like her and the more I thought about it, the more I started to notice the similarities between me and Frida. I feel very proud to look like Frida as she is so wonderful!

Did you mind having your eyebrows joined into a monobrow by the make-up artist?

I didn't mind at all! It was the perfect tribute to Frida and with the floral attire I was in, it actually looked pretty good I think! It also made the photos look even more artistic and it made me feel much more like Frida.

What's your favourite piece that you modelled?

Oh wow, this is so difficult, everything was so lovely! I was rather fond of the Large Frida Necklace and the Corn on the Cob Necklace however I thought the Large Parakeet Necklace was absolutely fabulous and the matching earrings made them the perfect statement pieces! I adore statement pieces and even though they were so different, in some ways it made me think of the Tiger Necklace as I imagine they could both really turn some heads!

Will the modelling experience affect your own style?

I think in some ways it definitely could. It has made me want to be a lot more adventurous with my hair styles and the floral prints in the dresses I wore definitely made me want to incorporate a lot more striking tribal themed pieces in my wardrobe. It has also given me the chance to discover the vintage fashion company Beyond Retro. All the clothes I wore on the shoot were from Beyond Retro and having looked more into their products I think more of their pieces will definitely be featuring in my vintage fashion collection very soon!

What's your favourite item of clothing at the moment and why?

This is a very hard question as my wardrobe is rather extensive... (I'll admit it, I'm a clothes-aholic) however I think my favourite piece is my knitted Union Jack knitted cardigan I picked up at Camden Market. It's a one of a kind which is one of the reasons I love it so much! It feels very vintagey and patriotic too. The colours are bold and eye-catching and it's definitely the item of clothing I get the most compliments on.

We love this best of British combination of Union Jack cardigan and classic Tatty Devine Chip Fork Necklace:

We noticed you do singing and acting - please tell us more!

I do indeed! Performing arts is one of the most important things in my life and I live for performing! I recently finished a tour around Liverpool of a stage production of the hit TV show 'Glee' and a few days ago I performed in St George's Hall for the Liverpool Shakespeare Festival. However over the years, thanks to the fabulous opportunities given to me by such amazing projects around the city, I've been given the chance to perform with people such as Paul McCartney and Hayley Westenra! My biggest passion in life is music and when I get on stage I feel like I really come alive. I love changing characters throughout performances and of course I adore all the costumes too! I'd really love to make a career of singing and acting because I believe if I were to be successful in a job I loved, it'd never truly feel like 'work' for me.

What are your ambitions?

My ambitions are to do well in my exams, to move to London, to work for Tatty Devine at some point in some way, to get a recording contract, to write both music and literature, to stay true to myself and what I believe in and to be successful. If I did become a successful singer song-writer I'd very much like to be involved creatively too, as I am very imaginative and a budding director so I think I could apply this knowledge to perhaps designing my own tours and music videos! However, ultimately, my biggest ambitions are to win a Brit Award and I would also really love to cameo or perhaps even be the companion in Doctor Who! (Yes I am a massive sci-fi nerd...)

Tell us about your blog - when and why did you start it, what does it mean to you?

My blog, What Evie Wore Next, is dedicated to my fashion and my various different trips, from gigs to pop-up events, to exploring fabulous new shops and boutiques. I started What Evie Wore Next in early 2011, because I have always loved fashion from an early age and I just thought that blogging would be such a brilliant medium to show the rest of the world what fashion really means to me. Blogging means the world to me as it allows me to talk about the things I really love and puts me in touch with such lovely people. And as my readers will know, Tatty Devine features frequently on What Evie Wore Next from posts about trips to your fabulous boutiques or me just generally babbling about how much I love your jewellery!

What do you wish Tatty Devine would make next?

Wow, this is tricky! I think I'd love to see a collaboration between you lovely ladies and the wonderful Paloma Faith as I think you could create some really special pieces there. I'd also love to see some pug related jewellery as I am currently obsessed with those cute little dogs and maybe a Doctor Who collection, as I know some of you ladies at Tatty love Matt Smith (again my sci-fi nerd is showing...) Perhaps a Shakespeare related collection too! I'd love to see some Romeo and Juliet or A Midsummer Night’s Dream themed jewellery featuring in my collection and it would be a perfect tribute to the Bard along with your Quill Necklace too!

Thank you, Evie May. Good luck with your singing and keep blogging - you never know where it could lead! As a thank you for being our Customer of the Month (and featuring in our S/S12 shoot), we'll be sending you something special to add to your growing collection.

If you’d like to be our Customer of the Month, here’s how to get noticed: tag Tatty Devine any time you post a photo of you wearing your jewellery on Facebook. Don't forget to tweet @tattydevine on Twitter when you're out and about wearing Tatty Devine!

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