A dear friend, Visual Artist and co-creator of our latest collaboration collection: La Femme, Hegia de Boer is a face or décolletage you have definitely seen before! Based in the Netherlands, Hegia's unique aesthetic and imagery has been seen by millions of people across the world. She has taken the world of Instagram and Pinterest by storm, creating some of the most popular images we've ever had to date. 

Having collaborated with Hegia for the past 3 years, we are so excited to be launching her second S-kin Studio collection! In contrast to her first floral inspired collection: Fleur, La Femme reflects a bold vintage silhouette with femme fatale undertones.

We recently had a chat with Hegia to learn more about how she got started in content creation, the inspiration behind the collection and the advice she has for aspiring visual artists! 

How did you get started in the world of content creation and when did you realise it could be a full-time job?

I think it's similar for most creators, many of us started creating content as a hobby. I've always enjoyed styling pretty things and photographing them and in the beginning, I didn't really think anyone else would see my pictures other than my friends. When Instagram was first introduced I saw it as a free open stage and a good opportunity to express my passion and creativity. Slowly but surely I started getting recognised by a wider audience and eventually brands started to notice.

There is definitely no shortcuts in the world of content creation and you learn everything through trial and error. The key is to keep persevering and figure out what does and doesn't work for you. I never thought that content creation could become my full-time job but I'm so grateful that I have managed to turn it into my career. Throughout this journey I've discovered and learnt so much about my myself and it has definitely made me realise my creative and business capabilities. 

Did you have a full-time job before you became a content creator? And if you weren't a content creator what do you think you'd be doing?

Prior to content creation I was an architect and used to work in a variety of different companies. After completing my Master's (in Interior Architecture), I worked as a freelance interior architect and dreamed of setting up my own local architecture bureau. This was around the same period as when I started doing content creation, and this side hobby surprisingly worked out better for me. So I'd say the transition into full-time content creation was not that hard as both professions require a great amount of creativity.

If I wasn't in content creation I'd probably still be working as an architect or interior designer since it was my original area of study. Although if I could reset my whole degree, I'd love to study criminology and work in that field. I would also consider being a video game designer/programmer since I love world-building and am an avid gamer myself. See? I can never only choose one thing! 😂

What does a typical day for Hegia look like?

Due to my ADHD, I always find it difficult to stick to a routine. Each day is never the same, even the time I wake up in the morning varies! But let's say on a good productive day, I would wake up around 8 in the morning, make my coffee and sit next to the window. I usually skip breakfast because I don't feel hungry in the morning. Then I will do administration and emails until lunch time. Make and eat my lunch, take a shower, and get ready. In the afternoon I usually allocate it for outside activities, like shooting, meetings, or catching up with friends. If I have heaps of computer work to do like editing and administration, I'll go to my studio and work there so I can focus better. Then I'll go home at around 6 to make dinner. I always eat dinner while watching a show (yes I always need to watch something while eating), then I'll play video games before going to sleep.

This is your second collaboration collection with us! What was the inspiration for La Femme? 

Funnily, the idea for this collection actually comes from my own struggle with epic mood swings 😄!  And I know it's not only me, I'm sure that most women experience this too to some extent. I've met so many interesting women in my life and everyone's unique personalities have always fascinated me!

Although we can be paradoxical and are multi-faceted sometimes, that's what makes us interesting and I'm so happy to be born as a woman. I wanted to dedicate this collection to the duality that we all have inside of us and create something that showed this contrast in a striking yet beautiful way.

I'm also hugely influenced by movies and video game heroines. There are so many characters playing in my head and that's why each piece is named after one of these characters. 

What are your favourite La Femme and S-kin Studio Jewelry pieces? 

It's so difficult for me to choose as every piece is so special to me. For La Femme, I think each piece looks great on its own, but it becomes more impactful when styled together, just like us women, we are stronger together! So I'd say the La Femme Blanc and La Femme Noir sets make a perfect combination, you can also style them depending on your mood! 😊 As for my favourite S-kin Studio pieces, I'd have to say that my absolute favourite is the Italy Collection. So bold and iconic.

What advice would you give an aspiring content creator?

Believe and focus on yourself and don't care too much about what other people do or think. I often get messages from girls who want to grow their pages and ask me for tips and tricks, but in actuality there ain't definitive tricks. Just do it, and do it YOUR way. I know it's easier to copy what other people do, but in the end the best feeling is when you are being true to yourself. And others will see it that way too about you.

You can find Hegia on Instagram @heyhegia

La Femme launches on the 30th of June, 2021 at 9pm AEST.