Meisi is a bright redhead who is impossible not to notice. Her bold colour games catch the eye and the style can be said to be spicy like chilli pepper 😉
Please tell us about your relationship with colours. How have you found the courage to experiment with colours? What are your favourite colours in clothes/jewellery?
I have loved colour ever since I can remember thinking about my own style. When I was about seven years old, I had an orange plaid dress that I wanted to wear absolutely anywhere a dress needed to be worn. Mom tried to make me look a little chicer, but I still stubbornly wanted to wear bright colours. As the years went by, it got worse! In elementary school, I was already called a “hippie” because combining different colours in my clothes was still my passion. In high school, things got even worse and the patterns became more and more colourful and crazy. In those years, fantasy was properly unleashed and it was rather cool in our circle of friends. I was no longer teased as a hippie, I moved around in the company of punks and thoroughly enjoyed experimenting.
My favourite colours in clothes and jewellery are all kinds of yellows, oranges, purples, greens, blues and pinks. It is already clear where I am drifting… There is simply no specific and permanent favourite. The cleaner and sunnier the shades, the better! Favourites haughtily push each other off the throne according to mood, tan, and whims of the soul – there are no limits or rules here. Now, with spring’s arrival, my heart leans towards orange and pink, and occasionally a black outfit as a palette cleanser. In black, for some reason, I have a let’s get this sh*t done mood, and I really enjoy it too.
In your case, you can't avoid the title "redhead". How much has hair colour influenced your style choices?
I became a redhead by the time I graduated elementary school, and that’s how my bouncy curls still flutter. Only the undertone has changed, because I also get bored sometimes. One summer, when my heart was broken and my boyfriend’s problems bothered my soul, black hair dye also got lost in my curls. In general, I find that red hair encourages me to enjoy playing with colours and it just happens subconsciously. However, I have started to avoid the red shade near the face – it is rather used to decorate pants or boots. It just seems like there’s too much competition with the hair otherwise.
Please describe your love story with jewellery. What are the timeless favourites?
A growing love for jewellery remains in my high school years. I remember grabbing an art nouveau silver ring with precious stones from my mother’s jewellery box and later losing it. I think I grieved its loss even more than she did.
Timeless favourites are jewellery acquired from travels or those that mark some stage of life. For me, jewellery carries memories and stories, I don’t just buy them. The school years were very difficult for me, in the meantime, I had the feeling that I would not be able to finish high school, but through great experiences and tears it was finally done. A gold ring with a garnet given to me by family members will always remind me of this stage. For some reason, I also chose a garnet as a gift for my graduation from elementary school, this time it was made of silver.
The thing about travelling is that I can’t return home until I’ve bought some local jewellery. I prefer to find one of the designer shops there, a gold shop with a local background or raid a vintage shop. I’ve been to Turkey several times and bought jewellery there many times, but when I discovered a vintage jewellery store there, my heart leapt with great joy. I could no longer remove the giant’s ostentatious silver ring with garnets from my finger. I really don’t know what thing I have toward these garnet stones…
Of course, jewellery is also needed to celebrate when, for example, I have completed a big project, made a life-changing decision, changed jobs, etc. Jewellery accompanies me everywhere, but for everyday wear, I choose my most precious diamond and white gold ring. The ring injects a little confidence into my everyday life, reminding me that I am a strong woman who can handle challenges, whether I have someone by my side or not.
How do you choose accessories for the look of the day? Or more generally, how do you start putting together your outfit in the morning or before an event (where you can often be seen)?
I prepare the clothes first and then choose the jewellery to go with them. Sometimes I want to create contrasts and make the jewellery stand out, other times I want to blend them with the clothes, so to speak, letting the jewellery play a supporting role. At events, I prefer outstanding and large rings, and it is not at all excluded that a ring with a giant stone accompanies my daily activities. For me, jewellery with character is not for squatting in a box, you have to take the last of them, letting them shine and stand out even outside of events.
Who are your style icons? Where do you get your fashion inspiration from?
I like to see what is happening outside of Estonia: what was worn at a red carpet event, what collections were presented at international fashion weeks, and what clothing sets with smart solutions are worn on the streets. I devour everything I see in beautiful movies and stylish series. I recently happened to watch the TV series “Nanny” again, and Fran Fine still knows how to dress well! Immortal style! From today’s series, I watched with great excitement what the characters of “Emily in Paris” wear.
If it is not possible to go to other countries to observe the place myself, I draw inspiration from social media and international fashion sites. I’m like a sponge – I soak up ideas from everywhere in order to put them in my own way and follow through.
You have been the marketing manager of Tallinn Fashion Week for many years. How do you assess the general image of Estonian fashion? Where are we today? What are our weaknesses and strengths?
You can find everything in Estonian fashion – wonderful craftsmanship and quality, but also poor-quality fabrics and questionable seams. I like that our landscape is quite broad: both eye-soothing minimalism and detail-rich maximalism are represented.
What I miss is perhaps street fashion with smart solutions and original designs. Sometimes I feel that I long for something free, flying, fresh and cool every day. Fortunately, some great creators have joined the fashion picture, but I would like them even more and with an ever wider spectrum.
From time to time, I have felt that designers make clothes for the average style person who does not look for excitement and edginess in their dressing. Fortunately, this feeling can still be overturned with pleasure in the meantime, when someone surprises you with something exciting during fashion week. I remember what an employee of a now-defunct domestic fashion brand told me when I praised their collection presented at fashion week years ago. The clothes that excited me the most remain on the counters – Estonians simply don’t buy them. But I am still positive and convinced that Estonians are also looking for more and more excitement and want to expand their borders.
Please share a fashion dream 😉
My fashion dream is naturally self-centred – I wish I could buy every item my soul desires, whether it’s a world-renowned brand or a local maker! Secondly, I have to mention that I would like more positive, creatively intelligent people around me and on the street scene, who are not afraid to experiment, evolve and take on fashion challenges! This is even more important than my first wish 😉
Photos: Marten Martšenkov, Jaanar Nikker, Kalev Lilleorg, Erlend Štaub and private collection
Jewellery found in Meisi’s photos:
