Our featured Canadian influencer this month is Madison Hope Veitch, who, in the November issue of VITA, gives us her top warm-and-cosy winter product pick! Read all about Madison below (full disclosure: she’s our very own creative director), and watch for more fabulous influencer insights in the coming months! —Vita Daily
Hi Madison! Tell us a little bit about you and what do you do!
Well, at home I am an interior design enthusiast but by trade I am a graphic designer/creative director. I own a design agency called Style & Studio. We help lifestyle brands plan and deliver effective marketing campaigns, make strategic business decisions, provide social media strategy and brand management services, design websites, craft brand packages and more! One of the "more" items is actually designing the print edition of VITA each month! I have a passion for editorial design—that is a large part of my graphic design background actually, and I love working with the VITA team to bring the publication to life each month! When I’m not working, you can find me blogging about a variety of lifestyle topics (food, plus-fashion, home décor, beauty) and sharing photos of my two cats (Penny and Frank) and of the 640-square-foot apartment that I share with my husband, Matthew.
How do you use your platform to impact those who follow you?
This is such a great question and to be honest, feels a little bit hard to answer. I try to tackle a few different things on my channels: owning a business, a bit about my business, home décor, general style and bits of my personal life, but I am also cognisant about how much time I spend on social media so I’m always trying to find that balance between creating consistent and authentic content while still living a healthy life away from my screens. Because I dabble in so many things, I wanted to create different spaces for different content. My Instagram feed is a more about home décor, styling and a bit about my work; my blog is where I talk about a broader range of lifestyle items/my personal ramblings about life; and I’ve started a podcast, called Just So You Know, that is focused on real-talk about business, social media and other hot topics (glorifying busy, finding your purpose, creativity versus discipline, etc.). I think sometimes when it comes to what people share on social media, it is always with a positive spin on things—not to say I don’t think being positive is important, it is, but I think sometimes it can feel lonely when it seems like people aren’t discussing the questions you have, aren’t sharing the things they struggle with or are only giving out the highlight reel/inspirational quotes. When I started my business I was able to find lots of digital pep-talks about running a business, but I wanted more of a real-talk style discussion you’d have with a friend behind closed doors. There are ups and downs, highs and lows, and the goal of the podcast is to discuss both.
What’s your personal style mantra?
I like to define my interior style as "upscale but approachable" and that would also fit how I feel about my closet. For me, keeping it simple and classic is key. Over the years I’ve experimented with different styles in my wardrobe and at home and through that experimentation, I’ve come to realize that I feel the most like myself when I’m sticking with classic cuts, neutral colours and timeless pieces. With that said, I still do like to participate in trends and try new things, but I am more likely to do that with accessories or accent pieces. Ultimately, I think it’s about finding items that make you feel confident in yourself and who you are because when you feel good about yourself, it radiates into other parts of your life. Last year when I made the change from working in an office to working at home full time I decided to Marie Kondo my closet and, unfortunately, I discovered that I hated almost everything in my wardrobe and, so, I decided to embark on the journey toward a capsule wardrobe. It was a bit of a struggle at first to find my new favourites (curating a good wardrobe takes a lot of time!) but, overall, I feel like the experience helped me really define my sense of style, and has made getting dressed in the morning a more pleasant experience.
Oh, winter! What are some of your favourite things to do, in the city and at home, once the cold hits?
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I actually love the colder months! I think it’s because a combination of things that I love come together—my affinity for fall and winter fashion, the fact that being more indoors-y becomes perfectly acceptable and that the constantly cold winter air always feels so refreshing. When it comes to home, it’s the perfect time of year to stock up on favourite candles (or make them! That’s what I’m doing this year: refilling pottery pieces and old empty favourites) and refresh textiles. It’s amazing what a few new pillows and throws can do to make your home feel oh-so-cosy in the winter months. In terms of leaving the house, if you MUST (homebody alert!) it’s a great time of year to check out a string of cute coffee shops or any of the many, many, many Instagram-worthy spaces in the city—Beaucoup and Liberty, to name a few. I also think that wintertime is the best time to accomplish that project you’ve been putting off. Maybe you’ve wanted to start a blog, a podcast, read more books, workout more? Whatever it is, it’s the perfect time to do it because you’re sort of forced to stay inside more often!
What are your top tips for staying warm and cosy when the weather outside is frosty?
I think that finding a jacket you love is key. Sometimes winter can cause me to feel so frumpy, but a great jacket that keeps me warm usually solves that problem. Also, good coffee (or tea, or whatever you drink!); ’tis the season for warm drinks, and I think it’s important to have some great ones on hand at home so you don’t feel you need to head out all the time. For me, it’s always Pallet Coffee—we’re obsessed and always have a bag on hand.
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