Julie Estelle talks with Prestige how she learned to appreciate life, how she discovered love from a new perspective and remaining hopeful in 2021.
My conversation with Julie Estelle for this story was – as is the norm these days – done by phone. Remarkably, I could still feel the warmth and sincerity in her voice. “Small things like asking how people are doing, making sure they are healthy and safe, has become important for me,” she says. “We already take too many things for granted and this has made me learn to appreciate every little thing that happens in our life.”
In the final month of 2020, Julie joined Prestige for a cover shoot featuring Louis Vuitton’s High Watch Collection, and she admitted that it was her first photoshoot in a long time. “I actually didn’t work much during 2020 because the pandemic had me concerned about going out. I just feel unsafe. Even now I’m still a bit reluctant due to the ongoing situation. As we can see right now, the PPKM (large-scale social restrictions) is going on again; the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19 is spiking up every day; many countries are going back into lockdown again.”
Reflecting back on 2020, Julie found it to be a life-changing journey. “The situation created by the pandemic situation was unexpected for all of us. At first, we thought it would get better by the end of the year. Staying at home then went on from two weeks to months, to I don’t know when this will end. Nothing went according to plan. I had a lot of things that I had to do, in terms of work, that ended up being postponed. I turned down many jobs and, in the end, didn’t work much.”
It feels like the pause button has been pressed. The world has been running so fast and I think it is the right time for us to reflect inward. By slowing down, we can see things clearly. – Julie Estelle
Still, Julie accepted work whenever it was possible to be done from home. “I was still working for several brands and created content by myself. Entire photo shoots were done at home. At first it was challenging, because previously I just come and everything was prepared and done with the help from many people. But now, I have to do everything myself. The great thing about it all, however, is that I’ve learned a lot of new things and my perspective on creativity has expanded. Staying at home hasn’t stopped me from creating new things. Limitations open new doors and leads to avenues of exploration which I think I wouldn’t have discovered if all this hadn’t happened.
“But I can’t deny that I miss working outside. Going to sets and events, meeting people, being busy, surrounded by crowds … basically, human interactions. And, of course, I want to explore more in my line of work. Last year marked the least I had done in so many years.”
Despite being held back by the pandemic, the sister of Cathy Sharon still managed to see the bright side of things. “It feels like the pause button has been pressed. The world has been running so fast and I think it is the right time for us to reflect inward. By slowing down, we can see things clearly, including the small things we may have missed before. Or the things we took for granted because it was easy to get or do,” she continues. “I spent a lot of time on self-care, taking the time to understand myself better and getting a new hobby: collecting plants. Gardening became a new form of therapy for me and I’m grateful that I still have a nice spacious garden to house my new collection.”
All that being said, staying at home for such long periods hasn’t been easy for Julie, much like for the rest of us. “Even though we have adjusted quite will to the Work From Home concept, but still, it feels different from meeting people face-to-face. To be honest, I miss meeting my friends and sharing physical contact like hugging, shaking hands, a kiss on the cheeks and many more. Also, doing all those communal activities that I used to take for granted like eating out, socializing, and, of course travelling. I’m grateful to have had the chance to do so at the beginning of last year, right before the pandemic broke out. It hit us mentally and made me realise that I’m really grateful to be living in Indonesia where most of us still have outdoor spaces. Imagine if you live in a big city like Paris or Milan, where not all apartments have balconies. It changed my perspective on life as I learn to appreciate those things that I used to forget or take for granted.”
Another thing that Julie brought up was how she felt about her family as they spend the past year together. “They are everything,” she says with a smile. “I grew up being taught by our parents to have a solid relationship with each other. Our family supports us in everything we do, through ups and downs, through stormy and sunny days. The more time I spend with them, the more quality time we get.”
Family dinners, in particular, gave Julie a deeper sense of love and gratefulness. “While eating together, we sometimes ask each other what we are grateful for throughout the year. For me it’s as simple as staying healthy and being able to spend more time with my family. Money can’t buy health; the virus doesn’t choose the people it infects. It can touch anybody in the world, everyone from presidents to common people like us. Of course, all of this has shifted my perspective towards a new direction. The year 2020 spurred me to grow emotionally and personally as a person. It makes me appreciate small things instead of always looking for bigger things. For me, this situation is a major milestone. This has been a learning process and I’m grateful for it. It’s as simple as that.”
Since our conversation already touched on the topic of love, the month of February also came up during our chat. As it happens, the month of love holds a special meaning for Julie. “It’s a universal feeling and it’s important to always have love in your life. This expression can be delivered through loving the environment, family, friends, partners, people around you that you might know or not. And, of course, the most important thing is yourself. Self-love is the most fundamental thing we have to own before giving love to the others. For me, love means life and we have to always be loving.”
Speaking about her love language, Julie is a person who expresses love through both words and physical contact. “I like to hug people; it’s the French side of me,” she elaborates. “I also love to give gifts and surprises. That’s how I share happiness. At the beginning of the pandemic, it was quite difficult because we are not able to experience much physical contact. But gradually, I found new ways to express love such as meeting friends through phone or video calls, asking what they are doing, and, of course, sending gifts. Whether it’s self-care products or food, I find it comforting to see people happy to receive and feeling that they belong.”
As the interview neared its end, Julie admitted that she doesn’t have any specific resolutions for 2021. “I’m the type of person who just goes with the flow and see how it goes, as long as I try to give my best in every job and project that I do. For 2021, I simply wish for it to be a better year. Much better. 2020 has been a rough ride for all of us, so I hope we will be able to experience a normal life again, be able to travel again, going to restaurants, spending more quality time with friends, family and loved ones. And everything without worry.”
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