Veronique
On personal style, creative instinct, beginning again — and learning to build a life that feels truly her own.
Some friendships belong to a particular chapter of life. Others find their way through many.
I have known Veronique since highschool. Over the years, life has taken us in different directions and brought us back together again, each time with new stories to tell.
For this portrait, we returned to Veronique’s family home — the house where her mother still lives, and a place I remember from our teenage years.
Walking through the door felt, for a moment, like stepping back into my teenage self. Classical music drifted through the house. Beautiful natural light moved through rooms filled with family photographs, art and objects collected over a lifetime. And there was the familiar warmth of her mother, Monique, welcoming us with open arms.
There was an unmistakable sense of being in a home: warm, layered, lived in and deeply personal.
It felt like the natural place to photograph Veronique.
Veronique has always had a presence entirely her own. She began modelling at fifteen, later trained and performed as a classical singer, and has carried throughout her life a deep appreciation for fashion, interiors, music, history, flowers and the art of bringing people together.
She is expressive, social and endlessly creative — the kind of woman who notices the details others might overlook: an unusual flower, a beautiful fabric, the way a table is set, the story behind a treasured coat.
Her sense of style is instinctive rather than prescribed. Classic at its foundation, but always with something unexpected. Often, as she tells us, a touch of leopard print.
In recent years, life has asked Veronique to begin again.
Following the end of her marriage, she found herself reconsidering what it meant to trust her own instincts, value herself and create a life that felt truly her own. From that period came a renewed confidence — and the courage to build something of her own through flowers, creating deeply personal arrangements guided not simply by trends, but by the person receiving them, the season and what feels right.
For our third Del Mar Women portrait, we speak with Veronique about personal style, motherhood, resilience, authenticity, the confidence to follow your own taste — and the freedom that comes from no longer needing everyone else to understand it.
Where in the world do you feel most like yourself and what is it about that place or moment?
Generally, anywhere I’m relaxed and with people I love, or doing the things I love.
I do love being in Europe. And definitely singing on stage. That is somewhere I feel completely natural.
I need to do it more!
What has shaped you most? Not just as a woman, but in how you live your life?
I think we are shaped by so many things at different points in our lives, beginning in childhood.
I was lucky to be brought up with an appreciation for design, music, history and nature. My father was born in 1930, so he had lived through many different periods and carried such a depth of knowledge and experience. He was also very well travelled.
My mum grew up in Kenya during its golden age, which brought an entirely different set of experiences. Her brother was a prominent journalist for the Daily Nation, which brought access to all kinds of people and glamorous events.
My parents were always very social, and I have continued that. I love entertaining and cooking for people. I love being out and about, seeing old friends and meeting new and interesting people.
I think I look at things differently from many people. My experiences throughout my life have allowed me to develop my own sense of style and my own way of doing things. I’ve never really been one to follow trends — even though I’ve modelled since I was fifteen.
When we lived in Sydney, it was probably the only time I felt I needed to fit in and dress more like everyone else. That was also during the period when I had my three children, although I still feel I managed to hold on to parts of my own style.
I think you should be confident enough to like what you like without worrying about everyone else’s judgement.
I’m comfortable being by myself in a crowd. There will generally be someone you know — or someone you’ve never met who turns out to be incredibly interesting. Often, there is something unique in their style or simply in the way they carry themselves.
We can learn different things at different points in our lives, whether it is how we dress or how we conduct ourselves. No one is perfect, and we shouldn’t judge others. We only see what is happening on the surface. Some people are simply holding things together, or hoping the life they dream of will become a reality.
Going through a divorce really shook things up for me, but it also made me realise how strong, resilient and confident I am.
I didn’t need attention for it. I needed to give myself the confidence and self-love to know I could get through it — that I could start my own small business and see where the journey might take me, without trying to control the outcome.
What does building something of your own mean to you and what has it required you to grow into?
Overcoming the fear and doubt that you can actually do it is probably the biggest thing.
There is the imposter syndrome: Am I actually good at this? But when people give you such lovely feedback, it gradually builds your confidence.
It can also be difficult when it seems as though everyone is deciding they can dabble in the same field. You have to trust that what you are doing is different because it comes from what resonates with you and what feels right to you.
If it doesn’t make you happy — or “spark joy” — then it isn’t for you.
You will never be everyone’s cup of tea.
To me, being authentic and genuine in every area of your life is important. I think that, particularly in the age we are living in, authenticity is what people are looking for.
When I am creating flowers, it matters to me that I know who they are for and what that person loves — their colours and their favourite flowers. A gift becomes so much more special when a great deal of thought has gone into it.
Like my sense of style, there are always trends, but I tend to follow my instincts. With flowers, I look at what is freshest and what is in season.
The flowers don’t necessarily need to be fully open when they are given. As beautiful as that can be, there is something lovely about allowing a bouquet to develop over the week.
It becomes the gift that keeps giving.
How do you hold the balance between caring for others and building a life that feels like your own?
I have been a people pleaser. I’ve often put everyone before myself, while wanting to make other people feel valued.
It was only a few years ago that I realised I wasn’t giving that same sense of value to myself.
Having more time on my own has made me appreciate the person I am. I value myself more now, and I have more self-confidence.
Finding the balance between giving to yourself and giving to others isn’t easy, but awareness is the most important thing — in this and in so many areas of life.
Most importantly, I try to make sure my children are happy and confident enough to be exactly who they are. I give them lots of love and support.
Now that they are teenagers, it is a gentle balance: allowing them to be independent while making sure they feel safe and loved, and giving them the confidence to be themselves and feel supported in the decisions they make without trying to control everything.
How has your sense of style evolved over time and do you feel more at ease in how you dress now than you did in previous years?
I think, underneath it all, I’ve always had a classic sense of style.
If you buy good, well-made pieces over time, they stay in your wardrobe. You can mix and match them with almost anything — and fashion always comes around again.
I think it is hilarious that my daughters are wearing Kookai now, just as I was from the age of seventeen.
I’m comfortable dressing in a way that makes me feel good. Generally, there is an element of leopard print haha! It has always been in my wardrobe, whether it is considered fashionable or not.
It doesn’t matter to me.
It makes me happy, and that is all that matters.
Tell us about something you own that you could never replace. What story does it carry?
There isn’t one particular thing that immediately comes to mind—but I do love my shoes, and I rarely give them away.
What would you want to tell the younger woman you once were?
That I am capable of anything I put my mind to.
Don’t be afraid to speak up. You will have so much love and support around you.
Life will turn out better than you imagined.
A Few Things Veronique Loves
A place I’ll always return to…
Europe in particular Italy.
A meal that always feels like home…
Pasta.
A book that has stayed with me…
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. I don’t read enough, but that book made a lasting impression on me many years ago.
A piece of clothing I’ll never part with…
My Max Mara coat. I had coveted one since I first saw one in Italy when I was fifteen, and I finally received one for Christmas a few years ago.
An object I treasure…
Photographs of my children, and a bracelet they gave me last year.
The scents that instantly ground me…
Vetiver and bergamot.
A daily ritual I couldn’t live without…
My skincare routine. I use a mixture of products and don’t use injectables, so I try to take care of my skin.
A woman I admire…
I admire many women, particularly strong, authentic women. Two very different women I admire, for different reasons, are Julie Bishop and Lindy Klim.
Something I’m learning to embrace…
Who I am at this point in my life and whatever comes my way.
Luxury, to me, is…
Having a bath. Being able to travel. Spending time with the people I love — most importantly, my children.
Worn by Veronique
Veronique wears pieces from Del Mar’s Mujeres del Sol collection alongside forthcoming silk pieces created from excess fabric remaining after the cutting of the original long dusters.
New silk pieces coming soon.
Maison Veronique
Through Maison Veronique, Veronique creates thoughtful, personal floral arrangements guided by the recipient, the season and the flowers that feel most beautiful in the moment.
Photography by Penny Lane Photography
Del Mar Women is an ongoing portrait series celebrating women through personal style, lived experience and the stories that shape who we become.
