Matilda Djerf Talks To LG About Her New Beauty Brand, Business & More
@MATILDADJERF
THE JOURNEY
My social media career happened very organically. I’m from a small town in Sweden called Borås and when I finished school, financial freedom was the most important thing to me. I really wanted to travel, so to make it happen I took every job I could – fishmonger, cleaner, working at a juice bar, I did anything and everything. Once I saved up enough money, my boyfriend and I went to the Caribbean for three months and while we were there, I started to document the trip for our families. I started a blog, was uploading photos and hit around 3,000 followers on Instagram – but I had no clue what was to come.
The content came from genuine passion. I’d always been creative and enjoyed using both styling and photography as an outlet. After the Caribbean, I went back to Sweden and continued working at the juice bar, taking modelling jobs and saving as much money as I could to keep travelling. I continued to create content and as I grew, I slowly started getting offered collaborations, too.
By the end of 2017, I’d hit 100,000 followers on Instagram. Rather than go back to the juice bar, I thought it was worth taking a leap and seeing what could happen doing social media full time. I did, however, continue to take modelling jobs to help enough money to do what I really wanted to do: start my own business.
My style has never been about other people – I only dress for myself. My mom has always inspired me in this sense. In our small town, everyone had a very distinct look and when my mom went out with her friends, they’d all be in the same kind of clothes. She’d look different, though – in a way that felt like her.
There were a couple of lightbulb moments that led to Djerf Avenue. After collaborating on collections with other brands, I quickly realised I was giving a lot of myself to them: my time, my ideas, my creative concepts and my exposure. While I loved what we created, I didn't get to decide the things that really mattered to me – for example, which factories to work with or what countries to produce in. To this day I’m also very proud that Djerf Avenue was entirely self-funded.
From the start, we wanted our community to be our models at Djerf Avenue. As a model myself, I had put on dresses that got pinned at the back before the image would go up on site saying, “Model wearing size small”. I always thought it was so stupid – brands were lying to customers. When I started Djerf Avenue I knew I wanted to do things differently. I wanted as many sizes as possible and for people to come to our website and social media channels and feel represented.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to listen to my gut. As a young woman, there’s a good chance you’re going to be in rooms with people who are going to tell you they know better. I learned how to put my foot down and remember this is my company. It’s important to listen and take on advice where relevant, but at the end of the day, you need to be good at making your own decisions. It’s a big part of being a good entrepreneur.
To be a good business owner, you have to love working. Running your own business is often romanticised – but you have to want to make it succeed. It really is a 24/7 grind. I’m five years in and I love my job, but I genuinely eat, sleep and breathe it – probably to an unhealthy degree. That said, it’s still important to find a good work-life balance.
@MATILDADJERF
PERSONAL STYLE
It’s really easy to be influenced by trends – but I try not to get caught up in it all. If you do, you’re likely to start making a lot of impulse purchases and buying things you’re not really going to wear.
Lately I’ve been wearing one outfit on repeat. It’s a soft black Djerf Avenue turtleneck and a pair of our suit pants. This is the base and then I play around with different belts, or different pieces of jewellery – heels one day, loafers the next. When I’m late and need something easy, it's been my go-to look. For the evenings, a formula that never fails is usually a pair of heels, stockings and a really big blazer.
Scandi style can mean so many things. In Stockholm you’ll see a mix of minimalist and maximalist but one thing Scandi girls do really well is layering. The weather is so chaotic, so it’s almost just become part of the style. For example, the other day I was wearing a tee, a shirt, a little jacket and a coat on top. While it’s functional, it's also about versatility and being able to remove layers.
For me, a good wardrobe is all about timelessness and versatility. My style is comfortable and to some degree minimalistic, but I love to add a couple of personal touches – be it a vintage shoe or a pair of statement earrings. The accessories are what make a look your own.
@MATILDADJERF
THE BEAUTY LAUNCH
Djerf Avenue Beauty started in a similar way to Djerf Avenue. From a selfish perspective, I was missing key products that my hair needed. There are so many brands I genuinely still love and use, but I was missing those ‘holy grail’ heroes that ticked all of the boxes. Three of my go-to styles are a big blow out, a slicked-back bun and a half-up half-down look, but I always had to combine so many different products and it was tricky taking them all with me. I’m also really picky with scents – so having my own brand made sense. Two years later – and with a lot of hard work – here we are.
There were a lot of non-negotiables. It probably slowed the process down, making us delay the launch slightly, but it was worth it to create exactly what we wanted. Everything is produced in Sweden and the packaging is 100% PCR (Post-Consumer Resin) that’s been sourced in Europe. We also didn’t want the formula to have any ‘filler’ ingredients – everything is there for a reason and of the highest quality. It’s all multi-purpose, too.
The Breezy Styling Mist and the On-The-Go Styling Gel are the first products to launch. They’re a good representation of me, and what Djerf Avenue Beauty means to the team. I use the mist in damp hair before my blowout, but it’s also great for spraying into your roots as a touch up when you want to add a more volume. It’s a great heat protector, too. The gel is my holy grail for slick-back buns and flyaways. It was really important that it was a gel rather than a pomade or wax as it's much lighter. It also adds a beautiful shine and tames frizz. I also love using it after I’ve styled my hair to define my curls.
The secret to my hair look is a combination of product and technique. It’s been so hard keeping these products under wraps as they’ve been what I've used over the past two years to get the look. The secret is basically using the styling mist, then blow drying the hair upwards to create maximum volume.
If you looked in my bag right now, you’d find a random collection of things. I always have a Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment in there, a hairbrush, my Djerf Avenue Beauty Styling Gel, a pair of headphones and a lip liner. My go-to lip combo right now is Charlotte Tilbury’s Iconic Nude plus a transparent gloss or Rhode’s ‘Toast’ shade.
@DJERFAVENUE
LIFE, WELLBEING & THE FUTURE
I’m such an advocate for journaling. Plus, I enjoy taking baths with magnesium salts. I also really rate an infrared sauna – so much so that I’ve added one to our new apartment. I think my interior designer thinks I’m slightly crazy, but it brings me a lot of joy.
Mental health is an ongoing journey for me. I have to find new ways to deal with it almost every week. Sometimes it’s not an issue at all and sometimes I go into periods of extreme anxiety. During those times, the main thing I try to do is be vocal about it with the people around me – especially with my team. Leading up to us launching beauty, I was so nervous. We had a big meeting, and I told my team how I felt and how much pressure there was. Allowing yourself to be vulnerable with the people around you is so important.
When I was told I was having an ectopic pregnancy, I had no idea what it was. As a woman it’s crazy that so many of us weren't taught about this kind of thing at school. That’s why it was important for me to share it. I waited until it was less painful to talk about, but after sharing, I received so many messages from young women saying thank you. If it helped one person, it was worth it.
My FYP on TikTok is so random. It’s usually that funny AI meme of those two cats where it says, “Me when I’m mad at my boyfriend”. It makes me laugh every time. My boyfriend Rasmus and I keep sending them to each other, so that’s probably why my entire algorithm is just that.
My advice to my younger self would be to know I have all the answers within. Growing up I felt like I didn't fit in. So, I’d go back and tell myself that with time, I’d find my purpose and my tribe – and to just trust the process.
One of my ongoing career goals is to help other young entrepreneurs. When I started the business, I didn't really have anyone to look up to as a mentor. There were so many men and very few of those people truly inspired me. I wanted to look at other young women, so I really want to find a way to help other young people who want to do the same.
There are a lot of fun things coming up. There are a lot of other brands who are doing make-up really well – so for me, hair is the focus for now. I feel like I’m in a place where I finally have the time and resources to make a lot of exciting things across the board, so watch this space.
Follow @MatildaDjerf, @DjerfAvenue & visit DjerfAvenue.com
@MATILDADJERF
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