Despite Annalise Braakensiek’s busy time schedule she has been able to fulfill one of her strongest passions and release a jewellery collection named Annalise. She has achieved international recognition as a cover girl, actress, television personality, completed a master’s degree, speaks five languages, designs lingerie and continues to work tirelessly. Annalise’s true passion is in art, which is why she has created this jewellery collection. Fortunately we have an insight into what motivates one of Australia’s most hard-working beauties.
Where do you get the motivation to be successful in such a multifaceted career? It is an innate sense that I have always had. My schoolteacher recently told me he always knew I was going far because he saw my innate motivation from a very young age. I don’t know where it exactly comes from but I do have an incredible passion for many things. I just do as much as I possibly can, to the point of exhaustion sometimes. To the point where I think I’m an absolutely idiot. It is an innate sense and drive I have. I feel I have to be true to that.
What is your family and friend network like?I have the most incredible siblings with the deepest love imaginable. I’m extraordinarily lucky. Unfortunately my father is in heaven, my mum lives in Byron and I live in Sydney, so I’m not very close with my parents in that sense. I definitely make my friends my family, they mean the world to me and I have an awesome, beautiful and rock solid crew. They’re there for me no matter what.
It is probably hard to choose, but do you have a highlight so far from your career?Oh gosh I don’t really. I’ve been asked this question a few times and it is a very difficult thing to answer. There are some moments when I think I am so blessed, so lucky. I’m on the Amalfi Coast shooting, I stop and think, “hello this is ridiculous”. However, certainly being nominated for a Logie for Outstanding New Talent in Comedy, was a pretty big honour. Especially when I wrote a lot of my characters lines in the cult SBS comedy Pizza. But I really think I haven’t done that amazingly and I going to do a lot more amazing things that will stand out in the future
You started in modelling, has that always been a passion of yours? Oh gosh definitely not. My passion has always been in the arts. I have a double major in jewellery and sculpture at the University of NSW College of Fine Arts. I always wanted to be an artist. When I was 15 I was initially scouted by a fantastic Italian photographer. I said, “I am an artist. I’m not going to model”. Then sure enough 10 years later I’m in Milan at a request casting and none other than he was there.
You must be fairly excited about your signature jewellery collection since it has been a passion of yours before modelling? I am very passionate about it. On a personal note my father passed away from Cancer. When I met him, I was 25 and he and I forged a close bond. He knew I was obsessed with Native American jewellery. I just love Native America Jewellery and turquoise. Pappa would save up all year and by me a piece. Then he would always say, “try and pick another obsession, it’s so expensive, why don’t you make your own?” and would said “Pappa Bear I promise you one day I will.” So I have dedicated my Pappa Bear collection to him. It is something I have always wanted to do and I am really thrilled I have finally been able to doing it.
The Scandanavian and Native American influences seem like an odd pairing, how do they work together? They are not similar at all, other than that I love them both dearly. My mum is Czech and my Dad is Norwegian. Scandinavian jewellery has a lot cleaner lines. But I personally love the native chunky ornate stuff. The antique stuff is obviously the best, they do it the best but I’ve done my natural way. My jewellery is a bit more of that Scandinavian style kind of a mixture of the both.
They pieces are all hand crafted. It is very important to me that the stones are not reconstituted. Not coloured. Which is so much of what is around and it breaks my heart, so I hand pick all of the stones. The stones are such an important part of the process. If I get them sent to me from a gem dealer in India, I hand pick them, I make sure each and every stone is suitable for my collection. When I am travelling I am always on the look out for beautiful pieces. I particularly love turquoise. It’s my birthstone, I’m kind of obsessed with it.
Do you have a favourite piece in your collection?
I love so many of them. Pappa Bear is very sentimental for me. The Navaho Baby I also Love. The four rings I live in are the Gypsie, Pappa Bear Long ring, Pappa Bear Short ring and mix that up with Love Me or I’m a Star on top. I kind of stack them. I do mix a lot of it up all the time. I nearly always were my love love pendent.
I don’t usually give myself big-ups but the other day my girlfriends all came over and one of them had an arm full of my Bestie Bands, and a little one of necklaces, they all had my lingerie on. All the girls had different bras of mine on. They all had different pieces of my jewellery. Another guy had some of my Pyjamas on the other day, wearing it like a tracksuit. It was really such an honour. Oh it was beautiful.
When people where your jewellery how would you like them to feel?
Amazing, I want them to feel like they are wearing something that is unique and different. They have been made with so much love. I don’t make pieces to throw away, I make pieces to wear forever and pass on to someone else. I know they are more expensive than other stuff. But I want that mindfulness to be in my jewellery. I just want them to feel amazing and lots of love. There are lots of love hearts, more love and shininess. I hope they love it.
Annalise’s signature jewellery collection and more information about this amazing lady are available at www.annalise.com.au.