Meet Nancy Melin

Ooh, our latest guest just blew in from the Windy City! Meet Nancy, Chicago’s resident Anglophile, acrylic jewellery enthusiast and provider of serious glasses envy (we mean it, check out her IG feed here!). This year we’re celebrating 20 years of Tatty Devine and once Nancy’s photogenic flat lays of her coveted collection caught our eye, we just had to know more about this Doctor Who fan’s taste in Tatty Devine. So, dust off your Suede LPs, set your sonic screwdriver to ‘scan’ mode and let’s rewind to 2012...

HEY NANCY! WHEN AND HOW DID YOU DISCOVER TATTY DEVINE?

I was in London for the Christmas and New Year holiday, my last full day, January 2, 2012, I spent the day at the Tate Modern. In the gift shop, I saw a couple of Tatty Devine pieces. Sadly, after being in London for nearly two weeks I had already gone over my budget, so I made a note of the brand for when I got back home and could shop online.  

WE FIRST SPOTTED YOUR COLLECTION OVER ON INSTAGRAM. HOW MANY PIECES DO YOU HAVE NOW? 

I was modest with my online purchases the first couple years, then around 2015 the floodgates opened and I really dug in, not just with new pieces, but actively looking for older pieces. My recent Misshapes: The Birthday Collection purchases have taken me over 400. 

HAS YOUR TASTE CHANGED OVER THE YEARS YOU'VE BEEN COLLECTING? 

Definitely. The first couple of years I admired many pieces but felt they were too big or too colourful for me. I would buy smaller pieces, pendants and smaller brooches. Then I won a large Forest Cluster Charm bracelet on eBay. I didn’t realize just how large the charms were until it arrived.

I was surprised, but in the best way, I was over-the-moon. That piece changed everything. I started buying bigger pieces immediately. On occasion I even find myself wishing for some pieces to be even bigger. This past spring, with Flamingo-a-Go-Go collection, the bamboo is absolutely gorgeous, and a new favourite, but when I first tried it on I did find myself thinking “I wish it were just a little bigger”. Times have definitely changed!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

Classic shapes and retro styles with gothy undertones (I wear a lot of black). I’ve historically worn solid colours or stripes and used my accessories as the focal point. Even before I found Tatty Devine I was always focused on accessories. Recently I’ve started to branch out with prints and colours which is entirely down to finding clothing that I think will look good with a piece or two of Tatty Devine.

WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PIECES/COLLECTIONS AND WHICH PIECE STILL GIVES YOU #TATTYREGRET?

My favourite collections are the Pearly Kings and Queens, Forest Charms/Clusters, Acid Blossoms, Tate collaborations, The Art of Wasting Time (specifically the Kimono Blooms), and She Put a Spell on You. I’m not a completist, I don’t need to get every piece from a collection just to make a set, but with these favourite collections, I find that over time I’ve ended up getting nearly the whole collection because I love all the pieces.

My #TATTYREGRET is firmly based in the time frame before I embraced statement pieces. I’ve been lucky and been able to get a few of my top #TATTYREGRET pieces, but a few still elude me. I’m still hoping for the Lover’s Eye Statement Necklace, the Goddess Sunrise Necklace, and the Alpine Flower Statement Necklace. 

AW14's limited edition Alpine Flower Statement Necklace.

OK, HOW DO YOU STORE YOUR JEWELLERY?

I like to see everything when I’m getting ready so I have a few glass display cabinets from Ikea. The pieces are on black or white display forms.

WHAT DO YOU GET UP TO WHEN YOU'RE NOT CREATING EPIC FLAT LAYS? 

My day job is as a Business Analyst for software used by nonprofits for fundraising, community development, and education. I am also a metalsmith and jewelry designer with my bachelor's degree in fine arts. In addition to playing with metal and fire, I love crafting and sewing as well as cooking and baking. I also try to see as much live music as I can. It is no surprise that with these interests I am a fan of Tatty Devine pieces that are music inspired, like the Volume Brooch, Dog on Wheels Necklace, French Navy and the Speaker Stack, which is on its way to me now!

TIME TO DREAM BIG: WHAT WOULD YOU WANT TO SEE US MAKE NEXT?

I would love a collection based on Greek or Norse Mythology.

"First wear for the Magpie Statement Brooch from Misshapes: The Birthday Collection. He is big, glittery, and gorgeous! Also wearing a petite Name Necklace in the limited edition Neon Green."

Thanks, Nancy! Take a peek at Nancy’s fancy IG feed here, shop our Misshapes birthday collection here and discover our Classic collection right here, it’s the best of the best, don’t you know?