BIOGRAPHY WRITER MEDIA MEET SAMANTHA

The SAMANTHA WILLS Jewellery business is officially closed.

Our retail partner DAVIDJONES.com will be the exclusive stockist for the next 6-months.

We have archived the past 15 years on our Instagram feed, visit it any time to take a trip down memory lane

NEED TO MAKE A RETURN?

Our Customer Experience Team will be here til July 30th, 2019 to honor our 6-month product warranty management.

(Please note; we will not be accepting change of mind, only faulty items under warranty)

info@samanthawills.com or 02 9690 2122

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VIA FORBES

VIA FORBES

 

Samantha Wills has been in the spotlight as one of Australia’s most dynamic speakers and creative personalities since launching her self-titled jewellery brand at Australian Fashion Week in 2004, at just 21 years of age. 

After 15 years, and stating that she felt the SAMANTHA WILLS jewellery brand had achieved all it had set out to do, Wills announced that she was closing the jewellery business in January 2019 to focus on her profile work as a speaker, writer and creative.

Passionate about supporting women in business, Wills continues her work with the SamanthaWillsFoundation.org, and is an advocate for gender equality and conscious kindness.

Based in New York City where she is currently writing her first book, Samantha travels globally as a creative ambassador and keynote speaker. 

 
IMAGE VIA GRAZIA

IMAGE VIA GRAZIA

 
🖤 Fleetwood Mac, last night at Madison Square Garden — Neil Finn and Stevie doing ‘Landslide’ + Crowded House’s ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’. Absolutely magic. -SWx #FleetwoodMac
It’s really none of my business, right now, to be on the cover of a magazine about business. I’m unemployed at the moment (or ‘between jobs’ as I tell my Dad), but none the less, I will be touring Australia late this month for the @BusinessChicks #FoundersTalks. ⠀ ⠀ Even though it’s a business initiative, by a business organization, that even has the word business in the title, I won’t be speaking about business at all. The truth is I am actually really shit at business - I operate very much in the right side of the brain, so if you’re looking for a keynote speaker on numbers & logistics, I’m not the one. ⠀ ⠀ What I WILL be talking about however, is how the Universe only ever has three answers for us. ⠀ ⠀ 1.Yes ⠀ 2.Not right now. ⠀ 3.I have something better in store for you. ⠀ ⠀ We are always being guided. People & experiences cross our paths for a purpose; gently (other times not so gently) pushing us in the direction we are meant to be going, but rather than seeing it as guidance, we see it as a shut door/not getting what we want at the time that we want it. ⠀ ⠀ I’ll be talking about how in 2004 when I was initially offered a showroom wall at Fashion Week I declined it. I didn’t think my jewellery was good enough to be anywhere more than a market table. Nothing or no one, could convince me otherwise. ⠀ ⠀ At the same time, I had been seeing a boy who I had a significant crush on. I thought it was all going well - then he simply disappeared. I don’t think ghosted was a term in ‘04, but that’s what he did. I was 22 & devastated. ⠀ ⠀ A week after our last date, he walked past my market stall with his arm around an actress from Home & Away. My heart dropped to the ground as they stopped at my table. ⠀ ⠀ “Oh hey, Sam,” He said, casually as you like, as if we were old buddies, “so, this is your little hobby you were telling me about?” He said, nodding towards my jewellery. ⠀ ⠀ It was dismissive. It was sharp. And my God, it stung...(& I also absolutely hate being called Sam.) ⠀ ⠀ When He & Home & Away were out of sight, I ran to the toilets & burst into tears. ⠀ ⠀ Walking back to my market table & standing right by it was…. […CONT in comments below]
When asked where I am from, I never just say “Australia,” I always reply “a small town in Australia.” I only realized I did this a few years ago, after an interview I did with The Sydney Morning Herald was published which said; “Wills says she still considers herself not just Australian but a "small-town" Australian.” ⠀ ⠀ I grew up in Port Macquarie, NSW. My Mum on a dairy farm in Wauchope, & my Dad in a tiny town called Leeton, in the NSW Riverina area. ⠀ ⠀ My Dad had a footwear agency & his territory was regional NSW, some school holidays I would go on the road with him. We would call on stores in towns from Bourke to Cobar, Warren, Narromine, Dubbo, Forbes, Gundagai, Coonabarrabran & Coonamble – just to name a few. ⠀ ⠀ I love small towns. I AM small town. ⠀ ⠀ I am delighted to be featured in the new issue of @CountryStyleMag talking about my country childhood, growing up in Port Macquarie. I am also thrilled that this issue is ‘The Art Issue’, dedicated to regional Australia’s thriving art scene. ⠀ As a creative person from a country town, I am also excited to be heading to Wagga Wagga, NSW to present a keynote for @hellohubbhubb at their #Hatched event, March 28th, 2019. ⠀ ⠀ I will be speaking on the journey from Port Macquarie to NYC & what I have learnt in business & branding over the past 15 years, + what integral role being from a small town played in the success of the @SamanthaWIllsOfficial brand journey. ⠀ ⠀ Thankyou @CountryStyleMag for this feature and for so exquisitely capturing all the beauty that is regional Australia. And thank you also to @HelloHubbHubb for facilitating opportunities for regional creatives and entrepreneurs, I am very looking forward to this event! - SWx ⠀ ⠀ Tickets to #HATCHED Wagga Wagga via link in bio ⠀ ⠀ @countrystylemag // March Issue - On newsstands nationally. ⠀ ⠀ 📸 @scottehler
Change, in my experience is rarely easy. ⠀ ⠀ Buddha said; “Everything changes, nothing remains without change.” ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ He is correct, I admire how calmly and anxiety free it seems he said it…. I also wonder if Buddha was in a therapist’s office twice a week (🙋🏼‍♀️) trying to navigate it. ⠀ ⠀ That’s how I answer the question I am being most asked most in the weeks that have followed the closure of the @SamanthaWillsOfficial jewellery business.... ⠀ ⠀ “Soooo, how’s it all feeling?” people ask me, smiling broadly like they expect me to be about to jet off to a tropical island and lay under a beach umbrella taking only important calls via a coconut. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ “It feels like I need to be in therapy twice a week… So I am,” I reply. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ The person who asks the question instantly has a look of regret they did, and I usually just shrug my shoulders a little, smile a little, and say “change... it’s not easy.” ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ @WomensHealthAus recently spoke with me and some other Australian women making some big changes, the article is based on career and getting to the point where you achieved everything you wanted annnnnd…. then what? Or if you are looking at it from a different angle, the dream job you thought you wanted may have changed along the way and that requires a slight re-route in the course. The full article is on newsstands stand now, with the gorgeous @Elsapatakyconfidential on the cover. ⠀ ⠀ “Change, like love - is a battlefield“ – Buddha ⠀ ….(Just joking, Buddha didn’t say that. Me and Pat Benatar did.) ⠀ ⠀ I will be speaking on change, intuition and decision making in the keynotes I will be presenting in the coming months around Australia. ——- For more information, check out link in bio (Wagga Wagga… I’m also heading your way too!) – SWx ⠀
I am thrilled to be back in Australia soon for a week with @BusinessChicks as part of their #TheFoundersTalks Series. I will be presenting keynote in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth & Sydney where I will be talking about the decision making process I went through on deciding to close the @SamanthaWillsOfficial jewellery business. ⠀ ⠀ At The Founders Talks, I will be presenting what was seen publicity with the #SamanthaWills Jewellery business - a successful brand - vs what was playing out privately for me at the same time. I believe these parallels are important to share, because there is a light and darkness to every story, one simply does not exist without the other. I will be sharing insights from the past 15 years and look forward to meeting you after the event.⠀ ⠀ ⠀ I hope you’ll join me, tickets are limited – more info and tickets via link in bio. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Thank you #BusinessChicks for facilitating these events and evoking these conversations, I am truly honoured to be involved. See you soon, Australia! – SWx ⠀
“When I die, bury me in Maticevski!!!” — My exact words to @lirije_memishi when this dress arrived... Thank you beautiful Lirije for the loan, and thank you @toni_maticevski for creating such magic. -SWx
Test polaroids from the studio fitting of this insane gown I was lucky enough to wear last night, by Australia’s best @toni_maticevski 🖤 -SWx
Last night at the American Australian Arts Awards @_aaausa, in New York City. ⠀ ⠀ Many years ago, I was sent a picture (shown in gallery) of a piece of paper stuck to a cement pole during the Dublin Contemporary 2011 Art Exhibition, it said: ⠀ ⠀ ”ART WON’T SAVE THE WORLD. GO VOLUNTEER AT A SOUP KITCHEN YOU PRETENTIOUS F#CK.” ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ I’m a passionate advocate for the arts. ⠀ ⠀ Not just the high end, fine art, classical ballet, Julliard trained, couture aristocracy type of art, but also - and possibly, more so - the other end of the arts. The “I started creating on my kitchen table”, “busked on street corners”, “drew pictures in math's class”, “paint after the kids went to bed”, “did photography for fun”, “I was just doing it as a hobby and I kind of just fell into it”, scrappy start-up kind of arts. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ I think that’s why I liked the Dublin Contemporary flier so much, it was scrappy; in medium, and language.  I am unsure if it was posted as part of the exhibition, or by an anti-art protester taking the piss, but either way, I thought it was brilliant and sent it to all my creative friends. It was also my screen saver for many years.  To me it read as a reminder on two topics; … (continued in gallery above) ____ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Congratulations tonight to Elle MacPherson, Simon Baker and Zoy Frangos who were all honoured for their contribution to Australian Arts in America. There is something incredibly special about being abroad in a room full of Aussies. - SWx ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ To celebrate Australia Arts in in the USA, it was such a honour to work with an all Australia team, with my many, many thanks to the following artists: ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Gown by Australian Designer: @Toni_Maticevski ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Hair by Australian Hair Stylist: @HeyWhatsChaplin ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Makeup by Australian Make-up Artist: @TobiMakeup ⠀ --- ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Referenced in story: @CelesteBarber, @TaylorSwift,  @Heidi, Madelyn Jenner (via her Mum) @r_amc
No matter how long I’ve spent in the Northern hemisphere, I’m still far too Australian for these temperatures 🐨🥶Much love, from the mountains. x
It is so quiet up here, you can literally hear the snowflakes falling. Some days you don’t see another soul. It is serenely beautiful, and very magical. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Bowie’s having an absolutely terrible time....as shown in both these photos. ⠀ ⠀ Hope you’re keeping warm (Not you, Australia! I know you’re melting at the minute!! Stay cool down there!) ⠀ Much love, from here. -SWx
About 90 minutes north of New York City are hidden little places like this. Till the weekend I’m bunkered down here writing, and what better place to do so.... This building is an old converted schoolhouse, and while I’m sure it’s somewhat warmer in other months, it’s beyond spectacular mid winter. ⠀ ⠀ You will see in gallery above I managed to catch some some footage of Aslan, (and I’m only half joking when I say I’m expecting Edmund and Lucy to emerge from a wardrobe.) ⠀ Please send wine, C/- Narnia. -SWx
Today we say, farewell. Thank you for being so gracious as to taking this journey with us. With all my love and gratitude..See you in a little while. -SWx ⠀ ⠀ @samanthawillsofficial ⠀ SAMANTHA WILLS JEWELLERY ⠀ 2004-2019