Creative Director, Content Creator & Founder of MIRROR WATER

For this Tastemaker feature, we get to talk to Estée Lalonde, the creative director, content creator, and recent founder of the lifestyle community, MIRROR WATER.

After over a decade of work in the creative industries, Estée has established herself as an indisputable tastemaker, sharing her interests and findings with the audience she’s built over the years. Her new venture opens up difficult dialogues of self-reflection through content curation and mindful exploration.

We hope you enjoy this honest chat about meaningful experiences, the pieces that bring joy to her home, and the beginnings of her platform MIRROR WATER.

You have the most impressive career spanning over a decade of content creation, jewellery design for Daisy London, podcasting, to now founding the self-reflection lifestyle community, MIRROR WATER. Which aspect of your work enables you to be the most creative?

Thank you so much! It is quite wild to think back on everything. It really has been such a whirlwind and it’s hard to believe that it has been over 10 years since I started. All of the work I’ve done in this industry has been so creative in completely different ways, but I would say that my current project MIRROR WATER is stretching my creativity to new heights as it’s a completely new challenge for me.

How does art influence your work when working for brands and styling for yourself?

I’ll be the first to say that I don’t know much about art and I really didn’t grow up around museums etc. That being said, I’ve always had a fascination with beautiful things and I believe that we can find art in our everyday lives. I’ve had so many incredible experiences since moving to London when I was 19 years old and with MIRROR WATER I am trying to make art more accessible and it’s a topic I personally want to explore more. 

What was the first artwork in your art collection and what is the most precious one to you?

I have always collected little things like stones and objects from my travels. So many of those things are more meaningful to me than any piece of art money could buy. That being said, I recently purchased a piece of art by Rebecca Sammon that I instantly connected with. It’s called Reflection, funny enough. Can you tell I’m into reflection? 

What pieces in your home bring you joy?

I love being at home, so I’ve taken a lot of time to make sure the space feels safe and unique to me. I love my Wegner Wishbone chairs, my incense because it always changes the atmosphere and my vintage Le Klint pendant light. Oh! Does my bathtub count?

MIRROR WATER was born during covid, at a time when most of us were burnt out and in need of peace and clarity. How did the idea come about?

Sometimes when you’re in the thick of it it’s hard to look back and reflect on the things we have accomplished or achieved. Covid gave me the time and space I personally needed to process and think about what truly matters to me. I started making YouTube videos because I was seeking connection after moving from Canada to the UK. I wanted to think of a unique and special way to honour connection and exploration and that’s how MIRROR WATER was born. 

You are opening up the conversation on such personal and delicate subjects such as emotion processing and mindfulness, how has the process helped you?

Thank you! I have always felt that by sharing my own journey it will give others the encouragement and support to explore themselves. I share things because I find it healing and I get a lot of energetic support when my audience relates to the things that I share. It makes me feel less alone and I think it’s part of the reason I’m on this planet! It’s a small thing I can do to help to open the dialogue about mental health because when I was younger I found it much more difficult to express and share my own struggles.

What are your goals and hopes for the future?

Balance. I want to feel balanced in my personal life, my career and my relationship with myself. I’m doing pretty well at it, but I’m hoping to continue to carve out a future that feels equal parts fun, busy and rested. 

What is a question you wish people asked you more?

This is a great question and I’m going to steal it and ask other people. I suppose I wish people asked me more about the times I’ve felt free. Life can be so heavy and it’s nice to remember that it isn’t always like that. I love clubbing and since Covid I obviously haven’t been able to feel free on the dance floor surrounded by other people. It has been really hard to find something to ‘replace’ that, but I have found a lot of comfort in nature and I felt very free and at peace on a recent trip to Devon with my dog Effie.