"I Don't Care If People Like Me Or Not": Dawn O'Porter On Body Confidence And Self-Generated Success
Dawn O’Porter gives out some lifespo [Photo: Getty]
“Just bloody do it,” says Dawn O’Porter of her life motto. “Just bloody go for it, just bloody wear it…” It might explain how at 37 years old Dawn has managed to add more than a few strings to her career bow.
Not easily fazed or one to shy away from the gritty realism of life, Dawn first appeared on our radars when she became the go-to documentary girl to get the skinny on the issues du jour be that free love, the latest Hollywood treatment (a vagacial, as it happens) or shrinking to a size zero.
Since then the mum-of-one who’s married to ‘Bridesmaids’ star Chris O’Dowd (hence the ‘O’ in her newly combined surname) has dipped her toes into journalism (she’s had several magazine columns), radio presenting (contributing to Women’s Hour and Radio 4’s Inheritance tracks amongst others) and novel writing (she’s written five!) to name but a few.
More recently she’s added fashion designer and business owner to the list launching her online vintage clothing store and clothes line BOB by DOP last year, which lead to a pop-up store in London.
But her latest venture sees her return somewhat to her presenting roots as she tries her hand at podcasting. Combining her love of fashion with a deeper scratch-behind-the-surface look into the emotion of style, ‘Get It On’ offers a weekly delve into the relationships celebrities like Jo Whiley and Gemma Cairney have with their clothes.
In a break between podcasts in her LA home, we caught up with Dawn to talk career lessons, hurdles, milestones and more….
‘Just go for it’ is the mantra I live my life by. Pretty simple, isn’t it? But it’s the best advice anyone can give anyone. That’s pretty much it. I try to take risks and not worry too much about consequences. That almost guarantees some failure, but it also gives you the best chance of success.
Do things your own way. If I was to go back and give my younger self some advice I’d say ‘Dawn, don’t look at what people have done before, do it all your way’. I spent too much time trying to be the next…whoever. Create your own path, trying to be the next someone will mean you are always compared and always restricted.
Dawn with her husband Chris O’Dowd [Photo: Getty]
Enjoy your successes. Launching BOB was pretty major. It all happened so fast, a little conversation in my kitchen about a dream I had and then I just bloody did it. See? My mantra works;) When my first book was published. I went and found it on the shelf in Waterstones and took selfies of myself with it. Totally unreal. No one knew who I was at the time so it felt so exciting to be out there in some capacity.
Find your career muse. For writing mine was Nora Ephron, for that unapologetic openness. For designing most of my heroes are dead now. I continuously trawl for imagery of vintage clothing, they inspire me every day. The live shows by Couregges, the photo shoots from vintage Vogue magazines.
If you want to be a writer, you’ve got to write. Sounds simple, but when you want to be a writer you talk about wanting to write all the time, rather than actually doing it. Writing is the hardest part of being a writer, the more you do it, the more naturally it comes. So just write, and write and write.
Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you. Around eight years ago all my TV work dried up, I was broke and consumed with sadness about it. It took quite a talking to myself to drag me out of the hole I slipped down. It was writing that pulled me out in the end. Sounds cheesy but it’s always been the most loyal part of my career.
I realised that pretty much most of my success had been self-generated. I’d gone out and grabbed life, and all of a sudden I just sat back and waited for opportunities to come my way. Of course they didn’t. I pulled myself together, started writing properly again and very soon I had a book deal. TV work started to roll in again too, but by that time I’d realised that it wasn’t really what I wanted to do anymore. Writing and vintage clothing is where my heart is. And that is what will bring success…doing what you really love for all the right reasons.
[Photo: Getty]
Embrace who you are. Now that I’m 37 I am so much calmer. I am not trying to impress anyone and I don’t really care if people like me or not. That is a big relief. I also think I look better than ever and that ageing seems to suit me emotionally and physically. I really do feel exceptionally happy.
Style and body confidence is a journey. I know I am not supposed to say this but stopping eating ALL of the pies really helped me find my body confidence. I was so bloated for so many years, not realising I had a gluten intolerance (it’s better now because I cut out wheat for years). That bloat made me feel so shitty all the time, inside and outside. When I sorted my diet out and cut out wheat I felt so much more confident. I got much braver with clothes, and started investing in the wardrobe I had always wanted. A bonkers vintage one. My wardrobe looks like a fancy dress shop, I use clothes to boost my confidence all the time. I shop for myself and not for what is 'in’. My journey to confidence has been simple…wear what I love. But it took a while to work that out.
Learn to love yourself. I used to worry about the way I looked all the time. Now I worry about what to wear, but I don’t worry so much about what is underneath. Why? Because I have a job I love, a husband who fancies me, a healthy child and great friends…what more could being the perfect, toned size 8 get me? Nothing, so what is the point in worrying about being a wobbly size 11. It’s ALL good!
Dawn has launched a new podcast ‘Get It On’
Don’t be afraid to step outside the style box. I am so brave with what I wear now, and I think that is because I love to surprise people and take risks. I think when I was younger I didn’t take so many risks because I cared too much about what people thought. I still care, of course, but it doesn’t stop me wearing ridiculous clothes. Some of the biggest style lessons I’ve learnt are that sexy doesn’t mean showing flesh, and bold prints make you feel happy.
Don’t sweat the bodyshamers. I honestly give it so little of my attention that I don’t even have an answer for you about how to deal with them. I don’t think that being in the public eye ramps up the pressure to conform to certain body ideals. Not even remotely. I feel absolutely no pressure on any level to have any kind of body. I don’t feel my career depends on my body shape at all and I think for most people exactly the same applies. I am obviously not talking about models or jockeys.
Dress for your mood. I believe style and emotions are inextricably linked, which is why I have a hugely eclectic wardrobe of loads of different style clothes…it means I can dress for my mood.
#justbloodywearit I started this movement for a number of reasons.
1) Because too many people buy clothes they love but never wear and that riles me.
2) Too many people love the idea of wearing bonkers clothes but don’t think they can pull them off (everyone can).
3) Because clothes are SO fun, and I want people to just bloody enjoy them and stop bloody worrying.
And that’s it, really.
Listen to Dawn O’Porter’s new podcast which is available on Acast (www.acast.com), the free-to-use podcasting platform downloadable from the App store and Google play.
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