This Valentine’s Day, let’s take a moment to put all love stories and couples’ goals aside to focus on a pretty special woman who has experienced love, raised a child and travelled the world; all the while maintaining a successful modelling and blogging career. What’s this got to do with the day we dedicate to love?
Tanja Gacic is single, and she’s loving every moment of it.
This Valentine’s Day, while we’re still celebrating the love of some admirable couples, we think it’s equally important to celebrate the love we have for ourselves, as well as the love we experience in and out of romantic relationships.
We spent an afternoon in Tanja’s Art Deco apartment to talk all things style and the single life.
After 17 years of modelling in Australia, Croatian born Tanja took a chance on her career and shifted to the world of blogging where ‘My Empirical Life’ was born.
“My Empirical life started as an experiment because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life and I was always into writing, taking photos and travelling. I wanted to see which one of those things I was into most.
I decided to start documenting my life and my travels, as well as social and art events. It was a lot of fun, but I didn’t realise I was posting it publicly. I thought it was a private blog, so when Vogue called me up to ask me if I wanted to become one of their Spy Style bloggers, I was really shocked!
I'm forever grateful for Vogue putting me on this path and opening me up to new possibilities within this realm. I never thought that I would have an actual career out of this, it's incredible!”
Tanja now shares her eye for fashion trends with the world, but it’s her uniquely decorated home that is a true expression of her past and present style. Each piece representative of a moment, a memory or an experience in her awe-inspiring life.
“I'm obsessed with vintage, not just in clothes but in furniture. Whenever I get a chance I will go to a vintage store and just go trawling. I've done crazy things that no one would do, like ship marble from overseas.
The reTHREAD tea towel, crafted from 100% recycled materials
It's important to me that there's an element of uniqueness, that it represents my spirit and that it’s made with quality, so it lasts a really long time.
The Luxury Egyptian towel collection in tabac & The Luxury Retreat towel collection in sea green
I feel like it's important to me that there's an element of uniqueness, that it represents my spirit and that it’s made with quality, so it lasts a really long time.
I get obsessive about collecting things. First it was depression glass, then I got into crystal glassware and woodblock prints. I also have pieces of minerals from all around the world. Material things are more sentimental to me, they are things that represent memories and experiences, so it's really important for me to bring things back from wherever I go.”
From left: The Newcomb cushion in iris, the Carellas breakfast cushion in seaweed, the Delwyn throw in birch and the Elbury cushion in tabac
On love….
While the lessons learned in love are valuable, life as a single woman has allowed Tanja to look at the world with a new perspective.
“Being single gives you an opportunity to get to know yourself. I think so much of our society is centred on being part of a couple, that if you're single, it's almost like you're less valuable or your life isn't as good. I’ve discovered that’s not true.
I am loving life as a single woman. I have been in back-to-back, long term relationships since I was 17 and this has been the first year that I've been single and actually happy about it. To be honest with you, I think I'm going to find it really hard to give up now!”
The Arden silk scarf & Tanja wears the Linger robe, crafted with TENCEL™ Lyocell fibres
Tanja confesses that for her, the 14th of Feb is usually spent with a significant other. However, 2020 calls for a mix of self-love and some ‘Galentine’s Day’ fun.
“One of my closest friends has her birthday on the 14th of February, so we're going out dancing and we're going to have the best time, I'm so stoked.
I'm not the sort of person who's shy about going out on my own, I'll book a table for one, or go to the movies on my own. I really like hanging out on my own, but I think Valentine's Day is one of those days where you need to be with friends.”
Tanja has travelled far and wide but has only really been able to spread her wings and fly since embracing her independence.
“I've had the opportunity to travel more this year and be so much freer in that travel. In the past I've had to sync my schedule with my partner and cut my trips short, whereas this year, I've had the freedom to just do whatever the hell I want and do it when I want.
It's also given me a chance to spend more time with friends and get into projects, read a lot of books, get fit and find more hobbies that I'm really into.”
In addition to the freedom and self-liberation, Tanja expresses the positive impact her single life has had on her relationship with her daughter.
“For my daughter it's really empowering to see me be a strong, independent woman who doesn't need anybody to be happy. She has become a lot happier in herself and has a feeling of safety within our little family. Not needing anybody apart from us makes her feel more secure and that's been a beautiful thing.”
While the journey of self-discovery has been paramount, Tanja takes pleasure in the small wins of single life.
“You can starfish in bed, there's no one snoring next to you, you don't have to clean the house if you don't want to at that particular moment in time and you can have all of this freedom - go out with your girlfriends and bring them home at 1am and have another drink! It's kind of nice and I'm very into it!”
Andree chunky knit cushions in frost grey
Date or no date this Valentine’s Day, we recommend taking a page out of Tanja’s book. Enjoy your single life and embrace the day for what it really is – a day to appreciate love in all its forms.