When I think about Pandora growing up, I reminisce on the classic silver charm bracelet. Everyone would collect their favourite charms, what is your favourite “Pandora Charm?”

Sophia Li “When I was younger or in high school, my friend had got a Pandora charm while she was traveling. I thought it was the coolest thing it was the Pandora world and it spun. You could spin it and she would play with it on her wrist all day in class. I just loved that it was the world, and also that you could play with it. It was almost like an anxiety relief as well.”

I replied chuckling “ it was like a toy”. Sophia agreed “Yes exactly, it was functional as well, it’s like a stress ball. The jelly stress balls that you could squeeze, but in jewellery form and really chic.”

All of the colours in the new ad gave me a nostalgic 90s feel of the “mood ring” at the end, of the ad, it states “Something About You”. Do you believe Pandora is bringing back the “mood ring” vibe?

Sophia Li “ That is such a good question! I used to love mood rings, I actually probably wore a mood ring until I was like 25. Just because I loved it so much- so I love that. Yeah, I think so maybe it’s the modern mood ring! The modern more sustainable and chicer mood ring and won’t rust on your fingers. I think it works with the Pandora line because you could express yourself with any colour and you could change it out every day, like with the Pandora colours that would be fun with whatever mood you are in. Maybe sometimes you have a rainbow of colours because you are feeling very vibrant- I like that. The modern mood ring but in a charm bracelet form.”

I responded passionately” I have to trademark that mood ring idea! If Pandora wants to use that for their ad, remember it came here first!”

The Pandora rep chimed in excitedly and replied “I will definitely mention it, I need to remember that it’s funny because when I first saw the collection it reminded me of those rings that you won, from the machine when you would put 25 cents or 50 cents, but it’s obviously so much more elevated. However it reminded me of that when I was growing up, It was like different coloured rings that you would win at the fair.”

Sophia, you are seen wearing the emerald green jewellery, if my theory on “mood rings” is correct, what mood do you think the emerald green would represent?

Sophia Li “I mean your theory on mood rings is 100 percent correct. I think the emerald green would be royal, regalness, it would be opulent. I think if this was the modern mood ring it wouldn’t just be the colours that are stress or calm. It would be like you are feeling your highest self, you are feeling so extra. You are feeling so opulent and regal. It’s like mood rings emotions 2.0. That would be the feeling the vibe.”

What is your favourite Pandora piece you got to wear?

Sophia Li “Well I am wearing it right now. It’s very simple but I just loved how they styled it with the stylist, it is 2 of the bracelets made into a necklace.. well into a choker. And I just thought that it was such a great take on the charm bracelet. I mean you could wear it in so many different ways but it was a great choker. It is subtle and simple and I love that.”

You are known for “wellness”. Wellness to my understanding means being your best self “thriving not just surviving”, how do you think the “Pandora Colours Campaign” contributes to the act of wellness?

Sophia Li “I think the “Pandora Colour Campaign” contributes to the act of wellness because number 1 they really embraced the individuality of everyone. And when you embrace the individuality for everyone for exactly who they are- you can bring them to the next level. That is wellness in itself radical acceptance. It wasn’t like a campaign where we all shot together and we all wore the same colours or the same look. They were very intentional about the colour and which colour each person was paired with. I think the representative of individuality and also the collectivity of all the spectrums as a whole is wellness because that is radical acceptance of each person.”

I answered back “It sends the message to be yourself but we are all together.” Sophia responded, “Yes exactly.”

Pandora tweeted “Bringing Pandoras Colours to life with the help of some friends.” This collection is built around the beauty of self-expression. How do you use colour or art to express yourself?

Sophia Li “Well I think I use colours or art… I mean everything is energy scientifically, and you could even say spiritually I guess. Well, colours can emit energy frequency and vibrations. You can also feel colours with coloured therapy and that could be with coloured dressing as well, it kinda has this way of raising your mood, raising your vibrations.  It is raising your energy so, colour is always something that I am pretty aware of and want to surround myself in and I said that in the Pandora Campaign that I don’t dress how I feel -I dress how I want to feel. Sometimes especially during this time you don’t feel the best. But if you dress how you want to feel bright, colourful, energetic, it just makes such a difference with a little bit of colour boosting mood.”

How did it feel working with the legendary Luke Gilford?

Sophia Li “ Aw well that was incredible I love Luke he’s the sweetest soul. If everyone was their individual colour, Luke would be the rainbow that connected us all. Because he’s just so good with people first and foremost and it really reads within the pictures. The intimacy, it’s really hard to evoke a sense of intimacy like that- I loved Gabby’s photos for pink.  For Luke to evoke that sense of intimacy stills when you know that there are probably 40 other people on set, which is really hard- to provide this kind of environment which was very sacred and very intimate. It was just a very beautiful process he was very collaborative.  He was very open and really just took the time to get to know each person first I think, before trying to have that be displayed through the stills. So Luke would be all the colours in the Pandora rainbow.”

I replied back “He is the leperchaun at the end of the rainbow. Sophia giggled back “I did say that he was our lucky charm!”

In the ad, you described the colour green as “it’s colour that represents our home, our Mother Earth. A colour that evokes emotion and what it means to be nature ourselves.” What is your favourite outdoor nature activity?”

Sophia Li “My favourite outdoor activity, I mean number 1 if I could just be outdoors in nature, beggars can’t be choosers- that would be perfect for me that would be the best. But my ultimate favourite is surfing you are well number 1 you have to be unplugged- it’s not like you can bring your phone into the ocean.

When you are trying to surf you read the waves to see which waves are the best to surf, there is this very moment because you are trying to read the waves, and see which ones you can actually ride. You become so intentional, present, and focused, trying to read the rhythm of the ocean, which is like reading the rhythm of Mother Nature, and it feels like there are moments when you just feel like it’s “speaking to you” and you are just like “Wow yes” it’s very connecting and it’s very powerful. It is just this perfect balance of calmness and stillness when you are waiting for the wave. And when the wave hits and you are riding it …it’s like adrenal, so it’s just this balance of both emotions and nature.”

We had a dark year last year, do you think it is becoming a new trend for fashion/beauty campaigns to bring back a little “colour” in our lives?

Sophia Li “100 percent whether it’s intentional or subconsciously everyone is creating colour that is why a lot of what you see- we just had New York fashion week. (which isn’t even fashion week anymore), but everyone was going with really bright and bold colours. When you are in this timeline of humanity, and you are creative naturally you just want to be as extravagant and as bold as possible.

I think that’s why in the 1920s, (it was right after the pandemic) we had the roaring 20s where everyone would be dressing up for the sake of nothing going anywhere or everywhere because people probably just realized they didn’t take that for granted anymore just going out and being around people.”

I added in “it does feel like the prohibition”

Sophia Li “Colour whether it’s intentional or not we are going to see like a whole collection of prohibition the roaring 20s, 100 years later. Nature goes in cycles, history goes in cycles too.”

I retorted “history repeats itself.”

Sophia Li “Even on set I think that was the first time we shot it in January, it was the first shoot of the new year..and it was such a beautiful reminder of what it used to be like. Yes, we were very safe everyone wore masks and we had a Covid compliance officer, but it was such a beautiful reminder of what it felt like to co-create and collaborate like that, and to have that be the first big shoot of the year, was a really awesome moment. I would much prefer that shoot in real life over someone trying to direct it digitally through Zoom, that doesn’t work.”