Oyster #99: Julie Verhoeven x Something Else Personality Test
"I don't mind a warm and fuzzy ending."
Julie Verhoeven and Something Else designer Natalie Wood appear to have much in common. It's fitting, then, that they have decided to collaborate for Something Else's Spring 2012 collection. Both women studied at prestigious art and fashion colleges — Central Saint Martins and RMIT, respectively — and both have pioneered the cultural void between fashion and art in their careers. (Both also have more than a penchant for prints and colour in their wardrobes.)
Beyond fashion and design, Wood and Verhoeven are equally avid list-makers. "I never stop making lists and would be at a complete loss without one," Verhoeven says. Wood has some lists that have been running for five years. "Full completion of my lists never happens; there is definite roll-on effect," she says. So, we decided to investigate the creative affinity of the pair, using a good old-fashioned personality test, courtesy of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Rosie Dalton: OK, let's get into it. Would you rather be surrounded by a group of friends, or do you prefer one-on-one interactions?
Julie Verhoeven: I much prefer one-on-one, but even that's a push. [I]
Natalie Wood: I like both. Friends are the most important things in life (they keep me sane) but I think I'm better with intimacy. [I]
At the end of the week, do you prefer to get out and about, or to recharge with a night in?
Verhoeven: Days, weeks, years are really full-on and I love to shut down of a night, but I'm less successful at this. [I]
Wood: My evenings during the week are busy and my preference is a Saturday night at home with great company. [I]
When a book or film ends ambiguously, do you feel frustrated or excited by the prospect of dreaming up possibilities?
Verhoeven: I love a weird, abrupt or unresolved ending over a warm and happy one. [N]
Wood: I'm OK with just letting it be — I don't mind a warm and fuzzy ending, though. [S]
Are your holidays well-organised, or do you shy away from itineraries and embrace improvisation?
Verhoeven: I love schedules and military-planned itineraries and am less keen on improvising. I wish I were more relaxed about this. [N]
Wood: I am perpetually disorganised for holidays and rarely book more than two weeks before. I travel in the moment — it's quite annoying for friends, but seems to work for me. [S]
Are you afraid of conflict, or do you embrace it as natural?
Verhoeven: Conflict bothers me less now, it doesn't need to be so negative. [T]
Wood: Conflict is totally necessary, it makes you grow and achieve more. Of course I'd prefer not to have it, but I can't shy away from it either, because I deal with immense conflict within myself [as] part of the creative process. [T]
Which star sign are you and do you believe in horoscopes?
Verhoeven: Taurus, the bull, and no I don't — but I'm always secretly curious. [T]
Wood: I'm Libra, and I love astrology. To have someone tell me what is going to happen makes me feel more relaxed… Let the stars guide me! [F]
Do you feel more comfortable when you keep ahead of deadlines, or do you work better under pressure?
Verhoeven: I wouldn't understand the concept of working ahead of a schedule; I am always right up to the wire. [J]
Wood: I love to be on time and keep to deadlines — it's a pride thing — but my way of getting there is far from conventional. [P]
OK, what is your workspace like?
Verhoeven: An ordered mess. [J]
Wood: A bit out of control at the moment, lots of piles of paperwork and images that inspire me. I prefer organised, so I should probably tidy up. [J]
Julie's Personality Type: INTJ — Perseverant behind a quiet exterior, this type tends to be both perceptive and contemplative. They hold fast to a vision dear to them and approach life with a plan, but are comfortable with the allure of mystery.
Natalie's Personality Type: ISFP — Open-minded, insightful and flexible, this type tends to be intensely passionate when it comes to their beliefs. Gentle and kind, they make great friends and tend to have very active minds. They take life as it comes.
Key: I=Introversion, N=Intuition, T=Thinking, J=Judging, S=Sensing, F=Feeling, P=Perceiving
Illustration: Julie Verhoeven for Something Else
Rosie Dalton
