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Home / Lifestyle

Coachella's 'glitter boobs' launches naked new venture in Manly

By Shireen Khalil
news.com.auΒ·
30 Jun, 2020 09:05 AM7 mins to read

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Sophie Tea shot to fame after bedazzling her chest with jewels and glitter at Coachella in 2017. The photos went viral and now she's a successful artist. Photo / Instagram

Sophie Tea shot to fame after bedazzling her chest with jewels and glitter at Coachella in 2017. The photos went viral and now she's a successful artist. Photo / Instagram

Sophie Tea shot to fame in 2017 after photos of her posing at Coachella with glitter, gems and jewels stuck across her bare chest went viral.

The British artist never expected the mass attention, but after having started a now famous festival trend, it saw her social media following shoot through the roof.

Now, the 27-year-old has used her platform to continue to embrace the female body.

Taking to her Instagram story, the Manchester-born artist called on Aussie women to take part in a nude window display to celebrate female body diversity and self-love – and it caused Manly to come to a standstill.

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After being inundated with hundreds of requests Ms Tea narrowed it down to 25 female volunteers, who stripped naked and posed in front her new Manly studio, with nothing but colourful paint covering their bodies.

For the display, she used 25 tins of paint on the women, who represent different ages, sizes and backgrounds.

"I feel like it has come full circle from me being a self-conscious young girl to going full circle again, but this time with me trying to give other women the same empowering experience I had," Sophie told news.com.au

View this post on Instagram

Grateful for all my new followers who found me coz of my boob press lately xxxx welcome!!!! ✨✨ I met some of my best friends in the world through covering myself in glitter at Coachella πŸ’• . . . . . . Using this naked photo to let you know that tonight at 7pm U.K. time I will be posting a HUGE abstract original for sale on my instagram. First comment will get it. It is Β£4,100. Or Β£341 a month for 12 months. PAYMENT installations will ALWAYS be available on original Art. Just trying to make my work as accessible as I possibly can whilst still growing my business πŸ’• . . . Glitter from the best glitter company in the world @thegypsyshrine ✨ . . . #coachella #coachellafestival #glitterboobs #sophieteaart #glitter #coachellaglitter #festivals #festivalglitter #abstractartist

A post shared by S O P H I E T E A (@sophieteaart) on Apr 9, 2019 at 7:59am PDT

"My entire life before that photo I had been so self-conscious about having small boobs that I would actually stuff socks in my bra.

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"But the reaction I got ended up being so positive from everyone. I think being open and saying 'this is who I am' was so empowering for me."

On first launching her Send Nudes collection in London last year, Sophie received more than 1000 naked images in one night from women wanting to become artistic muses.

"I was so shocked but also amazed by everyone's personal stories on why they wanted to be involved," she said.

"One girl had a double mastectomy and her mother passed away from breast cancer two weeks earlier and she wanted her powerful nude photo to be part of the exhibition to honour her mother."

View this post on Instagram

Welcome to my first ever shop πŸ’— thank you to my BEAUTIFUL nudies for helping me dress my windows! I’ll never forget today, you were all so brave and so amazing! 🀍🀍🀍🀍🀍 Feeling proud and feeling excited to officially launch on the 2nd July! β˜•οΈ xxxxx not long now! xxx . . . From 3rd July we are open to the public so come in for a TEA xx love you! xxxx this is just the startttt . . . #sophieteaart #firstshop #manly #nakedwindow #windowdisplay #shopopening #manlyshop #sydneyshop #artgallery #pinkshop #sophieteashop

A post shared by S O P H I E T E A (@sophieteaart) on Jun 28, 2020 at 4:43am PDT

After a similar call-out to her Aussie fans, Ms Tea was again blown-away with the hundreds of women wanting to take part in the nude window display in honour of her collection.

"I was humbled and overwhelmed with the response," she said. "Lots of women reached out to me sharing their reasons for wanting to celebrate their bodies in this way.

"One of them was a new mum who didn't want me to paint over her stretch marks – it's so inspiring to see these women unite in a brave and bold display of female nudity."

Ms Tea's abstract collection also features women who have eating and mental health disorders, to pregnant women and others with mastectomies and post-surgery.

Her mini art world from Instagram to the shop will come to life on July 2 in Manly.

'GLITTER BOOBS' TO MULTI-MILLIONAIRE

Before her festival fame and huge burst of art-loving social media followers, the Manchester-born artist, who has been living in Sydney since March, was a business grad who had a job lined up in her industry two months after finishing uni in July 2016.

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In early 2017, she flew to New York for a meeting with a potential investor over an app she created to connect buyers directly with artists.

However, they encouraged her to pursue art herself.

"I thought being an artist wasn't good enough because I had a business degree, but the investor told me to stop thinking like that."

View this post on Instagram

Just coupla tings I’m working on rn🀍 . . . #sophieteaart #artforsale #nothetoponethough #thatsalreadygone #loveyou #workinprogress

A post shared by S O P H I E T E A (@sophieteaart) on May 15, 2020 at 7:59am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Throwback to the abstract days πŸ’šπŸ’ŽπŸ¦‹πŸ‘— find it weird to think I’ve only been painting nudes for 6 months. Still learning everyday! I have a few abstract pieces still available and once they are gone they are gone! Email: ella@sophieteaart.com . . ALSO, I will be releasing the tickets for my shop opening and launch party TOMORROW πŸ‡¦πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ‡Ί SYDNEY!! Be quick to grab a ticket! (Free of course always will be!!) Thursday 2nd July. Come grab some drinks and be cultured af . . . #sophieteaart #sydneyartist #londonartist #artshow #artlife #artexhibition

A post shared by S O P H I E T E A (@sophieteaart) on Jun 14, 2020 at 7:31am PDT

He told her that if she failed as an artist to come back and they would invest in her app, but she needed to try being an artist first.

"I never needed to go back to him," Sophie said.

She then went on to forge a successful career as an artist by building her business through social media.

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But by mid-2017, she was struggling and jumping at every opportunity to grow her business.

It was then she was approached by Jenna Meek, a friend-of-a-friend who was then setting up her body jewellery brand Gypsy Shrine, now a global business with a string of A-list fans, and wanted another artist to help apply body jewels at festivals.

"While at Coachella, we had the glitter boobs idea," Sophie said

The "glitter boobs" picture went viral, even capturing the attention of Ellen DeGeneres.

Sophie now boasts a multimillion-dollar art empire with her work selling between A$500 to A$20,000 a piece.

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