What Makes Valentine Alive?

On Exeter's streets, striking alternative style often sparks deeply honest, raw conversations about life, hardship, and human connection. In this feature, we connect with Valentine to talk about what truly grounds her and gives her life purpose.

While many might look at her expressive look and guess that style comes first, Valentine shares that everything ultimately comes back to love:

"I think it's 100% love. A lot of people always expect me to say like fashion & music & stuff because it's really big parts of my life, but I wouldn't have anything without love. I wouldn't have my passion for fashion, I wouldn't have my passion for music & singing... when I do feel it, with the right person, the right people, it means so much to me. I would be nothing without it."

Opening up about the immense personal hurdles she has faced, Valentine shares her journey of fighting through rock bottom entirely on her own strength:

"Last year, I struggled with drug addiction. I was at my rock bottom, I didn't have anyone. I didn't have any friends, the person that I was dating was really toxic & horrible to me, and I had to overcome it completely by myself. I didn't have my parents to support me, and it was really hard... but I'm here! I did it."

Closing our conversation, Valentine offers a candid message about acting on your feelings before time passes you by:

"You only live once... You should do something about it. If you love someone, you should tell them. If you want to do something, you should always do it. I didn't do it for so long, and I really regret it... I wish I could change a lot of things."