Emma Bidois on Motherhood & Fashion

Today we celebrate all the incredible, hard-working, rushed off their feet mothers out there. You not only do you nurture and care for, you juggle a million things at once - we salute you! The ever-stylish Emma Bidois, designer at La Tribe and mama to little, chatted with us about what motherhood means to her.

Favourite quote about motherhood? 
My daughter hasn’t slept through the night since she was born. I had bad sleep deprivation one day and my mum looked at me and simply said “every stage passes nothing lasts forever” and she was so right.

What does being a mum mean to you?
Being a mum is learning how to love unconditionally. My daughter has changed me for the better and I am grateful to her for that. I had all these aspirations before my daughter was born about how having a baby wasn’t going to change me too much. But I’ve learnt just to go with the flow a lot more and not get too caught up in the high standards I tried to place on myself at the start. Looking after little humans is hard work and sometimes as much as we try to be… we are not super humans, some days we may need to ask for some help and that’s totally okay.

If my kids leave home with solid values, great manners, a kind heart and the ability to work their asses off at what they’re passionate about - I will be over the moon… If they don’t then I’ll still love them unconditionally and help and guide them to make good decisions where I can and that’s what being a mum means to me.

Has it changed your relationship with your own mum?
I’ve always had a close relationship with my mum. My mum had me when she was 19! And I didn’t realize the full impact that must have had on her until I had my own baby. I could barely look after myself let alone a little baby at 19 so I have a whole new level of respect for her. She lives with us and nannies for me 4-5 days a week and is a legend we couldn’t have done what we do without her holding down the chaos of our household.

What is your favourite thing about being a mother?
Experiencing life through my daughter’s eyes - I blew her bubbles for the first time the other day and it literally blew her mind, when she dances with not a care in the world, strings words together which make no sense. Innocence is a such beautiful thing.

Least Favourite?
Sleep deprivation! If you have no kids yet sleep, sleep and get more sleep as much as you can ha-ha and the old Mum guilt. It’s a thing, I didn’t think I’d suffer from it too much but man when life gets out of balance sometimes it can slap me across the face. I have learnt the hard way about the importance of balance. I try do yoga at least once a week and I’ve been a bit slack on exercise lately so I need to get back in to my Pilates again.

Has your style changed?
Not too much, I’ve always been quite a casual dresser. What I buy now is a lot more considered than it used to be as blueberry juice is hard to get out of a silk shirt with a 1-year-old around! Denim still features a lot - I love a good pair of Rag & Bone jeans, also a good quality cotton tee shirt from Anine Bing & Ragdoll. Marle jumpers to keep me warm in the winter. Lately, I’ve been buying a lot more accessories and jewellery too. I even had a second piercing this year to be able to wear more of my earrings (rebel I know ha-ha).

Whats your best mum outfit?
Best mum outfit at the moment is Rag & Bone Dylan jean, Anine Bing Tee shirt and La Tribe Star Sneakers in black/white. If I need to go for a meeting, I’ll throw on a blazer from C&M.