Designer Minnie Mortimer and daughter Tuesday
Stylist Kate Young and son Stellan
Designer Laura Poretzky-Garcia and daughter Georgiana
Minnie Mortimer, Athena Calderone, Calgary Avansino… they’re just some of the chic women
featured in The Glow, a new book dedicated to stylish motherhood by InStyle.com Senior Fashion Editor Violet Gaynor and Hearst Digital Media Photo Director Kelly Stuart, who together founded the accompanying website of the same name. We talk to them here.
We were both thinking about the next big phase in our lives: marriage and starting a family. We love our careers and the idea of slowing down was hard to wrap our heads around. Then we realized we were surrounded by all of these highly creative, super-successful women who were somehow balancing work and motherhood. We decided to find out some of their secrets and give other women like us a glimpse into their worlds.
Best Mother’s Day gift we’ve given…
Kelly Stuart: About 10 years ago, I saved up and splurged on a diamond infinity band for my mom. To this day she wears it every day, stacked with two other family rings. I loved the symbolism of the circle — no beginning or end, just like our love and friendship, as well as the idea that this could be passed down for generations to enjoy.
Favorite Mother’s Day traditions…
KS: My mom is an avid gardener, so each year we head to her favorite nursery and stock up on her favorite flowers. Then we head back home and spend the afternoon planting them, which is always followed by a family barbecue.
VG: Growing up in Manhattan, going out to dinner has always been a huge part of our lives. Starting when my sister and I were quite little, my mom would always pick a favorite restaurant and we’d “take her out” to brunch. At a certain age, we actually started paying! It’s something we look forward to all year.
KS: A little Vitamin E oil goes a long way! The benefits are endless.
VG: Less is more. And letting your skin shine through always makes you look younger than piling on layers of product. My mom has beautiful freckles and she’s never covered them up with foundation — or any makeup for that matter. Her one makeup trick is applying dark brown eyeliner on the inner lash line. It creates a dramatic yet still really effortless look.
Being a mother has taught us…
VG: To let go of the idea of perfection. There’s no room for it in motherhood. My home is a little messier than I’d like and I haven’t had my nails done in eight months, but there’s a freedom in giving those things less weight and focusing more on those little moments with my daughter.
Read more features from our Mother’s Day Issues, past and present.