MOTHER'S DAY WITH STYLIST KATE AND HER DAUGHTERS

Happy Mother's Day! This is the day to let all the mums and mum figures in our lives know how much they mean to us and show them how much we appreciate all they do for us!

As we draw the focus onto all mothers, let us celebrate Kate, our talented Newmarket stylist and local artist; and meet her amazing three daughters Imogen, Lillie and Annabel.

Kate wears: Cropt Precipice Jacket, Textured Embark Shirt and an archived taylor piece layered underneath.

1. CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF?

"I'm a mother of four, three girls and a boy. I'm a big fan of travelling with my husband Michael and I’m looking forward to doing more of that in the future. I have two cheeky dogs, Minnie and Mattie, and I love spending time with my extended family and they are always up for a good time. I’ve worked at taylor for 11 years as a stylist. I love the intelligent designs and how our own creativity is encouraged. In addition to this, I am also an artist which has been an important part of my life. I often do online courses and love finding new artistic ways to express myself."

LILLIE
Lillie wears: Elongate Precipice Coat, Reconcile Oblique, Undone Tunic, Washed Station Pant and the Maske Y5 Brown Lens

"I am Kate's eldest daughter. I'm currently living and working in Dalston, London with my partner Jono. I work at an international law firm doing business development. I love living in London; it is such a diverse and bustling city. There are always new art /museum exhibitions to go to, great pubs, cafes and restaurants to visit. Travel is one of my biggest passions and I have been lucky enough to do a fair bit of that over the past 4 years when I have been based abroad."

ANNABEL
Annabel wears: Cropt Originate Coat, Cropt Precipice Jacket, Shard Shirt, Undone Tunic, Introduction Pant and the Maske Y7 Black Lens.

"I'm the youngest of the three girls, I currently work in Digital Marketing as an Account Manager. My interests include fashion, knitting, music, and socialising (as well as a nice cheese board). In addition to my 10 step skincare routine, I enjoy reading and watching documentaries on Netflix. I love to immerse myself in the local culture, whether it's trying out the latest restaurants or visiting art galleries, museums and concerts."

IMOGEN
Imogen wears: Cropt Originate Coat, Stride Wrap Sweater and the Exude Slip Dress

"I am the second eldest and the favourite in this hilarious family. I currently work in Human Resources and I’m based in Auckland. I enjoy spending time with family and quiet nights in, watching good ol' Netflix or going out for an eventful evening. I’m at my happiest when I’m grooving to some live music at a gig or festival. I am a singer and studied music at university which is a huge part of my personality and lifestyle. I love a bit of comedy too. I’m also looking forward to travelling the world again sometime soon."

2. WHAT DOES BEING A MOTHER/DAUGHTER MEAN TO YOU?

KATE
"Being a mother is one of the most wonderful parts of my life. It brings great joy, fun and lots of laughter. It’s so busy, mentally and physically, not always cheery, but wonderful, you can't beat it."

IMOGEN
"Being a daughter makes me feel like I'm appreciated by someone who will love me no matter what I do. Mum is someone who I can trust with all my deep dark secrets (there are many)."

LILLIE
"It's a relationship of immense trust and admiration. If there is ever a problem, or I'm needing a bit of life advice, mum is my go-to person. As a daughter, I feel very lucky to have that sort of relationship with my mum."

ANNABEL
"Being a daughter means feeling loved, supported and cared for. Being Kate's daughter is a privilege, and the first word that comes to mind when I am asked this question is lucky."

TOGETHER
As daughters, we're lucky to have a mother who understands our nuances and unique qualities so innately, mum brought us all into the world and raised us into the women we are today. The relationship is assumed and unassuming. It's natural and easy. We have a great friendship, through having shared lots of life experiences together, which have shaped us all as individuals. We also share a lot of the same interests in film, art, food, fashion, music, wine etc, so we always have a lot to talk about when we get together and we notoriously have a lot of fun when in one another's company.

3. GIRLS, WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT KATE AS A MUM?

She's funny and she's relatively cool. She knows how to have a good time and can get on really well with our friends. We've lived in lots of different houses in our lives, and mum had the ability to make these houses feel like home every time. Growing up, we were always able to bring our friends over and regularly mentioned how cool mum is and how they feel relaxed and at home at our house. Mum is always there to listen and passes zero judgement. She's very supportive. We can have a serious conversation and then have a good laugh afterwards. Mum is quite optimistic and constantly keeps a positive attitude. Special mention goes out to our notable homemade DIY haircuts from mum when we were younger. Having a fashion stylist as a mum has been so amazing, we've always been able to wear her fabulous clothes and we have learnt so many amazing and interesting styling techniques from her.

Mum has outstanding music taste, having listened to very edgy music from an early age. She's now more into techno which we're not all that into, but we are impressed by mum's ongoing interest in diverse and alternative music taste. We're also lucky to have a mum that loves cooking for us. We've had variations of special pasta dishes over the years (we refer to them as pasta surprise, pasta slice, or pasta supreme) along with the best spag bol and an outstanding paella. Seeing mum flourish as an artist over the years has been really inspiring for us to see and has taught us to nurture our creative flare and never give up.

4. HOW DID THE MOTHER AND DAUGHTER DYNAMIC EVOLVE WHEN LILLIE MOVED OVERSEAS TO LONDON?

KATE
"So lucky to have lived in a time where we have the technology that has allowed us to stay in touch. Very different from when I went travelling when I was younger. I travelled and lived in London for 2 years and would speak with mum every 6 months, it was normal then. I do get worried though, particularly when COVID hit. When the virus started circulating all I wanted was for Lillie and Imogen to come back home to New Zealand."

LILLIE
"The time difference and physical distance have an impact since you can't just pop over/call to ask a small question or chat. We try to emulate our early morning chats with a coffee, but with the time difference, I'm either cooking dinner or heading out/home from work, so you're always in a different stage of your day. Mum is always a phone call away, she always picks up/returns my call and always cheers me up when I’m feeling a little bit homesick."

5. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE MEMORY TOGETHER AS A FAMILY?

KATE
Often the simple everyday things. Coffee in the morning, watching the breakfast program and walking the dogs. Homemade pizza and watching the rugby on Friday nights. Always lots of chatter. When the children were growing up we would spend a lot of time with our extended family in Wanaka. Mum and Dad had an idyllic set-up for their children and grandchildren and we have many fond memories from that time. We recently went to Thailand for Michael's 60th birthday which was really special, especially since it was in Feb 2020 just before the lockdown.

6. KATE, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE ASPECTS ABOUT RAISING DAUGHTERS?

"It was full-on! I had 3 daughters in 3 years. It was tiring but I absolutely loved it. The four of us would go for walks daily; I'd have Annabel in my baby carrier backpack, Immie in the pram with Lillie standing on the lower bar of the pram and off we'd go. I've loved seeing their different traits and watching them grow into wonderful women. I'm so proud of them. One of my favourite aspects about raising daughters was watching them grow and helping them get dressed up for school balls and formal events, even though strenuous at times, always lots of fun."

7. KATE, IF YOU HAD TO DESCRIBE EACH OF YOUR DAUGHTERS IN ONE WORD, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

"All I can say is that they are all marvellous. My life would be empty without them."

8. HOW WOULD YOU ALL DESCRIBE YOUR OWN PERSONAL STYLE?

KATE
"I like to think I am creative with what I wear and enjoy exploring different styles. I love the iconic taylor layering look, and enjoy incorporating other pieces into my outfits. My favourite layering combo includes pairing casual pieces, such as pair of jeans, with a lovely silk top or classic shirt, which creates a versatile look that can easily be dressed up or down. I enjoy incorporating colour and classic pieces with an edge to them. I try to experiment with my styling, often I will try to wear pieces in different ways such as turning them back to front to change up the look. I love coats, scarves and boots. A bit of a heel, a bit of drama. Not afraid to try new things and I like a little punk too."

ANNABEL
"My style is a mix of vintage, funky and classic. My love for history is shown through my outfits on a day to day basis. I love incorporating different icons from different eras such as Jackie Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Marie Antionette, and Elton John (just to name a few). Taylor has always inspired me and I believe this lends edginess to my looks. I love to mix things up and my style is forever changing with the many British Vogues I purchase and the environment around me."

LILLIE
"I take lots of inspiration from the 70s - a big fan of floral prints and flared/big sleeves. I love collecting unique pieces from op shops, second-hand clothing stores, online, my mum, sisters etc and I love letting these unique pieces, with a bit of history, be the star of my outfits. I take lots of inspiration from people around me and from observing street style."

IMOGEN
"My style has always been inspired by musicians, movies, people I admire and fashion magazines. I love to add a bit of edge to my wardrobe. I like basic items but also like to incorporate pieces that are a little different and "out there" to add more personality to my outfits. I love to look after my clothes and invest in good quality, unique pieces. In the future, I would love to see my future children wearing them one day. My favourite outfit would be my hoop earrings, Doc Martens and a long silk slip with my Levis denim jacket. Comfortable and flexible for any occasion."

9. KATE, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TAYLOR PIECE OF ALL TIME?

"The first Oblique I bought with my taylor clothing allowance. It was black; much shorter at the front and longer in the back than today's Oblique. It had little pin tucks at the front, very simple. One of the reasons why I loved this piece so much is because it is diverse and super easy to dress up and down. My daughters and sisters wear it too, it suits everyone. Very versatile and can be worn with everything."

10. HOW WILL YOUR FAMILY BE SPENDING MOTHERS DAY?

Starting with an early morning coffee and chats. Spend some time with the whole family and our dogs. We will go for a walk along the beach and have brunch while we're there. We're going to have paella for dinner which is a family favourite - we all make it together, play some good music and it's always lots of fun.

KATE'S ARTWORK

It's no wonder that styling comes so naturally for Kate, she has always been a creative individual. When she's not working at our Newmarket store, she is working hard towards creating beautiful artworks. Kate has been perusing her career as an abstract expressionist artist for the last 20 years.

Kate Barnett: Glow Worm, 2021
Oil on reclaimed board, finished with vanish and wax; 140 cm x 120 cm

ABOUT KATE'S WORK
Kate uses a variety of mediums to create her artworks including: building paper, ripped canvases and boards (sometimes found and often recycled). The art surface is heavily textured and is prepared with gesso, followed by layers of ripped matter. Materials range from torn newspaper, tissue, recycled gift wrapping, coloured paper, photocopied subjects and a variety of different fabrics. These paintings are crafted carefully to evoke emotions and open a new state of consciousness within the viewer. Click here to see more of Kate's work.

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