Throwback Thursday: Lela Rose, Designer & Mom
Because it’s “Throwback Thursday,” I thought I’d revisit my interview one year ago with designer and mom Lela Rose. I’m loving all of her instagram shots lately of her with the kids. So priceless and so many fun NYC memories! I imagine Lela’s working very hard right now on her next spring collection, and I absolutely can’t wait to see how it turns out. Love you (and your shoes), Lela! xoxo
I absolutely love catching up with my fav designers, and that includes southern gal at heart Lela Rose. She grew up in Texas, and now lives in Manhattan (and might I add, bikes everywhere). Lela’s an out-of-this-world clothing and accessories designer, wife and amazing mom of two, and complete shoe lover. In other words, we could totally be BFFs. I’ve been fortunate to see Lela’s fashion week shows while in New York, and every piece that comes down the runway is simply breathtaking (no really, you can hear the ohhs and ahhs). Celebrities flock to her clothing (and shows). So, this past week I caught up with Lela to ask her about a few of her fav things…you know, family, cooking, biking and shoes. You’re gonna love this, mamas…
I Heart Heels: I’m sure you get asked this all the time, but being a mom of two, how do you balance your career workload with your family life?
Lela Rose: I have two kids, Grey, 10, and Rosey, 5. I feel very lucky to get to do what I love doing during the day and then get to be home with my family for dinner. It’s taken some time to assemble this, but I work with a group of people that are great at what they do. This allows me to leave the office at a reasonable time. I love to cook and love making family dinner with everyone.
Lela Rose: I have two kids, Grey, 10, and Rosey, 5. I feel very lucky to get to do what I love doing during the day and then get to be home with my family for dinner. It’s taken some time to assemble this, but I work with a group of people that are great at what they do. This allows me to leave the office at a reasonable time. I love to cook and love making family dinner with everyone.
One key to this is having my housekeeper do grocery shopping and prep cooking (chopping, peeling, etc.). This makes getting home to get dinner ready feasible. I do plan our meals at least a day in advance so that I can make a proper list of things.
IHH: You’re from Dallas, so what’s it like raising your two kids in New York City…what are some of your fav things to do with them?
LR: I love raising kids in NYC, but there are many trade-offs. We take the kids to great restaurants, music festivals, museums and galleries as well as some theater. We bike most everywhere we go, which makes going places a new adventure.
IHH: I know you love riding your bike. Where do you ride it around the city?
LR: I ride everywhere pretty much year round, although I don’t like to ride in pouring rain. I have a large custom-built cargo bike so I can drop the kids off at school, bring the dog and go by the greenmarket for vegetables and food all on my way to work in the morning. It’s truly like having a car without the hassle and parking tickets.
IHH: Since it’s summer and everyone’s taking a vacay, where do you like to family vacation?
LR: We spend much of our summer vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. It’s the most glorious place for us all to be in the mountains, doing the myriad of activities it offers.
IHH: I’ve heard you love to cook, so what do you cook for your kids? Are they picky eaters?
LR: I’m extremely lucky to have no picky eaters at home. Both of my kids are great eaters that try new things all the time. We all eat together and I only make one meal. Some of the kids’ favorites are zucchini souffle, vietnamese baby lamb chops, and lobster pot pie. One trick I always have up my sleeve is the ice cream maker. We make homemade ice cream a lot and that churning noise makes it easier to enforce eating all of our vegetables!
[Photos Courtesy Lela Rose]