I recently attended the Mothercare Team Valley Gateshead grand re-opening as one of the VIP bloggers, along with Hannah from Mums days. You can read all about the fabulous new look Mothercare store here. The store was re-opened by celebrity and fashion designer Myleene Klass, as she designs her award-winning BabyK nursery and fashion range for Mothercare.
So when I was asked by Mothercare if I would like the opportunity to interview her I was a little hesitant at first as 1.) I am fairly new to blogging 2.) I have never interviewed anyone before in my life, never mind a celebrity! 3.) I had no idea at all what to ask her.
But I need not have worried at all as I was free to ask her whatever I wanted. The first thing I noticed about her was just how gorgeous she was and the second was just how friendly she was greeting everyone who entered the store, especially the children. She was happy to get photographed and mingle with the shoppers. I had asked my Facebook friends and also other bloggers on Twitter and in Facebook groups what I should ask Myleene and here is how I got on ......
When it came to my turn to interview Myleene my baby son decided that it was time to be fed so with baby in my arms I began my interview, Myleene greeted me by asking if I would like to find somewhere to sit to feed baby as I was interviewing her in-store surrounded by her beautiful range of children clothing. She also asked about Jacob and could not believe my chunky little monkey was only two months old, she happily chatted about her own children Ava and Hero throughout the interview. It really was just like talking to any other mum.
So here is what I asked Myleene
So here is what I asked Myleene
Q 1.) My friend Faye wanted to know where you got the pink dress you were photographed in at the Mothercare Solihull store opening recently?
One word, Littlewoods.
Q 2.) How do you manage to juggle being a mum and working while still looking so glam?
(Laughs) Well, I have a very good make-up artist. No, it is hard I am not going to lie, it is a constant juggling act. It is so unbelievably tiring, take yesterday, for example, I did the school run then I was on a photoshoot, a meeting, then I had to travel. But as a Mumma you just get on with it and do it, you are constantly multitasking when you have children.
Q 3.) You have been designing clothes for Mothercare since 2008, how did that come about?
When I was pregnant with Ava I wanted to buy her a little black dress but I could not find a one anywhere. The shops were all full of pink and lemon, So I approached Mothercare and pitched to them my idea and I thought they would turn me down as everyone was saying why did I want to dress babies up in black, it was morbid like they were going to a funeral. But Mothercare agreed and the clothing range was a success and it just grew from there.
Q 4.) Do your daughters wear and have any say in your clothing range?
Ava and Hero always wear BabyK, even some of the boys stuff. Apart from school uniform, they are not photographed in anything else. They will sometime say make a dress with something on, like one year they wanted a dress made of feathers so they could fly. So I made a feathery dress and it was a sell out, it was the best selling item in the collection and we kept running out of stock.
Q 5.) What has been your inspiration for your current range?
Fifty's, I love the fifty's vintage look.
Q 6.) What is your one favourite item from the collection?
I love them all , how can I chose just one. For the boys, it would have to be the peacoat (she points to the coat and I have to confess it is really nice and stylish, perfect for a little boy to wear in winter). For a girl, I would chose the floral dress as it took age's to source this fabric and I love all the details on it, like the bow on the front. It is a very girly dress but it is still edgy with the pink flowers and the black background.
Q 7.) Do you design all the pieces yourself?
Yes , I could tell you what fabric every item is made from and where it was sourced. Obviously, I do have help as I would never be able to do it all on my own, I have a design team who I meet with regularly. They will help me with things such as if any clothing items would be banned In certain countries. I even went into my daughters school and I talked about design, about the fabrics and where they come from.
Q 8.) Have you ever thought of designing a maternity wear range?
It is something I have thought about in the past, but to be honest, when I was pregnant I just brought clothes in bigger sizes and I only really wore maternity clothes right at the end of my pregnancies. And maternity clothing can be expensive when you are wearing it for such a short space of time. It is not where I am at the moment and I have no plans to design a maternity range anytime soon.
Q 9.) A few mums have mentioned that they love your girl range but will you be expanding your boy range.
I have just found out I have won an award for my boys range, which I am incredibly proud of as I put so much effort into my boys range. I make sure the items are stylish and practical and I make sure that they have attention to detail, like the jeans I design they are not just a pair of jeans I make sure they look nice, fit well and I add leather detailing to the pocket. My range may not be for everyone but that will always be the case, it sells well and I am happy with it.
(All you mums her boy's range is really nice, with just as many boy clothes as girls displayed in the store. I can't wait until Jacob is old enough to wear it as there really was so many lovely boy pieces).
Q 10.) My friend Karen wanted to know will you be releasing any more classical music?
Music is always a huge part of mine and my daughter's life and it always will be. I am still involved in music, but at the moment I have no urge to release an album. It is incredibly hard work with long hours, with touring and promoting and I can't do that as a mum and it's not where I am at in life right now. But never say never, as with classical music it never gets old it will always be there and I can go back to it later in life if I want to. I don't have to be young dancing on stage like Gaga.
Q 11.) What was your best and worst baby buys when your daughters were small.
Worst would have been gripe water as I bought it but never used it, and never knew what to do with it as I never had colicky babies. But everyone said it was a must buy item when I was pregnant so I got some. Oh and baby monitors as they always lost signal when I was moving around the house.
Best buy would have to a travel highchair, as I travelled a lot when Ava was small and we ate out a lot and I never had to worry or ask if there would be a highchair available as I could just put her in it anywhere we went and she was happy.
Q 12.) Apart from being a mum what do you enjoy most designing, modelling, presenting or music?
All of them as they are all my job and as a mum, we juggle so many roles every day. And not just one job defines who I am they are all so important to me and such a big part of my life. That's not a cop-out, I just love them all.
Interviewing Myleene really was just like talking to any other mum she was so friendly and very chatty. She always kept mentioning her daughters and asking about my children and she was brilliant with every child she came into contact with in the store. She really is as nice as everybody says and what I noticed was yes she may be a celebrity but she is just a working mum with two small children (who she clearly adores) and she is just like all of us working mums out there, constantly juggling work and her home life, just looking a bit more glamorous than the rest of us.
Lovely interview
ReplyDeleteThank you
DeleteThis is awesome! How cool that you got to meet and interview Myleene, she seems lovely and a great role model... Well done you, great interview! You'll be a pro blogger before you know it :) xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you Heledd , I know it was an amazing oportunity. Myleene is so lovely and friendly in real life & utterly gorgeous. Haha I don't know about the pro blogger thing I don't have the time nor the skills for that , my blog is just my hobby xx
ReplyDeleteGreat interview & a great read
ReplyDeleteThanks for asking my question!! She seems so down to earth. A genuine, friendly soul. #Binkylinky
ReplyDeleteYour welcome Emily , it was a great question to ask. Myleene was very down to earth and friendly xx
DeleteAh fantastic, what a great experience!
ReplyDeleteHer stuff looks amazing. I almost bought a Baby K changing bag!
Thank you Lianne, it was a great but rather surreal experience. Her clothing is gorgeous I brought my daughter some outfits & I cant wait until Jacob is big enough to fit in the boys clothing as it is so nice xx
DeleteOoh you can now officially tell people you're a celebrity interviewer when they ask you (I would anyway!)! I was invited along, but I couldn't go, I'm gutted now, everyone seemed to have such a lovely time xx
ReplyDeleteaw that's a shame as it would have been lovely to meet you and little miss. It was a really lovely event , the new store is amazing and Myleene was really lovely. Haha I wouldn't count myself as an interviewer I was trying to feed a hungry baby whilst interviewing her so unprofessional, i would make a rubbish journalist xx
Delete