Nell Diamond X Mums In Style

Family Time: 

C: Favourite family activity?
N: Skiing! We are a big skiing family. It’s the perfect family activity. It can take a lot of effort, especially at the beginning when children are learning, but it’s so worth it. There are so few things that can be enjoyed cross-generationally. Some of my favorite memories in the past few years have included skiing with my parents and my children all together. My oldest son Henry, who is 8, recently joined a ski racing program in upstate New York, so we’ve been skiing nearly every winter weekend this year and it’s been so lovely to be outside in fresh air.

C: Favourite bedtime story?
N: Right now, my youngest two ask to read the “If I built a” series every night.

C: Favourite Spring activities in New York City?
N: I love going to the theater anytime in New York. This spring there are quite a few new shows I'm excited to see – I’m going to Gypsy. I’d recommend Sunset Boulevard and Oh! Mary for anyone visiting. For kids, The Lion King is the ultimate classic and an amazing introduction to musical theater for children. For museums, I’m partial to the MET and the Natural History Museum. Both have fabulous programming for kids. It’s always a treat to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden when the flowers bloom in April.

Style: 

C: Do you think your style has changed since having children?
N: No. My style hasn't changed since having children, if anything it’s maybe become a bit more dramatic because I've been proving a point to myself that I'm still the same person I was before having children. I'm a firm believer in wearing things that make you happy regardless of any “rules.” Sometimes that means my heels are objectively just a bit too high to be chasing around three kids.

C: What is your approach to transitional seasonal dressing? Both your own wardrobe and the children’s.
N: Light coats and dusters are key for me in spring and fall. I never feel my best in trousers or jeans, so I’m always delighted to be able to wear dresses again without tights. I’ll usually opt for a midi or maxi and pair it with a duster or light coat in a colorful print to usher in spring. 

C: How is Willow planning to accessorise her look?
N: For my daughter, lots of cropped cardigans that she can wear over her favorite dresses. For my boys, great short sleeve polos that can be layered under knits. 

C: Go-to gift ideas for a new arrival?
N: I love a gift that’s for the mother, not just the baby. I love a monogram and one can never have too many pouches. My favorite new parent gift recently has been our quilted cosmetic bag monogrammed with either mother or baby’s name, or both. If I'm really organized I'll fill it with a few essentials like face masks, lip balm and a fresh pair of my favorite Hill House pajamas, also monogrammed.

C: Three essentials you always have in your handbag?
N: Lipstick or lipgloss, mints and eye liner.

C: How will you style your La Coqueta X Hill House pieces?
N: I wore my Ribbon Charlotte Nap Dress with sky-high pink Aquazzura heels and layers of gold shell jewellery in Palm Beach on a girl trip. I absolutely loved it. It's the ultimate, flirty vacation dress and I can't wait to wear it again. I’ll pair it with Vibi Venezia mary janes and a cropped cardi for a day time look.

C: How is Willow planning to accessories her look?
N: Willow is absolutely obsessed with the idea of make-up. I bought her a child-friendly lipgloss kit and she insists on taking it everywhere with her. My guess is she will have a few of her favorite lip glosses handy, plus lots of beaded necklaces. She’s an accessories girl like her mom.

C: What are your tips to take your La Coqueta X Hill House pieces from day-to-night?
N: It’s all about the shoes and jewelry. Add a platform heel and some big earrings or a choker for night.

Balance: 

C: You are mother to Henry, Willow and Sebastian whilst also running hugely successful brand – how do you strike the balance between work and motherhood?
N: I couldn’t do any of it without a very supportive partner and some very hands-on grandparents. I’m lucky to have my mom at my house almost every day. I truly couldn't do it without her. I’ve also learned to ruthlessly prioritize my life according to what’s important to my family. Unfortunately that can mean saying no to things I would have otherwise loved to do (think fashion week parties or events). 

C: Favourite way to unwind?
N: With a red-light mask, under the duvet in my favorite Hill House pajamas after an ‘everything shower’ with a giant glass of ice cold water and a great book. I just finished The Motherload by Sarah Hoover and absolutely loved it.

C: What’s the one thing about motherhood that no one ever told you?
N: I didn’t realize how much joy there would be in unexpected moments. There must be something evolutionary in the extreme happiness that the silliest things - like the way my son Sebbie draws - brings me. My husband and I could laugh for hours about an objectively unfunny joke one of our children told us or analyzing the details of one of their baby pictures. I didn’t know it was possible to be so genuinely thrilled by such little things. 

C: What does your perfect evening look like?
N: Get home from work and straight into shower, bath, evening routine with all three kids. Everyone washes up and puts on matching pajamas and then we enjoy the first half of whatever kids movie they request. Everyone goes to bed with no complaints and perfectly brushed teeth. And then my husband and I watch a program together – we’re in the middle of Disclaimer – with take-out dinner, ideally Sushi Seki, and then some ice cream from the freezer. Then it is lights out by 9:30pm.

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