Chit Chat is back!!! Woohoo! And I am now collaborating with the amazing Katrina Campbell from Katrina Campbell Photography. From now on the beautiful photos you see are the work of Katrina! It's so nice to work side by side with her.
Let's talk about Karen from N4Mummy!!! She's one of my favourite people. She's the kindest person, loves supporting small businesses and is all about spreading the word about sustainable fashion. Karen has loads of experience working in the fashion industry and decided after having kids to pave her own way in the fashion/blogging world! I took some time to sit down with her and ask her a few questions. Read on to find out more about this amazing women!
1. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF. WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
I spent 10 years working as a fashion buyer for fast fashion high stores, River Island, Jane Norman and New Look.
2. WHAT SPARKED THE IDEA FOR N4MUMMY? WHY DID YOU START BLOGGING?
Fashion isn’t the most parent- friendly industry- there is a lot of travel and the hours are quite punishing at times. I wanted to create a job for myself that was more flexible, so I could be there for my children. A friend suggested I started writing a blog, and it went from there. The sustainable angle came as I began to really think through my thoughts on fashion and style.
3. WHERE DO YOU GAIN INSPIRATION FROM WHEN COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS FOR THE BLOG?
I love to visit independent pop up shops and trade fairs, they’re a great way to find unique brands. Also Instagram has been a fantastic way of finding out about new sustainable brands, particularly small start ups. A lot of the family side of the content comes purely from day to day life. I’ve found my kids to be a source of amusement and provide me with endless tales!
4. YOU MAINLY CONCENTRATE ON SUSTAINABLE FASHION. WHY? WHAT DREW YOU TO WRITE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY? AND WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY MEAN TO YOU?
I was fed up of buying poor quality fashion that felt out of date so quickly. I had a closet full of clothes but constantly felt like I had nothing to wear. I wanted to fill my wardrobe with beautifully designed garments that would last me years, not just endless throw-away fashion. Part of my job as a fashion buyer was to visit factories in countries such as Bangladesh and China, and the conditions there weren’t great. Mass production drives down the price of fashion, companies are always seeking a way increase margins and sales through offering great fashion at cheap prices. However this pressure from big companies inevitably results in factories cutting corners with safety and unfair wages. For me sustainability means garments made in a way that respects all people and our planet.
5. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE SUSTAINABLE BRANDS AT THE MOMENT?
For adults Gather & See is great for pulling together lots of small brands, I also love P.I.C style for good key shapes, Eight Hour Studio for loungewear, Edge of Ember for jewellery and Papu for organic jersey. I can’t wait for girlstalktoboys adult pieces to arrive, particularly the denim. For kids I really love zeds.online, Little Green Radicals and of course girlstalktoboys!
6. WHAT ARE YOU FAVOURITE NON-SUSTAINABLE BRANDS AT THE MOMENT?
My go- to high street brands for trend and style are & Other Stories and Cos. They are always ahead of the game.
7. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO TO WITH YOUR KIDS/YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE JUST YOU?
With the kids it’s my sister’s house. She has x4 kids and the cousins love each other so much, they are always so happy there. For me I love going to the seaside.
8. IF YOU COULD COLLOBARATE WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD THIS BE? WHY?
I love the Boyscouts, a Fairtrade urban jewellery brand from the Netherlands. Their jewellery is contemporary and really edgy.
9. WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE BEEN GIVEN? WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO US?
Find your niche, stick to it and be the best at doing it.
10. IF YOU WEREN’T WRITING FOR N4MUMMY, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SECOND DREAM JOB?
I’d love to be an interior designer.
11. FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY.
Putting my hair in plaits and pretending to be Heidi in the Black Forest on holiday with my parents.
12. ANYTHING YOU ARE WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT? ANY EXCITING NEWS?
Well I’m currently redesigning the website and branding, so soon n4mummy will have a brand new look. It’s in the very early stages though. I’m also working on making n4mummy into a more useful tool for my readers, so as well as being a blog it will be a database of sustainable brands for mamas and their kids. This will take a while to properly set up!
Check out her lovely blog here: N4mummy
Thank you Karen!