Disko Kids Meets | Yvadney
With an instagram feed full of colour, print and positive vibes, it's pretty difficult not to love what Yvadney does as soon as you see her. With a 'Mums That Slay' movement, a kid's styling business and two kids of her own in tow, she's one busy lady.
We caught up with her for a quick chat about her fashion heroes, her kid's views on music and fashion and that all-important question - party out or party at home?!
Tell us a bit about how you started out, and how you got to where you are now?
I did a Fashion Design degree at Central Saint Martins, with the aim of having my name up in lights. However, the reality of fashion design didn't match up to my dreams and I somehow ended up in PR for far too long. I was good at it, working for brands including M&S, Smythson and Selfridges, and I enjoyed the perks but I was creatively stifled. So, I started doing test shoots in my spare time to build up a styling portfolio. I initially worked as a women's stylist while living in Canada for a couple of years, before discovering the wonderful world of kid's fashion after becoming a mum - I haven't looked back! The transition from womenswear to kidswear wasn't instant as I had a baby in between, but the great thing about the kid's fashion industry is that it's full of parents. I styled my first kid's shoot after having my daughter Lolo when she was just six weeks old in the sling. She slept the whole time - Bliss!
Who's style are you currently loving?
Celebrity-wise, I'm always inspired by Tracey Ellis Ross and Solange. I literally want to wear every outfit they share, from head to toe - they are true mavericks and fans of colour, print and bold jewellery, like me.
Who were you fashion heroes when you were a kid?
Well, growing up in the '80s meant I got to watch the Clothes Show. That meant loving Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood at the age of 6. I also loved Jem & The Hologram's passion for colour and geometric earrings, Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson, and randomly Anne of Green Gables (white broderie anglaise and a straw hat was everything to me in the summer.)
Have your kids followed in your fashion footsteps? What's fashionable to them?
I think so, yes. My 5 year-old boy MG is a clothes horse and will wear anything I put on him and appreciate it for it's style, but he is a lover of all things that turn him into an imaginary thing, like dinosaur hoods, superhero capes or hidden pockets for his toys. My soon-be-be 2 year old daughter Lolo, on the other hand, is a serious fashionista. Her priorities are statement jackets, hats, handbags and shoes. She has already started showing her insistence on wearing certain things and tears have already been shed when she's wanted to wear a woolly hat on a scorching hot day.
Who are you loving on Instagram at the moment?
I get so inspired by my Mums That Slay crew mamas - @MumsThatSlay_Crew. These women come in all different shapes and sizes, have different stories and different styles, but feel like a little family - They're fabulous. I've built a sisterhood, so to speak, of women who feel very special to me, including @TheFashionCraver, @WhatTheSchujj, @Motherhood_RX, @Kikiblahblah, @Heyisthatme and @Emma_says.
What music do you listen to? Have your kids inherited your music taste?
I know it sounds cliché, but I listen to everything except techno and punk. Music is very important to me. I come from a musical family and I use it to reflect or improve my mood and situations. Day-to-day I listen to a lot of Jazz, Soul, Hip-Hop and House. I also love Funk, Reggae, Dance, Pop, Jungle, and discovering World Music. I think my kids have inherited my music taste - they're both already demonstrating their musical skills. MG makes songs up and has a great sense of rhythm, with super cool dance moves too - he likes Jazz, House and Pop music. Lolo has a lovely singing voice and almost pitch perfect. She's more hardcore and splits her allegiance between nursery rhymes and Grime.
Party out or party at home - Discuss!
Such a tough one! As much as I love a kitchen disco, I'm a work-at-home mum, so it's nice to get out. Besides, when you party out you don't have all the tidying up to do the next day and you can just Uber it home. I'm also a very curious person and thrive being in new places and meeting new people, so out out out!
What's next for you?
I'm going to keep creating gorgeous kid's photoshoots and increase my network of photographers and clients, while seeing what other opportunities my blog brings my way. I'm passionate about filling women, particularly mums, with self-confidence and empowering them to celebrate their sense of style, so I always keep that at the back of my mind in all that I do.
You can stay updated with all that Yvadney gets up to at the following links:
Yvadney Blog // Mums That Slay Blog // Instagram // Facebook
