6.30 AM I wake up every day at the same time unless I’m jet-lagged, in which case I wake up even earlier. I like to meditate for 20 minutes and have some time for myself. I actually look forward to being jet-lagged for this very reason!
Gabriela Hearst at the WSJ. Magazine 2019 Innovator Awards in NYC
7:30 AM I live in New York’s West Village and my kids go to school on the Upper East Side. I leave the house with no make-up on. I’m very low-maintenance when it comes to my beauty regime. The whole reason I cut my hair was because I realised how tangled it was getting after seeing a picture someone took of me. I was like, “Ok, it needs to come off.” Normally it’s between brushing my teeth and brushing my hair. I figured brushing my teeth was non-negotiable!
8.30 AM My studio is in Chelsea across the park, so by 9 am I’ve basically done all of Manhattan. When I’m lucky I may get a few minutes of my time alone but it’s usually meetings, meetings, meetings. I have to be very strict now and put some sketching time in my calendar.
10.30 AM At work, we’re still a pretty small team; 33 people in the studio in New York however, we are usually around 18 and it’s mostly women 99 per cent of this time so it’s never boring! The office itself is all made from reclaimed materials and I had all of the furniture re-upholstered. It’s a very calm place. I tried to keep things neutral as our collections are full of colour so I wanted to create spaces that can frame the product. I love having music on while we’re working too, but when I like something I listen to it a thousand times which I’m sure is annoying for my team. Right now it’s Intergalactic by the Beasty Boys.
Gabriela Hearst’s Diana Bag Suede in Navy
“I always wear my own brand–Gabriela Hearst and I like to be comfortable. Not overly comfortable, though, because nothing great ever came from being cosy all the time”
12.00 PM During the day I try to keep calm. I burn my incense in the studio and also have a bottle of perfume that someone gave me that I adore the smell of: Maison Francis Kurkdjian in Baccarat Rouge 540. I spray myself between meetings to help focus.
1.30 PM If I’m in the office, I always try to have a healthy lunch. Something with eggs or salad. The problem is that I snack! I eat everybody’s snacks around the office so people just put food on their desks if they need a bit of my time. My guilty pleasures are sugar and The Daily Mail online which is awful—I really can’t do it anymore. Gossip is incredibly ugly.
The modern and feminine Noah Dress at Gabriela Hearst Spring/Summer’ 19
2.30 PM I have a set time limit for my daily Instagram consumption. The problem is that I am a visual person so I’m attracted to images and Instagram is a fairly gluttonous approach to them. I try to be involved in our company account, though, as I think you have to be a representative. I haven’t been able to let go of that yet so it really is me who’s posting! I like there to be a certain authenticity about presenting myself and I just want to communicate the truth.
Pretty powerful at Gabriela Hearst Spring/Summer ’19
3.00PM I always wear my own brand – Gabriela Hearst – and I like to be comfortable. Not overly comfortable, though, because nothing great has ever come from being too cosy. I never want to be those people in track pants and sweaters all the time. That said, I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m going to wear, and that’s the real thing of beauty with our sustainable collections; you have to work really hard for anything not to match. You can mix it all up. Recycling and sustainability are at the very core of the brand. Eventually, I want to get to a point where part of our collection is made with stock from past seasons. I have confidence that we can make something really chic if the material is amazing.
Marie necklace bag in pink
5.30PM If I’m lucky before I go home, I do yoga. I try to exercise five times a week now, which I only started recently because I wasn’t doing any exercise at all. I’m 42 and my doctor told me that I have a problem with my hip joint so I started taking care to strengthen my muscles. For me, it’s a matter of health, both mental and physical. Everything I do is to stay healthy for my family and for my work.
7.00PM If I’m spending the evening out at dinner, my absolute favourite place to go is Le Bernardin in New York. It’s a classic and it never disappoints. Normally, however, I love to just go home and hang out with my family. I have three children of my own, and I have two step-kids. We are five in total. The youngest is my son, who is four, the twin girls are 11. My step-daughter is 24. It’s very rewarding!
8.30PM Before getting to bed each night, I pray. Spiritual connection is very important to me. I also love to read so although I go to bed fairly early, I usually don’t get off to sleep until around 10pm.
GABRIELA’S FAVOURITES
“Before getting into bed each night, I love to read.” The Greek Myths by Robert Graves
“When I like something, I listen to it a thousand times. Right now it’s ‘Intergalactic’ by the Beastie Boys.”
Baccarat Rouge 540 fragrance, Maison Francis Kurkdjian
