When we first met Kate Davidson Hudson, she was the newly appointed accessories director of Elle, and had recently married her college sweetheart (they met while attending George Washington University, from which she graduated magna cum laude). During her tenure as one of the most influential editors in the world of accessories, Kate became just as well known for her highly documented street style looks as she did for her kindness and warmth. After becoming a mother five years ago, Kate began to brainstorm with her friend, and former editor, Stefania Allen about ways they could transform the way women interact with and shop for accessories. The idea for Editorialist was born, and the rest is history. As a full time entrepreneur and a full time mother of two, Kate’s work-life balance is challenging at times, but during those especially hectic moments when the lines between work and motherhood are blurred, she reminds herself that “There’s something to be said for being fulfilled in my life outside of mommy-don, and the positive effects that can have on how I parent. I truly believe that a happy, fulfilled mother will be the best mother; and, I am working every day to show my kids that sense of happiness and fulfillment so they, too, can model those ideals in their adult lives.”
At home with …Kate Davidson Hudson & kids
“Motherhood and marriage is definitely a balancing act. We’ll have to ask my husband how well I’m doing with it;) I think my best advice is to approach everything as partners. We’re dodging things every day that we could never prepare for and sometimes there is not a single right answer. I think there’s a sense of strength in numbers and as long as we invest time into making sure we’re both on the same page, we can weather a lot of storms.”
On Kate: Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci dress
“Nothing in life can prepare you for being a mother. It is the most incredible, instantly life-altering experience; and, at the same time, the most terrifying. I don’t think you can understand that type of unconditional love in life until you become a parent. In the same way, I think I was surprised but how much that idea terrified me. Before I had my daughter, I remember someone once comparing having a child to having your heart beat outside your chest. And, it’s true. You are never so vulnerable and consumed with concern as you are once you become a parent—it puts a lot of things into perspective very quickly.”
On Kate: La Ligne top
On Ava: Jacadi top and jeans
“I think everyone waxes poetic about the love you feel when you meet this new little person. But, I think until you actually experience it for yourself, and feel the rush of emotion, which is an utterly insane sense of love and, surprisingly, a little fear, you can’t truly grasp what it is to be a mom. For me, as soon as I had my first, that fear was a slight but constant sense of worry. And I don’t think that’s something that will ever go away and that is probably one of my most unexpected challenges of being a mother.”
On Kate: Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci dress
Kate's Path to Motherhood...
“I was originally told by multiple doctors that I would not be able to have children naturally. Everyone had their own opinions and medical advice for what I absolutely needed to do to: ‘Stop working out, remove stress from your life, load up on healthy fats, don’t drink’, and ‘Don’t think about it; it always happens when you stop thinking about it’. With all of the noise of everyone saying ‘You can’t think about’, it actually created so much pressure on trying to focus on not thinking about it, that I ended up only thinking about it. And, at the end of the day, if you’re turning yourself upside trying to follow what worked for everyone else, you might not find your happiness in what works for you. My advice is actually complete non-advice; I think when you’re happiest and doing what makes you feel good (whether that be a glass of wine or going for a run), then that’s when things happen naturally. Take the pressure off of yourself and throw all of the rules out of it. But, again, that’s only what worked for me, it might not work for the next person.”
On Kate: Lisa Marie Fernandez dress
On Ava: Bonpoint dress
On Will: Bella Bliss romper
Kate's Birth Experiences...
“Before I had my daughter, I was dead set on having a natural birth. I worked out until the day I had her, thinking that being strong going into labor would help it along, and I was completely focused on the natural route. At the end of the day, things went a bit sideways and I ended up having to have an emergency C-section. So, I think going into the experience, you can have an ideal scenario in mind, but remain open-minded because at the end of the day, things can happen to throw you off-course so just focus on the end goal of a healthy baby and healthy mama, and the rest will be what it will be. For my son’s birth, since we had such a scary experience with Ava’s delivery, my doctor advised not leaving anything to chance and scheduling a C-section. The two experiences could not have been more different…”
On Kate: La Ligne top
On Ava: Jacadi top and jeans
Kate's Birth Experiences, continued...
“With Ava’s birth, I think I experienced every human emotion within the span of 18 hours, from incredible excitement to extreme pain to fear to unimaginable joy. Thinking back it was probably an ironic foreshadowing of parenthood;) But, with the birth of my son, there was a calm order to everything; overall it was an almost peaceful experience. Even when he was delivered I remember him just lying quietly on my chest looking up at me with these big blue eyes. The entire experience felt almost serene by design. I also found that the recovery from a planned vs. an emergency C-section were polar opposite, and I recovered probably twice as fast the second time.”
On Kate: La Ligne top
On Ava: Jacadi top and jeans
On Will: Janie and Jack sweater
“I wish I was better at slowing down. I feel like it may be a consequence of being a New Yorker, or, maybe it’s apartment living and feeling like you need activities to compensate for a lack of open space, but oftentimes between play dates, school, activities, and the hyper-connectedness of everyone all the time, we often never stop in my household. And sometimes I start to feel like Organizer-In-Chief vs. Mommy. So I try to make a conscious effort to value the downtime as much as the rest of it because at the end of the day, the impromptu dance parties and lazy Sundays are some of the best moments, for them and for me.”
On Kate: Lisa Marie Fernandez dress
On Ava: Bonpoint dress
Which items keep you sane as a mama?
“Is it totally sacrilege to say the iPad? We’re very much a no-TV, books-only household during the week, with the exception of ‘movie night’ on Friday nights. As a result, my kids love books and, even though neither of them can read just yet, they like to sit and rehearse what they can piece together from memory of their favorite books for any audience that will listen. But, when we travel, whether we’re stuck on a tarmac or traveling during someone’s naptime, my default sanity crutch is the iPad. It is my tantrum kryptonite and works like magic, and usually keeps me, my children (and any fellow travelers) sane.”
“Also, I’m a big closet and organizational unit person—as totally dorky as that sounds. The kids each have full-wall compartmentalized spaces that house all of their toys that can be neatly hidden behind closed closet doors. We also do seasonal closet clean-outs of our toys and do a trip to Salvation Army to donate toys they’re no longer using for other little girls and boys. Now it’s become something they get excited about doing every season.”
On Kate: Lisa Marie Fernandez dress
On Ava: Bonpoint dress
On Will: Bella Bliss romper
“After have both of my children, I really struggled with leaving them to go to work and when I had to travel. I would stand in the hallway outside of my door every morning, for months after they were each born, in tears. I would have to go to the bathroom in the lower level of my building to re-compose myself before walking out. And for me, traveling was gut wrenching. Leaving them was something I really, really struggled with and, to a large extent, still do. I just tell myself that I’m setting a good example for them through the passion I bring to my work. But, in all honesty, it’s something that I still struggle with every day, and every time I need to get on an airplane.”
On Kate: Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci dress
The hardest part about being a mom:
“Trusting that I’m making the best decisions for my kids, when there’s no roadmap and sometimes no easy answers. Whether it’s how to react (or not react) to a temper tantrum or the constant struggle to achieve something that looks like a work-life pseudo-balance. I truly believe that it’s important for my children, particularly my daughter, to have the example of a mother who is empowered through her family life and through her career; and, I think for some women, having an outlet in the workplace can actually make you a better mother. I am probably one of those people. Yet, I’m also acutely aware of the fact that there is a delicate balance and I wake up every day with the intention to make sure my kids know they are my number one priority. As a starting point, I always want to make sure I am the first face they see in the morning and the last before they go to bed. We figure all of the rest out in-between ;)”
In Ava’s room: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child bed, vintage nightstands
The best part about being a mom:
“Seeing their little faces at the end of every day. And, getting to know them more and more every day. It’s incredible to watch them grow and develop into their own little people. I just want to support them and encourage them in everything they want to do and be that constant voice in their head that’s telling them what amazing little people they are and that they can do anything they set their minds to.”
On Kate: Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci dress
“I was immediately struck by the difference in boys vs. girls, once I had my son. From birth, I found that they are hardwired completely differently (at least in my case). For both of my children, I want to instill a sense of compassion for others and the world around them. They’re growing up in such a different time than I did, and I think a strong sense of self and compassion will be important for both of them as they navigate the future.”
On Ava: Jacadi top and jeans
Beauty...
“I’m a minimalist with makeup but I am skin obsessed and very fair, so protecting my complexion is one thing I have to spend time on. I love ColorScience Sunforgettable tinted sunscreen and use it daily in lieu of foundation or concealer. I don’t wear mascara unless it’s a special occasion and usually swipe a neutral gloss on as I’m running out the door. I also love Skin Laundry for a deep clean facial once a season. And, I’m super low-maintenance with my hair. I’m usually rushing in the morning so I dry it half way through and let it air dry from there. Oscar Blandi dry shampoo is also a great fallback for days I’m in a super-rush or want to add some volume in-between washes.”
On Kate: La Ligne top
On Ava: Jacadi top and jeans
On Will: Janie and Jack sweater
“Exercise is my stress-relief. With two little ones and a fast-paced business, I try to squeeze in workouts whenever I can, which usually means at odd hours. I try to fit it in when they’re sleeping so I don’t miss any time with them. That means I’m either going for a run very early in the morning, or at the gym late at night. In the last year, my daughter started horseback riding, so that has become something we do together on the weekends. It’s become our time and it’s something special we have fun doing together.”
On Kate: Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci dress
“I had an amazing job that I loved before I left and later launched Editorialist. The hardest part about starting your own company is the realization that the buck stops with you. You’re literally building something from nothing, employees rely on you, partners rely on you, your readers rely on you, so there is a certain weightiness that comes with starting a company. It is a very sexy idea, in theory, but when you get into the thick of it, it’s not all as glamorous as it might sound. All of that said, it is one of the single most rewarding experiences of my life. To build something from nothing, to see something you only visualized in your mind come to a tangible realization and to see it take-off as you collaborate with amazing people along the way is enough to keep me motivated and keep me excited, when things might otherwise feel overwhelming. As a mother, I think starting my own business has helped me to prioritize and be more efficient with my time. I also think there’s something to be said for being fulfilled in your life outside of mommy-don, and the positive effects that can have on how I parent. I truly believe that a happy, fulfilled mother will be the best mother; and, I am working every day to show my kids that sense of happiness and fulfillment so they, too, can model those ideals in their adult lives.”
Restoration Hardware Baby & Child crib, custom wooden boat from the Toy Boat in Nantucket
“I honestly don’t think there is a perfect balance. I think there is something important to be said for compartmentalizing as best you can. When I’m with my children I try to put my phone away and be completely focused on the two of them. And, when I’m at work, I try to work as efficiently as possible so that I can get through my responsibilities and get home to them. But, at the end of the day, life is messy and unpredictable and, whether it’s putting out a fire at work or taking care of something your children need during the workday, the lines are constantly blurred. I think as long as my children know they’re my priority, I do the best I can from there.”
On Kate: La Ligne top
On Ava: Jacadi top and jeans
“For my son, I hope to teach him, even as a boy, that it’s ok to be soft and sensitive without being less of a ‘boy’. And, for my daughter, to find her voice and never doubt herself.”
On Kate: Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci dress
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