Best friends, super-mums and entrepreneurs, Sarah Ellis and Philippa Bloom are one of London’s favourite fashion duos.
Their renowned fashion and lifestyle blog, We Are Twinset, is loved for its approachability as well as Sarah and Philippa’s wearable aesthetic. With 20-years combined experience working in the industry as fashion editors and stylists, WAT THE BRAND was born in 2021 as a natural extension of the platform.
Here, Sarah and Philippa tell us how they juggle motherhood alongside running two businesses, where they head for ‘me time’, and how they really do it…
Tell us a bit about who you are:
We are Sarah Ellis and Philippa Ross and we’re behind the fashion and lifestyle platform We Are Twinset as well as our own label WAT THE BRAND – and now podcast Twinset Unzipped. We are both mumma’s of two beautiful kids; Sarah has Lenny aged four and Edie who is nearly two, and Philippa has Alfie aged six and Ava who is nearly four.
Tell us more about your work life?
Our work life is a juggle; we work across all three of our outlets Monday to Friday, and often it spills into evening and weekends. But we are both so grateful to have a career that we love so much, and often it doesn’t feel like work.
What inspires you in your career?
We are inspired by so many things. Our children inspire us daily to be the best versions of ourselves and our work ethic definitely comes from our own mums, who showed us what hard work was from a young age.
These three items help you juggle everything:
Lists, lists, lists! If it’s not written down it doesn’t happen. Our amazing assistant Grace, she joined the team nearly a year ago and we would not survive without her. Lastly, our Monday morning meeting to set us up for the week ahead: we go through our calendar and actions for the days ahead and strategise as much as we can. It’s the best way to start the week and makes us feel like we have a plan.
Philippa and Sarah
If you could give your past self one piece of advice about being a working mother what would it be?
Don’t be hard on yourself, the juggle is real but we try our best. We are still very much figuring it all out – we try and be kind to ourselves as much as we can.
Have your career goals and aspirations altered since becoming working mums?
We have both always been incredibly driven and, if anything, having children has made us even more determined to work hard and succeed.
If you had the power to change one thing for working mothers, what would you change?
We’d add an extra day of the week… or at least a few more hours in each day.
If you have a day to yourself, what do you do?
Something in silence: a spa day; a massage; a pedi. Something really slow that feels like a treat.
Heading ‘out out’ – where is your favourite spot?
Lisa’s in Notting Hill is a new spot for us. It’s good fun, plus has great food and a fab atmosphere.
Tell us about the best holiday you’ve taken with your children…
We both love Ikos Resorts for their ease with kids. We’ve been to a few of their different hotels and cannot fault the experience.
Sarah and her children Lenny and Edie
Favourite hotel ever – with or without children.
We haven’t actually stayed there but we recently went the Amanjena in Marrakesh for work. The minute we entered we knew we would be booking a trip to stay at the hotel ASAP.
Top tips for London with children:
We love a day out in London; we both recently went to the Frameless exhibition and the kids had the best time.
Travel essentials with kids?
iPads (yes iPads!), snacks, waterproof dobble, sticker books and colouring books.
Travel essentials without kids?
Heels, husbands and earpods.
How do you think travel benefits your children?
For us it’s about making memories and having quality time together. We always say we are the happiest on holiday with the sun, sea and no routine.
The best advice you would give to other mothers?
Everything’s a phase…this is a favourite piece of advice for both of us. We say it to ourselves regularly and it helps us remember that even when things are tough – ‘this too shall pass’.
How do you do it?
Planning and structure. We are extremely organised and feel like this is key to getting things done without any more added stress. We are also very lucky we have our mums close by, who support us with school pick ups and help with the load. Also our husbands are extremely hands-on.
Phillipa and her children Alfie and Ava
Any Questions or Tips to add?