If you’re looking for inspiration on how to build a thriving business from scratch, Lucy Hosken is your woman. After a decade spent working in magazines, the dynamic mother of two started luxurious everyday underwear label Nearly Nude. That was 10 years ago. “I couldn’t find the right underwear to go under a very low cut outfit I had, so I thought I would start my own brand!” she says. Hosken’s vision was to make sure the products she created were both functional and comfortable, but also looked fashionable and sleek. “I think people love Nearly Nude because it’s super comfortable but also such a great wardrobe solution. Most of the other shapewear and seamless labels on the market are pretty daggy and don’t look very appealing.”
Over the last decade, Hosken has become a mother to two children – Millie, 8, and William, 6 – endured lots of sleepless nights and grown her business into a hugely successful company. “I think going into it blind and not really knowing anything about running a business or what a challenge it would be was a blessing because if I had known, I may not have started it! It has been an incredible journey and worth every second, but it has also been a huge challenge while trying to bring up two little people,” she says.
One look at Hosken’s beautiful Sydney home and it’s clear that interior design is another passion of hers. Vibrant, colour coordinated coffee table books are topped with eclectic pieces of coral and blue and white porcelain pots. Candles from Astier De Villatte and Diptyque Paris are burning. Her children’s rooms are filled with treasures: charming furniture sourced from antique shops, special family photographs and sweet wooden toys
Hosken has learnt a lot over the past decade. “I remember two hours after I had Millie I was sitting in the hospital bed on the Blackberry emailing people about work. Was I crazy?! I started Nearly Nude 18 months before having Millie, so the fact I got a great head start before having children was very handy.” Back then, Hosken says there were countless late or sleepless nights of working, packing orders and working all weekend, every weekend for years. “I had a lot of energy back then and a lot of determination,” she reflects.
These days she makes sure there is a clear divide between her work and family time. This separation has changed everything, she says. “When the children were first born it wasn’t too hard to juggle things as they slept a lot of the time but as they have grown older it has become harder in different ways. They need more quality time with us, so I try now to never mix work and play. When I do, it all goes pear shaped. I keep work and playing with the kids very separate. This has made our lives so much easier and things run smoothly now I am not mixing business and pleasure!” We loved visiting Hosken at home to talk motherhood, career and interiors…
“There have been quite a few career highlights…
The main ones would be when Nearly Nude was picked up by Harvey Nichols in the UK after only a year of being in business. I was so proud of that and my sister Claire also helped me win that account. Learning to navigate manufacturers in China in the early days, going to Shanghai with my sister Caroline or Stewy and trying to communicate and set up the business in the very early days. Another moment I was very proud of was when the major US player Delta Galil bought out the international part of the business and then finding a great business partner here in Australia to grow Nearly Nude to new heights. I feel like my journey withNearly Nude has been a lot of hard work but also a lot of good luck and serendipitous moments.
Motherhood has taught me how to prioritise…
Also how to enjoy the little things in every day, to stop and ‘smell the roses’ along the way. Time passes way too quickly with little people; you can literally see them growing up before your eyes. Don’t sweat the small stuff like having a messy house or trying to be perfect, just enjoy the every day and watching them grow and learn. The other main thing I have learnt is that each child is a complete individual and must be nurtured as a unique person.
Millie and William have inherited our drive and ambition…
They love to make home made lemonade and sell it out the front of the house or set up a little music band on the street and busk! We have always explained to them that you have to work hard, live a balanced life and, most of all, spend time with family. I think they know both Stew and I have always worked hard because we talk to them about jobs and life and they have a real sense of what you have to do in life to make your own way. Millie, our eight year old, writes lists of jobs for herself and is always telling us what she wants to be when she is grown up. She has determination and drive in spades. Both the children love picking up a broom, vacuum or spade and getting their hands dirty. We have raised them with grit, determination and a love of nature.
“ You can’t mould a child into being something they are not, just love them and support them and they will blossom ”
Love, enjoy and nurture your beautiful little baby…
But don’t try and do it all, it’s a tough juggle. In the early days I tried to do it all, looking after the children, cooking, cleaning, ironing, washing and working full time (from home mostly) but it almost killed me! I have adjusted my mindset in the last few years and the children still and will always come before everything else in our lives, but I also now try and not get stressed about silly little things like going to bed at exactly 7pm every night or eating the exact amount of green veggies at dinner! Children need routine, stability and guidance, but if it sometimes slips up it’s not the end of the world.
I love beauty products…
I am a bit of a junkie and always have been. My daily routine has always been pretty basic though. When I was little I had terrible eczema and very dry skin so I have always used Sorbolene cream head to toe after a shower or bath every day – I have been doing this since I was about six! I cannot go without it. I think in doing this it has actually saved my skin. I use Lanolips on my lips and a tinted face cream. If I have meetings or on the rare occasion go out in the evenings, I will wear Nars Bronzer and Malibu stick on my cheeks and a touch of mascara.
My husband Stewy and I first met in Grade 7 at school in Launceston, Tasmania…
We were always great friends but didn’t get together until the last year at school and we have been together ever since – so 22 years! Some people take a lifetime to find their soul mate but we were lucky enough to meet at such an early age and start our life journey together at the age of 16. We have essentially grown up together and share the same interests, loves and life goals so it sounds totally cliché but we feel very, very lucky.
Now that the children are older, it is a bit easier to juggle everything…
I love it, I feel like I am re-living my childhood years. I love playing soccer at the park with them, playing monopoly, having movie nights and riding bikes. The juggle is different because they want to be with me doing things. I have to be much more actively involved with whatever they are doing now, which I love. I just have to make sure I am present, listening to them and not being preoccupied with work. I think this is our magic formula for our family. As your children grow older you are faced with different challenges. While they might start sleeping through the night (mostly) and not wetting the bed or throwing food at you, they have a new set of needs. They need more involvement at school, guidance with life and assistance with any special needs they may have both academically and personally. As a mother you are challenged with a whole new set of needs and worries.
