Given how effortlessly stylish she is, it’s no wonder that Holly Garber has spent over a decade running one of Australia’s most established fashion and lifestyle communication agencies...
She founded Golightly PR back in 2004 – six weeks into the job she put on six shows at fashion week – and her local and international client list now includes prestigious names such as Uniqlo, Tome and Dion Lee. She’s also the mother to Violet (who turns two next month) and pregnant with her second child. As a busy working mother, Garber clearly remembers the advice her own mother gave her after her daughter was born. “My mother has always said to me, ‘Be gentle with yourself’. I think that’s a good one to remember for all mothers, whether they are new or not. It was particularly helpful when I went back to work when Violet was three months old. By the time she was five months old, I was very overwhelmed and needed to take a step back and cut myself some slack to feel better.” We caught up with the talented Garber at her chic Sydney home to find out more… Photography: Julie Adams Words: Georgie Abay
Motherhood has changed me…
It has made me happier and more emotional, which has helped me to become more empathetic and a little softer. And I think it’s trying to teach me not to be judgemental, a work in progress shall we say. I love being a parent and even though it’s challenging and can be overwhelming it makes me deeply happy.
My beauty routine has always been quite basic…
Although I have become a little lazier since having Violet. At the moment it’s cleanser, face oil, moisturiser and sunscreen each day. Then mascara and a little colour for my cheeks. I used to do nothing to my hair except comb it when wet, but at the moment I’m trying to make a bit of an effort and I run a straightener over it every second day – being pregnant makes me feel like I need to look a little more groomed.
Exercise is so important to me…
My body gets incredibly sore without it so I do prioritise it and so does Huw. I do Pilates three times a week. I started before getting pregnant with Violet and continued through my first pregnancy and will do the same this time around. This pregnancy, I even went in my first trimester (when I felt awful and could barely do a thing) to try and keep my back and pelvis under control, which were both a problem the first time around. I see Kirsten King at FluidForm in Danks Street and can’t recommend it highly enough. I strongly encourage all of my post-natal friends to go there and I haven’t had a complaint yet.
During pregnancy…
I find the restricted movement and slowing down quite challenging. On the other hand, I find it exciting and romantic and I’m beginning to really look forward to meeting our new baby and for Violet to be a big sister.
Violet’s room isn’t dissimilar to the rest of our home…
It’s simple and relatively uncluttered, with a bit more colour than everywhere else. We rotate her toys so try not to have too many out at any one time as we find she enjoys them more that way.
I’m happier with structure…
So we have always had a rhythm for both our sakes and for Violet. It seems to work well for us. I actually felt it was especially important as I went back to work three days a week when Violet was three months old and she spent each day with a different Grandma (my mum, my step-mum and my mother-in-law), so I wanted her to feel secure in what to expect, even when she was being cared for by lots of different (and very loving) hands.
Huw can cope better than me on less sleep…
Although we both do need a fair amount, but he generally did and still does the early mornings when they happen. I’d nap during the day, mediate when possible and at the start I’d go to bed ridiculously early. If Violet was going down for her first night sleep at 8pm then I’d just do the same.
“ I don’t really think anyone can have it all. Everyone has his or her challenges and issues to deal with. I choose to prioritise and focus on what I feel is important to my family and me ”
PR wasn’t something I always wanted to do but I have always been familiar with the industry...
My mother was a publicist when I was growing up. When I finished school I gradually realised I was interested in working in fashion and I also knew I wanted to eventually have my own business. So after a stint at sass & bide working in PR an opportunity came up and I opened Golightly PR. My degree wasn’t helpful as I did a Bachelor of Economics (social sciences) but my father helped me with how to set up a small business and my mother helped me with elements of PR and then I learnt the rest along the way, generally the hard way.
The advice I’d give my younger self is the…
Advice I still give myself today – don’t procrastinate, it only makes things worse. I’m very good at getting things done but I am also very good at sitting on certain things for too long.
I enjoy work far more after having Violet than I was before she was born…
I restructured my business in terms of our team while I was pregnant with Violet and set it up to allow me to have more flexibility when I returned to work. That restructure also changed the way I work in the business and means that I spend the majority of my time on the things that I love and that I’m very strong in. In terms of time management, I try and remain very focused on work when I’m at work and on Violet when I’m with Violet. I work four days a week and Huw and I work together to balance all of our commitments so that ideally each of us can get done what is needed.
Running your own business is…
Both a good and a bad thing, but having your own business means you are very invested in your work so it can be hard to let a challenging day go when you come home in the evening. But the pros far outweigh the cons for me. I find myself thinking of my business as a living entity that I am extremely grateful for and feel lucky to have as part of my life.
We’ve lived here for nearly three years…
I feel pregnant with Violet the month after we moved in and this is where I spent my maternity leave (which I loved), sitting on our sofa and holding Violet while she slept. We want to try and move before the second baby comes but I love this apartment for all those reasons. In terms of the interior it’s an art deco building so it has lovely high pressed ceilings, wooden floors and we are lucky in that our apartment gets an obscene amount of light all day. It’s filled with plants, books and other things we both enjoy being around which helps make our home feel calm.
I want my home to feel personal and comfortable…
Also to be easy to keep clean and tidy. I also like more colour in my home than I do in my wardrobe. Our home isn’t large so we try and keep ‘stuff’ to a minimum and only obtain pieces we both love. Both Huw and I are very fond of dropping things to Vinnies that are no longer needed or in use.
I’ve spent so long wearing white shirts and black pants…
I am now boring myself with that outfit. However I still find myself relying on a wardrobe of predominately black, white and navy, largely made up of silk and cotton shirting with a rotation of black pants. As I’m pregnant this summer I’m wearing hats to protect my skin from the sun, lots of flat sandals and elastic waisted pants with light cotton shirts.
I like Violet to wear comfortable, functional clothes…
Pieces that allow her to move her body completely unrestricted. So she wears whatever I can find that fits that brief but is also unfussy and often a bit boyish, like Gap, Bobo Choses, FUB and boys pieces from Louis Louise. Then a bit of printebebe on top of that to soften things a little.
I find the emotional side of being a mother both the hardest and the best part of being a mother…
The intensity of feeling I have for Violet is over-whelming which is a beautiful thing but also very challenging at times. I have no complaints though. I like slow mornings when the normal routine is interspersed with bouts of playing with Violet and general pottering about the house.
Holly’s little list of loves:
Sunday mornings with Huw and Violet. It’s the one day of the week where we don’t have to be anywhere at a specific time. Reading a new book. I’ve always loved to read and everyone told me that you rarely get a chance to read after having children, but to my relief I haven’t found that to be true. When Violet makes direct eye contact and smiles right at me. A productive and stimulating day at work. Cool summer nights when it’s perfect sleeping temperature. Going out for a meal with just Huw. A Myofascial release massage with Maggie at Sigh Massage, it puts your whole body back into alignment. Spending time with our extended family. Violet has six grandparents and lots of uncles and aunts and I love sharing her with them all.
Hi Holly, just wondering where your nursery chair is from?