PINKY STORIES:
Rachel Bakewell & Milena Mihic
The fashion industry isn’t best known for nice girls or friendships without agenda. Meet Rachel and Milena, fashion stylists, mothers, partners, creatives, working women; who share and bare all, side by side, without the competitive weirdness. They talk to us about their tales of highs and lows and how their friendship helps to keep their heads above water.
DH: Tell us about your first impression of Milena, how would you describe her?
Rachel: We first met at a Christmas party ten years ago and were friends from that point on. I think she could empathise with how fragile I looked following a break up and just took under her wing there and then. In that instant I could sense her sensitive soul and big heart, so caring and beautiful. Her friendship means a lot to me, I’d say we’re family.
DH: What does it mean to share the peaks and troughs of motherhood with Milena?
Rachel: I’ve found that motherhood can be very isolating, so it means everything to me to have someone to share the daily highs and lows; struggles and juggle with. I find it incredibly grounding to have someone to share the “working mum” journey with.
DH: What makes you both giggle/cry?
Rachel: A lot makes us laugh, in general we laugh the whole time we’re together, our humour is quite random and hard to describe, it’s just intrinsically ours! I’d say tiredness probably makes us cry.
DH: What do you lust after with Milena?
Rachel: We probably lust after a good night out, nothing to hectic, just somewhere with plenty of rose and absolutely kids free!! We used to party so much when we met, we had some of my funniest nights out. It’s hard when that all changes and you don’t quite have the energy for it anymore. That and finding the perfect balance of work and motherhood, though I’m not sure if that even exists.
DH: What defines your bond?
Rachel: I think our bond is defined by our sensibilities, but also the mirroring of our lives; we’re both very sensitive, we’re both mothers and also creatives, working the same jobs as fashion stylists, our children are our worlds, but we both want to be successful in our careers. We lead very similar lives, just trying to keep our heads above water, it isn’t an easy ride, but it bonds us together.
DH: Tell us about Rachel as a friend?
Milena: In all honesty, we’ve laughed and cried together for ten years now I can’t imagine my life without her! As a friend there is no one quite as loyal, caring or involved as Rachel, she doesn’t do friendship in half measures, she’s reallythere. If I’m feeling anxious or worried, I know I can call her at any time and she’ll do anything she can to help, she more than a friend, we’re family.
DH: Can you share a high and low that you’ve shared with Rachel?
Milena: The best high is sharing the births of our children together, becoming mothers simultaneously, that creates quite a special bond. When I was pregnant with my first boy Remi, I felt quite low; none of my friends had had babies yet and no one around me was pregnant, but Rachel made me feel excited about it all and was there for me every step of the way, that’s something I’ll never forget.
DH: Where would we find you hanging out (with/without kids)?
Milena: You’ll most likely find us with our kids and partners, at one of our houses, cooking and just hanging out. I’ll often find Rachel upstairs with the boys making a cosy den in their room, she’s part of the game, even though its no adults allowed!! I’d love to say you’d find us out somewhere fun in the evening, but it’s been years, we need to make that happen soon!
DH: How do you support each other as working women and mothers?
Milena: By being completely open and honest, we are both stylists and we both have children; which has its challenges, especially trying to do both well, so when we face something hard, we do that together. Not long after Rachels daughter Josephine was born, Rachels partner had to go away for three weeks. Josephine got sick, so I’d go over to hers in the early hours to help out and get her through that dark part of the day, when you’re feeling low and you’re majorly sleep deprived!
I’m also really happy to say that in spite of us doing the same work and often being recommended for the same jobs, it’s never weird or competitive, we’re just really happy for one another.
DH: What makes you most proud of Rachel?
Milena: How well she’s managed to juggle her career growth while staying so close and connected to her daughter Josephine. She’s constantly pushing herself to the next level creatively and now has such a distinct style which you can see in her work in an instant. I’m very proud of her and I hope she is too.
