We love Ms Millie Mackintosh. Her always-perfect hair, her classy selfies and her totally lush wardrobe. Indeed, it’s not always easy making the transition from reality TV star to credible…. anything, as the former Made In Chelsea star reveals herself in our interview, but, having just released her second (stunning) collection under her own brand umbrella, it appears she may just have managed to do it.
Ahead of the (hopefully) super sunny summer months and, of course, the festival season, which kicks off with Coachella in just a few weeks, the 70s inspired boho chic that is Millie’s second collection couldn’t possibly have come at a better time. Our Alya Mooro caught up with the fitness addict and fashionista extraordinaire to get behind the collection, talk definitions of success and death row meals.
We love your dress! Summer feels like it’s getting so close now…
Thank you! This is one of my favourite dresses from the collection.
Tell us a bit about the creative process, how involved with it all are you?
I’m involved in the entire process. With the drawing process I work with a collaborator because I’m not the best at drawing! We do all the mood boards to the sampling, changing the fit and this, that or the other. It goes on for months to get it right. A couple of pieces couldn’t go into production because they were too expensive, but I’m really glad we got some suede because that was such a big trend and it’s hard to get good quality suede and not have the price too high.
This is your second collection, what’s the main thing you’ve learnt since releasing your first?
It’s just definitely learning and trusting to go more with my instinct. I think if I know that I’m going to wear it and I want it in my wardrobe then it’s going to sell. It’s just learning as I go along; it’s crazy I’m 25 and I’ve got my second season out! I’m kind of creating for myself, pieces that I want. I was like ‘what do I want to wear to festivals? What do I want to wear this summer?’
It’s all very Coachella-y!
Thank you! I got a text from my friend this morning saying ‘I think I’ve sorted us a trip to Coachella!’ I’m so excited. I just want to take the whole collection with me, have the whole wardrobe and just wear everything with flowers in my hair and big round sunglasses.
A lot of people struggle to make a transition from reality TV to doing other things – what do you think it is about you or your collection that’s allowed it to be considered quite credible?
Well, thank you! I guess it’s instead of me potentially just having certain pieces laid in front of me and saying ‘would you like this in your collection?’ it actually really has been from scratch and I think people can really tell the difference and see that I believe in it and I really care about it. It’s hard to do a reality show and then have a credible anything because people think you’re just going to stick your name on the first thing that comes up… There were other options to do clothing lines but this is actually my brand; I own the brand with my partner so it means a lot to me and I really care about every detail.
Do you prefer winter or summer clothes?
I think summer. I go through phases of loving both but I think the 70’s trend was big for winter and I think it will follow through for next autumn/winter as well. It’s so fun to be wearing this kind of fashion in the sun and outside and being a bit of a hippie chick. I love the sun! I was born in July so I think I’m just like a summer baby.
Tell us about your closet, we heard you’ve got an insane looking walk in wardrobe…
We designed it; it’s like a whole floor. There’s like a big bathtub in the middle of the dressing room and it’s all white cupboards, wooden floor… there are light bulbs that hang down, it’s really cool!
**That sounds amazing! How do you keep it organized? Do you do lots of spring-cleaning? **
I really need to do a spring clean! I had a stylist come over for a shoot the other day and she was like having an anxiety attack. You’ll just hold on to stuff, it’s like a memory, even if you just wore it once but it’s important [to clear stuff out] because you can’t actually see what you’ve got otherwise, and now I need to make room for the new collection as well!
We know you’re a massive gym buff as well, what is it that keeps you motivated and how do you get yourself to go when you’re not feeling motivated?
I think it helps that it’s part of my job. Sometimes a job offer will come in and I’ll have like two weeks to prepare… if I’m not working out consistently that would be like a drama for me but then I’m just like ‘okay, cool, no problem,’ and I’ll just step it up a bit. Thinking about something - even Coachella or something in the future where I want to feel and look my best - that motivates me. Also just generally knowing that if I feel really stressed or really tired or in a bad mood after I work out I’ll feel better, afterwards everything’s a bit clearer. I think it balances out a stressful lifestyle - it’s good if you suffer anxiety and stuff - it totally solves it for me.
You come across as such a foodie, too – how do you find the balance?
Just literally by working out. I don’t count calories but I know when I’ve been eating stuff that’s higher on the calorie scale so then I just make sure that I’m doing enough cardio workouts to be working that off. I try to eat pretty healthy in the week and then on the weekends I normally just have whatever. Sometimes you have to choose: ‘Am I going to have half a bottle of wine or am I going to have desert?’ You have to weigh it up, you can’t always have both. I find that hard.
If you were on death row and had to choose your last meal – what would it be?
Spaghetti Vongole. It’s my favourite spaghetti. Or maybe something with like truffle and caviar and everything all together
What’s your definition of success?
For me it feels pretty good opening my wardrobe and having an item of clothing that I want to wear with my name in it.
***Millie Mackintosh’s SS15 collection is out now. ***