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My mother was the biggest influence in my life and as I get older, I realise that this inspiration has manifested itself in so many ways. As a child she made our clothes and was extremely resourceful. (For those who remember the ‘scratch-n-sniff’ sticker craze, I went to school proudly presenting the stickers my mother created using the Penguin biscuit wrappers & sticky back plastic… She recognised a waste resource that could be upcycled). My creativity has literally come from her; I too can rustle up a delicious meal made from scraps in the fridge and of course I take garments that no-one wants, and I rework them into beautiful pieces that can last a lifetime.
She always did things her way, which was often questioned by those who followed the status quo, but she did it with such style and grace. Everyone always wanted to bask in the warmth of her attention, it was always so much better to be with her.
We didn’t always see eye to eye; that’s what happens when you both want to do things your way. I have the same relationship with my daughter, but I am learning to do what my mother did and let her ‘off load’ and know that when the time comes, she will come back to me, and we can work through ‘doing it my way’ together.
The Diana Shirt is named after my mother, as she always wore stripe shirts. The Maisie Short is named after my daughter as… you can probably guess… she loves shorts. Although my relationship with my mother is now sadly only through memory, it also lives on through my relationship with my daughter. For those who believe in reincarnation, I often believe that my mother lives on in Maisie. Whether you believe that or not, I really don’t mind, as this brings me comfort, and I will always do it my way.
My mother, Marina, was born and raised in the Philippines and moved to Australia in 1980. An entirely different world to what we know now and what I imagine would have been an isolating experience for her. The words that come to mind when I think of my mother are independent, brave, curious, ambitious, potent, pure and above all selfless.
These qualities have manifested their essence in my own being and are responsible for fostering my own sense of ambition & determination to fearlessly live my life and weave a meaningful legacy. At the same time, being Filipino, my mother infused unique ancestral knowledge into her mothering and this too has influenced me over and over again.
My mother, my first home, my first guide & my teacher, repeatedly taught me to consciously seek my own intuition and the light within, to show me the path.
She reminded me that I never needed anybody’s else’s strength but instead to access this primal power and to practice it often.
The purest thing in the world is the heart of the mother and now that I am a mother, I can fathom how intimate and infinite that love is.
