Mother Stories
Brooklyn-Based Designer & Mama Estelle Bailey-Babenzien
Written by Erin Feher
Photography by Dina Kantor
Aug 14, 2019
Estelle Bailey-Babenzien has turned expressing herself into a steady gig (and a wildly successful one at that). This British-born, Brooklyn-based mother has a style that everyone wants a piece of. She’s half of the cult fashion brand Noah (the other half is her husband Brendon Babenzien, the former creative director of Supreme), having designed the label’s showrooms in NYC, L.A., London, and Tokyo. She also has a handful of high-profile clients (we see you, Adrian Grenier), and through her studio, Dream Awake, creatively advises them on everything from interiors to photoshoots to travel experiences. Although she was born in the UK, has roots in Ghana, and crisscrosses the globe on a regular basis, she makes her home in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, where she and Brendon are raising their equally expressive 4-year-old daughter, Sailor. Estelle invited us over for some hang time with she and Sailor (who just may have stolen the show, you be the judge) to talk the business of motherhood, fashion, and creative inspiration. Click through the full tour below!
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- "We have lived here for almost three years now. When Brendon and I first met, he moved in with me in Fort Greene. Later we moved into his place in Williamsburg while we put his apartment up for sale. I couldn’t wait to move back to Fort Greene, as I have a big community of friends here. We were looking for a place with some outside space and a third bedroom so my mum could come visit us from the UK for extended periods. This place checked all the boxes."
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- "I have to be honest: My place is rather messy and I still haven’t found the time to really decorate the place as I’d like to. Lets just say, it’s a work in progress."
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"No, we rent this apartment, so I won’t be doing any renovations, except adding paint colors."
Estelle wears a Noah t-shirt, Noah skirt, Issey Miyake earrings, and a vintage Hermès bracelet. Sailor wears a dress from the African market, handmade in Ghana, and Bon Ton shoes.
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- "I believe in a perfect balance between comfort, aesthetics, and function—if the design and layout of a space can be functional, comfortable, and beautiful then it’s a win! I love the challenge of finding this balance."
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- Mama-daughter love.
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- "My husband designs clothes, I design interiors and furniture for our stores, but we both really appreciate and respect each others taste level. We hear each other's opinions and consider them; sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t. But we don’t fight, we just trust the other to make the right choice in our respected areas. We do work together on the art direction and styling of our look books, and surprisingly this has worked out well. I guess we have influenced each other so much and now share a similar aesthetic."
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- "Sailor’s room is full of color! It’s a collection of items from around the world and practical items from Ikea. I still have Moroccan fabric lanterns from Ibiza to hang above her bed and incredible striped fabric from my favorite shop—Bare Foot in Colombo, Sri Lanka—that I plan to make floor-to-ceiling drapes with."
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- "The best thing about the living room is that extra-large, super soft, thick wool rug that serves as a comfort zone for our family. I didn’t want a coffee table, as we prefer to lounge and spread out on on the floor. And Sailor loves the place to wrestle with daddy, or dance and twirl around. I designed the rug and had it custom made in Morocco."
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- Original score by Sailor.
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- "I do love the rug, and I love my house plants—they bring the outside in and breathe life into the place. My last purchase was the dining table from Restoration Hardware. I really wanted a round table and this one with white marble brightens up the place. I found the vintage Danish dining chairs on Etsy and had them re-upholstered with a beautiful linen from a fabric mill in England, that we use for Noah."
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- "We try to keep the toys in certain zones. We have an area in the living space for toys, and Sailor’s kitchen and table. We like to include Sailor in the family space and don’t want her confined to her room."
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- "Culture and diversity. There's so much to do; and then it’s an hour to the beach or the mountains. It’s perfect."
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- "With Trump in office, it’s very tempting to move back to Europe, but our business keeps us grounded here."
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- "Fort Greene Park is around the corner and an easy go-to. It’s a mecca for family picnics and we see people we know without even planning it. Having this village-like community in a big city is priceless. We still love to go back to Bakeri in Williamsburg—it’s so charming and they serve our fave raspberry pistachio muffins there."
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- Tea time!
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- "Every day is a new adventure; watching a human grow and develop new skills every day is so fascinating, and the love flow is just mind blowing."
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- "Swimming pools. I’m on a mission to have Sailor learn to swim this summer. Also, I’m nervous about her becoming too spoiled. So, we have to constantly keep manners and discipline in check."
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- "I can relate to her and she to me. She is so girly. It’s fun. We are friends."
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- Afternoon traditions with mama.
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- "Her Name is Sailor Lynne Soleil. We named her Sailor after my grandad who was a sailor in the British Navy, and we all love the sea. Lynne is after my aunty who was like a second mum to me; she was also an Aries born in April. Both my grandad and aunty were icons in my life before they passed away. We added Soleil, which means 'sunshine' in French, because she was born on the sunniest, warmest day thus far that year."
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- "Sailor is 4. She loves to play family, and other role play. She loves to dance to classical music in a dramatic fashion, and to play with her Calico Critters and little dolls."
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"Yes, absolutely!"
Estelle wears a Lois London dress, Hermès head scarf, Hermès and Celiné bracelets, and vintage earrings. Sailor wears a FrankyGrow top and skirt.
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- "My pregnancy was great except one incident: I came back from a babymoon in St. Lucia and had to go to the hospital with cramps. It turned out to be dehydration, and I had to stay overnight with a drip. As for maternity leave, since I work for myself, I just did what felt right—working from home at the end of my pregnancy."
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- "The Business of Being Born documentary is great. As are books by famous midwife Ina May Gaskin."
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- "My grandmother was the best. And I love the principles of being honest and always telling the truth that my own mother instilled in me. She also made me feel loved and free."
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- "It was good for the most part. I grew up in England."
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- "I am straight up and firm about practicing honesty and love. I practice assertiveness with Sailor so there’s no confusion. I believe in teaching principles of respect and manners. I also want Sailor to feel loved for who she is and free to communicate and express her true self."
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- "Yes. I feel it is more important than ever to teach her that we are all equal. That no matter what your appearance or sex is, we are powerful and need to stand up for what we believe in."
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- "It’s no big deal. She doesn’t talk about it negatively; to her she looks like her Nanna, and I have brown skin. It just is what it is. I don’t want to over analyze it because it’s not our appearances that define us. It’s who we are on the inside that means the most, and I think Sailor knows that. The surface stuff shouldn’t be that important."
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- "Handle each day one day at a time and be present in the moments. Time heals and it goes by fast. Have faith, courage, and be kind to yourself and child."
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- "I would like to but I haven’t put any effort into that yet. I should probably make that happen, but I’ve been so busy with work."
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- "Eclectic, modern, and classic."
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- "Yes, my mum and her sisters loved fashion and clothes. I grew up with that and still wear their clothes."
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- "I wear fewer heels, and my style is more relaxed and classic. There are less uncomfortable fashion moments for sure."
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- "I loved Phoebe Philo at Celine. I wear a lot of Noah—Noah pieces have become my staples. I like to mix vintage and designer pieces together."
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- "I love to use Nova Scotia Fisherman soaps. The charcoal soap is amazing for my face. It takes off make up without drying my skin. I use Biologique Recherche P50 to exfoliate, rose water to tone, and a face oil such as Vintner's Daughter or Kiehl's to moisturize. I still use the oil I used when I was pregnant to moisturize my body: Mothers Special Blend. It’s amazing."
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- "I meditate almost daily, which is life changing. I suck at exercise, but trying to get better."
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- "I don’t get much of it—a mani pedi sometimes, a massage occasionally, or just shopping alone—whether for groceries or other essentials—feels amazing!"
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"I am a partner at Noah. I am an interiors and brand experience designer. I design furniture and interiors for other clients, also."
Estelle wears a vintage Nigerian ceremonial dress. Sailor wears a Neiman Marcus dress and Bonpoint shirt.
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- "I grew up in England and went to Central Saint Martins, a renowned school of art and fashion in London, graduating in fashion, with an emphasis on communication and promotion, and moved to NY during a one-year work placement. During that time I worked at a record label doing artistic direction, marketing, and management. It was a refreshing break as I was disenchanted with the fashion industry in London; it felt fickle and only serving the white demographic. I wanted to do something with purpose and add some good into the world, and I believed music did that. However, the music industry proved to be extremely male dominated and misogynistic. A mentor of mine advised me to get back to my creativity elsewhere if I planned on one day having a happy family life. I looked around—many of the successful woman in the music business were single or childless. That’s not what I wanted. I transitioned back into fashion, first creating a mission-based brand with an ex-boyfriend and then creating retail environments for high-end brands."
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- The beloved living room rug serves as a stage, trampoline, and yoga mat.
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- "Well, I choose a path where I can set my own schedule and goals. This allowed me to work freely and take my daughter with me. For the first two years of her life I worked part time and didn’t have a nanny. Sailor came with me and I worked from home. I loved being with her and those early years are so crucial; I also breastfed her until she was two. Brendon and I started our brand Noah during my pregnancy. Needless to say, we had two children at the same time. It’s been a very exciting, challenging, and motivating few years. Having a child makes you want to succeed more than ever, and we put that energy into our business."
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- "I don’t have any family in the U.S. Besides my mum coming to stay for a month at a time a couple times a year, we are basically on our own. Brendon’s mum lives in Florida, but doesn’t fly, so unfortunately we only see her once or twice a year when she makes a road trip. What we are very fortunate to have is a community of best friends who also have children. Some of which live in BK. My best friend lives around the corner. We are the family we choose. We even share a nanny, who is wonderful and loves our kids to pieces. Our kids are growing up as cousins; in fact they tell people they are brother and sister. It means the world to us and I’d be lost without that support."
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"Yes, even as I write this we are in Europe again. We travel for work and to visit family. We absolutely love Japan, the food, and traditional way of living there. We love discovering new places together."
Estelle wears a Nehera robe and Turkish towel.
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- "We had to travel with Sailor as we had no other options. We just got on with it and now Sailor is used to the routine; she adapts easily to all kinds of situations. You learn what you know and the universe will make way for you. With one kid this is totally manageable, but with two I imagine it’s infinitely harder."
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- Nothing better than a tub with room for two!
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- "Be as adaptable as possible from the start. I don’t believe in rigid schedules—at least they didn’t work for me. I don’t want to feel trapped or restrained by a schedule, they put too much pressure on everyone. A tired child isn’t fun, but kids will learn to sleep on the move, and in the stroller. And the other tip is to always have snacks! It’s so important to communicate everything so that all family members know what the other is doing and going through, then there are no surprises or false expectations."
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"No, I haven’t really had mom guilt. But lately I have been trying to create more quality one-on-one time with Sailor, as I have been getting home from work late."
Estelle wears a J. Crew sweater, Noah pants, Rachel Comey earrings, and Celiné bracelets. Sailor wears a dress handmade in India by a local artisan, and a vintage Yves Saint Laurent handkerchief.
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- "It is important. Sailor learns from me. I want her to see that I work hard, play hard, and love even harder. I want her to see that I fight for others and for what I believe in, and try to be fearless in life. I talk her through my choices so she can make sense of things herself. And she can also learn from my mistakes."
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These earrings!
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- "We want to continue to build the business organically and with integrity. To open more stores and expand the lifestyle component of the brand with the launch of a Noah furniture line. Ultimately, I would love to create Noah hospitality establishments of different kinds, rooted in the principles of the brand. Eventually I hope we can continue doing what we do, just on a bigger scale: giving back money to various organizations, spreading awareness, rethinking the way we and others do business, and becoming a more sustainable business in general."
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For more on Estelle and her sweet family, be sure to follow her on Instagram.
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What a gorgeous mother and daughter duo!!!