L.A. Lady

Fashion director, brand consultant, and stylist Elle Strauss wears many hats, including mother to daughters, Honor and Imogen. Now she’s adding one more to her list of titles— Angeleno! The fashion industry insider shows us around her Los Angeles home having recently relocated from Brooklyn, by way of Britain.

MINI | Thank you for inviting us into your Los Angeles home! Tell us about the place!

ELLE STRAUSS | The house was built in the 1950s which we loved. We’re not a big fan of anything too modern. It’s nice to have a house with a bit of history and character and something that feels a bit English! We also had a house in upstate New York near Hudson that was built in 1830, so all of the furniture had to work in our new home too. It had to feel like a home and not a showroom!

MINI | Do you have a favorite room?

ELLE STRAUSS | My favorite room is the kitchen. I designed it with the help of PCH construction and couldn’t have enjoyed the process more. I’m obsessed with interior design. I love the English farmhouse aesthetic.

MINI | What are some of your favorite elements in your home?

ELLE STRAUSS | The Moroccan rugs I found on a trip to Marrakech. Both girls each have one in their bedrooms. I love how that adds a splash of color. I love our bed, mainly for the fact that it’s a king size which feels so luxurious when you’ve been confined to a queen in a New York City apartment. But also because of the Victorian wicker. I guiltily shipped it from England! But it was worth it, right?

MINI | Talk to us about your daughters’ rooms. What are your favorite elements in their rooms?

ELLE STRAUSS | I love arranging their toys and books. Honor is pretty vocal about the style of her room, but I’m able to sneak some things in, like the pillows and the tent.

MINI | Since you recently relocated to LA— What do you love about raising your kids there?

ELLE STRAUSS | The weather! I do not miss the cold in NYC or the F train. I also love the space and the fact, for the first time, we have family here (my aunt, uncle, and cousin are in the Palisades). It’s so amazing for the girls to grow up with more family (everyone is in England or France!). They have sleepovers at their house and Deborah takes them to museums and the movies. We all spent Christmas Day together; it was lovely.

MINI | What are you missing from NYC?

ELLE STRAUSS | Oh gosh, everything! But I think I miss the energy the most. When you’re a mum, you can be a little isolated with the kids and yet in NYC, the buzz is always around you, whether you decide to participate or not. I miss the ease of bumping into people and popping for a coffee in the park or simply just pushing the stroller through the streets. I’m slowly getting used to the LA way of having to schedule! I’m lucky to have a fab group of friends [here] so the transition is definitely getting easier!

MINI | Tell us how you decided on your girls’ names.

ELLE STRAUSS | I’ve always liked both names. Honor, because of Honor Fraser, an English model, and also Honor Blackman, a Bond girl in the ‘60s. After she’d been named, my mum and grandma called me from England. They were sitting with my Grandpop’s family tree and it turned out that my [three times] great grandmother had also been called Honor and she’d even emigrated to New York from Cornwall, after her husband had passed— so she was also a bad ass! We all ended up in tears as it’s such a strange coincidence. My aunt also recently found her signature at Ellis Island, which is super special. Imogen is from Shakespeare’s Cymbeline. But honestly, I’ve always just loved the name. Imogen is not such an unusual name in England!

MINI | We know schedules can be hectic— so tell us about yours! What does a typical day look like right now?

ELLE STRAUSS | Either a puppy or Imogen will wake me up, typically around 6. I will never get used to early mornings. I know a lot of mums say they’re just programmed for early mornings, but not me. I could sleep until mid-day given the chance. If [my husband] James is in town (he’s a photographer and travels a lot) he’ll wake me up with a cuppa, which, hands down, is the greatest thing on earth. Then it’s all systems go. Get the kids fed and ready for school, let the dog and cat out, do the school run, and then it’s onto either a shoot, styling a commercial, fashion editorial, or meetings with brands as a consulting creative editorial director, which I absolutely love doing. We have a wonderful nanny who collects the girls from nursery and school, so by the time I’m home, they are fed and bathed, which is like a another gift from heaven. James and I will chat and work and then aim to be in bed by 10:30 which inevitably becomes 11.

MINI | How do you manage to keep all of the plates spinning?

ELLE STRAUSS | You just get on with it. There’s no secret map or guide to any of this. I’m just making it up as I go along like all the other mums, but a great support system definitely helps. James is amazing, my mum flies out from England all the time, my aunt is now down the road, and Rosa, our nanny, is fab!

MINI | What is your greatest joy of motherhood?

ELLE STRAUSS | Discovering their little personalities. Imogen is hilarious and Honor has the biggest heart and shows such a tremendous amount of empathy for people; it makes us so proud. When they play together, it also makes my heart burst. Yesterday, Honor had them both packing backpacks and going off to Candyland. I could hear them laughing their heads off from the living room.

MINI | What is your greatest parenting worry?

ELLE STRAUSS | I think the minute they pop out (if not before), you worry. I’m not sure if I have a number one [worry]! Recently, it was that they’d be OK moving to LA. Initially, Honor was mad at us, but she’s made some lovely friends here and the puppy and kitten have helped!

MINI | What do you think is the one thing no one really warns you about?

ELLE STRAUSS | How much you’ll worry and seriously, no one can prepare you for the lack of sleep. It’s been years!

MINI | How would you describe your personal style? Has it changed since becoming a mom?

ELLE STRAUSS | It varies from day to day, but simple, clean lines, and chic (I hope). Nothing has changed style-wise, except maybe more flats.

MINI | Where do you like to shop?

ELLE STRAUSS | I love Joseph, Frame denim, Brooklyn Bird, Doen, Rachel Comey, Ariel Gordon, and Elisa Solomon for sparkles. I love discovering new brands too. Recently, I bought a skirt from an LA-based brand called LOÉIL and my friend has a fab line called VALIANTÉ. For the girls, I love Juniper Baby, Zara, Gap, Scamp and Dude, Wild and Gorgeous, Nights by Wilder (for sleepwear), Plae shoes (they’re machine washable!), I could go on and on. Their closets are ridiculous.

MINI | Let’s talk beauty. What is your skincare/beauty routine like?

ELLE STRAUSS | I’ve always loved Dermalogica. Your face just feels so clean after their PreCleanse Balm and Daily Superfoliant. I use SK-II Essence, Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Serum, and I love to use La Mer. I’ve just discovered Cos Bar here in LA! Body lotion has to be Jo Malone (try Dark Amber & Ginger Lily— it’s delicious!) and since moving to LA, I’ve become more obsessive with SPF. Either using La Roche-Posay or EltaMD from Shen Beauty. I use Biotherm Micellar Water for taking off the toughest mascaras and makeup-wise, I love Stila’s liquid eyeliner, Charlotte Tilbury foundations, or Koh Gen Do as they’re super light. Maybelline mascara, and Becca shimmering lotion which I mix in with foundation for a little glow! I also like to use a body brush everyday to improve my circulation and remove dead skin cells.

MINI | If you could give your children one piece of advice, what would it be?

ELLE STRAUSS | Try not to rush. Being a kid is the best thing ever. There’s no need to grow up so fast. But I expect, like me, they won’t listen!

MINI | How about yourself? Looking back to your first days as a mom, what advice would you give?

ELLE STRAUSS | It will get better and easier. Everything is literally a stage and you will get through it!

MINI | How many kids did you see yourself with growing up? Are there more kids in your future?

ELLE STRAUSS | Funnily enough, I always thought I’d have two girls (I have a sister). So yes, we’re done. This shop is shut.

FAST FACTS

TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER Whole milk latte.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE The Goonies for me. Paddington 2 with the girls.

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT Pace.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO Johnny Cash.

SIGNATURE SCENT Diptyque Olene.

ALWAYS IN MY FRIDGE Cadbury’s chocolate.

FAVORITE KIDS BOOK The Tiger That Came to Tea.

IF I HAD MORE TIME I WOULD... Get a massage.

IDEAL DATE NIGHT... Dinner somewhere yummy!

Photography by Vanessa Tierney