4 minute read
Born To Do It
Words HELEN BARON
As mum-of-one Tamara Ecclestone launches her new range of organic bath products for kids in the UAE, we catch up with the bronzed billionairess
At first glance, Tamara Ecclestone is not your regular mother. The daughter of Formula One billionaire Bernie, and model Slavica, Ecclestone, she’s been in the public eye since girlhood. She was educated at the distinguished Francis Holland school in London and today, aged 33, calls a £45 million Kensington mansion home. For a number of years, however, she was a favourite of the gossip pages – a socialite with an apparent knack for partying.
Then came Sophia.
It’s fair to say that Tamara Ecclestone’s public life can be divided into two sections – pre- and post-partum. When her daughter Sophia (whom she calls Fifi) was born in 2014, Tamara’s life, priorities and public profile changed dramatically – so much so that you can’t help feeling motherhood is her true calling.
We talk to Tamara after the UAE launch of Fifi and Friends, her range of organic children’s bath products. “I have been coming to Dubai for many years now and I spend quite a bit of time here with my family, so to see my brand in the stores is really special to me,” she tells us. “Commercially, it was also the right thing to do as the baby care market here is booming. The demand for safe and natural products has really increased in the last few years, so it made sense.”
In person, the old image of Tamara is even harder to reconcile with her new direction. She’s still a glamourpuss, of course, but the look seems secondary to the spirit; she beams with warmth, welcome and positivity, clearly overjoyed with her new products.
“My daughter Fifi and her cousin Lavinia inspired the brand,” Tamara explains. “Lavinia has really curly hair and it was hard to find decent products to tame it. I had the idea to do a range for both curly and straight hair, so we developed a detangler that can untangle even the knottiest hair. From there it grew into swimming haircare, sun-block, nappy cream and even baby wipes – I wanted them all to use organic ingredients and to have the same fragrance.”
The natural approach is core to Fifi and Friends, and Tamara’s products outstrip many of their competitors’ by offering recyclable and often biodegradable packaging. We ask why the eco-conscious angle is so important and she replies without hesitation: “It’s really, really important to me. It had to be this way. A lot of products are misleading [about such things]. And they smell fake.
There was no way I was going to use anything harsh or artificial on my daughter.
“It took almost two years to get everything right – and I tested everything on myself.”
At the end of the day, a mum wants the best for their child no matter what country you live in, she says. “For me, it was important to expand the brand across the globe and offer mums everywhere the possibility to buy guaranteed safe, natural and gentle baby products. There are some great products specific for hot countries, like the Swimmers Shampoo, which helps against chlorine damage, and our SPF 50 sun cream – a must in the UAE climate!”
It’s all part of a conscious yet apparently neverjudgmental embrace of natural parenting – itself inspired by a kind of epiphany Tamara experienced after having her daughter. She admits motherhood is “way better” than she expected. “Growing up, I wasn’t desperate to be a mum. When it happened, it blew my mind; I was unprepared for just how much I would love my daughter. It was just so immediate and intense. So far, it’s been an amazing journey and I’ve loved every stage. I don’t think you can know how you’re going to feel beforehand – or even what to plan for. I bought all these bottles and a cot thinking they would be useful, then Fifi came and I breastfed exclusively and we co-slept – I ended up following my gut, so you learn on the job.”
Strange as it may seem, being a public figure and endorsing breastfeeding and co-sleeping opened Tamara up to criticism in some quarters. “I don’t really understand it. There are other things to have opinions about – [breastfeeding and co-sleeping are] such personal choices. For me, breastfeeding was easier for both me and baby, and I enjoyed that bond. Motherhood itself definitely engenders opinions and judgment. Wellmeaning people like to give advice and share thoughts, but it’s bizarre that breastfeeding is contentious.”
How about the seemingly elusive work-family life balance, we ask? “It’s definitely a challenge. But Fifi does now have full days in nursery, so I get as much done as I can on those days. When she was younger, I utilised nap times. It’s important to have balance. I had to make it work so I could do something for me, too, and keep my brain ticking over.”
Tamara’s top advice for first-timers and mums-to-be is “just see what happens without planning too much.
“And reserve judgment, because you never know how you will react in similar situations – down to whether your child uses an iPad at a certain age or how they behave in public, and how you choose to discipline them in a moment of meltdown.”
Luckily for Tamara, Fifi loves coming to the UAE, so this trip is the easy part. “We loved swimming with dolphins at the Atlantis, and the water park,” she tells us. “We also went to the desert and that was amazing, although Fifi was a bit scared to go on the camel!”
Going on travel adventures, balancing work and motherhood, and wanting the best for her daughter... in all the most important respects, Tamara Ecclestone is not so different from a regular mum after all.
The Fifi and Friends range is now available online at mumzworld.com and beautifulbrands.ae. It’s coming soon to Babyshop, Spinneys and Waitrose stores in the UAE. fifiandfriends.co.uk
