Our first meeting in 2011 wasn’t exactly textbook – Emma Parkes-McQueen had come along to talk about her kid’s clothing label, Rockabye-Baby, and show us some of her products. She arrived the Festival Kidz office late, stressed and flustered. She quickly blurted out the sorry ordeal of having sent her child to school in fancy dress that morning on the wrong day (and the distress and carnage that caused) and that was it – we knew she was ‘one of us’!
Non-parents frequently underestimate the challenges of running your own business, often from home in fits and starts around other people’s demands, and yet still be in the moment for your children… as a business woman you want to ooze competence and efficiency, yet as a parent you just desperately want to make sure the kids feel nurtured and valued – just praying you don’t mess up. It is a daily struggle to keep the two going.
Emma however, has somehow managed not only to be successful in her work (and yes, she has worked bloody hard to get where she is) but she has also created the most gorgeously caring, open and respectful children I have ever met. I am in awe.
Emma has 2 children, Scarlet (7) and Fred (3) and a supportive husband, Simon – who also happens to be lovely to be around (no wonder we love spending time with them). Oh, and she also has an allotment and cooks amazing food… could she be more of an inspiration if she tried?!
Emma is a renowned designer and has worked with the likes of Vivienne Westwood. Her funky children’s clothing brand, Rockabye-Baby, is like a breath of fresh air in kid’s fashion and we feel really privileged to have spent time with her on our stalls while she showcased her clothing range at Wychwood and LolliBop.
But Emma, fun-loving, crazy and up-for-it as she is, had never done a festival per se, and definitely not with her kids in tow… so we got her some press tickets for Larmer Tree Festival and I think (hope) she is now a convert! 😉
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Emma has written the following articles for Festival Kidz: