It’s not that often that I jump in front of the camera but when I was asked by luxe Mommy and Me brand Ele Story if I would like to style and feature a few of their pieces in their ‘mommy and me’ how could I possibly say no.
Hand made in San Francisco by mother and designer Judy Jou, her brand Ele Story has the most exquisite collection of special occasion dresses for mothers and their little girls.
With pieces made from rare edition fabrics like gold chiffon, cotton crochet, and gold lurex tulle – the Ele Story range is perfect for any special occasion, including those up and coming Christmas events.
While I chose my outfits with the thought that it would be perfect for my husband’s Christmas work do, I didn’t stop to realise how special the process of having a few professional photos done with Indi would be.
You see, it’s not the dresses that I found most beautiful about this gorgeous brand, it is designer and owner Judy Jou’s own story, and about how she now navigates life as a mother, without her mother by her side.
Having lost my mother when I was 16 years old, being a mum without a mum is something I can totally relate to and almost 23 years later, her absence still brings tears to my eyes.
As I began reading the ‘Ele stories’ of those who have featured on Judy’s blog, I began to see that the Ele Story Mommy and Me range is not just about designing special occasion clothes for kids and moms (or mums for us Aussies). It is about celebrating that precious mother daughter bond and creating and capturing those timeless moments that may one day be some of the most important memories in our children’s lives. The memory of their mother.
For me, the most precious part of this entire experience, is that I have a picture of my mum and I in the very same beach location that I treasure with my heart. When Indi is old enough to understand, I will show her both photos and I will tell her stories of our blogging adventures when she was little.
I will also tell of her this day, when the lovely photographer wanted to get some photos of the ‘super sized moon’ and he suggested we go to a lake. I will tell her that without him even realising, the lake he wanted us to go to was the lake right in front of the house where I was brought home to as a baby. The lake where I cried to stars in the sky the night my mum left. The lake where Indi held moonbeams in her hand.
And I will tell her about her beautiful ‘Nanna Del’ and how lucky we are to have shared the same mummy and me experiences that have passed the passage of time.
For that, I am grateful beyond words. X
Ness X
ELE STORY
WEAR it to: Weddings, parties, anything!
KEEP it CASUAL: with a basic tee, converse and denim jacket.
DRESS it UP: with heels, a simple black or white top and a little bling.
Why we LOVE: gorgeous fabric, beautiful fit – incredible memories X
Check them out HERE
Thanks for stopping by,
Love ness X
Biggest thanks to Dennis Wat for the beautiful photography.