Interview //

Twig Hutchinson

We catch up with British design expert and mother of three, Twig Hutchinson on her cult online journal and how to celebrate Easter in style. 

Elegant, understated and artfully undone, Twig Hutchinson’s style is the type you want to instantly emulate. Scroll through her lifestyle site Minford Journal and you enter a world of beautiful, eclectic finds. Whether it is a musing on the latest interiors trend or vintage-inspired sleepwear for children, every post reflects her inimitable aesthetic. Warning: you will want to buy everything featured. 

Obsessed with fashion and design since she was a child growing up in rural England, Twig started her career doing work experience with an interior stylist. “From then I was hooked. I set about getting work experience at every magazine I could and carried on assisting lots of different stylists. Then I just got lucky. An editor contacted me about a test shoot I’d recently styled and it all sprang from there.”

Now a renowned art director and prop and interior stylist, she spends her time sourcing items and overseeing the styling of shoots and events. “I love that I get to work and collaborate with so many talented, creative people.”

“I really enjoy the crossover between interiors and fashion in my work - it means I get to indulge both my great passions!”

Vintage items have become one of the hallmarks of her work. “I love the textures and things not looking too perfect. I’m equally as passionate about old French antiques as I am about 50’s and 60’s pieces and I love to mix them together, pairing distressed antique pieces with more modern shapes.” 

At the same time as working on shoots and events, Twig also runs the Minford Journal, an online blog where she covers interiors, fashion and chic finds for children. Distilling her exquisite taste into conversational, shoppable posts, it is highly addictive reading.

Home is in South London, where she is a mother to three (very well-dressed) children. (Aurelie 12, Benjamin 9 and Clementine, 5)

Her advice when it comes to childrenswear? “I buy a few designer pieces for them but nearly always in the sale. I then mix in lots of high street pieces but try to spy out the ones that look more expensive than they are. Often that’s when the colour is muted or there’s a great subtle print. Hopefully that’s what I help to show people on Minford. My advice is: enjoy the time where you can dress them predominantly in what you love. In lightning speed the athleisure phase kicks in and then your opinion counts for nothing. Sob.”

“I find the perspective of children a great leveler.”

She says her children have taught her to appreciate the simple things in life. “It’s so easy to get bogged down in worrying or your adult concerns but I find the children’s perspectives a great leveler. Their excitement at nature. Their world of make believe and fantasy. Sometimes I really do think there is nothing more perfect than a walk in the sunshine with a little squishy hand held in yours.”

With Easter soon approaching, we spoke to Twig about how to celebrate in style with children and her tops picks from Meri Meri.

How will you be spending Easter?

Easter is a really important time of year for me and my family. We go to church on Easter morning and then come home and have a big lunch, always with lots of family or friends depending on who is around. We crack open the champagne and cook a traditional roast lamb and have loads of puddings and then go into the garden for an Easter egg hunt. It really is one of my favourite times of year.

How do you create a stylish children’s Easter party? 

Incorporate some more grown up elements. A great example of this is using fresh flowers. Try to think of something a bit more unexpected than say daffodils and go for a selection of delicate seasonal flowers such as cowslips, hellebores or muscari in little vases dotted down the table. Also remember to mix in non-themed party ware. Meri Meri have such a great selection in their beautiful basics range. Mix that with the Easter pieces and it stops everything looking too matchy. The fun bit, let’s face it, comes from the chocolate!

Ideas for easy activities with children?

I think more so than any other time of the year, Easter is perfect for a good craft session at the kitchen table. If you’re hosting, it’s so easy to miss this bit. I’m really going to try and set aside some time this year where we can all sit down and just enjoy making some things together. Any creative activities are so good for you. We also will do lots of baking together. This year I’d like to nail the vegetable dyed egg thing. My eldest daughter has got really into calligraphy, so she has been tasked with writing all the place names for the table this year.

How do you create a unique Easter gift?

This year, rather than buying the standard big character eggs from the supermarket, I’m going to buy each of my children a vintage-style papier-mâché egg and fill them with tissue paper and mini foil wrapped eggs and tie it up with a big silk ribbon. Then we can use it again next year.

Your three favourite Meri Meri pieces for Easter?

The Bunny Hair Slides - I always like to keep a stash of Meri Meri hair clips in my present drawer for children’s parties. Last year I put them in Clementine’s party bags for her friends.  The Bunny Straw Bag - This was both the girls’ favourite piece from the little shoot we did. You just can’t beat a great basket. Blue Gingham Cups - I love that these are subtle and would be just as good for adults as children.

Blog: 
www.minford.co.uk

Instagram: 
www.instagram.com/minford_journal

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