Graphics
Stacey Toth
Each week we’re checking in with friends to see how they’re finding balance, working from home, and generally evolving and advancing their careers. This week we chatted with Georgiana Huddart, the creative director and co-founder of cult-favorite swimwear line Hunza G. Amidst the pandemic, Huddart continues to grow her business by expanding the company’s sustainable practices and collaborating with new creatives. Her secret to success? Adding variety to the workday, staying curious, and taking breaks. Read up on her WFH tips and shop her must-have products below.
How do you start your days?
“I start my days with a cup of coffee, always. It’s the most exciting part of my day (that’s quite sad!)—when I was pregnant I really missed my coffee hit. I try and get up before my son (Frank Valentine) so that I have 10 minutes to gather my thoughts before the mayhem begins.”
Are you incorporating movement or exercise into your routine? If yes, anything you’re loving at the moment?
“Yes, very much so. I really enjoy exercising—especially in lockdown. I find my day is a breeze if I have done some form of movement, even if it’s just 10 minutes of breathing and stretching. I was running, but it’s now -1 and I just can’t handle the cold, so I do online Pilates classes with Ten Pilates. Looking after a baby can be really tiring, and when I feel fit, I have more energy and patience to juggle work and be a mother.”
How do you start your days?
“I start my days with a cup of coffee, always. It’s the most exciting part of my day (that’s quite sad!)—when I was pregnant I really missed my coffee hit. I try and get up before my son (Frank Valentine) so that I have 10 minutes to gather my thoughts before the mayhem begins.”
Are you incorporating movement or exercise into your routine? If yes, anything you’re loving at the moment?
“Yes, very much so. I really enjoy exercising—especially in lockdown. I find my day is a breeze if I have done some form of movement, even if it’s just 10 minutes of breathing and stretching. I was running, but it’s now -1 and I just can’t handle the cold, so I do online Pilates classes with Ten Pilates. Looking after a baby can be really tiring, and when I feel fit, I have more energy and patience to juggle work and be a mother.”
Talk to us a little bit about your work environment right now. Are you back in the office, or working remotely from home?
“I am doing a bit of both. I am really lucky to have the variation as some people have been trapped at home for nearly a year. Nothing beats the camaraderie of the office, and my team is the best. As a business we have grown by 50 percent during lockdown so we haven’t had the option to completely work from home. We have people on a rotating schedule so there are as few people in as possible at one time, but we are still quite a manual company because everything is made in the UK by hand.
“When I work from home I tend to be at the kitchen table—the beauty of working from home is actually that you can lie in bed on a laptop and no one knows...”
What are the most critical things needed for creativity and to survive a workday?
“I am really lucky that I am in the middle of a few really creative projects. I have been working with an illustrator, Melissa Greenwood (see below)—it’s a really uplifting and fun project. It’s hard to find inspiration at the moment from your immediate everyday life. I think you have to be even more curious and motivated to research and read things that interest or inspire you.”
How do you stay focused and motivated throughout the day? Any tricks you can share?
“I think it’s really important to have variation in your day. So I might spend two hours looking at a spreadsheet, but then I will give myself a break and tune into one of the more creative projects to give myself some light relief. I am working with a branding studio called Cece Studios to create some Hunza G postcards and stickers—these really cheer me up when I am feeling unmotivated. Also, as obvious as it sounds, going on a walk is really important, just getting out of the house makes a huge difference; otherwise you can quite quickly turn into a home slug.”
“I am doing a bit of both. I am really lucky to have the variation as some people have been trapped at home for nearly a year. Nothing beats the camaraderie of the office, and my team is the best. As a business we have grown by 50 percent during lockdown so we haven’t had the option to completely work from home. We have people on a rotating schedule so there are as few people in as possible at one time, but we are still quite a manual company because everything is made in the UK by hand.
“When I work from home I tend to be at the kitchen table—the beauty of working from home is actually that you can lie in bed on a laptop and no one knows...”
What are the most critical things needed for creativity and to survive a workday?
“I am really lucky that I am in the middle of a few really creative projects. I have been working with an illustrator, Melissa Greenwood (see below)—it’s a really uplifting and fun project. It’s hard to find inspiration at the moment from your immediate everyday life. I think you have to be even more curious and motivated to research and read things that interest or inspire you.”
How do you stay focused and motivated throughout the day? Any tricks you can share?
“I think it’s really important to have variation in your day. So I might spend two hours looking at a spreadsheet, but then I will give myself a break and tune into one of the more creative projects to give myself some light relief. I am working with a branding studio called Cece Studios to create some Hunza G postcards and stickers—these really cheer me up when I am feeling unmotivated. Also, as obvious as it sounds, going on a walk is really important, just getting out of the house makes a huge difference; otherwise you can quite quickly turn into a home slug.”
It’s a tricky time in our world, and economically speaking, it’s unclear what the future holds. How do you foresee this time impacting your industry?
“The one thing that seems to be a real positive is that sustainability is the number one conversation. Any brand not addressing the impact their production has on the environment is going to get left behind. People aren’t discussing ethical and sustainable practices purely in a performative or begrudging way, either—it’s genuinely interesting and exciting, and there is so much that can be done to change current ways of working. Everyone is trying to make steps towards better ways of managing your carbon footprint, non-waste, less chemicals—it’s been an incredible shift, and the customer wants as much information on the back end of brands, so you have to be accountable.”
From a creative standpoint, who or what has been your biggest influence?
“Travel, and the amazing women in my life. Cheesy, I know! But I have two sisters who are such individuals and my mum is incredible. Hunza G has such a broad customer, so it’s essential that it’s designed inclusively for a variety of women.”
Tell us a little bit about your style right now. What’s your go-to uniform?
“A real cliché, but I am in different versions of tracksuits. I love Les Girls Les Boys, Opera Sport, and The Pangaia. I am six foot two, so historically, its been really hard to find long trousers, but all these brands now do unisex trousers, so for the first time in my life I am not wearing everything super cropped and pretending it’s on purpose.”
“The one thing that seems to be a real positive is that sustainability is the number one conversation. Any brand not addressing the impact their production has on the environment is going to get left behind. People aren’t discussing ethical and sustainable practices purely in a performative or begrudging way, either—it’s genuinely interesting and exciting, and there is so much that can be done to change current ways of working. Everyone is trying to make steps towards better ways of managing your carbon footprint, non-waste, less chemicals—it’s been an incredible shift, and the customer wants as much information on the back end of brands, so you have to be accountable.”
From a creative standpoint, who or what has been your biggest influence?
“Travel, and the amazing women in my life. Cheesy, I know! But I have two sisters who are such individuals and my mum is incredible. Hunza G has such a broad customer, so it’s essential that it’s designed inclusively for a variety of women.”
Tell us a little bit about your style right now. What’s your go-to uniform?
“A real cliché, but I am in different versions of tracksuits. I love Les Girls Les Boys, Opera Sport, and The Pangaia. I am six foot two, so historically, its been really hard to find long trousers, but all these brands now do unisex trousers, so for the first time in my life I am not wearing everything super cropped and pretending it’s on purpose.”
Are there any style essentials you rely on for your winter wardrobe?
“Black. I always wear black and a really good coat. I have an amazing Helmut Lang one which you can wear with anything and feel great. The Row zip-up boots I have lived in—I wear them nearly every day; they look great with everything: tracksuits/smart clothes/leggings/skirts.”
Let’s switch gears for a minute: Are there any beauty products essential to your day-to-day?
“Yes! Never have I been more obsessed with my at-home skin-care routine—my boyfriend thinks I am mad. Apparently, it’s to do with everyone looking at themselves on Zoom all day and becoming quite vain, but also because we can’t control so many things at the moment, anything you can control becomes really important to feeling calm and serene. I use Sisley and SkinCeuticals products. My favorites are Sisley—this stops me feeling like I look 100 years old.”
How do you unwind at the end of the day? Cocktails? Recipe, please!
“I have a bath the minute Frank goes to bed—I use Olverum bath oil, which is the best thing I have ever found. I haven’t been drinking for a while because in the first lockdown I turned into a mild alcoholic and had a drink every day, so this time I am trying the opposite. I have been drinking something called Feragaia, which is a non-alcoholic botanical spirit. I make it with fresh mint, tonic water, a splash of elderflower, lemon, and ice.”
“Black. I always wear black and a really good coat. I have an amazing Helmut Lang one which you can wear with anything and feel great. The Row zip-up boots I have lived in—I wear them nearly every day; they look great with everything: tracksuits/smart clothes/leggings/skirts.”
Let’s switch gears for a minute: Are there any beauty products essential to your day-to-day?
“Yes! Never have I been more obsessed with my at-home skin-care routine—my boyfriend thinks I am mad. Apparently, it’s to do with everyone looking at themselves on Zoom all day and becoming quite vain, but also because we can’t control so many things at the moment, anything you can control becomes really important to feeling calm and serene. I use Sisley and SkinCeuticals products. My favorites are Sisley—this stops me feeling like I look 100 years old.”
How do you unwind at the end of the day? Cocktails? Recipe, please!
“I have a bath the minute Frank goes to bed—I use Olverum bath oil, which is the best thing I have ever found. I haven’t been drinking for a while because in the first lockdown I turned into a mild alcoholic and had a drink every day, so this time I am trying the opposite. I have been drinking something called Feragaia, which is a non-alcoholic botanical spirit. I make it with fresh mint, tonic water, a splash of elderflower, lemon, and ice.”
Shop Georgiana’s Favorite Products:
Photos: Courtesy of Georgiana Huddart
Want more stories like this?
Beauty Aficionado Carrie Barber Shares Her WFH Secrets
A Glimpse Into the Life of Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson
Krissy Jones and Chloe Kernaghan of Sky Ting on Disrupting the Yoga Industry
Want more stories like this?
Beauty Aficionado Carrie Barber Shares Her WFH Secrets
A Glimpse Into the Life of Editor-in-Chief Sarah Harrelson
Krissy Jones and Chloe Kernaghan of Sky Ting on Disrupting the Yoga Industry