Each week we're checking in with friends to see how they're finding balance and generally evolving and thriving in their careers. This week we sat down with PR mogul and mother of two Sara Larson to talk about her day-to-day. Having built a career working with some of fashion's biggest names such as Honor, Monse, and Galvan, she has since established her very own PR firm, Larson. Read below as she walks us through her WFH routine, plus her tips on staying motivated and inspired.
Photo: Alec Kugler
How do you start your days?
"I wake up most days gloriously drenched in my children, Ihlen and Royal and our new puppy, Freyja. My husband, Gunnar, and I live in Greenpoint in a mini loft, and our kids love climbing into bed with us in the mornings to snuggle and read! After this, coffee is a must! Gunnar and I have a cup while we hang with the kids and discuss our plans for the day ahead. Now that New York is blossoming, we love to sit outside on our deck and listen to the birds."
Are you incorporating movement or exercise into your routine? If yes, anything you're loving at the moment?
"Yes, we recently took the plunge and invested in a Peloton! It has been life changing for us—we have it set up at our studio that we share, near our apartment in Greenpoint. Otherwise, it's been a challenge during these past several months to get the movement we are so used to, so I try to walk as much as I can—anywhere during the day, which feels so good."
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 working mostly from the studio I share with my husband. It's tiny but cozy (he's an interior designer) and reminds me of our first apartment together in New York in the East Village. I love going into the city for meetings, which is more frequent now with the warm weather—this also gives me an excuse to 'get dressed,' which I absolutely love doing. Also, getting to see people in person versus a screen is such a gift."
Photo: Alec Kugler
What are the most critical things needed for creativity and to survive a workday?
"Time to think, process, be inspired. I love listening to the NYT Daily each morning to start my day—it gives me quiet and calm to strategize what I have coming up. Also, taking breaks to look at magazines that inspire me is a huge component. It can be challenging to constantly feel the drive and push to be innovative and creative. It's important to actually get out there and look for inspiration—take time to stop and refocus."
How do you stay focused and motivated throughout the day? Any tricks you can share?
"Music is a big one for me—I love being in my own head and daydreaming when I'm not constantly being hit with ideas and trying to capture them all at once. Writing and journaling is key, as well. I'm big on lists and visuals!"
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?
"This time has turned the fashion industry completely upside down, but with this a new gold lining of resilience that has come to the surface to make it even better, i believe, than it's ever been before."
Photo: Alec Kugler
From a creative standpoint, who or what has been your biggest influence?
"The street style of New York City and London have been huge influences for me in terms of my own personal style and the way I see fashion. I love getting dressed and being inspired by what I will see someone else wearing and how they will style it—it's thrilling for me because you never know what will resonate that spark of an idea. The icons have influenced me in great ways—the first time I saw McQueen's runway show with the spray-painting robot, my world was never the same. I always loved the mystery of the cool kids with unapologetic confidence to wear whatever they felt their best in. I am drawn to juxtaposition often (beautiful dresses with a street element like denim or a sneaker) and in some ways love to create these ideas for my clients—push the boundaries to explore their brand DNA to make it the best."
Tell us a little bit about your style right now. What's your go-to uniform?
"I'm really into dresses with a sneaker or boot—or denim with a delicious cashmere or slightly oversize sweatshirt. These are some of my go-tos! This Batsheva dress and Cara Cara dress with an Ansea hoodie paired with these Aquazzura slides or these Aeyde boots. I also love wearing minimal jewelry with a strong aesthetic, especially being on Zoom so much! Jamie Wolf's curved diamond stud is a fave (I like to wear two in one ear), and also Bliss Lau's rain ring is a favorite!"
Are there any style essentials you rely on for your spring wardrobe?
"Separates are my favorite for spring, especially in NYC. Layering a hoodie over a dress or a white button-up underneath—these or a really great pair of trousers with a t-shirt and denim jacket are my go-tos. Shoes range from a good sandal to take you from spring into summer, a nice fresh white pair of sneakers, and a pair of heels that are so invitingly beautiful you will want to wear them with just about anything. Oh, and this dress! (I just wore it in Palm Springs, and it's so perfect for the summer!) This Galvan dress also. My beauty clutch from Hunting Season is perfect for anything."
Photo: Alec Kugler
Let's switch gears for a minute: Are there any beauty products essential to your day-to-day?
"My go-tos are skin prep, lashes, lipstick, and highlight to keep a fresh look. I love Barbara Sturm's foaming gel and face cream to prep my skin; for lipstick, Gucci Westman's lipstick velvet palette is the most incredible color, and the texture is perfect to take you through the day, or any of Hermes's lipsticks (can't go wrong!). My all-time favorite mascara is Dior iconic lash, topping it all off with a tiny dab of Weleda skin food on my cheekbones. I do this routine typically every day, no matter what. (Although i have an encyclopedia of red or orange lipsticks that I love to wear—that's another story.) Oh, and Bumble & bumble brilliantine is my secret weapon!"
How do you unwind at the end of the day? Cocktails? Recipe, please!
"I love to have dinner as a family as much as we can, a cocktail with Gunnar—a Yola Mezcal negroni is my all-time favorite!"
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Photos: Alec Kugler
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