As the new face of BONDS, The Carousel caught up with Elyse Taylor on her Sydney photo shoot and asked how she’s managing the juggle.
1. How do you feel about coming on as the new BONDS for 2015?
It’s amazing. Just to be involved with Bonds is incredible. They’re such lovely people, I love working with them, I hope they love working with me. They’ve been so good to me. It was so much fun having Lila on set – my mum came to mind her and we all had fun. My work priorities have definitely changed since becoming a mum. I’d like to have more children so I do have some projects on the horizon that are in motion to set myself up for the future when I finish modeling. So my team is really pushing to get me there and I’m more driven than ever before.
2. You look absolutely amazing, how did you bounce back so quickly after giving birth?
My diet really changed a lot after having a baby, I used to skip meals a lot, or just have salads or juices, but my body really retained water after having a baby, so now I’m on the Blood Type diet. My blood type is O so that’s a lot of meat and. And it’s really easy when I travel I don’t have to think about it I just stay on that diet. I’m quite strict about it, but I’ll have one day where I’ll eat whatever I want.
It took a long time [to lose the weight], about five months which is long for a model you know. The other models are super skinny and like, ‘oh I had a baby a month ago’ but they’re still tiny and I was like, why aren’t I losing the weight? But I did it the healthy way, I didn’t starve myself, I didn’t … there are other things you can do but I didn’t.
I work with a trainer, Justin Gelband at my friend’s studio, Model Fit. So I work out with him when I’m in New York and when I’m not I swim and do low impact, high repetition exercises. Things with leg weights and floor work, it’s a bit like pilates but not. It’s all lengthening, focusing on building lean muscles.
3. Tell us about your wedding last year
We had it in Bridgehampton, which is two and a half hours from Manhattan. My husband’s family has a horse farm and there’s a polo field so we had a big tent on it and it was beautiful. The reception was in the indoor riding rink. My family and friends came over, we had 175 people so it was quite a full on event!
4. And your dress?
Zac Posen’s a really good friend of my husband’s, so it was just like a natural progression to have him design it and I just asked him one day. He said yes and we hung out, we had four or five lunches discussing it and then he kind of just draped it over me. So we collaborated on it together but of course it was all him! The dress was amazing, he was really fantastic. It was a slip, with lace here [hands across mid-area] and then close to the bodice and then … I’m terrible at describing things! It’s in the back of my wardrobe now, I’ve never done the whole, sitting down watching TV thing in it.
5. How has becoming a mum changed your life?
It’s turned my whole world around you know. Everything’s different. But you change as well. All the stuff I did before I was pregnant, if you asked me if I wanted to do that now I’d be like, no way in the world. I’d rather get up at 5 o’clock with my daughter than nurse a hangover. Just your priorities change. And because your life changes like that, those people drop out of your life. I’m happy just to hang out with family and my dog and my daughter and my husband. It just really changes. Your circle gets smaller and things that are really important come to the surface.
6. How do you work in modeling with motherhood?
Unfortunately I can’t take Lila to work with me like I did today [on the BONDS shoot]. I have a great nanny in New York who is just awesome. So when I’m at work I know she’s being looked after. If it’s a trip more than three days then I’ll take Lila, but if it’s not then it’s just not worth disrupting her routine. And then if I work four days on, I’ll have four days off, I try and balance it like that, just so I get enough quality time with her and with work.
7. Who is your style inspiration?
Julia Stegner. She’s my friend [and a model] she always looks so pretty, it’s really annoying! We were both pregnant at the same time and her maternity look and my maternity look were very different. It was like she backlit, all the time. I was like, I actually can’t hang out with you anymore because my self esteem is decreasing every time I see you!
I look my best in … black jeans, white t-shirt and a blazer, Isabel Marant I wear a lot, Frame denim and Frame denim t-shirts.
My last buy was … a Saint Laurent leather skirt with zippers on it.
My maternity wear was from … GAP and H&M
My most effective workout move is … swimming. Freestyle for about 40 minutes.
My biggest indulgence … if we’re shooting in St Barts or Miami or somewhere I’ll stay an extra day and bring Lila and have a holiday. That’s my big indulgence, especially if it’s like St Barts or somewhere. Seth’s like, ‘you’re ridiculous,’ I’m like, ‘no I’m not!’
My favourite recipe is … pasta. Always pasta ‘cause I can’t eat it! Just a good, spaghetti bolognaise recipe. I never do that. Seth makes really good ones with rigatoni and I can’t eat it. He doesn’t eat healthy because I eat healthy, he eats whatever he likes! Don’t most guys? It’s so annoying.
Sexiest thing a woman can wear? I don’t think it’s what she wears but her confidence and how she holds herself.
Travel skin trick: I don’t have one. I travel with my daughter, I’m more concerned about her diaper situation and where my customs forms are!
My first fashion memory was … I used to do these fashion shows when I was 17 at Cruise Bar [on King St Wharf in Sydney]. I remember it was in the Sunday papers and I was so excited I was in the paper! And my mum’s kept some of them, I’ve got big hair and I look like a baby.
Favourite place in the world … something close like St Barts or Harbour Island in the Bahamas. Something close and easy where we can escape to.
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