our second instalment of 'coffee with' series is a tribute to our mums, in celebration of mother’s day. it goes without saying that our mothers are our heroes, they’re the driving force behind our ambitions and achievements. 

being single mums, they’ve done everything and more to give us a head start in life, both managed to fly us and our siblings halfway around the world from third-world countries to give us a better future. 

heather

where were you born and where did you grow up?
i was born in bontehuewel, south africa.

what was your childhood and upbringing like?
my childhood was having my sisters and brothers as friends.  
we grew up with love but struggled financially. 
mum and dad taught us values in life.

why did you move overseas? Why did you choose new zealand?
i moved overseas to start a new life. canada was my first choice, 
but i did not complete the papers. new zealand for its greenery, 
boating and new opportunities, and safety.

what is your greatest achievement?
one of the great achievements is seeing my daughters grow into beautiful accomplished women. i've travelled to europe, i'm still fulfilling some other goals.

how do you express your creativity?
my creativity is expressed through poetry, cooking, actually anything that brings joy to others.

given that we’re all in isolation, what has been your favourite thing to do at home?
i don't have a favourite, its more about learning and achieving new things. 
i enjoy making new meals and delivering to solo mums. i love that i could go running before work. i love too that i could exercise at home with overseas trainer lol. 

growing up, what sort of fashion did you gravitate towards?
born in the 60's I really gravitated towards the 20's. 
i love colour and wearing scarves in my hair. big and bold, wide pants and yes there was the little black mini dress.

what’s your favourite fabric to wear? 
anything that accentuates my shape and freedom of movement.

what are you favourite labels?
i'm not a label person, i love to op shop, since 2019 I've gravitated towards nikita miller label.

 
najah 

where were you born and where did you grow up?
i was born in baghdad, capital of iraq and grew up there too.

what was your childhood and upbringing like?
i was one of seven kids and i think i was the most spoiled one out of my siblings.
my wittiness and laser quick responses were the talk of the family. my mum would sometimes be embarrassed to take me of out because there's no telling what would come out of my mouth. i called it how I saw it.

why did you move overseas? why did you choose new zealand?
i moved to nz in 1998 for the well-being and safety of my twins. moving to nz was not a choice. it was the only immigration form i got hold of at the time.

what is your greatest achievement?
immigrating to a better place to provide a safe environment for my boys.

how do you express your creativity?
by collecting and restoring antique furniture.

given that we’re all in isolation, what has been your favourite thing to do at home?
watching tv, specifically dubbed turkish drama. yip, a lot of binge watching.

growing up, what sort of fashion did you gravitate towards?
i've always gravitated towards the 40s and 50s fashion, i've also always liked gypsy style.

what’s your favourite fabric to wear? 
linen.

what are you favourite labels?
prada.