Welcome to Mother+ Meets… our interview series spotlighting women who are building brilliant things while also building a family. These are the stories behind the headlines — from late nights and bold pivots, to the quieter, less visible moments that shape everything.

This week, we meet Alix Verley-Pietrafesa — founder and creative director of Alix of Bohemia, the New York-based label known for its hand-finished, characterful pieces rooted in craft and storytelling.

A mother of two young daughters, Alix is currently navigating life with an eight-month-old and a two-year-old, balancing the realities of early motherhood with running a growing global brand. Her days move between studio life in Brooklyn and the rhythms of home, often with her baby in tow, a juggle that will feel familiar to many, but is rarely spoken about so openly.

What began as making clothes for friends has grown into an internationally recognised brand, with last year’s debut runway show in New York marking a defining new chapter. She now runs the business alongside her husband, with a clarity that cuts through the usual narrative of “doing it all”.

We spoke to Alix about building something from scratch, working through the early years of motherhood, and why success now is measured less by perfection and more by presence.

1. Tell us a little about what you do and what led you here.

I am the founder and creative director of ALIX OF BOHEMIA, an independent clothing brand I run with my husband while raising our two daughters. What led me here was, very simply, a love of working with my hands.

I have always been drawn to things that feel made rather than manufactured, and to clothing that carries memory, character and the trace of the human hand. I started the brand out of a desire to create pieces with soul, garments that feel expressive, enduring and full of story.

Over time, that instinct grew into a business, still rooted in craft and the belief that clothing can be both deeply personal and made to last.

2. What does a typical day look like for you, if there is such a thing?

There isn’t really such a thing as a typical day, but most mornings begin between 6:30 and 7:30, whenever our two-year-old decides it is time to get up.

I make coffee immediately, then breakfast for my husband, the kids and me, and lunch for my two-year-old. I always try to sit down, though I often end up eating standing up. Getting dressed is an important part of my morning. It’s a way of shifting from mum mode into work mode.

What I wear affects how I feel and move through the day. It always has to be comfortable, but also feel interesting in some way, or I’ll be wear-testing something from the collection.

Once our nanny arrives, I walk to our studio in Brooklyn, where I begin by checking in on the atelier and meeting with my development team. If my eight-month-old is with me, the day takes on a different shape. I’m not able to work in a focused way, but I do what I can between pumping, playing with her and the general juggle of it all.

A lot of my time is spent researching, looking at things and drawing, all daily practices.

At lunch, I try to sit down with my husband so we can eat together and catch up. I usually leave the office around 4:30 or 5, stop at the market and make something simple for dinner. Then it’s bath time, pyjamas, stories and the evening rhythm with the children. We take turns lying with our two-year-old while she falls asleep around 8.

By the end of the day, after one more pump, a little reading and usually a few loads of laundry, it’s time to get ready to do it all again.

3. Your brand has just celebrated a major milestone with your debut runway show in New York. Looking back, what moments stand out most from building ALIX OF BOHEMIA to this point?

Because I was self-taught, I definitely felt like an imposter in the beginning.

What started as making pieces for friends in college somehow turned into a real global business, which is still wild to me. Seeing one of my jackets in the Bergdorf Goodman window in 2016 was a huge moment, as was my husband joining the company as CEO in 2018, when we began building seasonal collections and expanding our wholesale network.

Showing in Paris for the first time and seeing my work in Vogue were also major milestones. But one of the best feelings is still spotting someone wearing one of my pieces in the wild.

4. How has motherhood shaped how you work or how you define success?

I think every mother identifies with the feeling of wanting to clone herself, to be fully present for your children, your partner, yourself and your work all at once. It’s hard being a mum, and hard being a mum who works outside the home. I try to be kind to myself. The company is growing, the kids are thriving, and that in itself feels like success.

But the moments that feel most meaningful are actually the quieter ones, when I can slow down and be fully present with my children, or fully focused on a project at work. Those moments feel really intentional and really good.

I have two daughters, and they shape my work in so many ways. I imagine them one day wearing the pieces I make, and I think about the people they will become. I love bringing them to work and showing them what we do. They were both at our first runway show, and my two-year-old still talks about it.

I’ve also always been obsessed with bunnies, and now there is almost always a garment in each collection with two bunnies on it, as a quiet way of including both of them.

5. What do you wish people understood about building something from scratch?

People expect one big moment that changes everything, but it’s usually much more gradual than that. It’s a series of steps that build on each other, often in ways you only understand later. More than anything, it takes consistency and steadiness. You just keep going.

For me, it’s a lot like making a garment. The process is the most important part, because that’s where I’m constantly learning, refining and improving, and where something real starts to take shape.

6. Where do you find your energy, and what drains it?

I find energy in making things, being with my family and laughing a lot. I love a long creative process. I recently made a life-size papier mâché giraffe for our Fall/Winter presentation, and that was the kind of project that really lit me up.

Cooking something extravagant and sharing it with friends always restores me too. A beautiful book, a special vintage find, a great exhibition, being in nature or a great yoga class all fill my cup.

What drains me most is rushing, which I really loathe, and too much screen time.

7. What is one decision that changed everything?

Quitting my gallery job just after college and deciding to focus on making clothes. I had no formal training, only a vision of what I wanted to make and a real belief in myself. That’s one of the great things about being young, you have blind faith, energy, and you’re just naïve enough to believe you can do anything.

In my case, that was probably a very good thing.

8. After showing on the runway for the first time, how do you see the brand evolving both creatively and commercially?

The runway felt like a real step forward, but not a shift away from who we are.

Creatively, I want ALIX OF BOHEMIA to keep growing in confidence and scale while staying true to the hand-touched process and strong point of view that define the brand.

Commercially, I hope this helps us become more established globally, without losing the sense of intimacy and soul that matters so much to me. I want to keep building something lasting, a brand with real character, rooted in craft, that supports artisans and makes clothes people want to live in and keep for years.

9. What does balance mean to you right now?

Right now, balance means accepting that it’s never perfect. It’s more like a constant adjustment between work, family and trying to care for myself too. When I can be present in whatever I’m doing, that feels like balance.

10. And finally, what would you tell other women who are trying to do both: raise a family and build a business?

There’s no such thing as doing it all. Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to do everything and not doing any of it especially well. I think that’s a very normal feeling.

All the clichés are true. You have to make time for yourself, even in small ways. The days are long, but the years are short. You’re probably doing better than you think.

www.alixofbohemia.com

mother+ meets…Alix Verley-Pietrafesa, founder and creative director of ALIX OF BOHEMIA

Quick Fire Round

mother+ meets…Alix Verley-Pietrafesa, founder and creative director of ALIX OF BOHEMIA

Quick Fire Round

M+ Picks: What We’re Loving This Week