mother+ meets… Kirstie Duke, Co-Founder of TÖASTIE

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

I’m Kirstie Duke, co-founder of TÖASTIE. We create comfort-led outerwear designed to protect, empower and inspire families on their outdoor adventures.

The idea came from seeing a gap between what children actually need outdoors and what was available — clothing that supports movement, curiosity and resilience rather than restricting it. My co-founder, Lucinda, has designed technical outerwear throughout her career, working with leading adult outerwear brands. We applied that expertise to the childrenswear market, developing a signature that is now widely recognised as TÖASTIE: timeless design, a colour palette that transcends seasons, and naïve prints inspired by the wonder of nature.

At its heart, the brand exists to reconnect children and families with nature at a time when they’ve never needed it more.

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

If there is such a thing as a typical day, it usually starts with chaos — scrambling to get the kids ready for school and out the door, berating ourselves most of the way for being late… again. Once they’re gone, I try to steal five quiet minutes with a coffee before slipping into the office to tackle the day.

I work from home, so I make a real point of getting outside, usually walking our two miniature sausage dogs, Piggy and Twiggy, around the fields or woods. It’s a much-needed reset between Zoom calls.

When the kids get home, I try to leave my laptop behind and properly disconnect. The house quickly fills with colouring, reading and general chaos, and we always head out together for a big walk with the dogs, usually through the deep, dark woods, which always feel completely adventure-ready.

TÖASTIE was born from a love of adventure and time spent outdoors. How did your own childhood experiences influence the brand you wanted to build for children today?

Our upbringings immersed in nature have had the most profound influence on us both. I grew up in Scotland, Lucinda in Yorkshire. Our front doors were opened in the morning and we ran free, virtually unchecked, until the fading light forced our adventures to end.

It was glorious and liberating, a freedom we took for granted. It’s something we’ve both tried to shape for our own families in an increasingly risk resistant world.

How has motherhood shaped how you work, or how you define success?

Motherhood has completely reshaped how I work and how I define success. I’ve realised how important it is to be intentional with my time so I’m not “head in my laptop”, as my children like to say, outside typical working hours.

Success used to feel very linear. Now it’s more holistic. If I can grow a brand I’m proud of, stay true to our values and still be there for the school run or a walk in the woods, that feels like success.

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

People often see the finished product without realising the blood, sweat and tears behind it. Taking something from concept to reality, particularly a technical piece of clothing, is an enormous process. There’s a real duty to ensure it performs, alongside rigorous market exploration to understand where we can genuinely add value and create something truly needed.

We always work to the principle that the world doesn’t need another fashion brand. What it does need is a brand that crafts outerwear which enables and empowers families to spend time in nature. That’s a huge brief to work to.

Building something from scratch means carrying responsibility, problem-solving in real time and making decisions without having all the answers. It’s rarely a straight line. It can be emotional and it demands resilience. But it’s also incredibly rewarding. Every small win is earned, and every step forward feels deeply personal.

Where do you find your energy, and what tends to drain it?

I find huge energy in the wins, big or small. A message of thanks from a customer, seeing our product performing in real time and bringing joy — those moments fuel me and remind me why we’re doing this.

What drains me is distraction, frustrating admin, unnecessary noise or anything that pulls focus away from our core purpose. There is so much sacrifice involved in having your own brand, and I’ve learned to protect my energy by staying close to our “why” and celebrating the wins along the way.

What’s one decision that changed everything for you or for the business?

Learning the power of saying no. When you’re starting out, it’s easy to feel you have to jump on every idea or collaboration that comes your way. The day we realised that clarity comes from saying no was a game changer. It released a lot of pressure and made our journey far more defined and intentional.

More broadly, how do you think childhood has changed when it comes to outdoor play? What would you love to see shift in how families, schools or society support children’s connection to nature?

Parents and schools are facing a huge challenge as technology evolves at a rate no one can keep up with. Engaging children with nature can feel like a struggle, and screens are often the easy option. The irony is that many of the behavioural challenges we’re seeing stem from too much screen time and not enough time outdoors.

I’d love to see outdoor play treated as essential rather than optional, with families and schools supported to make nature a daily, normal part of childhood.

What does balance mean to you right now?

Closing the laptop when the kids come home and not checking in on work over weekends. It’s so important to spend time with my family — baking, doing puzzles, swimming, stomping around outside or watching films in front of the fire.

My children are still little at four and six. You never get these days back. I don’t want to look back and realise I missed them.

Finally, what’s one thing you’d tell other women who are trying to do both: raise a family and build a business?

Let go of the idea that doing both has to look perfect. There will be seasons where family comes first, and others where the business does — and that’s okay. That’s true for any working mum. We’re all endless grafters in our own way. Founders simply carry a different set of responsibilities.

I’m incredibly lucky to have a steadfast co-founder in Lucinda. Our partnership is one of our greatest strengths. We constantly prop each other up and create space to be there for our families.

www.toastiekids.com | Instagram @toastie_explorer

Quick Fire Round

Current bedside book?
Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton. It’s a beautiful true story about the author raising a newborn leveret she finds, presumed abandoned. There’s so little understanding of these gentle wild creatures, and the experience draws her into a new rhythm with nature, learning to slow down and pay attention. It’s a calming read, much needed in a noisy world.

Go-to podcast or playlist when you need a boost?
I’m very 90s and love to Shazam tracks, so my favourite playlist is a mix of old and new. At the moment, it’s “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker, sung at the top of our voices with my girls.

Favourite place to eat with kids, and without?
We’re in the Midlands, so this may not mean much to those inside the M25. With kids, The Griffin Inn in Swithland — a beautiful cosy pub with colouring sheets for the kids. Without, John’s House in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire. It has a Michelin star but feels relaxed, and the food is absolutely mind-blowing.

A mantra, quote, or reminder you come back to?
We recently shared “The wild calms the child” on our Instagram after some particularly dramatic weather. It really resonated. Sometimes you just need to get outside.