How she does it: Kate Bucceri
Kate Bucceri is mother to Gio, PR manager for the iconic jewellery brand, Tiffany & Co., and a self-professed perfectionist –something she, like most of us, is working on. She is a woman of both style and substance, and during Sydney’s (very) long lockdown the chic mum of one decided enough with the stretchy pants and began posting her daily outfits which not only lifted her own mood but sent a wave of much-needed positivity and the push we all needed (well, that I needed) to forgo my usual Uniqlo tracksuit, and instead opt for feel-good fashion pieces.
Read on as Kate shares her daily uniform, including what brands make up her capsule wardrobe, how her career is very much part of her identity and the sheer challenge of being a working mum.
DD: Can you start by sharing a bit about your family dynamic?
KB: Within my family, there is my husband Jon, who works in strategy consulting, my son Gio who is 15 months old and my dog Remy. We just moved into a house in the Northern beaches so spend our days trying to renovate like madmen so we can get the hose ready by summer! Both Jon and I are fortunate enough to be working at home during lockdown, which has its positives and negatives, but we can’t complain as we have had so much time with Gio that we wouldn’t have had if we were in at work. We currently have a nanny three days a week and the other two days Gio goes to daycare. I thank my lucky stars for our nanny, she has really become a part of the family, but I am also so grateful for childcare during lockdown so Gio has some social interaction. It’s one of the mum things I worry about actually – with no family around and being in lockdown it can be isolating so I am conscious of Gio getting as much social interaction as possible! I am very lucky that my husband is an incredible cook and takes on the majority of the cooking – a much better outcome for us both considering he has it in his blood, being Italian! We used to really indulge in cooking, spending hours making fresh pasta but now it’s more wham bam throw-it-together style. In terms of the household chores, we really share the load. Unfortunately, we are both extreme OCD perfectionists - which we are working on letting go - as it’s just too much pressure to put on yourself to live in a museum, work and look after a household and family. I put a lot of expectation on myself to have everything in order but having a child is putting life into perspective for me and I’m trying not to feel out of control if everything isn’t perfect!
I put a lot of expectation on myself to have everything in order but having a child is putting life into perspective for me and I’m trying not to feel out of control if everything isn’t perfect!
DD: Can you give us a basic rundown of your role at work?
KB: In my role, I oversee all the communications and brand/retail events for Tiffany & Co. in Australia and New Zealand. My role has changed so much over the past couple of years with the focus shifting into digital/social media. Because of this, the pace of the business has really intensified, which keeps it exciting. It’s an incredible company to work for – unique in the fact that Tiffany & Co. is one of the first luxury brands with such rich history but we are incredibly innovative and always push the boundaries.
DD: How old was Gio when you returned to work? Did you go back to your regular hours?
KB: Gio was 11months when I returned as I was fortunate enough to take 1 year off. I started off with two days a week in the office for a couple of weeks and then moved to full time. To be completely honest this was the most challenging time I experienced to date. I was completely unprepared and naive to how hard the transition would be from Gio being at home every day with me to then transitioning to full time at daycare. Understandably, he wasn’t coping very well; it was very sudden and looking back we should have transitioned him at least two months before I started back. At that time, we didn’t have a nanny and we don’t have any family in NSW, so it was a lot of leaving work early and juggling. He also got very sick and then passed it onto us, so it was just a cycle of sickness. I think I had gastro and a virus with two ear infections all in the space of a couple of weeks – thanks daycare! Now we have gotten into a much better groove. Having our nanny helps a lot as we can rely on her if Gio is sick and don’t have to juggle with work.
DD: Did you always envision you would be a working mother? Or pre-kids did you think you would stop work and take on a stay-at-home role?
KB: It’s funny, I thought that I would want to stay at home and be a full-time mum but honestly, it’s the hardest job in the world. I don’t know how my mother did it! I love looking after Gio, but I also love the mum I am to him when I have had that time to myself and dedicated a part of myself to my job. My job doesn’t define me like motherhood does but it’s important to me to make me feel like myself.
My job doesn’t define me like motherhood does but it’s important to me to make me feel like myself.
DD: What does your career mean to you – why do you work?
KB: During maternity leave, I felt I lost a sense of myself and was dying to know what was happening at work. When you have been in the business for so long (15 years) you really become invested not only with the brand but with the people. I am so lucky to work with some of the most inspiring, hard-working people that really feel like family – this really motivates me. But I ultimately work to feed what I need mentally – I love the creativity, strategic planning, relationships and the thrill of seeing something you have worked on successfully come into fruition.
DD: How do you work – Take us through your schedule.
KB: Currently I work full time at home because of lockdown but the plan was to do two days at home, three in the office. As we are a US based company our hours can extend outside of the 9-5 schedule plus events can blow this out of the water but ultimately it’s very flexible and you can really set your own schedule.
DD: How do you get into work mode?
KB: Ha – not very well in lockdown! But normally it involves a very strong coffee first thing before the crazy breakfast rush and a walk to the beach with my dog and Gio. I also find wearing some jewellery and popping on a little bit of makeup and perfume helps me feel more like myself! It’s all smoke and mirrors at the moment really – dresses up top, slippers down the bottom!
DD: What method of childcare have you opted for?
KB: We do a mix of our nanny three days a week and daycare two days a week. We wanted Gio to have time with other children, so daycare was important to have in the mix. I am so glad we did because he absolutely loves it now and my heart nearly explodes when I receive the updates of him playing with his friends.
DD: What do you outsource – what helps make life a bit easier?
Good question, I would outsource everything if I could! Jon and I are both busy with work and renovating the house, so we don’t have much spare time. We have a cleaner, gardener and our nanny – seems excessive but honestly, unless I was gardening at 11pm at night I don’t know how I would make it work. I’m not going to lie, with no family close by it’s super tough. Somedays I would kill for two hours of quiet time bliss sans child but now with lockdown, it’s just not possible. Also, the key is getting groceries delivered – lifesaver!
I’m not going to lie, with no family close by it’s super tough. Somedays I would kill for two hours of quiet time bliss sans child…
DD: What is your go-to morning routine to get you out the door with a toddler?
KB: I am a planner, if I know I have something important on I will lay my outfit out the night before. Right down to the jewellery, shoes and the handbag ready to go! Dorky I know, but then there is absolutely no thinking required. In terms of beauty routine, I am a stickler for skincare so I like to wake up 15 minutes earlier than Gio and take a shower. I use Emma Lewisham products, which are incredible but super straight forward so there isn’t any messing around. For hair and makeup, I have this down to 5-10 mins nowadays – it’s all about simplifying! Although I do have to laugh when Gio was smaller and less independent, I would need to get ready at 6.00am for a 12.30pm lunch!
DD: Work uniform – Do you have any go-to brands and a formula for looking polished in a hurry.
KB: I am a creature of habit and tend to always wear the same brands – Toteme, Albus Lumen, Esse, Marle, Matteau with my one-stop-shop being My Chameleon. Such a good edit for classic, cool pieces. Nowadays I am looking for ease – well-cut pieces made beautifully in simple classic colours. I find it easy to have a capsule collection of 10-15 pieces as your base and you can interject with new pieces. In my capsule edit are high rotation pieces like wide-cut pants, good shirts and blazers, my favourite jeans etc. – things I always gravitate towards.
DD: Self-care and motherhood often don’t come hand-in-hand but it is so important. What self-care practices do you have in place? How do you ensure you take time out for yourself?
KB: Honestly, I need to be better at this. Any spare time I have now is thrown into the house. My biggest priority right now is getting into a more consistent exercise routine, especially for my mental health. I try and start the day right with my Beauty Chef powder (life-changing for your gut health), taking the time to look after my skin and giving myself some mental clarity and freedom with a walk. On the weekend, my husband is very good at giving me a break and my ultimate self-care practice is time alone, warm bath and a book – but this doesn’t happen every week!
Images by Kate Bucceri / @katebucceri
#HSDI is an interview series that focuses on working mothers – we talk motherhood, career, routine, self-care and daycare. We ask the things you actually want to know, like what they outsource, why they work, and how on earth they get out the door looking so put-together.