What can a multi-millionaire mom teach us about how to live our lives?
Recently, an English influencer named Sarah Corbett-Winder has captured my attention. Corbett-Winder is the founder of Kipper Club, a tightly-curated women’s tailoring line, but it was her home that first caught my attention. Equally intrigued by the red corduroy suits Kipper Club proffers and her kitchen’s pink marble countertop, I did a bit more research into her background, and it was within one of those interviews that she recommended Anya Hindmarch’s book, If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair.
At first - I didn’t think much of the recommendation. Given the recent trend for business development/self-help meets memoir-style books, I’ve read quite a few at this point - and, frankly, I’ve been underwhelmed. And while I love Anya Hindmarch (a taupe makeup case emblazoned with a perforated bow - which I’m pretty sure my mom got for free on a British Airways flight - was my first “designer” gift) and am generally a big fan of any brand that values novelty over convention, I wasn’t sure what a British multi-millionaire fashion mogul and mother of five could teach me that would have any relevance to my own life.
Concurrently, though, I’ve spent this entire fall obsessed with Strictly Come Dancing. I began watching because both an Irish broadcaster that I enjoy following on Instagram (Angela Scanlon) and a Love Island star (Zara McDermott) were contestants - but I remained obsessed beyond their respective eliminations. It’s via Strictly that I’ve become acquainted with Claudia Winkleman, a dry and endearing British TV presenter. I went on the same journey with Claudia as I did Corbett-Winder, and found that she too considered Anya’s memoir “vital reading.”
Now - the British media can be a bit incestuous. Once you become familiar with the members of London’s millennial literary set (not naming names - but those who know, know), you realize how heavily they all seem to rely on each other for glowing blurbs on their respective books. That said, I’ve honestly loved most of these books - it’s just that I tend to take the glowing recommendations with a (large) grain of salt (let’s call it Maldon) - so I ordered the book.
In short: it’s not all useful, but I loved it. Hindmarch’s privilege is certainly on full display but, to me, that’s far better than the all-too-common alternative of hiding it in plain sight. So many books purport to offer “advice,” then share nebulous musings and broad pontifications on life in general - in most cases, very little is actionable. Anya’s book is different in this way; the advice isn’t broad enough to be universally applicable, but the charm lies in the specificity.
When I started the book, I wasn’t exactly captivated; the first chapter If You’re Happy, Your Children Will Be Happy is all about parenting when busy and rich. But - it was the quirkiness and honesty that kept me turning page after page. For example, Hindmarch recommends “Christmas contracts” in lieu of gifts for each child, so they can go out and buy what they want for themselves and each other. Fair enough when you have five children and a business to run; but it was more so that I respected that she was the type of person to openly admit this, unprompted, in her memoir. In the days of management-curated social media presences and PR protection during celebrity interviews, I cling on to every bit of candor I can get from the public figures I’m interested in.
The refreshing honesty is on display throughout the entire book: Hindmarch shares everything from her RIF and pay-cut strategies during COVID to poor business decisions she’s made to her eldest stepson’s melanoma diagnosis. But even these moments are delivered with a light touch - perhaps unsurprising coming from a woman known for making it chic to be playful. Hindmarch is generous with her knowledge in the creativity department, sharing an in-depth look at how she gets it done on a daily basis (works Sundays, much to her family’s chagrin) and the ways she executes one-off projects on a bigger scale (I didn’t know about this one until I read the book, but I would’ve loved to see it IRL).
All-in-all; If In Doubt, Wash Your Hair offers a few valuable pearls of wisdom alongside a refreshingly straightforward look at the world through the eyes of a successful working mother. It’s a gem of a book, if not a tour de force - and is absolutely worthy as a quick Christmas read.