As the silly season took full flight, we made a cheeky nuisance of ourselves by doing a photoshoot at our favourite blonde bombshell’s house, the ultra elegant and vivacious Jessica Rowe. We raided her wardrobe and brought along some choice RWB party pieces for her to try. You can see what a fun day we had with Jess. She has the most beautiful smile and bubbly, infectious laugh, where she does this funny little snort thing that is so hilarious! (It became a little game to try and get her laughing to do it!) We love you Jess, thanks for having us and sharing your thoughts on style, Christmas, pets and life.

We did this shoot at your beautiful family home while you were in the middle of packing during Christmas, you seem to love the silly season. What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

I’ve always loved a celebration, an outfit and plenty of over the top decorations. My philosophy, especially as I get older, is always more is more. And Christmas is such a special way to indulge in all of those favourite things. I’ve added to my giant reindeer collection again this year.For me Christmas is about sharing the day with the people I love. But at the same time I know that Christmas can be a crappy time for a lot of people. Life is never perfect. Take the pressure off, if you can & find some pockets of joy without all the ridiculous expectation of it being the happiest time of the year.

We have always loved your eclectic and spirited way of dressing Jess, have you always been so fabulous?

Oh thank you! You know how much I LOVE all that you do. Your clothes are like wearing a work of art- I put them on and love the way they lift my spirits. That is what I find so empowering about fashion- it’s like wearing armour, assuming a character, expressing your mood and most importantly not taking yourself too seriously and having fun! And I’ve always been drawn to fashion. I remember as a young teenager thinking I was rocking a fuchsia bubble skirt, with pale blue braces and a polka dot blue bow tie. And then at uni I’d blow my whole weekly wage on a pair of shoes and get my friends to feed me for the week. Thankfully I had understanding & generous friends. 

Going through your wardrobe was such a treasure trove! You had so many RWB pieces, it made us feel quite nostalgic and very proud. Do you remember the first piece of ours you bought?

I remember cornering you and Luke at a coffee shop in Paddington and introducing myself and gushing about how much I loved your designs. I was starstruck by you both. My first ever RWB I remember buying at David Jones a silk t-shirt that had a sequin print on it along with a blue mini that had peacock feathers on it. That purchase was closely followed by a silk dress with a Waratah print on the front. I still wear it every Australia Day.

How did the crap house wife thing all start? You give women such a sense of relief really with your funny kitchen moments! 

It began like so many things in my life- through a conversation! When my girls were tiny I was comparing notes with another woman about our struggles with bringing up kids. We spoke about the pressure we put on ourselves when we’d see everyone else’s seemingly perfect lives on social media. So I set myself a challenge to start posting my real life cooking along with #craphousewife. It wasn’t & still isn’t pretty- spag bol, burnt tacos shells, baked beans on toast and the like. And what started as something I did for myself has now resonated with so many women. And the overriding message is that you’re enough. No one is perfect at everything. Do what brings you joy & what is right for you. And laugh