The Globaltrotter in Heels Part 2

Idea Tsitaliya Mircheva  /  Styling Style-Etc.   /   Photography Ruth Hofmann

Two years after her son was born, Marion and her husband decided to move back to Zurich. “We often discussed returning to Europe, but at the end it was my husband’s idea to move back. He had spent 30 years in the States, I was there only 8, but the city has changed and a lot of our friend moved. We missed being in Europe, traveling and spending time with close friends and relatives. It also didn’t feel right for our son to grow up there… The school system was different and we didn’t want to send him to private school. The children there had a really different and quite high lifestyle”.

I went on to ask her a series of questions just tipping the iceberg of my fascination with such an iconic woman. Below is an excerpt from our interview.

Tsitaliya: What do you miss from NY the most?
Marion: Friends, the weather and the food.

Tsitaliya: How did becoming a mom change your life? Do you feel being a mum changes who you are?Marion: Life changed a lot: life is not about myself anymore, it is about my child and my family, it revolves around giving. Joy and responsibility are now my motivators. I also became more relaxed and less obsessed with details.

Tsitaliya: What are the challenges and how do you balance being a mom, a wife and working at the same time?
Marion: Among the main challenges of a working mum for me is finding the energy to constantly give without ending up frustrated at the end of the day that there’s no time left for me. I don’t have any “me-time”. I have to be careful to have enough energy to organize our family life, job and household. My son helps me to stay grounded, my vegetable patch helps me to be earthy, and my husband tells me when I am becoming too obsessed with perfection.

Tsitaliya: What did your mother teach you about life?
Marion: Most important: The glass is half full. “Always look at the bright side of life…” Monty Python.

Tsitaliya: Do you believe style can be learned? Or are you born with it?
Marion: I think you develop a style and it has a lot to do with curiosity and the influences from your childhood. My grandmother was a seamstress and I remember sitting next to her when she was sewing a new dress for herself. I was about 7-8 years old. We would look through magazines like ‘Meier’s Modeblatt’, and later I would subscribe to Vogue Magazine. Not because I could afford the fashion, but because it would give me ideas on how to combine things I found in my mothers closet and in thrift stores.

Tsitaliya: Who is your role model?
Marion: I have several ones: Simone de Beauvoir, because she epitomizes living life the way you want it, Gertrude Stein for her passion to live and support talented friends.

In fashion: Marianne Panton, the widow of Verner Panton, the Danish designer. She has an effortless, ageless style, very classy, I was already impressed by her style about 20 years ago. Many modern French women inspire me as Inès dela Fressenge for example, their classy, elegant and free spirited style. I find it sad how women chase lost youth and limit themselves by age when it comes to choosing what to wear.

Tsitaliya: What’s in your bag?
Marion: The usual: wallet, keys, iPhone, sunglasses, reading glasses, my ‘beauty bag’ with lipstick, powder and eyeliner and a lot of band aids with funny boys patterns. My son loves to put band aids on even if he doesn’t have a booboo….ah, and most of the time a second pair of shoes, fancy or walking shoes, depending what I am wearing when I leave the house.

Tsitaliya: You have an amazing hair, how do you take care of it? What’s your best beauty tip?
Marion: Thank you! I don’t wash it too often, 2 – 3 times a week. I never blow dry my hair (even in coldest winter) and I never use gel or hairspray. What I do use: John Frida Sheer Blonde Shampoo, a conditioner and John Frieda Frizz Ease Touch up Cream (Secret Agent), otherwise I have straw-like hair. Sometimes I use Moisturizing Spray. And: I dye it myself every month.

I really enjoyed my time with Marion and could have talked to her for hours and hours but atlas, this Iconic Mum in Heels has a lot of work to be do…….

Marion is wearing:

• Skirt and blouse by Libertine BIG nur Zurich
• Burgundy ankle boots Navy Boot
• Clutch Navy Boot
• Roberto Cavalli Dress available at Globus Zurich
• Pink Sand jewellery
• Black Coat MM6 Modissa

THE END