Millie Mackintosh: Vogue and Spencer are great parents and I go to them for advice
Millie Mackintosh: spearheading TK Maxx' Give Up Clothes for Good
In the 10 years since we first met Millie Mackintosh a lot has changed. We were introduced to her first as a bubbly heiress on the scripted reality series where she appeared at parties and openings and was one part of a love triangle with fellow cast members Hugo Taylor and Rosie Fortescue.
Having decided to leave both Hugo and reality TV behind, Millie went on to launch her own fashion line, write a book and become an Instagram favourite. She now has more than 1.4million followers on that platform.
Surprising many Made in Chelsea fans, Millie married British rapper Professor Green in a lavish ceremony in Babington House in 2013. But after just two and a half years the couple split and three months later, much to her fans’ glee, Millie was seen kissing her former flame Hugo while on holiday in Monaco.
The pair, who many MiC fans had thought were destined for each other, married in 2019 and announced they were expecting their first daughter in 2020.
Now Hugo, Millie and soon-to-be big sister Sienna are waiting the arrival of another baby girl who Millie says will complete their family.
“I think we’re done now, this is the plan, two and done. I’m not going to keep trying until we get a boy. There’s no pressure like that in our family. I’m one of two girls, so I’m delighted. I love having a sister.”
Having had Sienna in the middle of lockdown life in May 2020 Millie is relieved that restrictions have ended in time for the arrival of the new baby. Though she relished the quiet time she had with her first baby, Millie is happy that there will be more help this time around.
“With Sienna, we were in lockdown pretty much from the moment she was born in May 2020. In a way, I felt it was quite a good time to have her because it meant we were just very focused on being at home a lot and it forced me to not do much. But I’m happy that Hugo is allowed to stay with me in the hospital this time so I’m not so worried about that side of stuff.”
Hugo is about to be surrounded by girls, something Millie says he’ll take in his stride.
“I think he’s going to love it because he naturally is someone that is always around women.
He has a lot of female friends, and he is very close to his mom. It just feels like normal and natural, and he just loves being a dad to Sienna. I think him with another girl just makes sense.”
Millie is beloved of her followers because of her impeccable style and stunning wardrobe and so, she feels like a natural choice for this year’s TK Maxx Give Up Clothes for Good campaign. You can bring your unwanted clothing, accessories and homewares to TK Maxx stores and they are donated to Enable Ireland shops to be sold and given a new lease of life.
Each bag donated could raise up to €20 to support children and young people with disabilities.
It’s an initiative that is both charitable and sustainable in its promotion of circular fashion which is something Millie has been thinking a lot about.
“It definitely just feels more important to me than ever, when you have your own children and think about the world they’re growing up in, it does definitely change your perspective and your priorities and how you look at everything. For me, I was overjoyed to be asked to be part of the campaign. You’re encouraging people to do something super simple by taking their unwanted items, which we’ve all got, to their local store, and raise money for Enable Ireland to help young people with disabilities and their families but it’s also a great way to be more sustainable and to stop your unwanted items just ending up in landfill. It’s finding them another home and I have definitely started to look a lot more about the path of the cycle of things and where they end up.”
“It started for me when I was pregnant the first time and thinking about what things I actually really needed. This time I’ve definitely been really conscious with my wardrobe, just recycling things and wearing a lot of what I already own as much as possible, to the point where there’s just a couple of things left that I can make work. I’ve only needed a couple of maternity basics, but even then they can find a new home when you’re done with them.”
Though Millie says she tries to do a good clear-out twice a year she does keep some special pieces aside for the girls when they’re older — imagine inheriting that wardrobe!
“I am starting to put things aside. There are things that I’ve been thinking about, ‘Okay, you’re going to have that, but you’re not going to be able to even play with it until you’re quite a lot older.’
“But there are also things that I’m starting to put in a dressing-up box, things that are just fun that they can have fun with.
“That was one of my absolute favourite things to do when I was young then. I was dressing up with a mixture of actual costumes, but also with clothes that were passed on from my mom or my babysitter — I would just get my hands on everything.”
Millie had some special pieces passed on from her mum and her grandmother and is sad that some of them got lost or ruined over the years.
“Mum gave me costume jewellery of hers and some of that belonged to my granny as well. I used to always be really obsessed with accessories and there were a few things that I wore as a teenager and suddenly no longer have because I probably trashed them. My mom definitely had things that I really enjoyed. I would take something like a silk nightie and wear it like a dress in that kind of vintagey way. I started to have, I guess, an eye for those kinds of pre-loved things from a young age. I used to take silk scarves and turn them into dresses, and I started selling them to friends and friends of friends when I was like 18. They were so tiny. I held one the other day and I thought ‘how did I used to wear this out. It literally barely covers my pants!’ I don’t know, it literally wouldn’t go on one leg now.”
If you follow Millie on social media you’ll be familiar with the beautiful home that she and Hugo share in central London. Space will be at a premium with two little women ruling the roost but leaving the city isn’t on the cards for the couple just yet.
“I’m really thinking about how to be clever with storage,” Millie laughs.
“I actually had friends move out of the city about a year ago and they just moved back because they were like ‘It’s too soon’. They just missed their London friends and wanting to just be really close to other friends with young children and I thought that was quite interesting. For me, I just love the idea of life in the countryside, but I also love the convenience with everything on my doorstep in London and being in a big city and having access to everything within a few minutes.
“Everything is so close by here; you can use an app and things can be at your doorstep super quick so we’re definitely not moving out anytime soon.
“We love leaving London for weekends and trips to the countryside and I think it’s very important to Sienna and her sister to explore life outdoors as well as much as possible.
“I loved growing up in the countryside, so, who knows, in the future it does appeal for sure, but at the moment, I feel like we’re living in the best place we could be.”
Some of those friends with young children in London include Vogue Williams and her husband, Made in Chelsea alumnus, Spencer Matthews.
“Their children have a slightly bigger age gap than mine will have but they’re great parents that I always message and get advice from. I find it really helpful to talk to my other mom friends who’ve been through it. Vogue is definitely someone that’s super on it and proactive, if there’s an issue or one of them isn’t sleeping through the night or whatever, she gets straight on the phone to the best expert there is to find out what to do so she’s got lots of good tips.”
“They’re so good at travelling with the children too. I mean, it can seem overwhelming, but Vogue often does it on her own as well, so I know it’s possible. People do it all the time,” Millie laughs.
The morning after Millie and I speak, herself and Hugo head to Marbella for a two-night ‘babymoon’: their last break together before they become a family of four. It’s only the second time they’ve been away from Sienna but with one baby born in a pandemic and another just about to arrive they definitely deserved a short trip to the sun.
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