…and many other lessons our Fashion and Celebrity Director, Josh Newis-Smith learnt from the ultimate girl crush - AND we do not use that term lightly!
Kate Hudson is the ultimate girl’s girl, or anyone’s girl for that matter. We kick start our interview by fan girling about Alicia Vikander, namely because I am dressed in a look inspired by the Oscar winner we christened, cowboy waiter, “god, she’s just so beautiful isn’t she,” Kate exclaims.
Reclining in the Covent Garden Hotel, just like her floor length red stripped Stella McCartney dress, Kate is a like a breath of fresh spring sunshine. With her blonde locks cut into the perfect pixie Kate is engaging as she is warm – the kinda gal you want to take to Soho immediately, do twenty shots with and talk to about EVERYTHING until the end of time.
Like many people who learnt much about love from early noughties rom-coms, my obsession started long before this rendezvous whilst watching her alongside Matthew McConaughey in How To Loose A Guy In 10 Days. It was also the movie where I realized I was 110 percent a certified homosexual, given Mr. M’s banging bod – just in case you needed or wanted to know.
The Your So Vein scene will go down in history as will THAT golden bias cut dress, but the Love Fern is no longer, “I definitely don’t still own the Love Fern,” Hudson woefully reminisces. We are here to help with your mourning process dear readers and can point you in the direction of some suitable support groups!
It isn’t all lolz a minute creating such iconic movies though, “It was so fun filming that movie – but all comedies are fun! Actually, funnily enough because they are so fun to watch people don’t realize how challenging they are to make. Imagine doing those same scenes over and over again whilst trying to maintain spontaneity and timing. It’s actually very draining because at the end of a twelve hour day you are exhausted and mentally drained.”
Just like a jolly good work out session then? “Yes! When I am doing dramatic work I feel like I have had the greatest therapy session of my life. I feel elated, I want to go out – I’ve been crying all day and I have got something off my chest.”
Hudson has long been one seriously over active actress and sits before me as quite the super hyphenate having set up her athelesiure wear line, Fabletics in 2013. But it’s still the exercise under the watchful eye of training supremos, Nicole Winhoffer that teaches her the most about herself, “working out has really taught me that I get the best results when I am not trying so hard. When I am too obsessive about reaching a certain goal I actually hold on to more emotions, more so than when I enjoy myself and let go.”
But come on hun, surely there are times you really can’t be assed to drag yourself out of bed and into that gym? “You know what my motivational motivational mantra varies from day to day,” Kate shares. “Some days nothing – there is no motivation needed. Now I have my company its an all encompassing motivator as I am surrounded by Fabletics all the time. Everywhere I go in my house is a Fablectics bag or a legging – so that’s the greatest motivator of all.”
She can be quite the Mrs. Motivator – just much better dressed than the Mr. Motivator counterpart – when it comes to her pals, confirming the suggestion with a trademark laugh, “friends are my favourite motivators though! You have to have a great group of girls around you – it just makes it much more fun. But I do exercise just for me, having a discipline makes me feel so good.” I take a moment to pause, imagine if Kate works out with her mother, Goldie Hawn! But the image is just too much sass for one to cope with, so I move on mentally.
Setting up a business in the heavily saturated sportswear market must present itself with serious challenges. However with a series of vibrant printed leggings and soft tonal two pieces that whilst being feminine, don’t sacrifice on the fierceness, Kate is going from strength to strength. The fashion equivalent of going up a dumb bell weight or too, if you will!
Embodying that much lauded term, ‘girl boss’ has itself has been quite the challenge for Kate too, “the hardest thing for women and the most difficult hurdle for women to jump over is confidence. You have to stop asking permission – you need to have the confidence to just go for it. It can be very challenging for women to do but once you get over that you realize that it was not that hard in the first place.”
Putting herself at the forefront of the conversation about her success has been equally challenging, “Women by nature don’t feel like we can own our success like men do. If someone says, ‘wow you are doing so well,’ you act embarrassed instead of saying, ‘yeah man, it’s been awesome. I am super proud about it and we are killing it!’”
The cultural shift in the supreme power of the female voice is equally having an effect on Hudson too, “society has placed roles for us for so long and it’s seen as ‘natural’ for women to be placed in more submissive or suppressed positions. Now there is a change in that by us talking bout that and actively changing the vocabulary we use to talk about ourselves after hundred of years of programming. We should no longer be apologetic and it’s ok for you to be proud of being your own boss and it’s ok to also say no too. It’s a new language that we are engraining into ourselves.” Kate is literally finger clicking good – or everything she says should come with a hair flick.
Her tips therefore for any budding businesswoman? Well that’s simple, “don’t be afraid to speak your mind, don’t worry about people liking you but be kind and listen, be curious and if you really believe in something you have to go with your gut.”
Speaking of speaking your mind, I can’t help but ask Kate – given her certified girl crush and fitness goals status – how the hell one should go about flirting up a storm on the tread mill with your long sought after gym crush?
“Well firstly I wouldn’t ever wear make-up to the gym,” Kate shares before leaning in with a mischievous look rippling across her Hollywood features. Pursing her lips, she continues, “Firstly you wait for them to have the guts to approach you – that is the kind of man you want. There are little things you can do to give him some singles, like simply look at him to initiate it if you need to!”
Easier said than done though when you are Kate Hudson right? “I am not a big fan of the chase – for me I like guys who have guts. Don’t waste your time, just go up to him and say, ‘you are really handsome, do you want to go out?’ He might say, ‘not at all,’ or he might say, ‘yeah!’ I am all for putting it out there and being yourself.”
Being true to oneself might just be the secret to Hudson’s Hollywood come business mogul success, then? “Well the truth is when you are in a relationship with anyone or even yourself that is the real deal – it’s the only way it’s going to work if you are truly yourself.” Amen, sister!