LIMEDROP INTERVIEW: Leah Muddle December 07 2015

Today on the blog we interview the charming Leah Muddle, one half of the Milly Sleeping store. We admire her effortless style and we're so excited to talk to her! Check out the Milly Sleeping store to see more of Leah's work.

Who you are? What do you do/ believe in? I am Leah, and I run Milly Sleeping clothing shop with my mum, Janette. We represent a dozen or more different (great!) local designers and makers. We have an eclectic, slowly-rotating selection of garments and accessories, and we also regularly host small exhibitions - presenting jewellery, objects, drawings, anything. I love art (in all forms), and I love clothing. I find what people wear very interesting (and sometimes inspiring) and believe that, if you’re lucky enough to be able to choose what you wear, it is worthwhile working out what makes you feel good. 

What are some important details to remember when creating a beautiful boutique?

How about two ‘don’t forget’s?! Don’t forget, or let slide, what is fundamental - small details and gestures, and just plain old decency and care. You can’t get it right all the time (and I certainly haven’t!) but if you do your best to be personable and reliable and reasonable and thoughtful (and open and candid) - somehow you will get to work with beautiful people, and beautiful people will come to your shop. Secondly - don’t forget to attend to your personal fundamentals - to look at, seek out and absorb the things that you really like. I forget! I become preoccupied with all that I ‘have to do’ and neglect to pick up books and listen to music, etc, which is silly, because those are the things that give perspective, guide decisions, stimulate ideas and make everything make sense.

What is something that you never thought would be possible that is now possible?

The sheer fact that Milly Sleeping exists, in the form that it does, is still a source of surprise to me. Even though my skills, and the various bits of study I’ve done, all contribute to my role in the shop, I don’t think I ever thought that Mum and I would have such a space, and have access to the work and the studios and the projects that we do. In general, the people we’ve met through Milly, and worked with, have been so responsive and generous, and one of the things I’ve learnt is how quickly things can develop. Send an email, make a phone call (if you’re a phone person, which I’m not, argh) - much is possible!