Texas-native, NYC-based Lauren Bush Lauren is making big waves in the worlds of fashion and philanthropy. As the granddaughter of former President George H. W. Bush and niece of former President George W. Bush, she grew up watching her family devote their lives to serving others firsthand. A long promoter of healthy eating, (she’s been a vegetarian since she was 4!), Lauren has devoted her career to fighting global hunger and obesity in children around the world.
In 2007, she founded FEED after seeing the reality of childhood hunger while traveling with the UN World Food Programme. As the CEO of FEED, Lauren helps make and sell different types of artisan bags and goods to feed children in need, and support sustainable livelihoods for their artisan partners and families around the world. Lauren created the first FEED Bag as a tangible way for her friends and family to get involved, but the company quickly gained traction, and today it’s not uncommon to see Hollywood’s top celebs rocking the bags.
In 2011, Lauren Pierce Bush married David Lauren, the son of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, at the Lauren family’s private, 17,000-acre ranch outside Telluride, Colorado. A longtime lover and fashion icon herself, Lauren gained attention as a model and designer before launching FEED. She has been featured on the covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair, and has frequently modeled for Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie & Fitch, and top designers Gai Mattiolo and Isaac Mizrahi.
On our recent trip to NYC, we spent the morning with Lauren in Brooklyn as she went about her morning routine and revealed her secrets to juggling it all. This All-American beauty and mama of 2 is as down to earth as they come, and despite her multiple awards, celeb status, and millions of children and families she’s saved around the world, she’ll always be a lover of the simple things in life –like dancing in the rain with a Mary Poppins umbrella under the Brooklyn bridge.
Read on for our rainy morning in Brooklyn with Stylemaker and philanthropy icon, Lauren Bush Lauren.
What time is your wake-up call?
7:15am
What wakes you up each day?
Alarm or kids or often, both.
Early bird or night owl?
I am definitely a night owl, but I really try to get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
I go to see my kiddos and help get them dressed and ready for the day.
Describe your getting ready routine from start to finish.
My morning routine generally takes 1-1.5 hours. It’s a bit different every morning. One or two mornings a week I will somehow manage to squeeze in a work out, other mornings it’s all about hustling to get my babes up and get my oldest dressed, fed and off to school before I dash to the office.
Do you plan your outfits in advance, or create them on the fly?
Half and half. Depending on what is going on the night before, I try to lay out my outfit before going to bed. If I am being honest, I’m mostly creating them on the fly, according to what meetings and activities I have that day.
What do you eat for breakfast?
Two eggs over easy, with some sliced avocado on the side and then an oat-milk latte on my way to work.
Any morning media rituals?
Not really – just getting myself and my kids dressed, fed and out in the morning is triumph enough. I do generally listen to some of my favorite folk/rock tunes on the way to work or catch up on some of the latest podcasts.
Tell us about FEED. The past, present, and future.
In an elevator pitch: FEED is a social-impact driven lifestyle brand, on a mission to end worldwide hunger with good products, that do good. But truly, it is so much more than that. We have a lot of tricks up our sleeves for the months and years to come, including expanding into new categories, continuing to build a place for people to gather with our wonderful little store in DUMBO, partnerships and more. To date, we’ve provided over 103 million meals through customer purchases – and we’re just getting started.
What’s your favorite getting-ready soundtrack?
Fleetwood Mac, Bob Marley, Paul Simon
Do you workout in the morning?
I work out 2-3 mornings each week. I like to mix it up with classes like spin or barre and at-home workouts consisting of squats, light weights, and crunches.
I never leave the house without _______.
My FEED bag and iPhone.
If you could only put on one item of makeup, what would it be?
Clarins Lip Perfection
Do you stick to the same makeup and hair routine, or do you like to experiment?
I generally do stick to the same makeup and hair routine. I am not super fussy, so sometimes I will experiment, but getting ready is more of a hustle for me than a leisurely activity, so keeping it simple and routine is best.
Do you have a signature scent?
Ralph Lauren Collection Vetiver
Healthiest morning habit:
Kissing and squeezing my boys as many times as I possibly can.
Worst morning habit:
Snoozing my alarm.
Daily uniform:
Ralph Lauren jeans, boots, cozy sweater and maybe a vintage piece thrown in.
Shower: morning or night?
Morning
What’s your favorite product in your shower?
Julien Farel Hydrate Restore
If you had one extra hour every morning, how would you use it?
Meditation (or probably sleeping).
One word to describe your mornings:
Lively
In what ways has baby Max changed you and your family the most?
A second child adds a happy level of chaos into the family. Things are less organized and less planned – and it’s probably for the best.
What do you love most about living in NYC / Brooklyn?
I love living in NYC because it’s truly the epicenter of it all. I love walking down the street and constantly discovering something new. The diversity of people, stories and cultures is so rich and the creativity and ingenuity is contagious.
If you could have lunch with 3 people, dead or alive, who would you pick?
Melinda Gates, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Sylvia Plath.
