End of Summer, My 5 School Essentials & September Promises

Hello from Gstaad! I am officially on my last leg of the summer, due to return home in a few days and settle back into school madness. I'm immensely grateful for the time I got to take out to travel, experience new things and take a break from work, but in all honesty, I found it immensely challenging to switch off and actually relax. 

In a world where we have become conditioned to be constantly 'on' and available, there is an equal pressure to switch off over summer and obtain some kind of emotional reset, whether it's a clean break from the school year or a pause from work. But the truth is, since building and expanding my company and having three kids to look after, both of which brings the deepest joy and fulfilment, I’ve never felt entirely “switched off,” no matter how far I travel. The world doesn’t pause just because you do. Work thoughts follow you onto planes, parenting doesn’t soften just because the calendar says its July, and rest I’m realising, is not a destination it’s more like a discipline.

I think part of growing up (and growing into) is letting go of the fantasy that life will ever feel fully “balanced” or that there’s some version of the calendar where everything finally clicks. Rest doesn't come automatically because you are sitting on a beach. I'm starting to realise that it’s less about striving for a reset and more about learning to return - to your routines, your responsibilities, your ambitions - with slightly more softness and clarity than before. After almost 10 days in the mountains, which was the part of my holiday where I actually experienced the mental rest I so badly craved, I feel SO ready to get back to my office, back to my team, and back to my favourite part of September - designing our new collections for the year ahead.

There’s a strange satisfaction I get from organising my kids’ school things this time of year. Fresh backpacks with their names perfectly embroidered with matching lunch bags. New water bottles and matching school stationary. I have a dedicated school wardrobe for it now - one cupboard per child, one shelf per activity (school, library and PE) - labelled, categorised, borderline obsessive. For me it's not about being overly prepared or pretending I have it all together, it’s more that in a life that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, this is one small thing I can control - one act of order before the whirlwind of 6am mornings begin again.

To the mum starting a new nursery chapter for the first time, or a seasoned mum looking to replenish school essentials for a fresh start, I'm rounding up my top essentials for a new school year. As a small girl, I relished in organising my school supplies the week before school began. There's something deeply hopeful and exciting about getting new school items, especially items that are personalised with your name on it - the independence, the pride, the joy, the excitement - it is everything. 

1. Milestone School Board

I am firmly that mum that's all about savouring the special moments, the milestones, the things you'll remember 20 years from now - and nothing encapsulates this more for me than our reusable school board. Since my kids started nursery, they've been posing with the same board on the same sofa, at the start and end of every school year - a little bit taller, and a little less chubbier, and a little more awkward in their poses - it's a photo I relish in, year-after-year, seeing first-hand how much they have grown and how precious this time I have them all under one roof really is. 

2. Stainless steel lunchbox

There's a REAL kind of heartbreak when your child comes home with a lunchbox still full. Was it the soggy sandwich, or a strange aftertaste from the container? With stainless steel you never have to wonder. Food stays fresh, odour-free, and just the way you packed it - making it that much more likely to come home empty. 

3. Personalised Backpack

As a mum of three, I know how different each stage feels - what works for my 4 year old won't work for my seven year old. That's why this season we introduced different sizes of backpacks sized for each age, so each child carries what they need comfortably. The ergonomic fit makes it easy for little shoulders and the personalisation means no mix-ups at school. More than anything, it gives them a quiet sense of independence - this one is mine, I can carry it myself - and that's a feeling I love to see in each of my children. 

4. Stainless Steel Water Bottle

There's nothing worse than reaching into your child's school bag only to find their books damp from a leaking bottle. Our insulated stainless-steel water bottle comes with an extra lock, so it stays firmly shut when it needs to. Cold water stays cold, warm drinks stay warm and everything else in their bag stays dry.

5. Personalised Cutlery

Now this one is a non-negotiable! After losing multiple cutlery sets, I knew there had to be a solution that did not involve sticker labels that peel after a few washes. With their name etched into every piece, our personalised cutlery set turns lunch into a ritual that is theirs alone.

I’m not stepping into September fully rested. But I am stepping in aware - of what matters, of what I want to build, of what I need to protect.

And that feels like enough.

With love,

Roshni