Laila Gohar is guided by family. As an artist and cofounder of Gohar World—a tableware brand she created in partnership with her sister Nadia—she cooks, plates, and designs around ideas and ingredients that stem from her ancestral roots. She has crafted surrealist menus and tablescapes for brands like Gucci and Prada, and for personal friends who are getting married or celebrating a career milestone. Her signature is food that has been sculpted and molded into something that makes her diners and party guests do double-takes: Rapunzel-length braided mozzarella, a tower of black olives tied at the top with silk ribbon, caviar-filled eggs in candelabras.
Born in Cairo, Egypt, Gohar currently lives in New York City with her partner, restaurateur Ignacio Mattos, and their 2-month-old son, Paz. With the expansion of her family, Gohar has, in tandem, evolved herself, both creatively and in terms of her relationship to herself, now as a mom. She is unwavering and honest, dedicated to her craft but also to approaching motherhood as uncompromisingly as possible. Gohar is loving the early stages of being a mom to Paz, but acknowledges that being pregnant wasn’t her favorite. For her, the “glow” wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and she isn’t afraid to talk about it—even though women are made to think that they can’t feel anything other than joy during pregnancy.
Below, Gohar gets real about her own motherhood journey thus far, how she stays grounded in all aspects of life, and her penchant for striped PJs both pre- and post-partum.
Vogue: What does your current day-to-day look like in terms of work/life balance and what has it been like adjusting to life as a new mom?
Laila Gohar: I took two months off. Now I’m adjusting to working again, but I’m not working full-time. I’m fortunate to be working for myself and have a really supportive team, so I’ve been doing short days. I also live really close to my studio so I can walk back and forth and also bring the baby into work.
What’s been the most surprising thing that you’ve discovered about yourself during the early stages of motherhood?
I actually loved it. I was very, very anxious during pregnancy. I did not like being pregnant. I think there is a stigma around saying you don’t enjoy being pregnant. You’re expected to be “glowing,” but in reality my hormones were all over the place. I was sad and overwhelmed a lot of the time. I was healthy, and had a very supportive partner, but I still struggled psychologically. I think that women are made to feel like that’s not okay, especially if you’re healthy and have support. But a lot of it is also psychological. While I was pregnant, one of my main fears was that I wouldn’t enjoy the newborn phase. But I’m surprised that I really love it.
How do you handle unsolicited parenting advice and/or any negative vernacular around parenting (ie. when people make comments like “get ready to never sleep again!” or “it just gets harder after this stage!”)?
I just don’t care honestly and I take it with a grain of salt. People have said both of those things to me and neither of them are true. My baby is two months old, I’m able to sleep and also look after myself which is the only way I’d be well enough to actually look after my baby. Looking after yourself is just as important.
How has your personal style evolved since giving birth? Did it change at all while you were pregnant, outside of the difference that comes with dressing with a bump?
I’ve basically lived in striped pajamas since I got pregnant and that hasn’t stopped during postpartum. Everyone in my life makes fun of me. I think as long as you iron the pajamas, it’s perfectly okay to go outside. I wouldn’t be caught dead in leggings; even at the gym I wear shorts, so this is my idea of comfort dressing.
What are your thoughts around the term “mom style”? Do you think women feel a certain pressure to dress differently or more modestly after they’ve had a baby?
I don’t really have an opinion about this. I don’t like labels like that, and they have never suited me.
Have you been shopping a lot for your son even in the early stages, and if so, what are some of your favorite baby pieces you’ve discovered thus far?
He got tons of gifts, so I haven’t actually bought a lot of things for him myself. Some of my favorites are from Makié, a children’s store here in New York. He also got these striped pajamas I love from a store in Milan called Casa Del Bianco, as well as some really special lace shoes and hats I got him in Lisbon.
How has your relationship to food and table decor evolved since giving birth to your son? Have you had to “baby proof” anything in the kitchen and/or the dining table yet?
Our baby is too little right now to baby proof. He’s not walking around yet, but the mentality is very much to have the baby fit into our lives, as opposed to the other way around. Of course some changes will have to be made for safety, but I hope to be able to teach Paz to respect all the different environments that he will exist in.
What kind of a “diaper bag” do you currently use and what’s in it right now?
I don’t use a diaper bag. I have this little net bag that I got at some Chanel event. It’s not a Chanel bag in the literal sense, it’s like a little sack that they gave makeup in. Inside there are a couple of diapers, wipes, and a burp cloth. The idea of a big clunky diaper bag full of stuff makes me woozy.