Just after arriving in New York as a wide-eyed 15 year-old, Leilani Bishop landed her very first magazine cover. Her tanned skin, sun-kissed hair, and athletic figure came to define a generation of models. The Hawaiian beauty, who fittingly was discovered on the beach, hasn't stopped working since. Countless magazine covers followed, as well as ad campaigns, and that iconic album cover of Hole's Live Through This. A Hawaii girl at heart, she moved back to Kauai when her son was born, and lived blissfully for his first few years of life, creating the nonprofit, Women for the World, in her spare time. The happy family now resides in the sleepy seaside town of Amagansett, where daily walks to school and year-round surfing serve as constant reminders of Kauai. With her newly launched fragrance line, a collection of intoxicating single-note scents, Bishop is busier than ever.
Cassius, nine, July 2012
1. "My yoga mat
2. iPod
3. My own space
4. Playing basketball with Cash
5. Walking to school together
6. Listening to records
7. Surfing
8. Cooking for my family
9. Cassius laughing"
"When I first became a mom, having to always put your needs second was really hard. At first, I was wanting to do it all—I am very ambitious and I want to take advantage of all life has to offer. But having to slow down and be with your kid is also so special since it goes by so fast."
decorative horn from Love Adorned
"I have always been very low maintenance, but found after becoming a mother that I craved attention in the area of beauty. Some of my first moments 'out of the house' were spent getting manicures! One of my favorite items is Tata Haper's Replenishing Nutrient: it's like a multivitamin for the skin, and since it's a roll on, I travel with it all the time. Make-up has always had to be travel friendly, so mascara is my best friend, and I love to get my lashes dyed when ever possible so that I don't have to think about it. That and a blush stick go a long way! For hair I like to use Phytomist as a leave-in conditioner to keep my hair soft and manageable. And I designed my roll-on fragrance oils for the on the go mom!"
"Thank god, my husband came up with the name Cassius. I was having a really hard time thinking of boys names."
"There are a ton of important lessons to teach a boy. One of the biggest is that you don't always have to get it right, and that it is okay to ask questions and to fail on your way to your goals."
Leilani's dress: Society For Rational Dress
"Cassius is like me in a lot of ways: he is a total goof ball, loves to be a clown, has a passion for travel, and meeting new people."
"He loves TV and technology, which I guess is true of most kids these days, but having grown up without TV, it is really hard for me to see him be so attached to it. That is probably our biggest battle."
"I love raising him in a small town, where there are generations of families. The community and school are so small that all the year round, residents look out for each other. I think it is important when raising a child to have them feel that they are part of a community. It promotes the idea of treating the world as your community, instead of a place filled with strangers."
"I learned to love the fact that there are other things to worry about instead of myself. Having to be of service to someone is the greatest gift."
Kelly Slater surf poster above Cassius's bed
"There have been various successes in my modeling career that have meant a lot to me, but launching my own fragrance line has been the most exciting ride. The process of taking an idea from my head and bringing it to fruition is an amazing feeling. Then to have Vogue do a two-page feature on it and getting a letter from Anna Wintour was really such an amazing moment in my life."
Cassius's collection of vinylmation Mickey Mouse figures bought at Disneyland; each was created by a different artist
"My husband collects rare records. They sing together, and Cassius knows all the works to these obscure songs."
"Cassius made this when he was four. He still draws a lot, and creates different characters."
"This year I have finally gotten on Google Calendar. I have to say, creating a schedule makes me feel a lot less hectic and allows for better time management. I am lucky to be able to work from home most of the time, so during school hours it is all work for me, and as soon as he is out of school it is kid/family time. I find I need both elements to feel balanced."
"I conceptualized the idea for the fragrance line in Hawaii. I come from a real antiquing background and knew I wanted something that felt old and spoke of another time. Then I was in Argentina on a job, and found this Napoleon era glass that was decorated in gold, and I was like, 'That’s it'. I am not a huge perfume person, so I wanted to create something I was excited about wearing. I think that fragrance and beauty should make a woman feel sexy and beautiful, and be a really personal experience."
Pottery designed by Cassius
1. Favorite part about growing up in Amagansett: "That I can walk to school in the morning"
2. Favorite food: "French Fries"
3. Favorite thing to do with your mom: "Travel"
4. Favorite music: "Any record my dad is playing"
5. Favorite character from a book: Hiccup from How to Train a Dragon, because he's adventurous
"I love any part of the day that we are hanging out without distractions, and we are just enjoying each other's company. He also makes an excellent traveling companion!"
"The best advice I've ever received is that kids thrive with boundaries. I try to keep this in mind when I have guilt for discipling him, and he's giving me the evil eye."
Cassius's utility closet, made for him by his father
"I think that a huge part of being a mom is becoming a woman. For me that meant embracing all parts of my femininity, including the sexy parts. I actually found myself wanting to express that more in my fashion. As far as home décor, I started wanting objects around me that were reminiscent of how I grew up, which included antiques from other cultures. I feel it's important for Cassius to be surrounded by the new and the old, and to have an appreciation for all cultures."
"I still need help in the area of planning and making sure he takes advantage of all his opportunities. With work and travel, things do still fall through the cracks and I am always trying to get more on top of that."
"My husband started out being more of the disciplinarian, but now I feel like we are pretty equal. We have different areas in which we discipline."
"I walk him to school everyday even though, legally, he could walk by himself starting last year. But I’d be calling the school everyday to make sure he got there, and the truth is, I like walking with him—it’s a really sweet moment for us."
"Time alone with my husband is so important! Actually making the time to be with each other is hard, as sometimes it does't seem worth the effort and feelings of guilt we feel for leaving Cassius, but it DOES! Being with my husband in situations where we are not judging each other as parents is very, very important!"
A fish sculpture made by Cassius from things found on the beach
"After having Cassius, I threw myself into yoga. I was living in Hawaii, and the closest studio was Ashtanga-based, which was a vigorous workout, but calming for the brain. It was the perfect escape and allowed me to grow my connection with myself and my own spirituality. To truly know yourself (the good and the bad), allows you to be a more compassionate parent. Two years ago, I got certified to teach yoga by Rodney Yee."
On Leilani: Loup Charmant dress
On Cassius: Billabong hoodie
"Three months after he was born, I was booked for a Cosmo cover with Patrick Demarchelier. I remember being there and feeling so weird. I didn’t gain a lot of weight (I went from 120 to 150), but I used to always being so thin, and fitting into everything. There I was on set, more of a normal size, and nothing fit."
"I always wanted a boy, but when I found out I was pregnant, I had a feeling I was having a girl. I was convinced I was right, and that it was mother's intuition. When I actually found out I was having a boy, I drove home from the doctor's office in shock. I really had to get used to the idea that I was having a girl."
"I'm so proud of Cash's temperament and how he is with others—he loves little kids and is such a kind sweet boy."
"Choose Your Own Adventure books, mobile planes, all board games, and rockets...Obviously I am raising a boy!"
"If I had more time, I'd have more kids, travel more, volunteer more..."
"Besides all the weird things that can happen during pregnancy and after, I think the most surprising thing about becoming a mother was the feeling of being in the world on a whole new level. You are suddenly part of this world of mothers and fathers, and you can really support each other. I especially feel this with strangers in airports—there is this common bond that you feel and can share with other parents. It is a beautiful commonality that brings people together, and allows walls that society creates to come down."
