Three Haute Mamas ....

They are haute … and hot.  I mean, look at the photos.

I am talking about the three smart, stylish, design savvy … and did I say hot? ladies,  and friends, who run a website and burgeoning media property called Three Haute Mamas that carries this tagline:  “life is short make it haute!" 

Three Haute Mamas (www.threehautemamas.com) – founded and run by three haute and hot mamas – is media rich and is updated several times a week.   It produces commentary and tips on fashion and style; it reports on, and from, the best parties and philanthropic events.   

Two of the haute and hot mamas are grads, both Class of 1990 – Kim Gioioso and Christina Strahle (Muzio).   Kate Lord, who grew up in Amesbury, completes the trio once dubbed “The Charlie’s Angels of Fashion.”

(By the way, the Three Haute Mamas logo, Charlie's Angels like, which you will find at the Three Haute Mama's site, is made up of actual silhouettes of the ladies; from left, Kate, Kim, and Christina.)

“We have a strong common interest, but we are also different,” said Kim Gioioso. “Christina is more into high end fashion, Kate is more bargain, and I somewhere in the middle.  And we each have our own style of writing.”

Kim Gioioso was a track & field star at OA.  Christina Strahle was a tennis player.  Both ladies loved clothes.  Indeed, Christina was voted the OA senior class’s “Best Dressed.”

After graduating from OA, Kim and Christina went on to The School of Design at Mount Ida College, where Kim studied design and Christina studied fashion merchandising. 

Upon receiving degrees from Mount Ida, Kim went to work for The Children’s Place, a retailer of boys’ and girls’, and infants, clothing and accessories.   The Children’s Place also has its own line of products. 

“I never gave up on my dream that I would be a big designer – a designer to the stars,” said Kim, who was married in 1998, and transitioned to the all-the-time job of wife and mother.

Christina began her career as a merchandiser – a career that would include work for the Gap, Work ‘n Gear, and Life Is Good. 

Kim and Christina maintained their tight friendship.

“What inspired Three Haute Mamas was the belief that you can be a great wife and mother, and still be good to yourself,” said Kim, a resident of Mattapoisett.  “Sometimes in motherhood and in trying to be a good wife and taking care of a home, you get lost – and we wanted to help women find themselves again.”

Kim is a single mother of four children:  Caroline, 10; boy twins, Ryon and Dilon, 9; and Drew, 6.   Indeed, it was back in 2009, when she was going through a time of stress, the end of a marriage of a little more than decade, that she and friends started thinking up what would become Three Haute Mamas.

Kim and her long-time gal pal, Christina, and Kate, a friend of newer acquaintance, also a Mattapoisett resident, began brainstorming.  

Kate Lord had been working for several years as a manufacturer’s representative in the garment industry; she was based, variously, out of New York, Miami, and Atlanta.

Kate Lord has three girls – Grayson, 10; Payton, 8; and Alexis, 5.  Last year, she joined Kim in being single, having gone through her own divorce.

Along with Kim, she began to channel the emotion of a difficult time into a big positive.

Christina was living in Braintree with her husband and their daughter, Isabella, who is now three.

“Obviously, we wanted to provide a forum of value for women who have children,” said Christina.  “But we also wanted to set an example for young ladies who want to pursue a career in design and fashion that you need to begin to build your own brand; you need to start early on to market yourself.”

Social media wasn’t around when the Haute Mamas were starting out in their careers, but it was now – and Kim, Christina, and Kate were going to do something smart with it.

“What is so valuable about the Internet and online communication,” said Kate, “is that even if you are busy at home, you can manage and build and enterprise virtually.”

Kim added, “Women spend 13 percent of their day online – and they control 80 percent of the household spending.”

The Three Haute Mamas ride, while still not far along, has been fun and is picking up speed.   Yes, these ladies are making things happen and building an enterprise.

Three Haute Mamas has nominated as a "Top Mommy Blog” by hello magazine, the celebrity, fashion, and beauty magazine based in London.

The Haute Mamas are a fixture on the glitzy Boston philanthropic fundraiser circuit, and have hobnobbed and hung out with Lionel Richie, Uma Thurman, Todd English, Chris Lambton (The Bachelor), and others whose names are published in bold print. 

The ladies are involved with and use their blog to support several philanthropies, and have forged a special alliance with the Ellie Fund, whose mission is “To fight breast cancer and ease its effects on women and families across Massachusetts.”  

“Ellie Fund eases the financial strain faced by women who are battling breast cancer, and their families,” said Kim.  “The fund provides the women and their families with money, food, and other help.”

So what is in the future for Three Haute Mamas?

"We want to get traffic up and start advertising on the site," said Kim.  "We are hoping to develop a sort of fashion cable show, something in the form of Phantom Gourmet, in which we go around New England and report from various boutiques and shops and events."

Christina said, "We want to sell products our site – those that are nice and of high quality, and affordable."

The ladies say they want to start a "Three Haute Mamas Approved" brand.

This sounds exciting.  I think it is going to happen.

Stay tuned.  Or as the Haute Mamas say, "Stay Haute!"