“It’s Deep, It’s Complex And It’s Also Lots Of Fun”: The Beauty Chef Founder Carla Oates On The Special Bond She Shares With Her Daughter Jeet

As the CEO and Founder of globally-renowned skin supplement company The Beauty Chef, Carla Oates is at the top of her game. However, she lists motherhood as her most “powerful and all-encompassing” role to date. Just in time for Mother’s Day, Oates and daughter Jeet Pavlovic talk to Gritty Pretty about their special bond.

No two people are the same. We all enter this world with our own unique set of quirks, nuances and can’t-be-replicated behaviours. Similarly, no two love stories are the same, either – whether it’s romantic love or the bond between a mother and child, each journey is unique to those two individuals. That’s what makes it so special. In partnership with Georg Jensen, we’re speaking to well-known duos to find out more about their unique love. Following on from Gritty Pretty Founder & Editor-in-Chief Eleanor Pendleton and husband Mathew Wilson and Interior Stylist Steve Cordony and partner Michael Booth, today, we sit down with The Beauty Chef Founder Carla Oates and her daughter, Jeet Pavlovic. 

“I didn’t really have any expectations of motherhood, only what I knew of it from observing my own mum,” Oates tells Gritty Pretty. “She was incredibly kind and gave us complete, unconditional love. I now understand why, because you only want the best for your children, and are often prepared to move mountains for them. For me, finding that balance of helping them – but letting them learn on their own – has always been challenging. Because of course, my instinct is to always want to help them.”

Oates has two beautiful children – one of them being 22-year-old Pavlovic. Oates describes their relationship as deep, complex and a lot of fun: “She has really taught me so much about acceptance and patience and being a better, more open-minded person.” 

As she moves further away from her teenage years and closer to her mid-twenties, Pavlovic is now a young woman. Throughout this transition, the relationship between the mother-daughter duo has blossomed into the “really beautiful friendship” that they share today. “Now that I am older, I am able to empathise with my mum – something I definitely didn’t do when I was younger,” Pavlovic says. “It’s a very mutual relationship, we both have each other’s best interest in mind. I back my mum, she backs me.”

Carla wears Georg Jensen Fusion 2 Piece Ring, Georg Jensen Fusion Earhoop (large), Georg Jensen Fusion Open Pendant and Georg Jensen Fusion Bangle. Jeet wears Georg Jensen Fusion 3 Piece Ring, Georg Jensen Fusion 2 Piece Ring, Georg Jensen Fusion Open Earhoop and Georg Jensen Fusion Open Bangle.

“It probably sounds cliched but my mum is the most beautiful, interested, kind, caring, creative, strong-minded and devoted person I know. My mum is home.”

While being extremely similar, Oates and Pavlovic are, of course, different too. “We are both creative and I think very happy when we are in that space,” Oates shares. “We are also very, very sensitive (and stubborn), so I really understand [Pavlovic] on a cellular level – although we express our sensitivities often differently. We love similar things, especially music, food and having massages. She is an exceptionally kind human, she is more open-minded than me and she questions me on my way of thinking. I really appreciate this. While we both enjoy socialising with people, at heart, I think we are both introverts.”

For the most part, we humans are sentimental beings – women especially. The enduring nature of high-quality jewellery makes it the perfect hand-me-down between generations. Oates plans on sharing one ring in particular: “There is a beautiful ring that was my mum’s and she gave it to my sister and I when she passed away. It’s a ring that’s full of my mum’s life and energy and it’s something that we really want to give and share with [Pavlovic] and my niece.”

Tell us, have you experienced Georg Jensen’s Fusion collection? What was the first item of jewellery that your partner bought you?