Born and raised in the south of France, Marion Gruber calls Paris home but feels a whole lot of love for the palm trees of California. This free-spirited fashion lover is one busy mama, she’s created quite a following through her blog Fringe & Frange, written two books fusing travel & fashion, designs her own line of fedora hats and has recently become a mum for the first time. We spoke to Marion about style, travel and the newborn love bubble as part of our Tribe Style blog series.

You’ve recently welcomed daughter Romy into the world. What has surprised you most about becoming a mum?

I guess it's the fact that I don't remember not being one. I just can't remember how was my life before having Romy. It's such a life changing encounter, the most beautiful event of my life and I just don't know how I lived before.

You are a writer, having published your own fashion & travel lifestyle books and you're also​ a designer with your own line of hats. Where do you draw your inspiration?

I think my inspiration mostly comes from my travels. I'm a huge California lover - palm trees, desert, summer all year long, and cool vibes! I want to share what makes me happy. 

My trips to sunnier lands made me truly believe that I could do anything I wanted and not to regret a thing. I've always dreamt of writing, so I first jumped into the water by writing a self-published city-guide. It worked pretty well, so when a publisher asked me to write a fashion and lifestyle book about my California love, I said yes!

My hat label was also a dream, creating the fashion product I love the most, fedoras! It's still in progress and will be available really soon, I'm super excited!

To you, enduring style is.... a pair of suede ankle boots. Something you can wear with everything, anywhere.

What do you love most about living in Paris?

I have to admit that right now, with my baby girl of only 10 weeks, I could swap places with you guys from Australia in a blink of an eye. Paris is an amazing city, but with a family, I'm dreaming of the sea and having nature close by. 

You’ll travelled a lot, where is your happy place? 

My happy place is the Malibu pier in California, it’s my favourite place in the whole world. When you're up there, you're on top of the Pacific Ocean, sea otters and dolphins playing a few meters from you, surfers in the water and a cool drink in your hand watching the horizon. It's so dreamy...