March 20th, 2020

How #TeamNaked
Works From Home

Coffee and Cashmere with Rocky Barnes

May 4th, 2020

This weekend, Leslie meets with Rocky Barnes for a talk about motherhood, family, and authenticity.

A woman of many hats, Rocky Barnes started off her career modeling in 2004 at the age of 24 and grew her platform into a huge lifestyle brand. Leslie & Rocky developed an organic relationship and connection after her first campaign with the brand in the Fall of 2015 and went from working on fashion campaigns with us to full design collaboration.

Rocky has been such a joy to work and collaborate with and the team has had so much
fun designing pieces with Rocky that embody her young, bohemian beachy aesthetic.

Rocky is wearing the Campbell Sweater and Aubrina Bottoms in Pecan

When did Rocky start blogging and what made her want to get started?

Rocky first started modeling in 2014, however she wasn’t loving the agencies she was working with, a lot of them were telling her she was too short being 5’7, she didn't have control or a creative outlet when modeling for a big brand and that is something she really want to do. Instagram started to get popular during the middle of her modeling career, she signed up and began growing her platform from then on!

Where does Rocky get her style inspiration from?

When Rocky was young she would read fashion magazines from cover to cover while she would
wait for her mom in the hair salons. She loved going through all of the editorial magazines and
would get so inspired. Another thing she found that really inspired her at a young age was going
to flea markets and thrifting, Rocky didn't come from a lot of money so she had to be creative
with how she dressed on a budget.



Where did 'Rocky' come from?

Rocky’s mom always called her by that name growing up, later her friends caught on and it stuck. When creating her social media accounts she tried to sign up with Rachel Barnes but all were taken so she decided to go with Rocky Barnes!

In a time where so many influencers put up a facade, how does Rocky remain down to earth and real for her followers?

When Rocky had first started building her platform on Instagram and her blog it was all very new, “It was like the wild west at first" say Rocky. Nowadays, people and brands are smarter when it comes to who they are following and promoting, things are alot more transparent. Rachel says, ”I think the influencer space is here to stay, it will change and evolve but, i don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon.” Rocky has always been selective with brands she works with and will always continue to be real and authentic with whom she will decide to partner.

Rocky is wearing the Ynes Robe  in Chalk

A new mama! How is Rocky’s bundle of joy?

Rocky admits it is very hard and a lot of work having a new baby. Rocky and her husband Matt made the decision to take on this new chapter with no nurses or help postpartum. Her mother helped out after delivery but, have been on their own ever since, it is hard but very rewarding. Rocky goes on to mention that no one really preps you for postpartum or tells you how to manage or what to expect.

What has been most challenging?

Sleeping and sleep regression!

Where did the name 'Jones' comes from?

Before Rocky was pregnant her and her husband Matt had always loved the name Jones
and had always talked about it - When they found out they were pregnant with a baby boy they
instantly agreed they had to name him Jones. Rocky says, “those of you who know Matt and I know
that we usually never agree on anything, so the fact that we instantly agreed on his name we just decided
that was it and there was no more discussion on it!”

How did Rocky get her body back postpartum so quickly?

Rocky says “Someone once told me it takes 9 months to put on the baby weight and you should expect to
wait 9 months to take it off” . With that advice, she is really being patient and listening to her
body. She was really active right away post pregnancy, so she felt that gave her a head start to losing
her baby weight postpartum. While she openly admitted she lived off of bagels and cookies
during her pregnancy, something she feels has really helped is cutting out carbs postpartum. Rocky mentioned that since cutting out that food group she feels really good and a lot less puffy!

How did Rocky meet her husband Matt?

Rocky tells us they met in a very serendipitous way. Rocky was in NYC for a concert with
friends when she saw Matt walk into a room and they instantly had a connection, kept making eye
contact throughout the night. When Matt finally came up to Rocky to ask her out she initially
turned him away but later reconnected over drinks to find out he was moving to LA in 3 months!
Meant to be!

Is it hard working with your husband?

It is challenging but very rewarding! Rocky tells us that they have always been working together from the
beginning and they have a nice balance and system. Rocky is more creative while Matt is more logistic and organized!

What would Rocky say are the highlights of her career?

Traveling! Rocky tells us how blessed she feels to be able to have the opportunity to travel as
much as she has for her job. She has gone to places she feels most people don't have the ability to ever visit, so she feels extra grateful her job allows her to travel this much. Another highlight she hold near and dear to her heart is her photoshoot for VOGUE with Patrick Demarchelier!

The New Normal & Silver Linings with Leslie Gifford

Story about a man & his dog, both in cashmere

During these uncertain times when we have little control, it is save to say that our pets have been our salvation. While we spend our days in quarantine in our homes, our pets have been on the receiving end of a little extra love from us, a few more snuggles and couple of extra treats. We appreciate them more then ever for being our buddy, our support system and most important family member while we practice social distancing from other humans.

Well this story is no different, it is about a man, Andrew Gifford our Chief Marketing Officer and his dog Chunk, Chief Bark Officer. We sit down with Andrew & Chunk to get their take on how they spend their days in quarantine, their favorite cashmere and what is the first thing they will do when this is all over.

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Please tell us who you are and what you do at NAKEDCASHMERE?

I’m Andrew. Aka @skullcashmere. I am the chief marketing officer at 360CASHMERE. I’m responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of an our marketing and advertising initiatives. I ensure our message and voice is distributed across multiple customer channels and to targeted audiences in order to meet our sales objectives.

Andrew Gifford, Chief Marketing Officer

What is your daily routine in quarantine with Chunk?

Chunk is an expert quarentiner. He was built for times like this.

8:30a We wake up. I spend about 20 minutes saying good morning to Chunk. It’s important he gets the appropriate amount of snuggles and love before we start the day.

The day officially starts when the food hits Chunks bowl. It’s like when the military plays the bugle. I make a pot of coffee and put on a one of my NAKEDCASHMERE outfits and prepare for our morning walk. Once chunk finishes his breakfast, I let him digest while I finish my coffee so he can have a good poop on our morning walk.

Chunk is a creature of habit. Same spot every day. He takes his peeps at the little gardens outside of the building and once he finishes kicks his feet and covers the sidewalk in gravel. Immediately after his pees, as long as its not raining, he scoots over to Varick (around the corner) and takes his poop. He likes a view and reading a newspaper, always faces the Holland tunnel so he can watch the cars go by as he does his business. After he is finished, we proceed back upstairs and I officially start my day.

I play some music and clean my house and make my bed. I then check my calendar and make sure I’m prepared for all of the calls and meetings I have for the day. I make a checklist of things I have to do for the day and my goals. Its important to stay motivated and not slack off. Its easy to get distracted and put on the tv and return to whatever tv show I’m watching. I set enough time throughout the day to be creative, whether its finding inspo on Pinterest for our next photoshoot or sketching pictures of chunk in different positions on the coach. It is important to me to keep my brain stimulated.

6:00p I end my day around and set aside an hour to work out. I have a peloton and an abs machine and I do 30 mins on each. I look to come out of quarantine in tip top shape. For dinner, I usually cook or order in. I try and stay on a low carb diet and find it extremely hard to do so when there are so many options for delivery. I watch the news and read my favorite blogs to keep up with current events. I then feed Chunk dinner, take him out for his evening pees and head back inside to get ready for bed. I turn on my favorite show, crank out a couple of episodes, facetime my family then go to bed

Andrew is wearing blank and blank, Image with Chunk

What type of music are you listening to?

I’m currently listening to a lot of indie and 90s rock. The low tempo keeps me motivated and keeps me from losing my sanity. Here is a link! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5WcaZvLiXD7nYhg2bBBNBd?si=nX11QdHuQb2kdkzUc6mHmQ

How are you keeping busy?

Spending a lot of time with chunk. I’m learning to cook but I am quickly realizing that I’m better at creating messes than actually cooking. I also am starting to read which isn’t something I haven’t done in quite some time. I’m currently reading Shoe dog- a memoir by Phil knight

What are the latest updates from the NAKEDCASHMERE store?

No update. Until we can see the light at the end of the tunnel we have to keep the stores closed for the safety and health of our customers and our employees.

Image of the store

When did Rocky start blogging and what made her want to get started?

Rocky first started modeling in 2014, however she wasn’t loving the agencies she was working with, a lot of them were telling her she was too short being 5’7, she didn't have control or a creative outlet when modeling for a big brand and that is something she really want to do. Instagram started to get popular during the middle of her modeling career, she signed up and began growing her platform from then on!

Where does Rocky get her style inspiration from?

When Rocky was young she would read fashion magazines from cover to cover while she would
wait for her mom in the hair salons. She loved going through all of the editorial magazines and
would get so inspired. Another thing she found that really inspired her at a young age was going
to flea markets and thrifting, Rocky didn't come from a lot of money so she had to be creative
with how she dressed on a budget.



Where did 'Rocky' come from?

Rocky’s mom always called her by that name growing up, later her friends caught on and it stuck. When creating her social media accounts she tried to sign up with Rachel Barnes but all were taken so she decided to go with Rocky Barnes!

In a time where so many influencers put up a facade, how does Rocky remain down to earth and real for her followers?

When Rocky had first started building her platform on Instagram and her blog it was all very new, “It was like the wild west at first" say Rocky. Nowadays, people and brands are smarter when it comes to who they are following and promoting, things are alot more transparent. Rachel says, ”I think the influencer space is here to stay, it will change and evolve but, i don't think it is going anywhere anytime soon.” Rocky has always been selective with brands she works with and will always continue to be real and authentic with whom she will decide to partner.

Rocky is wearing the Ynes Robe  in Chalk

A new mama! How is Rocky’s bundle of joy?

Rocky admits it is very hard and a lot of work having a new baby. Rocky and her husband Matt made the decision to take on this new chapter with no nurses or help postpartum. Her mother helped out after delivery but, have been on their own ever since, it is hard but very rewarding. Rocky goes on to mention that no one really preps you for postpartum or tells you how to manage or what to expect.

What has been most challenging?

Sleeping and sleep regression!

Where did the name 'Jones' comes from?

Before Rocky was pregnant her and her husband Matt had always loved the name Jones
and had always talked about it - When they found out they were pregnant with a baby boy they
instantly agreed they had to name him Jones. Rocky says, “those of you who know Matt and I know
that we usually never agree on anything, so the fact that we instantly agreed on his name we just decided
that was it and there was no more discussion on it!”

How did Rocky get her body back postpartum so quickly?

Rocky says “Someone once told me it takes 9 months to put on the baby weight and you should expect to
wait 9 months to take it off” . With that advice, she is really being patient and listening to her
body. She was really active right away post pregnancy, so she felt that gave her a head start to losing
her baby weight postpartum. While she openly admitted she lived off of bagels and cookies
during her pregnancy, something she feels has really helped is cutting out carbs postpartum. Rocky mentioned that since cutting out that food group she feels really good and a lot less puffy!

How did Rocky meet her husband Matt?

Rocky tells us they met in a very serendipitous way. Rocky was in NYC for a concert with
friends when she saw Matt walk into a room and they instantly had a connection, kept making eye
contact throughout the night. When Matt finally came up to Rocky to ask her out she initially
turned him away but later reconnected over drinks to find out he was moving to LA in 3 months!
Meant to be!

Is it hard working with your husband?

It is challenging but very rewarding! Rocky tells us that they have always been working together from the
beginning and they have a nice balance and system. Rocky is more creative while Matt is more logistic and organized!

What would Rocky say are the highlights of her career?

Traveling! Rocky tells us how blessed she feels to be able to have the opportunity to travel as
much as she has for her job. She has gone to places she feels most people don't have the ability to ever visit, so she feels extra grateful her job allows her to travel this much. Another highlight she hold near and dear to her heart is her photoshoot for VOGUE with Patrick Demarchelier!

Shop Ynes Robe and Cable Baby Blanket

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Shop Rocky's Picks