Working Mums
Olivia Newton-John is fast becoming one of the most envied women in Hollywood.
“How does she do it.” echo actresses with families of their own who can only look on with admiration at Olivia’s amazing juggling act as a multi-talented working mum.
Since she married and had daughter Chloe, Olivia has found extra energy to keep her career and personal life humming along on all cylinders.
On the film front, Olivia is putting the finishing touches to a one-hour movie special done for the Home Box Office network. Called HBO World Stage: Olivia Newton-John in Australia, the spectacular musical/dance and information packed Bicentennial special was shot all over Australia. In it, Livvy teams up with Paul Hogan.
It’s all done tongue-in-cheek: Olivia is on a plane, she turns around, and guess who is sitting in a seat behind her!
On the recording front, she’s spending hours in the studio working on her new album.
“We’re excitedly waiting for her to finish,” says a MCA record company spokesman.
On the business front, Koala Blue the boutique/milk bar business that Livvy started with her long time pal Pat Farrar is mushrooming beyond all expectations.
Says David Sidell, chief executive officer of Koala Blue: “The first store opened in Los Angeles in 1983. Now there are 14 Koala Blues all over the U.S., and one is opening in Tokyo shortly.”
He says that in 1986 the company did $1 million worth of business. “We are projecting business of $7.5 million this year.”
What is even more remarkable is that Olivia finds time to stay on top of Koala Blue’s expansion plans, even though she has her career bubbling along, continues to run her Malibu ranch, and is also a wife and mother.
“Olivia is no figurehead in the business,” says David. “She and Pat take a very active role in overseeing the design of our four-times-a-year new sports and casual wear collections.”
And David reveals that Olivia obviously inspired by her own role as mother to two-year-old daughter Chloe- is hoping to launch a new line of childrens’ clothing.