MAMA FEATURE : Amber+Yellow
THIS MONTH’S MAMA FEATURE IS L.A BASED HAIRSTYLIST, AMBER KEKICH.
MAMA TO A 4.5 YEAR OLD FIRECRACKER NAMED YELLOW BEAN.
YOU HAVE A PAST CAREER IN DESIGN + FASHION, AND USED TO OWN THE BRAND, ‘AGAIN’. TALK TO US A BIT ABOUT WHAT LED YOU TO YOUR CURRENTPASSION + CAREER AS A HAIR STYLIST.
I MOVED TO LA AT 18 TO ATTEND FIDM AND CHASE MY DREAM OF BECOMING A RUNWAY DESIGNER. AFTER DESIGNING FOR A FEW DENIM BRANDS, I LAUNCHED MY OWN CLOTHING LINE FOCUSING ON TEXTILES & TIMELESS PIECES PEOPLE WOULD WANT IN THEIR CLOSETS FOREVER.
I GREW UP THRIFTING WITH MY PARENTS OUT OF NECESSITY, BUT IT TAUGHT ME TO BE RESOURCEFUL & CREATIVE, AND ITS WHERE MY LOVE OF VINTAGE REALLY STARTED.
I HAD MY BRAND FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, BUT OVER TIME I FELL MORE INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AND CREATIVE DIRECTION. I WAS DRAWN TO CREATING VISUAL STORIES & WANTED TO CREATE FEELINGS INSTEAD OF OBJECTS.
WHEN THE PANDEMIC HIT, I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT & EVERYTHING CHANGED. I LEANED HARD INTO MOTHERHOOD & WHEN I BECAME A SINGLE MOM, I KNEW I NEEDED A CAREER THAT GAVE ME STABILITY, FLEXIBILITY & A CREATIVE OUTLET. THAT LED ME TO HAIR. IT’S HANDS-ON, COLLABORATIVE & PERSONAL.
AFTER WORKING FULL-TIME & PUTTING MYSELF THROUGH SCHOOL, I NOW GET TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES & STILL BE FULLY PRESENT FOR MY DAUGHTER. IT’S HONESTLY THE BEST MIX OF CREATIVITY & CONNECTION.
THESE DAYS I SPEND MORE TIME MAKING SURE YELLOW IS DRESSED TO THE NINES WHILE I’M THE HOMELESS-LOOKING WOMAN TRAILING BEHIND HER. BUT EVENTHOUGH I’VE TRADED TEXTILES FOR HAIR TOOLS, MY LOVE OF VINTAGE & STORYTELLING THROUGH STYLE IS STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE.
PATCHWORK OVERALLS FROM GUS+WAY
FAVORITE MEMORY WITH YOUR GIRL YELLOW?
EVERY PHASE WITH YELLOW BRINGS ALL THE EMOTIONS. I’M CONSTANTLY IN SOME STATE OF AWE, SURPRISE, NOSTALGIA, SOMETIMES OVERWHELMED THAT IT’S ALL GOING BY SO FAST, & YES MY PATIENCE IS TESTED DAILY.
SHE SAYS THE WILDEST THINGS THAT CATCH ME OFF GUARD & I ALWAYS FIND MYSELF THINKING “WHERE DID SHE EVER LEARN THAT?!”
IN A PAST LIFE, I BROUGHT MY CHIHUAHUA EVERYWHERE WITH ME BUT NOW SHE’S BEEN REPLACED BY A 30 LB. OPINIONATED, FEARLESS LITTLE HUMAN.
WE CAMP, WE SKI, WE FISH & BEACH.. SHE’S MY BUILT-IN ADVENTURE BUDDY. LIFE IS CHAOTIC IN A WHOLE NEW WAY AND WE’RE MAKING MEMORIES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO YOU RAISING A DAUGHTER & HOW DO YOU HOPE TO INSPIRE HER?
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SCARED TO HAVE A BABY IN THE CLIMATE WE WERE LIVING IN. I FOUND OUT I WAS PREGNANT JUST A COUPLE WEEKS INTO LOCKDOWN & UNTIL THEN I’D BEEN FEELING PRETTY HELPLESS ESPECIALLY WITH MOST OF MY CREATIVE OUTLETS ON PAUSE, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT YELLOW, SOMETHING SHIFTED. I THOUGHT MAYBE THIS IS HOW I CAN HELP.
MY FOCUS BECAME RAISING SOMEONE WHO IS KIND, AWARE & CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO LIVE LIFE ON HER OWN TERMS.
I TRY NOT TO PUSH MY OWN IDEAS ONTO HER, BUT INSTEAD GIVE HER SPACE TO DISCOVER WHO SHE REALLY IS. I WANT HER TO KNOW SHE CAN TAKE UP SPACE, SPEAK HER MIND & STILL BE SOFT.
I HOPE TO INSPIRE HER TO TRY AS MANY THINGS AS SHE WANTS AS LONG AS IT MAKES HER HAPPY. AND OF COURSE, TO BE A STAR-GAZING SOUL WHO ENJOYS ALL THAT THE EARTH HAS TO OFFER.
MY BIGGEST HOPE IS THAT SHE FEELS FREE TO BE EXACTLY WHO SHE IS.
I WANT TO KEEP MY OWN EXPECTATIONS OUT OF THE WAY AND FOCUS ON HELPING HER BECOME HER TRUEST SELF - SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HER WORTH, STANDS HER GROUND, LIVES BOLDLY AND OF COURSE LOOKS GOOD DOING IT.
PATCHWORK OVERALLS BY GUS+WAY
CONSIDERING YOUR PAST IN FASHION + HAVING BEEN A SMALL-BUSINESS OWNER OF YOUR OWN CLOTHING BRAND, HOW DO YOU NOW APPROACH SUSTAINABILITY & MINDFUL CONSUMPTION AS A MAMA?
WHEN I HAD MY BRAND, I REALLY VALUED QUALITY, I USED ALOT OF HANDMADE, NATURAL FABRICS & WANTED TO MAKE THINGS PEOPLE WOULDN’T TOSS AFTER A SEASON.
BUT WHEN YOU’RE RUNNING A SMALL BUSINESS, IT BECOMES CLEAR HOW HARD IT IS TO STAY ETHICAL & SUSTAINABLE WHILE ALSO TRYING TO STAY AFLOAT.
I’VE GROWN PRETTY DISILLUSIONED WITH OVERCONSUMPTION IN GENERAL. THAT SAID, I’M ALSO A WORKING MOM AND I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE APPEAL OF CONVENIENCE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOUR TIME IS LIMITED.
BUT I STILL LEAN ON VINTAGE & SECONDHAND PIECES WHENEVER I CAN.
THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT FINDING PIECES THAT ALREADY HAVE A STROY.
I AM FROM COLORADO, WHERE WE SPENT ALOT OF TIME ON OPEN LAND, ENJOYING NATURE AND RESPECTING ALL LIMITATIONS ON IT. AS A MOTHER, I HOPE MY GRANDCHILDREN AND THEIRS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE IT THE WAY I AM ABLE TO.
SO BEING A PART OF THIS FEATURE FEELS FULL-CIRCLE FOR ME.
IT HITS THAT SWEET SPOT BETWEEN CREATIVITY, SUSTAINABILITY & MAKING THINGS THAT ACTUALLY MATTER.
COURTESY OF YELLOW!