Kate Ruggiero 10/21/25 Kate Ruggiero 10/21/25

MAMA FEATURE : Amber+Yellow

THIS MONTH’S MAMA FEATURE IS L.A BASED HAIRSTYLIST, AMBER KEKICH.

@AMBERKEKICH.STUDIO

MAMA TO A 4.5 YEAR OLD FIRECRACKER NAMED YELLOW BEAN.

THIS MONTH’S MAMA FEATURE IS L.A BASED HAIRSTYLIST, AMBER KEKICH.

@AMBERKEKICH.STUDIO

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.

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IN A PAST LIFE, I BROUGHT MY CHIHUAHUA EVERYWHERE WITH ME BUT NOW SHE’S BEEN REPLACED BY A 30 LB.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.

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.

Kate Ruggiero 5/19/25 Kate Ruggiero 5/19/25

MAMA FEATURE: REBEKAH + LEVI

THIS MONTH’S MAMA FEATURE IS ARTIST & MAMA, REBEKAH STEEN, GOLDFISHKISS. OUR CREATIVE PATHS CROSSED EARLY ON WHEN I HAD FIRST MOVED TO OAHU. I LOVED HER OPENNESS AND EASY SENSE OF HUMOR. SHE PAINTS HER WHIMSICAL VIEW OF THE ISLANDS IN JOYFUL COLOR & CARRIES THAT SAME JOY INTO HER ROLE AS MOTHER TO HER SON LEVI.

MINI REBEKAH IN HER FAVORITE GOLDFISH BIKINI

YOUR ARTWORK IS SO CLEARLY INSPIRED BY YOUR LOVE OF THE ISLANDS AND THE FREEDOM OF THE BEACH. HAVE YOU BEEN PAINTING SINCE YOU WERE LITTLE & TALK TO US A BIT ABOUT HOW IT PLAYS INTO YOUR LIFE…

FIRST OFF, THANK YOU! I AM MY OWN HARSHEST CRITIC SO COMPLIMENTS ON MY ARTWORK MEAN SO MUCH. YES I HAVE BEEN PAINTING SINCE I WAS A KIDDO, GOT MY BFA IN COLLEGE, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

THE FUNNY THING IS, ALL MY FORMAL TRAINING WAS IN OILS, AND I SWITCHED TO WATERCOLORS WHEN I WAS LIVING IN HAWAII AND TRYING TO FILL UP THIS LITTLE WATERCOLOR BOOK I HAD BOUGHT. IT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT EVOLUTION EVER SINCE AND I JUST THINK WATERCOLORS AND IT WERE MEANT TO BE. I MEAN IT’S GOT WATER AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF IT, SO IT PARALLELS ONE OF MY BIGGEST LOVES IN MY LIFE.

MY MOTTO WITH MY ART THESE DAYS IS “PAINTING WHAT I’M CRAVING”. SO I’M USUALLY RECREATING A SCENE I’M DREAMING OF IN MY COLORFUL, MESSY WAY OF DOING THINGS. ONCE I LAY DOWN THAT INITIAL BRUSH STROKE, EACH PIECE BECOMES AN OBSESSION OF LAYERING, COLOR COMBOS AND INK SPLATS.

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED YOUR CREATIVE EYE AND COLORFUL WORK (INCLUDING YOUR INSANE NAIL ART!) THERE IS SUCH A PLAYFUL SIDE TO IT. I GET THE FEELING YOU’RE A FUN MOM. TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR SON LEVI & MOTHERHOOD

I AM DEFINITELY A FUN MOM AND PERSON IN GENERAL (NAILS INCLUDED). I ABSOLUTELY LOVE BEING A KID AGAIN AND SPENDING TIME WITH MY SON IS THE ULTIMATE JOY. HE’S MY ONLY KID AND I JUST LOVE OUR RELATIONSHIP AND BOND.

TAKING OUR DOGS FOR WALKS AND TALKING, WATCHING MISSION IMPOSSIBLE MOVIES, SHOOTING HOOPS LATELY, AND THIS PAST SUMMER HE (FINALLY!) CAUGHT THE SURFING BUG.

I JUST TRY TO SHOW HIM HOW AWESOME LIFE AND NATURE ARE, EMPHASIZE DAILY THAT NO ONE IS PERFECT, AND EMBRACE WHAT MAKES HIM SO UNIQUE AND SPECIAL.

LEVI’S VINTAGE HAWAII TEE FROM **GUS&WAY**

ANY SPECIAL VINTAGE PIECE YOU OWN & ANY THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABILITY

YES! OH MAN WHERE DO I START? I HAVE THIS NECKLACE THAT MY GRANDMA GAVE ME THAT IS THIS INCREDIBLE BEADED MOSAIC PIECE WITH THIS SORT OF CHANDELIER NECKLINE. THEN I SCORED SOME SUPER OLD WORN-IN BRUNELLO CUCINELLI GREY MOTO BOOTS THAT MAKE ME FEEL WAY COOLER THAN I AM.

OH THIS IS SO FUN TO THINK ABOUT….VINTAGE TEES AND SWEATSHIRTS TOO, THOSE BEAUTIES ARE MY JAM.

OVER THE PAST 3 YEARS I HAVE SWITCHED PRIMARILY TO SHOPPING AT THRIFT SHOPS OR ONLINE CONSIGNMENT STORES. SAVES SO MUCH MONEY (SO I CAN TRAVEL BACK TO THE BEACH), YOU GET BETTER MADE PIECES (THAT I OTHERWISE COULDN’T AFFORD), AND IT’S EASIER TO FIND THINGS THAT ALIGN WITH MY STYLE (NEVER REALLY BEEN INTO TRENDS).

I THINK MY JAW CLENCHES NOWADAYS WHEN I THINK OF FAST-FASHION AND IT’S NEGATIVE IMPACE. THRIFT, CONSIGN, REPURPOSE AND ONLY BUY A FEW INVESTMENT PIECES. PLUS THE WORN-IN PRELOVED STUFF FEELS BETTER TOO.