CHANGE IS GOOD
A REAL WORKING MOM OF LA
#CHANGEISGOOD
In 2015 I got married and moved to LA because my husband’s job was here. In New York I was a marketing executive. After my move, I searched for a position with one of the studios. Then I found myself pregnant... A new reason to shop! I looked EVERYWHERE but couldn’t find anything that I wanted to wear now AND wear later. So, at 3 months pregnant, I set out on a long journey to create my own.
When I was pregnant with my first son, I had the luxury of time. This meant that I had time to work, practice yoga, and sleep. I schlepped rolls of fabric around town at 8 months pregnant. I cooked dinner with my husband. I had energy to pack and move to a new house!
After my 2nd son was born, the meaning of a real working wife became serious. There were not enough sane hours in the day! I applied for a resale license while pumping at 3am. I scheduled calls around my commutes. I did research during bad-movie-nights with my husband. I turned chores such as laundry into a “fun” activity to do with my kids. I may not work from 9am-7pm but I’ll work from 6am-7am, 10am-4pm, 8pm-10pm, 1am-2am. I’ve heard multiple people say that women are better at multi-tasking. That is simply not true. We just have to do more so we have no choice but to multi-task. With all that said, I am not superhuman. I have an entire team of people and inventions that help. We have a full time surrogate grandmother who helps during the week. My husband will watch the kids while I go to a Mary J Blige concert for girls night out. Our parents will bring over dinner when we forget to order. We have a TV (don’t judge) that will entertain my kids while we clean up the disaster in our kitchen after a meal. It takes a village and I’m not shy about asking for help.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
I guess I can say that I was raised to love clothes. My family moved to Boston from Shanghai when I was 5. My dad came to this country with $50 in his pocket so needless to say my mom had to work to help support the family. With her first paycheck she bought me a bright blue taffeta dress from Filene’s Basement. Priorities. I was the only girl who wore dresses every single day in elementary school.
I guess I can say that I was raised to love clothes. I come from an immigrant family and we moved to Boston from Shanghai when I was 5. My dad came to this country with $50 in his pocket so needless to say my mom had to work to help support the family. With her first paycheck she bought me a bright blue taffeta dress from Filene’s Basement. Priorities. I was the only girl who wore dresses every single day in elementary school.
GIFTED IN HIGH SCHOOL
GIFTED IN HIGH SCHOOL
I’m not sure what this actually meant but to me it meant that I was allowed to get an internship off campus and leave school early every Friday. I interned with a Senior Vice President of marketing at Merck. She wore red cat eye glasses, walked around in heels every day, and wore designer jackets. She was smart, tough, generous, and stylish. She became my role model.
I’m not sure what this actually meant but to me it meant that I was allowed to get an internship off campus and to leave school early every Friday. I interned with a Senior Vice President of marketing at Merck. She wore red cat eye glasses, walked around in heels every day, and wore designer jackets. She was smart, tough, generous, and stylish. She became my role model.
SEX AND THE CITY
I suppose a lot of girls equate their adventures in New York to the tales of Carrie Bradshaw. I met boyfriends at downtown lounges, rehashed Saturday night events with girlfriends at Sunday brunch, and splurged on Manolo Blahniks. More importantly, I had the chance to work with and be mentored by some brilliant executives at American Express, Saks, and Bloomingdale’s. I can also say that my 15-year New York story ended with me marrying my own Mr. Big.
SEX AND THE CITY
I suppose a lot of girls equate their adventures in New York to the tales of Carrie Bradshaw. I met boyfriends at downtown lounges, rehashed Saturday night events with girlfriends at Sunday brunch, and splurged on Manolo Blahniks. More importantly, I had the chance to work with and be mentored by some brilliant executives at American Express, Saks, and Bloomingdale’s. I can also say that my 15-year New York story ended with me marrying my own Mr. Big.
WHY FORMERLY YAN
Yan is my maiden name and the line is called F O R M E R L Y Y A N because this idea was born out of change.
Today as a working mom of two, I need to be versatile, practical, and productive with my time, work, and wardrobe. The line is similar – each piece incorporates a design detail that allows you to wear it in multiple ways: flowy or fitted, casual or formal, resort or office, pregnant or not.