CLOUD NINE Parachute

C l o u NINE

dphotography by

VANESSA

TIERNEY

After spending a decade working in advertising and brand development (even starting an interior design blog!), ARIEL KAYE found herself shopping often, but when it came to bedding, she couldn’t find a single brand that was high quality, affordable, or easy to buy. That’s when the lightbulb went off and the now cult-favorite bedding brand Parachute was born.

MINI | Let’s dive right into your life as a mom. What does your morning routine look like?

ARIEL KAYE | I get up early and start my day with my daughter Lou. We read books and then often head outside to play. By 6:30, she’s gone up and down our little slide at least 20 times. After running around, it’s time for her breakfast. Once our nanny arrives, I start my morning routine. I make my bed and take a few minutes to get the house ready for the day. I open up the windows to let the fresh air flow through the house, straighten up a bit, pour myself a glass of water with lemon, and snack on a piece of fruit. I a m a big proponent of working out in the morning. If it doesn’t happen within the first hour of waking up, I find it doesn’t get done. Exercise also gives me the most lasting energy, so I set aside time for movement early as these days are filled with Zoom meetings. I mix up my routine between yoga, The Class, and FaceTime training sessions.

MINI | What do you think is the greatest challenge of motherhood?

ARIEL KAYE | Early on, someone told me to remember that everything with motherhood and our little ones development is “just for now.” Meaning the long nights, the inconsolable cries, the spitting up, the ever-changing nap schedule is all temporary. While that continues to be a mantra I come back to over and over again—and one that reminds me to enjoy all the moments— it is also what makes motherhood so challenging. Every time you get the hang of something, or feel like you are in a good rhythm, it all changes and you have to start over. Motherhood is the ultimate test in letting go.

MINI | What has surprised you most about motherhood thus far?

ARIEL KAYE | I’ve been surprised as well as grateful for the community and relationships with other mama’s that I’ve developed. The late night texts, sharing resources, and just being there for one another to listen is so invaluable.

MINI | What is most important to you in raising your children?

ARIEL KAYE | I always dreamed of raising a strong-willed and opinionated daughter. And when Lou arrived three weeks and a day early, I joked that clearly that dream came true. It’s really important to me to

teach Lou to be kind, resilient, and respectful towards others.

MINI | Tell us how you decided on your daughter’s name.

ARIEL KAYE | The name Lou first came up while my husband and I were traveling in France with a few friends. I was about 18 or 19 weeks pregnant. For a while, we talked about naming her something that Lou could be a nickname for, but then ultimately decided if we wanted to call her Lou, why not just name her that! As it turns out, Lou is also a family name on both my mother and father’s side of the family. My grandmother’s maiden name was Lewis and my great grandfather

was Lou, which makes it extra sweet.

MINI | What helps you to juggle motherhood and career?

ARIEL KAYE | While I love being a mother, I also love my career and could not imagine giving up one for the other. Having an amazing support system to call on for help let’s me do both. I am endlessly grateful for our wonderful nanny who is with Lou during the week, and I am so lucky to live a few minutes away from both sets of grandparents. Lou gets love from so many incredible people who adore her. It’s the best.

MINI | We all experience mom guilt from time to time. When do you find mom guilt creeps in for you and how do you deal with it?

ARIEL KAYE | I kind of refuse to do the whole mom guilt thing. I’m not denying that it creeps in, because it does, but I do everything I can to let it go. Over the past year or so, I’ve realized I have to focus on being present. So that means when I’m in work mode, I’m really in work mode. It helps me be the most productive and efficient as well as the best leader and team member I can be. When I’m home or with Lou, I’m in mama mode. I prioritize true quality time with her. I do my absolute best to limit checking in on work or looking at my phone. I’ve realized that giving her twenty minutes of uninterrupted attention is so much more valuable than an hour or two where I’m distracted and not engaged. I’m far from perfect, so this doesn’t always go as planned, but this is how I try to structure my time and avoid that dreaded mom guilt.

MINI | Where have you seen the biggest changes in your life since becoming a mom?

ARIEL KAYE | Becoming a mom has been a completely transformative experience. During my pregnancy, I had moments where I feared losing my identity, but that fear went away with Lou’s arrival. I learned to embrace the change and the shift. My priorities have changed as has my general perspective of

K AY E AT H O M E I N V E N I C E W I T H DAUGHTER LOU

the world. I have become more patient and more empathetic towards others, especially all the mamas out there. And I no longer need an alarm clock.

MINI | Let’s talk about Parachute! What was your inspiration behind the brand?

ARIEL KAYE | Before launching Parachute, I spent a decade working in advertising and brand development in New York City. But I’ve always been passionate about design. I even started an interior design blog, and I frequently helped my friends and family decorate their homes. S o in my immersion of the design space, I found myself shopping often, and when it came to bedding, I couldn’t find a single brand that was high quality, affordable, or easy to buy. I also realized that no one had an association with brands when they bought their sheets, if anything, it was just a larger retail store. As someone who built brands in advertising, I recognized a true business opportunity— there was a serious void in the market. This is when I had my “aha” moment. MINI | How has the brand evolved since it began and where do you hope to see it go?

ARIEL KAYE | I launched Parachute with a small assortment of bedding in 2014. Today, we’ve evolved into a true home lifestyle brand designing and manufacturing an array of products including everything you need for the bathroom, robes, a mattress, tabletop and kitchen textiles, decor items such as throws, pillows, furniture, pajamas and rugs. We also have a baby collection which includes crib sheets, hooded towels, quilts which are the best for tummy time and evening stroller walks and more coming soon!

We opened our first retail store in 2016 and now have nine retail stores across the country. You can definitely expect us to continue expanding our assortment further (we also love suggestions!) and will be opening more stores too. Recently, we launched a virtual styling consultation program which has allowed us to connect with even more customers in a personal way. Something you may not know about us is that we also have a hospitality line and so you can find our products in quite a few boutique hotels across the country too. I love that it gives people an opportunity to discover us while on vacation relaxing.

MINI | What has been your proudest career moment to date?

ARIEL KAYE | I just wrote a book! It’s not necessarily my most proud career moment to date, but it is certainly my most recent big accomplishment. It’s called How to Make a House a Home and it’s all about creating purposeful space. MINI | Social distancing is a new phrase in everyone’s vocabulary right now. How have you spent your time in quarantine? What will you remember about this time?

ARIEL KAYE | We’ve spent our time home, hunkered down, and being cozy. We live in a small Venice bungalow so I had to spend some time figuring out how to make my home more functional. Learning how to efficiently work from home required some creative problem solving. Lou started walking as quarantine started, so creating more areas for her to play outside in our yard was really important. Th ere have been many silver linings. Quarantine has forced me to slow down and appreciate simple things that I often took for granted. I’m used to moving quickly and in many directions all the time. 2020 was going to be a huge travel year for me with a book tour and new store openings that all were put on pause. Today I’m embracing fresh flowers, cozy snuggles, wearing my robe all day, savoring a delicious meal and long walks in the neighborhood. I recognize that that is more than enough. W hen I look back, I will remember and be grateful for this unexpected time I got to spend with Lou. Being home as she started walking, talking up a storm and seeing her big personality emerge has been a gift. She has made the hard days so much better.

MINI | Favorite places to visit with kids in LA, GO!

ARIEL KAYE | We love to get outside, run around and then have a picnic. Our favorite activities are beach days in Venice or Malibu and hiking at Will Rogers, Temescal, Tuna Canyon, Solstice Canyon and Griffith Park.

MINI | If you could give your kids one piece of advice, what would it be?

ARIEL KAYE | Be true to yourself.

FAST FACTS

FAVORITE KIDS BOOK Goodnight Moon.

BEFORE KIDS, I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD Cut grapes in half.

FAVORITE KIDS MOVIE As a kid, I loved Lady and the Tramp.

SHOWS I’M WATCHING Veep, The Wire, and Working Moms.

IF THERE WERE MORE HOURS IN THE DAY, I WOULD Read a book.

FAVORITE LOCAL RESTAURANT Gjusta (we live up the block).

FAVORITE PLACE TO SHOP FOR BABY Rylee & Cru, Roux, Organic Zoo, H&M, and Zara are a few.

CAN’T STOP LISTENING TO Khruangbin.

GUILTY PLEASURE Do french fries count?

TYPICAL COFFEE ORDER Dirty Chai with Oat Milk.