Mom’s The Word: Anja Tyson & Her Daughter

Anja on Her Daughter:

Your Name, Your Daughter’s Name:

AT: Anja, Matilda

Favorite activity to do with your daughter?

AT: Anything that involves being out around town and meeting new people. Seeing the world through her eyes is really refreshing and energizing.

How does your daughter inspire your work? 

AT: I work on the business end of a creative field. My daughter inspires me to work very, very hard to create a good life for us, which sounds very simple but is possibly one of the biggest undertakings I will face for the rest of my life!

What’s the best gift you’ve ever been given on Mother’s Day?

AT: I’m a single mom, so it’s just me and Matilda on Mother’s Day (and every day). When I was a kid, my brother and I used to make my mom coffee and buy her croissants and flowers and make her homemade gifts, but Matilda hasn’t quite reached that age yet. Honestly, every day with my daughter is a gift, but the thing I appreciate most on Mother’s Day is the messages of love I get from my friends and family. Especially as a full-time mom with a full-time career, the nicest thing is just to feel the energy of being seen and celebrated for a day.

In what ways is your daughter like you? 

AT: Ugh, too many ways, hahaha. I am very strong-willed, determined and a bit of a dreamer. I didn’t realize how challenging it would be to raise someone with those exact same traits. My sympathy for my own parents has grown immensely in the last few years.

What They’re Wearing: 

Trend you’d most like to see come back? / Go away?: 

AT: I think in the last two years or so, more so than ever before, women have really been funneled into these specific trend paradigms, and I think elements of personal flavor have sort of disappeared. I love seeing really confident women putting practical and whimsical spins on the stuff we see every day.

Item in your closet you hope your daughter will someday want to wear:

AT: Oh, there are far too many pieces to choose from. I do mindfully keep a lot of things for her for later in life, but part of me thinks she will go through a really extended normcore phase and be totally uninterested in fashion entirely.  It’s not currently looking like that’s going to be the case though, haha!

How has having children changed your style? 

Not by much, to be quite honest. Or rather, I don’t think that having a child has necessarily impacted the life cycle of the way my personal style has evolved from age 28 (when I got pregnant) through now more so than it would for any other woman.

Which are you more likely to wear: Statement Earrings or Statement Necklace? 

AT: Necklace, always!

 

 

A favorite outfit that your daughter wears:

AT: I go to Paris for market a few times a year, and whenever I go, I do a 30-minute shop at the Monoprix kids section. The clothing is always super cute, very French, and the same price as Target. Most of Matilda’s wardrobe over the last five years is from Monoprix, and I have loved everything I have ever gotten her there.

Is shopping with your daughter “loads of fun” or “a little stressful”? 

AT: It’s actually funny you’re asking this now because we just recently had our first fitting room experience. Normally she doesn’t try things on, but last week we went to buy some things for her new school dress code and she specifically asked for a fitting room. I was stressed about it because public meltdowns remain my one stalwart fear as a parent, but she was amazing. And it was amazing to see her putting outfits together and twirling around singing “I feel so beautiful!”.

 

Anja on Her Mother:

Your Name, Your Mom’s Name: 

AT: Anja, Carol. 

In what ways are you like your mother?

AT: I am not sure how naturally alike I am to my mother. We have had very different upbringings and different - almost polar opposite experiences in adulthood. But I do know in what ways I would like to be like my mother, and one of them is that she has the most boundless capacity to be gentle and kind. This is not something that comes naturally to me, I definitely tend to be a bit cynical, but I try to keep in mind her capacity for kindness when I think of who I want to be and how I want to grow into the rest of my life.  

How has your mother influenced your style?

AT: My mom taught me how to sew when I was really little, which was a huuuuuge influence on the way I dressed as a kid, which was definitely on the more eccentric side. I went through a preteen rave phase where I was making my own JNCOs and crop tops, and then as a teenager I was sewing my own skirt suits out of upholstery fabrics and wearing them with high heels. Understanding the way garments are made, how things are meant to fit, and what good construction looks like was the best influence I could have ever been given.  

Item in your mom’s closet you most want to steal (if you haven’t already): 

AT: My mom went to Ireland on vacation when she was a teenager, and she bought a Shetland fisherman’s sweater that she kept and eventually handed down to me. I’ve put it in storage recently to give it a rest, but it is really so perfect. It even has pockets! One of the designers I used to work for once borrowed it to have it recreated in Peru for the runway. I will pass it down to Matilda one day.

What have you taught your mom about fashion?

AT: I’m not sure I’ve taught her anything. One thing I feel really lucky for is that women my age and younger are now going through a body positivity revolution, and demanding visibility and respect for the many different shapes and sizes we are throughout our lives. My mom’s generation was much less forgiving in that way, and, style-wise, I think I might be most proud of convincing my mom to stop dying her grey hair. She has beautiful bright silver hair and she looks so much more vibrant and happier wearing it naturally.

 

 

Best beauty tip from your mom: 

AT: Good posture! Standing up straight, holding yourself with strength, these are all things that can transform your presentation to the world.

Does your mom have a signature piece of jewelry? 

AT: Classic silver or platinum, and lots of diamonds.

Do you exchange gifts on Mother’s Day? Do you expect gifts on Mother’s Day? 

AT: I try to send my mom flowers on Mother’s Day and do something nice for her, but I also try to spread that same sentiment across the rest of the year, especially with acknowledgment and gratitude.

What advice do you have for someone when thinking about what to get their mom/wife/sister for mother's day? 

AT: The absolute best gift is one that shows you have listened or noticed something about the person you are giving the gift to. Favorite colors, favorite jewels, symbolism, and presentation. Take the time to pick out fancy wrapping paper and a nice card. When in doubt, ask another woman.

What are you gifting your mother this Mother’s day? 

AT: Lunch and a walk in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is where she walked for hours when she was pregnant with me and trying to induce labor with exercise.

What is one thing your mother would absolutely have in her home (from the Lizzie Fortunato Fortune Finds selection?)

AT: Ugh, there’s too much good stuff to choose from!! I know she would love this brass mobile, she loved Alexander Calder and taught me about him as a child. I also love a candlestick for her from Aesa, she loves table decor.