The San Francisco-based Katie Hintz has an illustrious resume coveted by any fashion journalist with pieces featured in Marie Claire, Nylon, New York Magazine, Style.com, Vogue.com, Elle.com, GQ.com, along with many others. She was also the Senior West Coast Editor of Refinery 29 most recently. Now, as she moves into motherhood with her son Diego, she has also launched a new web magazine, soon to be a household names for moms, MotherMag.com. Read her Q&A below to find out more about her and MotherMag.com!
BR: What do you love most about being a mom?
KH: The fact that I have an absolutely adorable child that I get to cuddle and watch develop everyday... I sometimes have to pitch myself. Diego is just the best.
BR: What is the number one way in which motherhood has changed you?
KH: I think it has forced me to have an actual work-life balance. Diego is my balance. It is impossible to work when he's with me, so he really forces me to be in the present and just enjoy our time together, whether it's going to the park, eating lunch or chasing each other around the house. Otherwise, since I love my job, I could happily do that most of the time.
BR: Did you breast-feed? If so, how did it affect your wardrobe choices?
KH: Yes! Diego is over 13 months-old and I am still going strong. I definitely appreciate button-down silhouettes or things that I can yank up easily. Also, I usually wear a racerback-style nursing bra, so items with necklines that don't force me to change into a different bra are nice.
BR: We are SO excited about the launch of Mother Mag! Please share a little bit about your new venture and what inspired you to create an online magazine.
KH: I always wanted to start my own website, but I just didn't have an idea that I felt the world needed. Then, as soon as I gave birth to Diego and started Googling crazy mom-related things in the middle of the night, I realized that there was a huge hole in the market for a style-leaning, full-service site that provided both information and inspiration for mothers. I knew that I was still essentially the same person, but my interests had also shifted with motherhood. I wanted to build the type of site that I would want to read. I was planning on launching the site myself and I called up James Kicinski-McCoy, whom I had met on a Bugaboo press trip, to get her feedback on my idea. I really respected what she had done with Bluebird. I wanted to see if she felt there was a strong market for this type of project. She explained that she thought there was a huge market, and that she had been thinking of starting a similar site, and suggested we partner up. James has a very loyal, cult-following and also impeccable taste. It seemed like a no-brainer! We have really loved being business partners.
BR: How are you balancing your job as a real mom and your job as a "mother" to your new baby, i.e. your business?
KH: I definitely couldn't do it without my awesome babysitter, who comes from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. I really concentrate during those six hours, working on content for Mother [Mag] and also a couple of companies I consult for. At 2 p.m., I take over and go into full-on mom mode and try to work again once Diego goes down for his afternoon nap and once he goes to bed for the night.
BR: During and after your pregnancies, what was your day to day style?
KH: I always loved stretchy, comfy clothes and oversized Muumuu dresses even before I was pregnant. So, I had a lot of things in my closet to work with from the beginning. Even now that I'm not pregnant, I wear similar things: leggings and an oversized sweater for working from home, a jumpsuit and Freda Salvador flats for meetings during the day and, if I have an evening event of dinner with friends, I like to slip on heels and a standout dress.
BR: What is the one thing you wish you would've known before becoming a mother?
KH: How all-encompassing it is. Although, I'm not sure anyone can really prep you for that part. I wish I had traveled overseas more with my husband, taken more laughter-fueled road trips with my girlfriends and spent more lazy days reading magazines in the park. All of those types of things are on hiatus and they are such an essential and inspiring addition to life.
Thank you so much, Katie Hintz!
Shop Katie Hintz's Tastemaker Sale HERE.
Check out MotherMag.com HERE.
Read more about Katie Hintz HERE.