Artsy Entrepreneur Mom on The Street: Ying Liu
Whether she’s designing new hypoallergenic clothing for Kyte BABY or enjoying a good meal with her family, Artsy Entrepreneur Ying Liu inspires those around her with her creativity, grace, and strength.
Meet Ying
Ying was born and raised in China in Guangzhou, a megacity in the south of China.
Growing up, Ying was a star all around. She was an athlete with a specialty in the triple jump and high jump. Ying is very tall by Chinese standards, so she was naturally good at these sports. She was also class president for many years and describes herself as bossy from a very young age. Ying had classical fine art training for many years. Becoming an artist was Ying’s dream for many years, and she still loves to create.
Ying took the skills she learned as a teen, endurance, leadership, and art, and used them to create Kyte BABY. Babies were a part of Ying’s life even before she became a mother herself. As a college student, Ying held a job as an interpreter and tour guide for adoptive parents traveling to China to meet their children. Ying accompanied these parents to the orphanage to meet their children for the first time. She still remembers the outpouring of love and joy on the parents’ faces when they first saw the babies they waited so long to meet.
Kyte BABY
Eventually, Ying moved to Canada and had five babies of her own. She opened a store selling quality baby products to spend more time with her children and help other parents find the best for their babies. The idea for Kyte BABY came from one of Ying’s own children.
One of Ying’s daughters, Kei, was born with eczema. Ying realized that Kei would pull her pajamas open at night to keep cool. That helped her stop itching, get comfortable and fall asleep faster. Ying searched for fabrics that would keep Kei’s skin cool and wouldn’t irritate her without the need to pull off her clothing. Eventually, Ying realized that bamboo was the fabric she had been looking for since it is hypoallergenic, three degrees cooler than cotton, and has unmatched softness. Once Kei started wearing bamboo, her sleep improved significantly, and the idea for Kyte BABY was born.
Ying started Kyte BABY so that all children (and adults) can have the same comfort that helped her daughter. Kyte BABY is a family affair as Ying chose her Aung Ling’s garment factory to manufacture Kyte BABY’s pajamas and clothing. Ying’s Aunt Ling had already been manufacturing clothing for top European lines for years, so keeping Kyte BABY in the family was an obvious choice!
Kyte BABY helps keep Ying’s artistic side alive as well. Ying is always thinking about color palettes based on movies and her Instagram feed. Her oldest son, Tin, helps her chose prints and which animals to feature.
Artsy Entrepreneur Style
Which three words best describe your style?
Simple, elegant, structural
What are your favorite places to shop?
COS store, ROOLEE, Nordstrom
Who’s your favorite style icon?
Tilda Swinton
What’s your best style advice?
One-piece jumpsuit or dress makes you look tall and slender
What article of clothing/accessory would you not want to live without?
Any of my jumpsuits
Which trend would you want to see make a comeback?
Large shoulder pads
What should NEVER make a comeback?
Miniskirt
What fashion/style did you love at the time but now cringe when you see old photos?
80’s permed hair, which I donned in the late ’90s, haha
What’s your best style secret?
A good pair of sneakers or sandals go with everything
Stilettos or flats?
Flats
Artsy Entrepreneur Family
What’s your favorite way to spend time with your family?
Around good food
What’s been your best family vacation?
Going to Costa Rica during the rainy season. We had lots of indoor time together, listening to the rain and staring at the Pacific Ocean all day.
Best parenting advice:
Just spend time with them.
Parenting true confession:
I don’t open all the emails that my kids’ schools send to me.
What’s your go-to family dinner?
I’d make whole roasted chicken with potatoes, and my nine-year-old daughter sautees mushrooms.
What’s your favorite family restaurant?
Central Market Café. It’s a café attached to a gourmet grocery store with an outdoor playground.
Artsy Entrepreneur Life
What’s your favorite show to binge-watch?
French crime TV show: Engrenages
If you could pick anyone to star as you in a movie based on your life, who would it be?
Jessica Chastain
What’s your favorite beach read?
I can’t remember the last time I read on a beach. I would grab a bunch of magazines on fashion and business.
What song would you dance to when nobody’s watching?
“All of Me,” by John Legend
If you could go shopping with anyone from history, living or deceased, who would it be?
My husband. I do most of my shopping online, so if I were to shop in-store, it’d be more like a date.
What’s at the top of your travel bucket list?
Prague
What’s your favorite way to unwind at the end of a long day?
Sit on my couch with a glass of wine and look out my backyard window into the forest while kids play Lego not far away from me.
Artistic Entrepreneur Life
We love how Ying has used her background as an artist and entrepreneur to help her daughter and others. We’re also big fans of the way that Ying’s family is such an integral part of her business. Kyte BABY is constantly adding new bamboo textiles for babies, toddlers, and adults to their line. So be sure to check out what’s new with Kyte BABY regularly to ensure you and your little one get the best sleep of your lives!
And for more interesting and stylish moms, be sure to check out FamilyApp’s Mom on the Street!
