As one half of the four-year old fashion label Holmes & Yang, Jeanne Yang has a knack for creating successful duos. Case in point: twin daughters, Zoey and Sydney. Old souls at heart, the identical almost ten-year olds finish each other's sentences and, as their mom puts it, are built-in best friends. Rounding out their fantastic foursome is Yang's husband, Scott—real estate expert by day, stylist to his wife by night (the Hermès headscarf was his idea). When she's not soaking up family time in her glass-enclosed, Richard Neutra-designed tree house, Yang is traveling the world styling clients like Brad Pitt and Christian Bale. In 2008, after noticing a gap in the fashion market, Yang and longtime client (and friend) Katie Holmes decided to create a high-end line for working moms just like themselves—a uniform of sorts, to simplify women’s lives. Two careers, two kids, a dog, and a lizard named Dragon—it’s all in a day's work for this energetic powerhouse.
Zoey and Sydney, 9 and a half, June 2012
1. "Anything from Red Flower in the Icelandic Moonflower scent
2. Love notes from my daughters
3. Podcasts for my daily commute
4. Playing with our American Girl horses
5. Dressing up our dog
6. Baking pies"
Holmes & Yang girls' dresses
"The best moment of my life was when my ladies were born, and it's only gotten better."
"I try to blend in my work with my kids by bringing them with me when possible. Just being with them, even if I am working, makes us all very happy."
"I used to replace the 'he's' and 'him's' in their bedtime stories because I felt as though most of these books were too male-centric. I want them to know they can do and be anything."
"Zoey is so adventurous in food and trying anything new. Sydney is fiercely competitive and would never let anything hold her back."
Silhouette portraits by Karl Johnson
"I am generally more of the disciplinarian, though my husband and I go back and forth—he is strict about bedtime and I am strict about homework."
"I love Crewcuts because they make great, comfortable pieces that look like kids' clothing rather than like your child is 9 going on 19."
On Sydney: Holmes & Yang dress
"Since becoming a mom, I have definitely relaxed more and started wearing heels a lot less."
Framed self-portrait Jeanne drew of herself in college
Zoey and Sydney's pet lizard, Jake the Bearded Dragon
"My mother was an identical twin, only she and her twin were separated at birth because of the war. They didn’t see each other until they were both 40."
"My husband was away on a business trip when I found out I was having twins. I faxed him a copy of the ultrasound and he said, 'it doesn't look like the head and the body are connected', to which I replied, 'I don’t know if I remember telling you that my mother is a twin?'"
"'Speak to your children as you would like to be spoken to', is the most helpful advice I've ever received."
"When Zoey was six, she and I were discussing movies. She said she preferred movies that had a lesson, so I questioned her about Up, since it was and is still one of her favorites. I said, "You liked it but there were no lessons, it was just a great movie.' She proceeded to explain to me that of course the lesson was letting go. 'Mr. Fredrickson needed to let go of his wife, the hunter needed to let go of hunting the bird and the little boy needed to let go of his father.' I was truly humbled."
1. Favorite thing about your home: "Our beds"
2. Favorite food: "Soboro" (Sydney), "Toro and truffles" (Zoey), "Daddy's crispy chicken!" (both girls)
3. Favorite thing to do with your mom: "Crafting and gardening"
4. Favorite music: "Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift"
5. Favorite character from a book: "Laura Ingalls Wilder because she can do anything. Harry Potter because he can do magic."
"The hardest part about being a mom is getting out of the car at the airport to leave on a trip with both of them crying and saying to hurry back. The best part is coming back from trips and being greeted with a flood of kisses and love notes—I feel like I have presents waiting for me when I walk in the door."
"Saturdays are photo shoot days for them—they dress up the dog and paint her nails."
"When getting ready to go out, I am so busy braiding hair and concentrating on everyone else before myself. Consequently, I have developed a more simple approach to dressing and wearing hats so as not to have to do my hair as much."
"My shortcuts: a little Tarte Cheek Stain and some eyebrow cream. The blush gives me a nice touch of color, while the eyebrow cream, which shapes my brows, is less harsh than a pencil and lasts longer."
"Date nights are so important. But, both my husband and I have such a crazy love for our girls that it makes our marriage so strong."
"Scott and I always say we are so happy we have twins so we each have one to hug."
Four-legged friends
