"I was going to Loyola Marymount University but wanted to leave, so I transferred to Parsons. I had always wanted to live in New York. It wasn’t a culture shock coming from California—it was an encouragement. The energy really encourages you to pick up the pace. I needed New York because I feel like the pace of the business and the pace of what was happening there was good for me. For a very long time, I knew that I wanted to work in fashion. There are pictures of me when I was little working on dress forms. I started making clothes in high school because everyone was wearing the same thing. In fifth grade, I wore pedal pushers and shorter pants, and all the girls laughed at me. I came home crying that day feeling so alone and different and my mom told me, 'Just keep doing it.'

I met Kris during my second year in our couture class. He had tattoos, he was the only male in the program, and he kept getting closer and closer to my desk. He finally asked, 'Is it OK if we work on my project for a few hours, and then work on yours for a few hours?' He would help me sew my garments and I would give him tips. We noticed that our projects came out better when we worked together—it was a team effort. In our final semester at Parsons, our projects sat next to each other—his was black and mine was white. In Fall 2014, which was four years after I graduated, we started Brock.

We had always discussed this idea of creating a really special collection of feminine basics and pieces that women could wear day-to-day. I think that I’ve always been interested in dressing up, dressing down, and dressing in a feminine way. Our friends who own A’maree’s introduced us to a fabric mill, one they said was the most special fabric mill in the world that had worked with all the biggest houses. They told us that maybe we could get into their archives and start something really special. Kris and I met Baptiste, looked at each other, and said, 'We’re coming back next year with a collection.' And we did. We didn’t know if we were going to sell it or what was going to happen—we only showed it to our closest friends and a few editors.

Being a part of the [Vogue] Fashion Fund changed our whole career. It changed everything. That really took our business to the next level and pushed us to take an honest look at our business. It pushed us to refine our processes and focus on our woman. And who is that woman? For us, she’s a timeless, romantic, American woman. We showed at New York Fashion Week with a presentation during Fall/Winter 2015. Barneys picked it up and that was a really special moment. I think that’s what’s exciting about this industry—that it’s always new. There’s always more to do and more to discover—more to create. [With Brock], I want to reach as many women as I can. I want to make as many women feel good about themselves as I can.

SKINCARE
I take care of my skin through hydration, exercise and sleep, which I’m not getting much of because I have a two-year-old. I use Cetaphil daily and the Lancer Skin Polish every other day. I’ve been using the Chanel Hydra Beauty Mist. I love the fragrance of it, and I also love the way it leaves my skin feeling. I also use the Chanel Hydra Beauty Gel Crème and I love Drunk Elephant’s Vitamin C Firming Serum—it’s amazing. Leandra [Medine] told me about it. It’s like it gives you a facelift—you can feel your face tighten. It’s phenomenal. I like to use a clay mask every once in a while—a detoxifying mask to tighten and cleanse. The Hydra Beauty Mask from Chanel is also nice.

3Lab is a really special brand that I’ve fallen in love with. I don’t know the background, but it’s only sold at Barneys. I use the concealer. It’s all-organic and it blends really easily, and the sunscreen is phenomenal. I wear sunscreen in California every day because you can’t avoid the sun. Also, Louise Deschamps at Dr. Lancer in LA is phenomenal. She does my oxygen facials, microdermabrasions, anything I need.

MAKEUP
I don’t wear makeup [every day]. I didn’t really wear it in high school or college either. For a night out I will, but normally I just use skincare, sunscreen, and a tinted lip. Right now, I love the Benefit Benebalm stick. It’s lightly tinted and I use it on my lips and cheeks. I love the Maybelline Dream Cushion Liquid Foundation. Because I wear SPF I don’t get super tan, so I use a Tom Ford Bronzer. It’s not very dense so you don’t have to use very much—a little goes a long way. I use Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara and I love the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil. I do a light fill-in, just to build them out a bit. If I’m going out, I love the Maybelline Highlighter Powder. I use my fingers and I put it on my nose, cheeks, and my lip.

HAIR
My hair has pretty much been light since I was a child. Is it natural now? Oh, no. [Laughs] Lena Ott in New York does my color. She does such a good job—she’s so talented. Her energy, when you’re in the chair, is so good. And Robert Lopez in LA cuts my hair. I don’t like to have it long. I just haven’t had time to cut my hair. It’s usually shorter than this.

I use Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner and I wash it pretty often, if not every day. I also use Kerastase products. The pink styling gel smells really nice. I put it on wet hair and do a French braid or two and let it dry. It gives a bit of wave and the Kerastase gives it some texture.

SELF CARE
Exercise is key—I’ve been doing kickboxing and yoga with a personal trainer. I don’t take supplements or vitamins, I just try to eat in a balanced way. It’s important to remember that your vitamins come from what you eat—your vegetables and your fruit. We live with my parents, and my mom loves cooking, so in the mornings it’s organic oatmeal and eggs, and then for dinner it’s tacos, or pasta primavera or spaghetti. A moment to myself, like taking a bath, is also great. I like Mustela Baby Soap and lavender bubble bath."

—as told to ITG