Founder of Tuchinda Tina Tuchinda lives in New York with her husband (and business partner) Jay and their two boys Hunter and Harry. Tina was born in Korea but moved to the US during her early childhood. She studied fashion at Parsons school of design, with a background in womenswear. Since launching with their first collection for FW13 Tuchinda has gone from strength to strength not only with their beautifully detailed design but also with supporting children through their ethos of childrenswear helping children.
Please introduce us to your family? We are Jay, Tina, Hunter (5), Harrison aka Harry (2)
Where’s home ? I was born in Korea and raised in a little rural town in PA called Hanover. Jay was born in Pittsburgh….a much bigger city in PA.
What’s the best thing about living in NYC ? It’s not Hanover….or Pittsburgh, hahaha! No really, PA is great for the simple life. However, NYC’s energy is addictive and palpable. You really FEEL the opportunities lurking in every corner and in every fascinating person you meet. Also, New Yorkers when the time comes, stick together and help each other out. It’s a tough city to live in….so we all help each other out.That being said, I have since moved out of the city so that I can buy an actual house with land and grass to raise my boys. Jay and I grew up on acres of land, so we want to give that treasure to our boys as well.
What are the core ingredients that make your house a family home? Sounds cheesy, but LOVE and LAUGHTER. It doesn’t matter where or what house we are in, it’s the love and laughter that make each place feel like HOME.
What are you grateful for? I had a tough family situation growing up, so for me….every day with my wonderful husband and two boys is truly a blessing. Once you travel you realize just how good you and your family have it. Just look at the world news lately….I’m grateful I’m alive, I’m grateful I’m free, I’m grateful that my family is here with me and healthy, I’m grateful that I have this wonderful business, and of course, I’m grateful people like you want to interview a person like me.
A favourite family meal/recipe, please share? Oh, I’m not really known for my cooking, haha! I can follow a recipe, and I LOVE to eat all kinds of food….but cooking, only when I have to.
What song gets the whole family up to dance? Hmmm….Everyone in my family likes different music. Jay likes Classical, techno, alternative. I like Jazz, Bossa Nova, anyone with a husky soulful voice….and any music played on the cello. The kids like anything funny or has a nice beat.
Describe a typical weekend? We like to spend the weekends trying out new restaurants, taking road trips to different towns, in general, just trying out new places, activities, and food.
Imagine you could relocate the family and business anywhere in the world. What would be your ideal place? I would be in heaven on a farm raising sheep and spinning and dyeing my own yarn, growing my own fruits and vegetables, and raising/riding horses. The other essential is to be no more than 20 min away from a nice beach. My last request is that the climate is always warm.
An item you all treasure? Time…..and health…..indispensable
Please name a talent for each family member? Wow, this one took me by surprise. Well, I’m good at making things with my hands. Jay has a knack for brightening up a situation. Hunter is unusually good at video games. Harry can charm the pants off anyone.
Cat or dog ? Unfortunately Jay and Hunter are allergic.
If you had a time machine which family holiday would you choose to re live? We all loved the last trip we took which was a multi-destination trip to Barcelona, Mallorca, Positano, Florence, and Provence.
One piece of advice that you want to pass down to your children? To really find their inner peace…who they really are, not what others want them to be. To get to this point, I’d tell them to not let fear or insecurity get in the way of fully living life….traveling all over the world, trying out different foods, languages, religions, meeting different people, etc.
Why children’s fashion? I made a late in life career change and went to Parsons for women’s design. When I graduated, I got pregnant, and all I could think about was children’s design. Plus, it’s a magical little world, isn’t it, where the boundaries are blurred.
Describe your roles with the day to day running of Tuchinda? I do everything, haha! No, seriously. Jay is my business partner and everything passes through him first before any final decisions are made.
Can you talk to us a little bit about ‘Children’s rights’ – the charity you support through your product sales? Helping abused and neglected children is a personal passion for me and Jay. This is what gives a soul and purpose to my business. If I could, I would just open orphanages everywhere and take care of all the children who need a loving home. But my fashion company gives me a vehicle in order to give back and help organizations that do help these children. We currently work with Children’s Rights here in NYC. They work tirelessly on the policy level, to help bring about the laws that protect abused and neglected children in the foster system. They give a voice to these voiceless kids who literally go from one abusive family to another to another.
Plans for the future? Hopefully our company can make enough to do what I spoke of above. I see what happens to children in foster care….or worse in places like India…on the street drugged up by the gangs begging for money…it’s heart wrenching and unfair. I would love to make enough to open up care centers where the children can grow up feeling safe and loved. A children’s company helping children….isn’t that just logical??
I’d say so, thanks Tina !
Tuchinda
http://tuchindadesign.com/
Company founded: FW13
Country: USA
Number of stockists: 120
Countries available: over 20
Number of pieces in current collection: approx 65
SS17
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