THE INFLUENCE: TyLynn Nguyen

What luxury means to you.

A sense of ease. When weighing up a new purchase ask yourself about the ease it gives, the sense of beauty, the sense of connection. And this isn’t solely about acquiring consumer goods: luxury is a way to live your life and we all have access to that.

The items that will forever be in your wardrobe.

I have this pair of The Row shoes that I reference as my ninja shoes and I love the quality and the ease of them: I wear them to pilates class, to events, I wear them to anything as they’re multipurpose. Another piece that I adore is a grey Chanel bag that I will for sure give to my daughter. It fits all my essentials and it's just a beautiful bag. When it comes to clothes, I've narrowed everything down to a capsule wardrobe. My staples are vintage Levi’s; favourite T shirts by Kai Intimates (so nice and soft); Wardrobe NYC blazers which look good on my frame and I love this Magda Butrym coat that has this fur collar that you can take off. There’s also this brand Eterne that makes cosy, simple pieces to run around in and I wear over and over again.

A piece of jewellery that means the most.

I love Repossi earrings and I have many pairs which I rotate. I also wear a necklace by Lizzie Mandler which has three diamonds to represent my children, and a 1977 Cartier watch that I hunted down - it’s amazing. It has an elongated face and as I have very long slender arms I wanted something that took up some space and made a statement. If you know you know.

What style means to you.

Great style to me is classic. I have honed my style to be very feminine, but athletic and classic. I think that style is when you think ‘oof … that’s nice to look at,’ and that typically combines a sense of beauty and ease. People maybe comment that the job we do is vain but human kind likes to look at beautiful things, something calming to the eyes: that's why we go out into nature. When someone has true style, it's just a feeling that you get.

Style icons.

Grace kelly. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy. Sade Adu.

Your wellness rituals.

Horseback riding is very important to me - it's a way for me to connect to myself, get beyond myself and open up my spiritual aura. Working with horses, you are sensing them and their needs, and while you are the driver, you have to honour this creature, stay humble, and really give them the respect they deserve. That process teaches you how to understand your own energy and how to pick up on small cues. I love it more for a spiritual experience and while riding is still a sport there are so many mind-body connections that you use to send the right cues to the horse. Riding is part of my personal spiritual practice and I love animals and honouring creatures.

Where you go to escape

This past summer I went to Mexico twice, to Cuixmala, in the middle of the jungle, with alligators, zebras and ox: unlike any hotel experience that I have ever had. I ended up going back again with my kids - to be wild and in nature. I also adore the South of France: it’s a little bit boujis but there's something about it that inspires me and I want to soak up some of that energy. I also like Barcelona which is romantic but has a grittiness to it, and Tokyo for its sensory overload. My favourite pastime in Paris is to sit in churches and imagine who has been here, looking at the ceilings, smelling the old smells.

Thoughts on motherhood.

My oldest is 11 and, back when I started ‘mumming,’ I learnt that taking good care of myself is so important. If my kids see me beautiful and happy, then they are happier as a result. And right now, my daughter is so into self care and beauty too. In that realisation, my style went from ugly gym clothes to wearing jeans and a T-shirt with my hair done, and blusher on - it feels nice. We are their examples before they go outside and I want my children to be themselves even when they have children so I try to express that.

Your interest in art.

I actually just commissioned a painting from a girlfriend of mine, her name is Brianna Lance. The painting is so beautiful but to cite an older artist it would be Agnes Martin who suffered periods of mental illness like some members of my family. When you look at her work, she found perfection in the painting she did: everything is a perfect line, perfect dot and is a mathematical equation as she’s making order in her brain and that is beautiful. As women, we are very complicated and you see her beauty and order in the precision of her work. There’s an old picture of her that I love, in which she’s working, wearing a matching puffy coat and pants and with her long hair tied back in a ponytail.

On interior design.

My home is very collected. It’s gifts from friends or pieces that I’ve picked up here and there. I have a close friend Ashley Booth Klein who helps sometimes - sending me pictures of pieces she thinks I’d like. A few of the pieces that I've collected that I love are the Pierre Jeanneret stools in my kitchen. They’re beautiful mahogany wood, and my kitchen’s all white so they look amazing in contrast. I also have this stunning Isamu Noguchi lamp above my dining table. I took a long time to find these pieces so there's a sense of pride in them and they're definitely pieces I'd like to pass on to my kids.

Beauty advice.

It doesn't matter what your skin tone is, you need to wear sunscreen! My routine every morning is Agent Nateur Holi Rose Water before a moisturiser - today that was Tata Harper - and LESSE sunscreen which is very clean and feels good on the skin. The founder Neada is very honed in on what she wants people's skin to feel like and the performance so I value her very much. Then I just apply a little CHANEL lip and cheek balm. For night time, it depends where my skin is in the moon cycle - it could be an intense scrub, or a very soft cleanser, or double cleanser if I've been wearing a lot of makeup for an event. I also use the LYMA laser which I really like, and a hot and cold tool for depuffing the eyes first thing. I’m very religious about taking care of myself: when we do take the time, and use the right products, the skin slows down the ageing process. Age is just number in your brain - don’t celebrate birthdays if you don't have to, then you won't know how old you are!

The experts you turn to.

I have three go-to girls! I’ve been meditating with Desiree Pais, founder of BENSHEN, for three years now and I love her dearly. She is all about mind and soul and helps women get in touch with their femininity, their sensuality, their beauty. She shows them that they can only fill up the cups of others once they’ve filled up their own. It is important to serve other people but if we’re not being served then we don’t have a clue how to serve anyone else. If you’re in survival mode, then you’re just surviving! I’m on a very unique spiritual path but I value women that want to see other women full. I’m actually guest collaborating on a business course with BENSHEN, on integrity and leadership, in March. It’s one of my goals to be able to speak to people more about spirituality, beauty, integrity, leadership.

For my skin, I see my girlfriend Melanie Grant - she needs to insure her hands because they’re incredible! I also see another friend Camille Field who works with Biologique Recherche and really knows how to make your skin beautiful. She gave me this really stinky zit cream and the zit is gone the next day!

On your wishlist.

There’s a Row trench coat I’m trying to hunt down!