130 InSTYLE FEBRUARY 2019
THE LIFE
or T yLy n n Ng uyen, good th ings come in
threes: Mom to three children, Lotus, 6,
Czar, 3, and Hunter, 1, she’s also a lingerie
designer, model, and artist. “I started
painting when I was young, and I taught
myself,” she says. “I’m a Cancer, so I feel ev-
erything. I don’t think everyone needs to be
aware of all my feelings, so I paint them in-
stead.” The colorful canvases in her Calabasas, Calif., home
were inspired by her dreams, but her creative work is tied to
her femininity: “It’s all about evoking my emotional state
while I’m painting, but it’s powerful for channeling my fem-
inine energy.” Nguyen’s femininity is at the center of much
of what she does. Her na mesa ke line of u nder pin n ings fea-
tures comfortable yet sexy essentials, and she’s been open
about the reality and challenges of having children. “When
I had Hunter, I tried to push through, but
one day I lost it. A fter a few months I
started to level out and could get back to
work on my line, but that pause was nec-
essary for my health,” says Nguyen. Now
painting is something she does with her
kids, and her work serves as the backdrop
for their daily activities. “We’re always
in the dining room, building Legos, mak-
ing meals. But, really, with three kids
every room is a gathering space.”
F
The Nguyens
relax with
their dog,
Pretzel. Of
her husband,
Bee, TyLynn
says, “I’m
grateful to
have such a
supportive,
encouraging
partner.
Without him,
I don’t know
how I could
do it.”My children
watch me
paint, and it inspires
them to do the
same. With my workbeing so abstract,
I know they learn
they don’t have tobe restrained within
a certain box.”
“I encourage my kids by letting
them be themselves. Whatever
I notice they’re interested in,
we run toward that.”