For our next installment, we caught up with The Hess Twins: twin creators, models, consultants, and DJ’s based in Boston, MA who operate as one in all that they do. Their style and sneaker collection alone will make you question your entire closet. Did we mention they have a dog named Nike?
Read our “That’s 5” interview to learn more about these fashion trailblazers, the women who inspire them, and what they’re planning to do next.
Who are some of the women that have influenced you?
Ashley: For us, it’s not about influence, I think we’re both too strong-minded for a verb like that. Instead, it’s about inspiration, and to put it simply, fearless women inspire us. Women who use their femininity as a superpower and excel beyond not only society’s expectations but its limitations, as well.
Kat: I know that’s broad, but it’s meant to be because while our interests are mostly in fashion and music, we’re talking about women whose behavior and attitude inspires us to push for more, and thankfully those women can be found at the top of nearly any industry right now.
Both: Though if we do have an opportunity to name drop a few, here’s a list of some women who inspire us: Julia Lang, Sarah Andelman, Emily Oberg, Serena Williams, Kristen Crawley, Vashtie, Rox Brown, Alexandria Ocasia-Cortez, Yoon Ahn, Becky Hammon, Danielle Guizio, Kirsty Godso, Sofia Coppola, Yaya Aflalo, Jessie Andrews…. lmao that’s a long list, but we have no regrets.
What is most overrated at the moment?
Kat: Ego. Not to be confused with confidence, however, because you have to have confidence in yourself and in your decisions in order to succeed and find fulfillment. But I think there’s a fine line between having a strong sense of personal identity and having an unrealistic sense of self-importance. I really think creativity and comprehensive thinking thrive in an environment that brings diverging opinions and diverse perspectives together, but that type of place can’t exist without checking your ego at the door.
What is most underrated at the moment?
Ashley: Being kind. I think we need to try harder to be kind to ourselves, others, and the planet.
Kat: I’ll try to expand on this without writing a novel, but I think in the age of social media, where numbers and stats all too easily help us to negatively compare ourselves to others, it’s important to remember we’re all at different stages in our lives and careers. It’s been said before, but we need to be a little easier on ourselves when we feel we’re not living up to a misconceived expectation. We then need to take that self-love, convert it into compassion, and remember we’re all responsible in the making of a pleasant society. If we want others to treat us kindly, we have to treat them the same. With all that being said, there’s no point in fostering a considerate world when we’re not willing to respect our Earth. If we’ve been so quick to exploit our planet’s resources, it’s crucial that we compensate for our impact and try to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
If you could give advice to your younger self, what would you say?
Ashley: I would tell her that the only person who cares as much as you do is you. In short, it means that every person has their own agenda to which they attend, and their most important priority is their own. To me, this advice is both calming and motivating. On the one hand, it made me realize that something I may consider my largest insecurity is an unlikely blip on anyone else’s radar. And on the other hand, it made realize that my most important priority is not likely to be at the top of anyone else’s list, so if I want something done I’m the catalyst responsible for its realization.
What’s next for you?
Both: Being true Geminis and multi-hyphenates, we have all four hands in different pots at all times, stirring and temping each of our top interests. Right now, we’re extra excited and focused on two of those pots. One is our DJ career, which seems to have finally taken off locally, so we’re hoping to expand that nationally soon. The other is an e-commerce business we’re stoked to launch this summer. It’s also almost 7:30 pm so watching Jeopardy is probably next for us, too.
