Kaye's vision for Parachute comes through in all the work she does across the company’s branding, from Instagram—which has grown by more than 64% since the beginning of 2020 thanks to interactive tutorials and influencer partnerships—to the company's hands-on approach to production. When Parachute relaunched custom monogramming just before the pandemic began, the company opted to use a local embroidery shop in Los Angeles. As demand grew, Kaye and her team drove products back and forth to the shop themselves, refolding and shipping items individually.
For all that attention to detail, though, Kaye says she’s always “making sure that we’re taking big risks and being opportunistic and allowing things to get a little messy. Not being too obsessed with perfection, but really focusing on the big picture and how we can make it happen.”
If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
Michelle Obama. I actually just finished reading her book [“Becoming”], and I’m so endlessly inspired by her strength and brilliance.
What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis?
I only really use one these days: Instagram. I have a love/hate relationship. You know what I’ve been doing on the weekends? When I’m trying to be off my phone, I turn it to black-and-white, which you can do in settings so your phone becomes black-and-white. It makes Instagram extremely boring to scroll through, so it stops me from scrolling when everything is totally grayed out.
What’s currently on your bedside reading list?
“My Year of Rest and Relaxation” [by Ottessa Moshfegh], which feels somewhat of a preempt given the brand.
What was the last show you binge-watched?
“Yellowstone.” Oh my gosh, it’s so good. Kevin Costner’s character owns the biggest ranch. It’s crazy and wild, but I’m obsessed. We went to Wyoming for the first time in May and everyone’s talking about the show “Yellowstone,” so we came home and binge-watched it. I highly recommend it. It’s amazing.
At what age do you hope to retire?
I’ll never retire. I’ll always be doing something.
See Ad Age’s 40 under 40 list here.